Killing Turkey

Guill

Killing my Turkey
This year i decided to raise my own Turkey for Christmas.
Her time in this world is almost up and i was wondering does anyone have ny tips for the killing?
I've seacrhed the net and one suggestion is to cut the head off in one go and the other is to break the neck but i cannot find any diagrams to show where to cut or break. I dont want to cause my Turkey any more pain than neccesary. I had this posted already but some mod locked it because he thought it was a controversal????

CJhaughey

I posted this in Rec>Home and Gardening>Gardening.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055765853

kowloon

It's never easy killing a friend, the kids will be wondering what happened to little gobble gobble. Will the meat be tastier knowing you looked into the poor fowls eyes as you bludgeoned him to death?

Axe on the neck is quick, you need to pin them down tightly though to stop them moving. I can't do it, last time I had to dispatch a troublesome rooster I broke out the shotgun.

thedragon

Im probably no help to you at all but I do believe that the less stress the bird is put under the better, something to do with the tendons stressing up and becoming tight making the meat tougher, at least thats the way with red meats anyway. I wont ever find myself with your situation as I just wouldnt be bothered with raising my own but if I was forced to deal with it, Id let the bird tip on down the field doing what it does best without a care in the world and Id set her up for a careful headshot. But thats just me.

jap gt

get a pillow case, cut 1 corner off, stick the bird in the case and guide its head out through the hole, tie a cord around the breast of the bird to stop int flapping and damaging its wings, once its head is out the hole hold its head down on the ground and place a broom handle just at the tip of the neck, place a foot on the stick either side of the birds head, pin it down well, no catch its leg and give one sharp pull up and towards you, job done, make sure you dont pull too hard it gets messy

Dusty87

Guill wrote: »

Killing my Turkey
This year i decided to raise my own Turkey for Christmas.
Her time in this world is almost up and i was wondering does anyone have ny tips for the killing?
I've seacrhed the net and one suggestion is to cut the head off in one go and the other is to break the neck but i cannot find any diagrams to show where to cut or break. I dont want to cause my Turkey any more pain than neccesary. I had this posted already but some mod locked it because he thought it was a controversal????

Well Guill,
Im killing mine on sunday week. If you want to bring it up here its no problem.
Let me know if ya do. Iv a woman helping me thats been doing it for 50 years:eek:
Give me a shout if ya want. Would Terry not give them a belt of the shovel for ya:D:D

E. Fudd

The best way I've always found is if you can get your hands on a "bull squeezers" from your local friendly farmer. These are basically a big nut crackers (excuse the pun!)

hang your turkey by the legs, place the bull squeezers around it's neck, about two inches back from the head, and give one good squeeze. Jobs oxo.

Word of advice though, once you've squez, drop the bull squeezers and stand well back, the turkey will flap like f**k. Either that or get someone good and strong to hold the wings in a kind of bear hug fashion..

Rovi

E. Fudd wrote: »

The best way I've always found is if you can get your hands on a "bull squeezers" from your local friendly farmer. These are basically a big nut crackers (excuse the pun!)

That would be a 'Burdizzo', available in a variety of sizes:


They don't work by... erm... 'cracking nuts' by the way, they're designed to crush the spermatic cord linking the teste to the body.


WARNING!
Don't go Googling "Burdizzo" or associated terms with 'SafeSearch' off or in the presence of those of a nervous disposition; the things people will do to themselves will never cease to amaze (or in this case, horrify) me :eek:

Oh, and definitely be VERY leery of doing an image search :eek::eek::eek:

deerhunter1

jap gt wrote: »

get a pillow case, cut 1 corner off, stick the bird in the case and guide its head out through the hole, tie a cord around the breast of the bird to stop int flapping and damaging its wings, once its head is out the hole hold its head down on the ground and place a broom handle just at the tip of the neck, place a foot on the stick either side of the birds head, pin it down well, no catch its leg and give one sharp pull up and towards you, job done, make sure you dont pull too hard it gets messy

That is the way to go, you should break his neck unlike a goose,you cut his throat and let it bleed, no need to bleed a turkey

johngalway

Shotgun

ghostmantra

First start off with a loop rope, put it around the birds legs and hang it on a hook. As youre looking at the birds back, put your left arm around and grab the two wings, get your right hand under the birds chin, cock it a little bit and pull straight down. Bird will flap for around 30 seconds and now you can start plucking

(Id put money thats the way Dustys helper will do it)

Source: Years of experience

Dusty87

ghostmantra wrote: »

(Id put money thats the way Dustys helper will do it)

Probably right ghostmantra.
Iv killed fowl before but cant kill these on my own. There gone too friendly. Will walk beside me when im outside like a dog at heel. They come up running to me and will happily stay beside me all day:eek:
Im beginning to feel bad as i type this:rolleyes:

bunny shooter

This is who ya need

johngalway's apprentice

Elmyra !!!!!

