For those who have butchered a turkey, how did you dispatch the turkey? With the chickens I have butchered I have always used the ye olde ax method. I am wondering is that a good way to "do" the turkey? She is significantly larger than the broiler chickens, I think she is around 25-30 pounds :shock: Or should I use my sons pellet gun? I need to butcher her soon as I only have weeks left in my pregnancy. Unfortunately my sons friend who usually helps me out is away at collage, out of state, and I dint know when the next time he is coming home. So looks like I am on my own.
butchering a turky question
- Thread starter JessicaR
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I've always used a stump (firewood log) and my machete. Grab it right behind the head, pull it across the wood and whack! Just make sure your aim is good. We don't want to be calling you "lefty". 
Sagebrush
Well-known member
What I have done is use my friends butcher station and tie the legs up, allow then to hang that way for a few minutes to allow most of the blood to flow towards the head. Using a sharp knife I cut just behind the jaw and let bleed out for about 10-15 minutes. The turkey is dead within 30 seconds if done properly the first time.
I agree with sagebush .. this is how we do ours..
Sagebrush, Maybe I will try that. I could probably get one of my sons or their friend to help lift the turkey for me.
Homer, With the chickens I would tie a string around their neck and the other end around the fence pole, then I could grab the legs and stretch the neck out, with a stump underneath. That way I could remove the head but not have my hands anywhere near the ax. I don't think I would be able to do that with the turkey, and no I don't trust myself to aim with my hands nearby! :lol:
Homer, With the chickens I would tie a string around their neck and the other end around the fence pole, then I could grab the legs and stretch the neck out, with a stump underneath. That way I could remove the head but not have my hands anywhere near the ax. I don't think I would be able to do that with the turkey, and no I don't trust myself to aim with my hands nearby! :lol:
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
I've only butchered turkeys once, with a group of people. We hung them upside down and used branch loppers to- er- "lop off" the heads. Just make sure the blades are sharp!
We paid to have our last turkey done for us, and are going to do the same this year with the three we have. The lady that is doing it this year has a plucker and a commercial type scalder. She also uses the shrink wrap bags so we can freeze one for Christmas without worrying about freezer burn. Turkeys are $15 each, and I am having her do some ducks at $5 each.
None of us are big fans of plucking and the ducks are supposed to be really time consuming, so I am taking the easy way out and paying for it... plus the turkeys are so darn friendly and the ducks are just really cute... :roll:
We paid to have our last turkey done for us, and are going to do the same this year with the three we have. The lady that is doing it this year has a plucker and a commercial type scalder. She also uses the shrink wrap bags so we can freeze one for Christmas without worrying about freezer burn. Turkeys are $15 each, and I am having her do some ducks at $5 each.
None of us are big fans of plucking and the ducks are supposed to be really time consuming, so I am taking the easy way out and paying for it... plus the turkeys are so darn friendly and the ducks are just really cute... :roll:
I wish I could find someone that would butcher for me, I would pay $15 have it done. When I bought the turkey I didn't know I was pregnant and certainly didn't know I was going to have diabetes on top of that, if I would have I probably wouldn't have got a turkey this year. I am not looking foreword to plucking! :lol:
I had that problem when I had ducks they were just so darn cute and friendly I just couldn't bring myself to do the deed, so I sold them.
I had that problem when I had ducks they were just so darn cute and friendly I just couldn't bring myself to do the deed, so I sold them.
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
Maybe you can find someone that does it... call around to feed stores and see if they know of anyone, or cruise Craigslist and look for poultry raisers. The girl that I got the turkeys (and original trio of ducks) from is who found this person, and I originally met her through an ad on CL. Or maybe post an ad on CL looking for a home processor?
My ducks aren't friendly, but they are really amusing. If I head toward the flock when they are ranging around, they all start quacking and waddle away en masse! I actually put an ad on CL to try to sell a couple of the drakes because they are so handsome, and was willing to sell some of the hens to go along with them just to find the boys homes. No bites so far, though! Poor guys are going to end up in the freezer after all, I fear.
JessicaR":3jdsdkhy said:
My ducks aren't friendly, but they are really amusing. If I head toward the flock when they are ranging around, they all start quacking and waddle away en masse! I actually put an ad on CL to try to sell a couple of the drakes because they are so handsome, and was willing to sell some of the hens to go along with them just to find the boys homes. No bites so far, though! Poor guys are going to end up in the freezer after all, I fear.
azbowhunter
Well-known member
Anatomically, a turkey is just a really big chicken.
I butcher for 4 families around here, start to finish, including packaging for the freezer.
I took a fat log round, put two nails into it about 2 inches apart, and that's my beheading setup.
Put the chicken or turkey head between the nails, pull on its feet to stretch out the neck, and lop off its head with an axe or machete.
Let it flop to get the blood out for a minute or two, then dunk it in a scalding pot... 140 degree water with a couple drops of dish soap in it to soak the feathers well for plucking.
Peel the feathers from the back to the front, and they'll All come off pretty clean.
Two slits to open the bowels, then connec the cuts, avoid the butt glands and the pooper.
Pull out the innards, get the gizzard by the neck, trim it up a little, then put it on ice to chill it quick.
A chicken takes me about 6 minutes plucking by hand, 4 with a plucker.
I rest the carcass in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, then it's ready for cooking.
If you're freezing it, wrap it up and freeze it right after butchering.
