[agapanthus]

Well done KimT !

Enjoy them and raise a glass in their honour

Rob

My sentiments too!!!  

[kimT]

Hi all

Hope you all had a great Christmas day, we did.

The turkey which we raised and culled etc weight 21lbs and only just fitted into the oven! It was absolutley fantastic I have never ever tasted turkey so good and will I rear one again next year..................you bet I will.

If anyone out there has the space to rear some turkeys then do so it the best!

[Bodger]

Why do people use the word culled instead of killed ? The word culled, is usually used in the context of population management of a particular species, eg the culling of seals or  say Red deer in the Highlands. I'd cull sick or under performing chickens but I'd definately kill a nice juicy turkey or a succulent pig that I'd reared for the sole purpose of eating .

There is a difference you know.

[blulagoo]

So when do you have to start rearing them to eat for Christmas? I bought a free range from down the road (£56!). It was delicious but as it is the place I get my feed from the guy asked me why I didn't raise a couple for Christmas (he can even give me the eggs!!) Is it male or female that we eat - or doesn't it matter?

Glad you all enjoyed your lunch and

Happy 2009!

[Bodger]

August has always been the traditional time to buy in turkey poults, just off heat for fattening for Christmas.

[poultrygeist]

He's bloomin right you know !

cull
Verb
1. to choose or gather
2. to remove or kill (the inferior or surplus) animals from a herd

kill
Verb
1. to cause the death of (a person or animal)

from http://www.thefreedictionary.com

Cull has a more cuddly sound to it though  

Rob

[Bodger]

The same result for Clucky lucky though.    

[poultrygeist]

They think they're going on a holiday.

Certainly somewhere hot   :shock:

And it'll cost them an arm and a leg  :roll:

Rob

[GrannieAnnie]

Because we hadn't ordered our turkeys early enough, we had to get ours at day old on 21st July, but when we had turkeys before, brian used to get them at 4 weeks from his friend Don in August for the biggest size, in September for the mediums and in october for the small ones.  But these ones we had were as hatched, so we were okayish with size as the hens are naturally smaller than the stags, so they ranged from around 6kgs to 11kgs.

[mother hen]

Can anyone tell me how much it might cost to rear a turkey for Christmas..........just curious at this stage I think!!!!!!!!!!! :?:

[Kate and her Ducks]

He's bloomin right you know !

cull
Verb
1. to choose or gather
2. to remove or kill (the inferior or surplus) animals from a herd

kill
Verb
1. to cause the death of (a person or animal)

from http://www.thefreedictionary.com

Cull has a more cuddly sound to it though  

Rob

Used to always annoy me (still does) if I read a reserch paper than involved animal research (please don't hate me, it happens and it saves lives) and they referred to the animals being "sacrificed" as if they had made some noble decision for the greater good or there was wailing and incense involved. Just say killed. It's what happened, why dress it up!

[muntjac]

ous cost about £90 for the 6 to feed on growers ( organic) besides getting lots of green stuff fresh and boiled trimmings and wheat and barley £25 so thats comes out at about £30 a bird  if you count the oddments we gave them /selling at about £13 a kilo normal price

[GrannieAnnie]

Cor Munty, £13 a kilo?  This lot around here (and there is money around this area too, not everyone picks cabbages for a living!) are tight!  Some people came in and asked to order a turkey, when I said they were between £40 and £50 depending on size, they said can't afford that, I'll go to Tesco!!!

But the ones who did order one of ours said they paid up to £80 last year from the butchers, so thought ours was a bargain!

No pleasing some people.  Our lot ate 3.5 tonne of turkey food, nearly a tonne of mixed corn and wheat, plus the veggies etc and we used 25 bales of straw and around 20 big bags of shavings trying to keep them dry with all this mud they kept treading through their shed on on the run.

So I think ours came out at similar prices to yours, maybe a little less.  There is a member on RC forum who said they had to pay £2.45 a lb for their turkey at teh farm shop and they were quite disgusted at the price, but that's a good price for a decent bird I think.

[mother hen]

Thanks Muntjac / Grannie Annie, I paid about £34 at local farmshop for a fairly decent sized crown. Served 11 with leftovers for soup today - doubt it was free range, or that there was much profit for the farmer at that price!