4gun

you want to killa turkey huh... get the handle of a brush and pin the birds neck to the ground just behind the head put one foot no the handle and catch the turkeys legs and pull for all your worth do not jerk... a good strong even pull until the neck gives take your foot off the brush and wait until he/she stops flipping,
it is some times good to tie their wings behind their back to stop them from breaking while they flap(do this before you kill it).....
that's how i kill 'em:o

buy the way any one looking for a free range turkey for Christmas i got 4 left for sale pm me....

chickenfarmer

When I was in Ag college we had 380 of them to kill and prepare. The easiest technique we were shown was to to -
1. hang the bird by the legs using some cord.
2. its easier if you have someone with you and get them to wrap the wings around the breast and hold tight. (catch the tip feathers good and tight)
3. grab the head between the middle finger and ring finger
4. bend the head right back (towards the birds back) and push down till you feel the pop (the nerves and spine dislocating from the brain)
5. at this stage you really need to keep the wings held tight as the bird will go into a spasm. The reason to hold the wings tight is to stop them from breaking and also to stop the breast from bruising.
6. when the bird stops spasm hang it by the legs for a few hours to allow the blood to drain. You will see the neck fill up and fatten with it.

Rovi

I've deleted a couple of posts on the moderation of this subject in another forum here in Boards.ie.
Please conduct such discussion with the moderators of the other forum.

lucy333springer

We alway's tied the turkey by the leg's, up-side down and made a small cut between the top of it's neck/head, and while it bleed the wife and I went mad at plucking when it was still warm, another way is make a small slice down one side of it's neck, reach in easy for the juggler vein and simply slice it, good luck.

bang

lucy333springer wrote: »

We alway's tied the turkey by the leg's, up-side down and made a small cut between the top of it's neck/head, and while it bleed the wife and I went mad at plucking when it was still warm, another way is make a small slice down one side of it's neck, reach in easy for the juggler vein and simply slice it, good luck.

same here
quick and easy.

PeakOutput

during the smmer my mate did it like this it seemed effective

1 catch turkey
2 take traffic cone with the top cut off just enough for head to poke threw
3 hang turkey by the legs so it goes into the cone and pull head out other side

this stops all the flapping and panicking of the turnkey it seems move head over bucket slit the throat and hold head back until the turkey has bled out

he used this alot with chickens aswell he tried the axe thing but the cone just made it so much easier

4gun

why not do it like a chicken ........choke it:D

Gortglas

Similar neck breaking method to 'chickenfarmer', but we don't hang them upside down, we have a traffic cone with the top cut off, and we place it over the bird, and when the head pops out the top we break the neck, the cone stops any flapping. Works well.

s-cogan

lad i work for kills em for his mam.
tie the wings to prevent damage, put the handle of a brush on the neck on the ground, stand on the brush handle on either side of the neck, grab the head, pull sharply up and twist. job done their very fragile so no pain just quick death

puheen

+1 for the traffic cone method. Either hanging the bird as PeakOutput said or on the ground as Gortglas said.
If you do not want to get up close and personal with the bird, when the head pops out of the cone, a sharp swift blow to the upper neck with something like a shovel handle is an option.
If you are determined to do this yourself it is important not to go at it half hearted, as the bird has to be killed quickly to ensure that it does not suffer.

EPointer=Birdss

How old is the right age to kill them? based on being well fed etc

Dusty87

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

How old is the right age to kill them? based on being well fed etc

Depends on breed. Bronze take a lot longer to grow than white ones.
If you bought a white one this summer it will be plenty ready (as long as you feed him well;)). Bronze are a lot easier breed towards the white, which are more a commercial breed.

jap gt

they say they are ready when the purple colour under the feathers turns white

EPointer=Birdss

Dusty87 wrote: »

Depends on breed. Bronze take a lot longer to grow than white ones.
If you bought a white one this summer it will be plenty ready (as long as you feed him well;)). Bronze are a lot easier breed towards the white, which are more a commercial breed.

