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Farm Kitchen:  Is that really a turkey?  |
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twink
True Blue Farmgirl
131 Posts
Deb
Rapid City
SD
USA
131 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 16 2009 : 09:08:30 AM
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CATHERINE'S CORNER
by Catherine Ebeling, RN BSN
November 15, 2009
Is That Really A Turkey For Dinner?
Turkeys are big business in America-especially around Thanksgiving and the holidays. About 250-300 million turkeys are raised here a year, and about 50 million of those are for Thanksgiving alone. Do you know much about how conventional turkeys are raised? It is not a pretty picture.
The commercially raised turkey is something that could never exist in nature. After a half a century of genetic engineering, overbreeding and unnatural raising techniques, the modern turkey can barely walk, much less run, fly, mate or lay eggs. That beautiful golden brown, delicious centerpiece served on a platter at Thanksgiving dinner has lived a not-so-picturesque life.
Factory farmed turkeys are packed by the thousands inside warehouses and never allowed outside. These turkeys are allowed one square foot for living space, meaning that these poor birds can barely turn around in these crowded conditions. The turkeys must stand in their own fecal matter breathing toxic fumes.
Because of the close conditions these birds are raised in, many are sickly and diseased. Antibiotics and other drugs are administered on a regular basis.
Living in these unnatural conditions, it's easy to see why they turn to pecking and fighting one another. To keep the birds from injuring each other, the turkeys have their beaks cut off, along with the ends of their toes. This painful procedure alone can lead to infections, bleeding and even death.
Turkeys have been genetically manipulated to grow twice as fast and twice as large as their wild ancestors. This unnatural growth is a big strain on the turkeys, and many end up with cardiovascular problems and heart attacks, as well as skeletal problems. In the last 50 years, the weight of turkeys has almost doubled. The average weight is now a whopping 28 lbs! Their legs cannot hold the weight of their bodies and many are crippled ("cowboy legs"), trampled, or end up hiding under the feeders, so they don't have to move.
To please consumer tastes, commercially raised turkeys are also now bred with abnormally large breasts, making it even harder for them to move. Totally unlike their natural ancestors, these odd shaped birds cannot even mate on their own and all commercial turkeys now have to be artificially inseminated in order to reproduce. These strange creatures are far removed from the turkeys that roam wild. While a wild turkey has a lifespan of nearly 20 years, a domesticated, genetically-modified turkey has a lifespan of about two years.
Their sad and cruel life continues as the birds are transported, packed into crates in unheated and uncooled trucks, where many of the birds die from overexposure. Turkeys are stunned prior to slaughter but many have their throats slashed while conscious or worse yet, submerged in boiling hot water-ending their miserable lives. These turkeys are also bred to be ready for slaughter when they are three to three and a half months old, which explains why they are so dry.
When the turkeys are bred to grow so quickly, the life of the bird is very shortened, so that it never fully matures and puts on the layer of fat, and that's why these commercial birds taste dry and why they are usually injected with liquid.
By contrast, free-range turkeys are allowed outside, and while many are still raised in a pen, they are allowed more space to roam. Most get to roam around in a pasture with plenty of fresh air and sunshine. Turkeys are omnivores, and free-range turkeys eat a more natural diet and forage for insects and other grubs. Their food consists of fresh grass, leaves, plant roots and bugs, worms and grubs.
This enables the birds to eat all the varied, living grasses, other plants, insects, etc., that they can find. Since turkeys also need grain, they cannot be totally grass-fed, according to many experts. Turkeys will eat up to 30% of their calories in grass (and that's a LOT of grass), if allowed access to unlimited supplies. Pasturing the poultry assures that they have these supplies of living grass at all times.
The birds are also given access to feed which consist of mainly ground seeds like corn and soybeans mixed with plenty of vitamins and minerals (NO drugs and NO antibiotics of any kind.) Because of this more natural environment, the turkeys are not fighting and pecking one another, and are healthier and more relaxed animals.
After years of selective breeding, the main breed of turkey that is commercially grown in this country is called the "Broadbreasted White". Existing breeds that eluded the genetic engineering of the commercially bred turkeys are now coming back. These breeds were actually near extinction at one point, but farmers will breed and raise them if there is a market. These older versions of the traditional turkey are called "Heritage" turkeys.
Heritage turkeys are known for their delicious meat. While they can compete with the commercial turkey, their meat is concentrated more in the legs and thighs, because their muscles grow when they are actually able to walk around. And unlike the industrialized turkey, which can barely walk, much less run, these turkeys can forage all over the pasture. They can also fly, another activity the industrial turkey can no longer enjoy.
Heritage turkeys contain more flavorful white meat than the other three and deeply flavored dark meat -- the essence of turkey. Both the heritage and the regular free-range turkeys were much juicier than the industrial birds. The heritage birds also have texture, not as in tough, but as in firm. The turkey meat is juicer and firmer than commercially raised turkey because they get exercise and have intramuscular fat. They are also leaner and healthier for you, and they cook at a lower temperature in 1/3 less cook time.
Similar to grass-fed beef, whether it is free-range or a heritage breed, poultry raised on open grass, eating their natural diet, instead of in over-crowded lots, are higher in beneficial fatty acids such as omega 3's. Eating large proportions of living green plants, while foraging for insects and seeds and myriad other natural food sources, and minimal need for medication, grass fed animals have more vibrant health than any other conventionally-raised poultry.