I love food saver vac sealing my meat. Keeps it fresh much longer, and i can marinate right in the bag when i pack the birds for the freezer.
I butcher for 4 families around here, start to finish, including packaging for the freezer.
I took a fat log round, put two nails into it about 2 inches apart, and that's my beheading setup.
Put the chicken or turkey head between the nails, pull on its feet to stretch out the neck, and lop off its head with an axe or machete.
Let it flop to get the blood out for a minute or two, then dunk it in a scalding pot... 140 degree water with a couple drops of dish soap in it to soak the feathers well for plucking.
Peel the feathers from the back to the front, and they'll All come off pretty clean.
Two slits to open the bowels, then connec the cuts, avoid the butt glands and the pooper.
Pull out the innards, get the gizzard by the neck, trim it up a little, then put it on ice to chill it quick.
A chicken takes me about 6 minutes plucking by hand, 4 with a plucker.
I rest the carcass in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, then it's ready for cooking.
If you're freezing it, wrap it up and freeze it right after butchering.
I love food saver vac sealing my meat. Keeps it fresh much longer, and i can marinate right in the bag when i pack the birds for the freezer.
GBov
Well-known member
If you are having trouble lifting the turkey - and I had the dread D when preggers too :roll: - just tie its legs together REALLY well and tie the other end to a tree or something solid.
They may be like big chickens but they are stunningly strong and even tied its going to thrash more than any chicken ever thought of.
Put a sock over its eyes to keep it calm and put the jaws of a set of loppers/branch pruners right behind its head. Press it down gently until the head is on the ground and the tips of the loppers are actually in the dirt and then crunch them shut.
They don't really have to be sharp as the bones will break through and leave the skin behind, even if really blunt.
Keep out of the flail zone until it stops thrashing and then pluck as normal.
Good luck, its a big job!
They may be like big chickens but they are stunningly strong and even tied its going to thrash more than any chicken ever thought of.
Put a sock over its eyes to keep it calm and put the jaws of a set of loppers/branch pruners right behind its head. Press it down gently until the head is on the ground and the tips of the loppers are actually in the dirt and then crunch them shut.
They don't really have to be sharp as the bones will break through and leave the skin behind, even if really blunt.
Keep out of the flail zone until it stops thrashing and then pluck as normal.
Good luck, its a big job!
JessicaR":26a5i607 said:
:laugh2: Yup,I should have mentioned that for sure. :runaround:
I usually have someone hold the bird's wing down, chop and turn it loose until it stops trying to flog me to death. At that point it's just a "big" chicken.
GBov
Well-known member
JessicaR":17jp8qhz said:
:lol: Pretty much! :lol:
I use to hang them up but its easier to do it on the ground and they bleed out just fine.
I didn't tie the turkey good enough once though and, when I had lopped the neck it broke loose! I had heard of a headless chicken but a headless turkey was new to me and really alarming, esp. as I am in a neighborhood and have to stealth butcher in the back yard. The turkey was trying to FLY over the fence :shock: so all I could see in my future was LOTS of neighbor trouble for throwing a dead turkey at them! :lol:
LOL Yeah butchering a turkey and "stealth" really don't go together do they? We have a little over a half acre that is fenced and they "usually" don't make it that far. Specially when the others come running to see what all the commotion is about.GBov":vumh5crv said:
yeah I have to try and go stealth also, I am surrounded on all sides by neighbors. The rabbits are easy I can do them in the garage, they are not as messy. I tried doing the chickens in the garage once, it looked liked a murder scene :lol: Hubs was not amused, he likes his garage clean! So chickens get butchered outside early morning when most of the neighbors are at work or school.
momofninjababy
Member
I agree with Sagebrush. When we had an "uncooperative gobbler" (as my great granny always said), we got a box and put the turkey in it at night. Some would fight like crazy! My grandpa would leave a hole just big enough for the turkey to stick its head through and when he did in the morning, my gradpa would grab its head, pull it up quickly and slice the throat behind its jaw all the way across. We would then flip the box over on its side or upside down to let it bleed out. I personally dont do this as an adult, but my gandparents couldnt always lift the heavier birds so its an idea. :idea: :idea:
My folks would slip a bucket over the headless chickens to keep them from flopping and spattering all over. They'd wait til the wings quit beating before lifting off the bucket. You could probably use a large cardboard box or laundry basket so the headless turkey doesn't fly to the neighbors!
Finally had the time today to get the butchering done. Boy what a pain, I hate plucking! But for my work I got a 21 pound turkey not too bad since I don't feed the meat bird crumbles just regular layers feed and table scraps.
It was kind of neat, she had the start of little eggs. I have only ever butchered broiler chickens so I never seen the start of eggs before. Plus the heart, gizzard, and liver was a lot bigger than the ones they give you with store bought turkeys! The good thing with a turkey is my bigger hands fit in the cavity better :lol:
It was kind of neat, she had the start of little eggs. I have only ever butchered broiler chickens so I never seen the start of eggs before. Plus the heart, gizzard, and liver was a lot bigger than the ones they give you with store bought turkeys! The good thing with a turkey is my bigger hands fit in the cavity better :lol:
Glad things went well for you! :up: The giblets were probably larger because you weren't feed them steroids an antibiotics to try and make it grow faster.JessicaR":2iotd9u1 said:
So, what time do we eat? :chef: :lol:
