Turkey Day

We respectfully dispatched seven of our turkeys (5 toms and 2 hens) this morning with the help of some dear friends.  My darling husband awoke at 5:45 to start the fire outside which we would use to scald the dispatched birds before plucking.  Today was also the opening of hunting season, so there were fellow neighbors also outside experiencing the drizzly predawn chill.  I fed the other farm animals, but kept them inside the barns so that they could not see any of the processing (although they obviously still sense it, and with the gun shots from the hunters, they were understandbly uneasy all day).  By 6:30, as first light was just appearing over the hill, our friend Doug arrived to help.  By 7:05, we had captured the first bird with relative ease.  The sage of our hamlet and a dear friend, Jim, showed up moments later (he has had significant experience doing this) and helped with the slaughtering.  Jim's wonderful wife (and a second mother to me) showed up around 8:45 with pecan Belgian waffle batter, coffee and sausage (which was from the pigs we raised this past summer).  By 9:30, when we took a break for breakfast, I believe we had processed 4 of the birds completely; by 11:30 the birds were all bagged, and the processing area was cleaned up.

The well-dressed bird is so much smaller than the living specimen.  What I had assumed was 9-15 lbs, was actually  6-13lbs.  You have to hand it to the survival of the fittest for the "fluffing up" that the turkeys are able to exhibit when they feel under attack.  The last hen we processed in fact, was smaller than some roasting chickens (she was also the easiest to pluck)!  These turkeys actually look more like chickens because they are heritage breeds and not the double breasted variety.  Dark and white meat are even proportioned with heritage breeds so overall it's a moister, earthier flavor.  Furthermore, unlike the butterball variety which has been bred so that they become so top heavy and large that their legs literally cannot support them, heritage breeds are active and agile (if not particularly smart).   To jump back onto my food economics soapbox, it is impossible to raise a healthy turkey, be able to sell it for 90 cents/lb and make any money.  You do the math.  Where are the hidden costs lurking?  Your health?  The demise of the family farm?  The environment? You can find out more about heritage turkeys by checking out The Heritage Turkey Foundation or the Ark of Taste at SlowFoodUSA.  

Aside from the birds, the only casualty was a significantly scraped forearm on me due to a turkey claw.  One of the toms escaped between being taken out of the pen and put into the killing cone.  Using the small amount of brain power he had, he ran towards the back of the barn, and actually "recaptured" himself in the chicken netting.  I was able to grab him, but he scratched me in the process.  After some serious scrubbing with hot, soapy water and applying a layer of neosporin (expiration:  2005?!) I'm hoping there will be no infection (there are days when I wish I had a few broad-spectrum antibiotics lying around). 

I also learned that my soon-to-be sister-in-law (yay!) was also butchering turkeys today out in Montana.  Last time they used a mobile processing unit (would like to have one of those in the area!) but apparently, they were doing it the old-fashioned way today as well.