(Company name deleted XX XXXXXXXX) heritage turkeys are the Narragansett breed. While this type of turkey is more expensive, it is from a very old breed and the turkeys take twice as long to reach maturity. These turkeys all sleep under the South Carolina sky every night with a protective netting overhead to keep the owls and coyotes at bay. The farm is certified organic.
Free-range and heritage turkeys are processed in smaller batches in a humane way to reduce suffering and eliminate any pain or stress. Processed birds have no chemical "flavor enhancers" added to the meat or preservatives. Commercial Turkeys may contain up to 7.5 percent (1 1/2 pounds in a 20-pound bird) of a chemical broth added to improve flavor.
While both Heritage and free range turkeys do cost a bit more, their taste, texture and presentation are worth the extra money. A far cry from the dry, tasteless white meat turkeys raised in cruel and miserable conditions, they are more like the turkeys our ancestors feasted upon. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
A Votre Sante!
Catherine Ebeling, RN BSN
__________________
http://healthtalk.6.forumer.com/index.php
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you'll land amongst the stars. - Anonymous |
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coffeemom
True Blue Farmgirl
160 Posts
Melody
Carlinville
IL
USA
160 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2009 : 1:35:58 PM
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| We always buy a free range turkey. There is a turkey farm about 10 miles from my house and I call in every year and order what I need. There is no comparison to the taste of a frozen bird and they just seem to cook better. The cost is higher, but I always say Thanksgiving only comes once a year, so why not splurge? I know they have been raised on feed that is hormone free and antibiotic free. It makes me feel better. |
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QueenofQuiteAlot
True Blue Farmgirl
865 Posts
Dalyn
Milk 'n Honey Ranch
Central, WA
USA
865 Posts |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2009 : 3:54:08 PM
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I raise my own turkeys, there are broadbreasted whites for the holiday birds, and wilds, bourbens, and royal palms for the rest of the year. I would never allow a bird to get where it can not walk, I do raise for size on the whites, and have had one butcher out at 48 lb.s, and yes it was still walking, and it also was only about 9 1/2 months old, they average 38 lb.s. I buy the whites as day old poults, the other breeds, I've been lucky that they are naturaly breeding and setting, and hatching nice size clutches. My turkeys do not run free, but they are in nice large pens, each breed has an area of about 100 x 75 outside area, and 75 x 20 inside. As I've said in many other posts, everything I raise/grow is done naturaly/organicly, unless someone has to be treated for an illness, then I may never butcher that animal for food, it would depend on said illness and how I had to treat it. I am very much against commercialy raised anything, my animals are ALL treated with the utmost respect, and butchered as hummanly as possible with no terror or torture involved, and when possible without them knowing its coming, and not out where the rest of the livestock can see.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2875 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2875 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2009 : 4:08:03 PM
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| Oh Teresa! I wish you were closer! I would love to have one of your turkeys! |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2009 : 6:22:02 PM
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Lisa, I too wish you were closer, cause I would be honored for you to try one of mine.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2009 : 7:55:00 PM
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Put me on that turkey list, too, Teresa.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2009 : 8:45:19 PM
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You too Marly, lol
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Nov 22 2009 : 03:27:02 AM
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This industry is the same as poultry.....and still no excuse
Had a chance to rehab one of those huge chickens (it was a he) and almost took home a white turkey too.
The chicken lived for nearly 7 months and the poor turkey never made it. He was euthanized due to his broken down condition
Pathetic how they are bred to get this big.
So big in fact they often times collapse under their own weight....as the rooster had, and the turkey never did recover from and was euthanized.
So free range and organic and all natural are fine...same for hormone free....but bear in mind most all packages never say genetically untampered or something to indicate it's a "normal" sized bird.
Maybe this is what the all natural label means, but I still wouldn't trust it. |
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magnoliakathy
True Blue Farmgirl
453 Posts
Kathryn
Magnolia
Texas
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - Nov 22 2009 : 05:46:54 AM
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I have an one-year old flock of 4 Royal Palms, Tommy and the girls, Ethel, Ellie, & Emma. I got them as 3 day old poults froma hatchery here in Texas. My order was supposed to come in April, bad hatch, May, bad hatch and finally got them in June of 08, ordered 10, lost one the first week and another at 3 months butchered the extra 4 toms that fall. This spring we ate the eggs, but this coming spring I will let one of the girls set or pull ot the incubator. The toms we put in th freezer averaged 18 lbs. and were so much better than store-bought. They have an 8'x 8' "room" in the henhouse with a 32'x 16' covered pen, but they are allowed to free range during the day. LeaLou herds into their pen in the evening, I put food in their feeder and close their outside gate. ( I like to have all of my livestock penned at night) We also pen them when we are gone overnight to proctect them.
When you free your mind your heart can fly. Farmgirl # 714, |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9349 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9349 Posts |
Posted - Nov 22 2009 : 06:47:24 AM
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I always get mine from the Amish market here. We are about 45 minutes away but it is worth the trip. They have them year round but you have to order ahead for the holiday. They are fresh and never frozen. Until of course I put it in the freezer. I buy it ahead so it needs to be frozen. It is local so I know where I am getting it from.
Mayb e we can raise our own for next year. Has anyone ever had a wild turkey? I forget when they are in season here, but I imagine they would be the most organic you could get!
God is good....all the time.
Denise
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Farm Kitchen: Is that really a turkey? |
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Is that really a turkey?