I have 1 of each & 2 geese who's days are numbered.
White fella has only just overtook the bronze. Bad move before xmas
I only got em in Sept at pheasant size for an experiment so would need to get em earlier next year i'd say. They are big now but not sure if enough...

Dusty87

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

I have 1 of each & 2 geese who's days are numbered.
White fella has only just overtook the bronze. Bad move before xmas
I only got em in Sept at pheasant size for an experiment so would need to get em earlier next year i'd say. They are big now but not sure if enough...

I got my 2 around august i think. There ready for the pot. What weight is he Epointer do ya know?? Have one goose but were going to keep her as an alarm.

jap gt

i got 6 he second week of september, weighed them today 26lb 24lb two 22lb and two 19lb september is the right time to get them, older birds dont be as tasty

Dusty87

jap gt wrote: »

i got 6 he second week of september, weighed them today 26lb 24lb two 22lb and two 19lb september is the right time to get them, older birds dont be as tasty

It depends on the bird too though. Epointers white turkey will be ready for eating but the bronze may not even though there the same age as the bronze would take longer to mature.

EPointer=Birdss

I'll have to get the scales out later & see. If he's in around the 20 lb mark i'll "gobble" him (Sorry bad joke)
You do get sort of attached to them as they get so tame. Like Homer Simpson & his pet Lobster! (Youtube it)

As for the geese, noisy noisy annoying yokes! Their days are numbered!

Dusty87

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

You do get sort of attached to them as they get so tame. Like Homer Simpson & his pet Lobster! (Youtube it)

Poor Pinchy:D

[/QUOTE]
As for the geese, noisy noisy annoying yokes! Their days are numbered![/QUOTE]

Reason i only have one. Cant drive into the house never meind the yard without her going mad. Anything out of place at all and she'd let ya know:rolleyes:

4gun

I'm not sure if any one mentioned this before but you must put them fasting for two days before killing them, give them only water

mallards

I had a job on a turkey farm awhen I was a young fella at Christmas doing the plucking. I watched the lad killing them and as others have said, he had a large traffic cone upside down on a stand. Popped the bird in and had a special knife with two electrodes on it near the end of the handle. He would stun it then poke a hole in the throat to bleed it. Plucking started straight away before the bird cooled as it's much harder.
Interestingly, when another lad took over the killing job, instead of electrically stunning he knocked on the head with a metal priest and then bleed it. Oh the fun we had that Christmas. :rolleyes:

This year I will be shooting my own wild turkey, report to follow next week hopefully.

Mallards

Guill

I had three Turks but Two (bronze) were ate by a fox and one (White)seemed to be shocked about the whole thing because he more or less stopped growing, he only weighs 16lbs now which is'nt huge but i assume after killing he'll weigh about 11lbs...

jap gt

mine usually lose about 2 and a half lbs with cleaning etc

EPointer=Birdss

mallards wrote: »

I had a job on a turkey farm awhen I was a young fella at Christmas doing the plucking. I watched the lad killing them and as others have said, he had a large traffic cone upside down on a stand. Popped the bird in and had a special knife with two electrodes on it near the end of the handle. He would stun it then poke a hole in the throat to bleed it. Plucking started straight away before the bird cooled as it's much harder.
Interestingly, when another lad took over the killing job, instead of electrically stunning he knocked on the head with a metal priest and then bleed it. Oh the fun we had that Christmas. :rolleyes:

This year I will be shooting my own wild turkey, report to follow next week hopefully.

Mallards

Do you know I was thinking about your wild fellas when this thread started.
Have you seen em around of late?

Guill

The decision has been made, We will cut the head off and bleed her as if we hang her the legs will be up in the air while in the oven and prob get burnt.

mallards

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

Do you know I was thinking about your wild fellas when this thread started.
Have you seen em around of late?

Spotted about half a mile from the release site last weekend. With five days to hang to tenderize the meat, means they are fair game, all being well, this weekend.

Callow Man

Jesus the animal rights people would love this thread!!!

