17 November 2012,
The Saturday before Thanksgiving, and we processed turkeys this morning. OK, so ALL DAY! We thought we have 10 sold, but then not everyone claimed their birds, and if the aren’t confirmed, we don’t harvest them. So we got up this morning, checked email, and no change. Went out and processed 6 birds. We started about 0830, and it was just after noon we went to town. Came home and checked email again, and we were back on for the other birds. So we got dressed up again, and went out back and processed 3 more toms and a rooster. The only bird left is Gimp, the one that got his leg broken. We will have him for Christmas at Granny’s.
Took us until about 8pm to get the birds all finalized and packaged, ready to go.
Things to work on for next year: Getting a plucker, and a basket for dipping the birds in. We also need better killing cones, and more than one. We did pretty good though. I’d hang one up and start it, let it bleed out, then remove the head before we scalded it. We used the propane stand and the new pot, at just under 150 degrees f. and it worked great. Check the wing feather and when it comes out easy, they are done. Then put them into a big tank to chill until I can clean the insides. Separate the gizzard and heart, along with the neck into a different container. We got a lot of the little pin feathers outside. Doing it in the big tub with a gentle over flow of water to flush the excess off worked great. Then we chilled them and finished the small feathers and made them all nice. We had just enough shrink bags for this year and they work wonders. The problem that I find is the vent hole is at the bottom where it is flat, and the air doesn’t come out well there. Works better with the vent hole on the top, but that is where the wrinkles are and makes it difficult to seal over. Also need some freezer tape to seal them with. Have to be sure to fold the neck flap over the neck bone and do something to remove the point from the tail or else they poke holes in the bag. Just shrinks right over them.
For the last two weeks or so we weren’t sure about birds. We put the geese in with the peacocks to have peace in the coop, in hopes the turkeys would go in there more easily. But not. Came home and they would be in the trees or somewhere. And trying to chase them into the coop only makes matters worse. So we weren’t sure if we would have enough birds to sell. But I came home early Friday and got them all in the coop. And them all having an empty crop sure helped make the processing easier. Now we need to check out the geese and see how difficult they are to pluck. Roasting goose will be the next challenge.
So our turkey flock for next year will start with 6 birds. 4 Bourbon Reds, 1 Tom and 3 hens, including the old Redd mom and the 2 new ones. We also kept Brownie and one of the mixed toms. So we can either let them all run free together or we can make two trios. Thinking about putting a trio in with the peacocks. We also want to let Redd and maybe Brownie set on nests, so I’m thinking about building new pens to put them in and they can build their nests, lay their eggs and then set on them. When the chicks hatch they can just stay in there with mom for a while. We had a real problem with losses this year, with the babies just running loose. Not sure what happened to them, if something got them, or if they just got lost and couldn’t keep up with mom. So next year, if we have a better plan to contain them all, perhaps more will survive.
We also need to build a few more pens to put the babies in when we put them outside. We have the 3 brooders, and need more pens for outside. Need at least one with a built in light and nesting area at one end for smaller babies or when it is colder out. The big pen is too big, so the new ones will probably be 5x10 feet, and figure three new ones. Put them in the field and just move them everyday or two will do great. And could be better than simply dividing the field up. Will still need to build a coop out there for them to sleep in when they get bigger. But any way. Those are some of the plans for next year.
ck here to edit.
The Saturday before Thanksgiving, and we processed turkeys this morning. OK, so ALL DAY! We thought we have 10 sold, but then not everyone claimed their birds, and if the aren’t confirmed, we don’t harvest them. So we got up this morning, checked email, and no change. Went out and processed 6 birds. We started about 0830, and it was just after noon we went to town. Came home and checked email again, and we were back on for the other birds. So we got dressed up again, and went out back and processed 3 more toms and a rooster. The only bird left is Gimp, the one that got his leg broken. We will have him for Christmas at Granny’s.
Took us until about 8pm to get the birds all finalized and packaged, ready to go.
Things to work on for next year: Getting a plucker, and a basket for dipping the birds in. We also need better killing cones, and more than one. We did pretty good though. I’d hang one up and start it, let it bleed out, then remove the head before we scalded it. We used the propane stand and the new pot, at just under 150 degrees f. and it worked great. Check the wing feather and when it comes out easy, they are done. Then put them into a big tank to chill until I can clean the insides. Separate the gizzard and heart, along with the neck into a different container. We got a lot of the little pin feathers outside. Doing it in the big tub with a gentle over flow of water to flush the excess off worked great. Then we chilled them and finished the small feathers and made them all nice. We had just enough shrink bags for this year and they work wonders. The problem that I find is the vent hole is at the bottom where it is flat, and the air doesn’t come out well there. Works better with the vent hole on the top, but that is where the wrinkles are and makes it difficult to seal over. Also need some freezer tape to seal them with. Have to be sure to fold the neck flap over the neck bone and do something to remove the point from the tail or else they poke holes in the bag. Just shrinks right over them.
For the last two weeks or so we weren’t sure about birds. We put the geese in with the peacocks to have peace in the coop, in hopes the turkeys would go in there more easily. But not. Came home and they would be in the trees or somewhere. And trying to chase them into the coop only makes matters worse. So we weren’t sure if we would have enough birds to sell. But I came home early Friday and got them all in the coop. And them all having an empty crop sure helped make the processing easier. Now we need to check out the geese and see how difficult they are to pluck. Roasting goose will be the next challenge.
So our turkey flock for next year will start with 6 birds. 4 Bourbon Reds, 1 Tom and 3 hens, including the old Redd mom and the 2 new ones. We also kept Brownie and one of the mixed toms. So we can either let them all run free together or we can make two trios. Thinking about putting a trio in with the peacocks. We also want to let Redd and maybe Brownie set on nests, so I’m thinking about building new pens to put them in and they can build their nests, lay their eggs and then set on them. When the chicks hatch they can just stay in there with mom for a while. We had a real problem with losses this year, with the babies just running loose. Not sure what happened to them, if something got them, or if they just got lost and couldn’t keep up with mom. So next year, if we have a better plan to contain them all, perhaps more will survive.
We also need to build a few more pens to put the babies in when we put them outside. We have the 3 brooders, and need more pens for outside. Need at least one with a built in light and nesting area at one end for smaller babies or when it is colder out. The big pen is too big, so the new ones will probably be 5x10 feet, and figure three new ones. Put them in the field and just move them everyday or two will do great. And could be better than simply dividing the field up. Will still need to build a coop out there for them to sleep in when they get bigger. But any way. Those are some of the plans for next year.
ck here to edit.
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