Anyway my turkeys are for the chop tommorow. I usually cable tie their legs together and hang them upside down from a rafter with its head about 3 feet from the ground. Then I place a plastic fertiliser bag with a hole for his head over him then someone else holds him with his wings secured. Now for the hard bit, with a sharp knife make a cut in his throat about 6 inches back from the tip of his beak and then watch all hell break loose for about 2 to 3 minutes aseven though he is dead the nerves will continue to react.

I might try the thing with the traffic cone that was mentioned earlier as it sounds like it might take some of the hardship out of it.

Also dont forget that a turkey is a very stupid bird and will probably have forgiven you before he draws his last breath.

Dusty87

Job is done on mine. 24 pounds each. We used the brush, put the turkey in an ould sack to minimize flapping

Eddie B

mallards wrote: »

Spotted about half a mile from the release site last weekend. With five days to hang to tenderize the meat, means they are fair game, all being well, this weekend.

Nice photo Mallards! Jesus id love to give it a go next year! Where`d you say you got them from again? Did you ever try and breed them yourself?

Guill

I like the Idea of wild turkey hunting but how do you rear them and make sure the fox doesn't kill them before you do?

Dusty87

Guill wrote: »

I like the Idea of wild turkey hunting but how do you rear them and make sure the fox doesn't kill them before you do?

Mallards got american turkey eggs and hatched them Guill. The american turkeys can fly unlike the ones here. Cant wait to see did he get them

mallards

I did get one, If I can find the lead for the camera I will post a write up this evening. Fantastic birds!

Mallards

EastTyrone

dont forget to blind fold the bird Big Grin

Guill

Turkey done, did the brush over the neck and pillow case over body, perfect job.

jap gt

mallards wrote: »

I did get one, If I can find the lead for the camera I will post a write up this evening. Fantastic birds!

Mallards

can i ask where you got the eggs

mallards

I awoke that morning to a fall of snow



Myself and my cousin and Rosie and Conan hunted the flax hole corner where I flushed a woodcock that left us unsaluted. Next we moved back up the lane to the next little copse of trees.





It was here I noticed fresh pheasant tracks in the snow. The dogs were soon on the trail and it was interesting to compare their running to the line of tracks. Eventually the tracks disappeared into a small copse of low, dense trees and in went the dogs. Within seconds we heard the cock pheasant cackle and burst from cover at the back of the copse. I lined the gun up and he thumped to the ground only to rise to his feet and leg it with a broken wing, disaster! I crossed the fence and had the dogs on him quickly. They followed the scent and I them to a impenetrable mass of thorns and spikes growing on the side of the hill. The whin bushes are hard to get through when they are on their own but this clump was fifty feet across. We spent forty minutes looking for that bird and I circled every bit of it and there was only the birds footprints into it. The dogs tried their best but I reckon the bird went down a rabbit hole within and they could not find him. I really really hate loosing birds like this and would rather not have hit him at all than to leave a wounded bird. Cursing my luck and being a little down for loosing him, we pressed on through the snow to the woodcock stream.









Five missed woodcock and two missed snipe later, I arrived at the base of a small hill. The dogs were on the scent of game and they bore off to my left through a gate by the fence on the hill.



From behind the bushes on top of the hill came a commotion and a clattering of wings as suddenly, a turkey took to the blue sky, lifting high over the whins and coming high over head with massive wing beats.
I leveled the gun to my shoulder and swung through for an overhead shot. The shot was good and the bird fell to earth dead thirty yards behind me. It was as fine a driven bird as ever I saw and an extremely sporting one at that.



Rosie was first on the scene and I think she is looking round for Conan to help her lift it!



Needless to say I was absolutely delighted.




With Christmas dinner in the bag we made our way back to where we started.



But as I crossed the last stream Rosie flushed a hen pheasant which thankfully fell dead to my gun. With a speedy retrieve I felt a whole lot happier than I did after loosing the runner earlier.



This was another fantastic day out doing what I love most, with a good friend and my faithful dogs. I'm still smiling at the thought of that shot and bird. I may not be tomorrow, as I will be plucking it!




Mallards

4gun

Absolutely fantastic Mallards
You'll make us all green with envy, they must be the first "wild" turkeys shot in ireland hopefully they'll spread,
going to try it next year:)

Dusty87

Well done Mallards.
The smile says it all. Thanks for the great story and pictures.
How far did they stray from where you released them?