[GrannieAnnie]

No Dellie, they were just to show you some different breeds.  These are ours!

[joyfull]

oooh I think I recognise those ones (after 2 days of plucking) lol!!

[GrannieAnnie]

 

[massa]

what are the white ones?

[joyfull]

I think they were white plumpies 

[gypsy]

The biggest this year is 10kgs Dellie, but when we lived in Essex our stags (not cocks! ) weighed around 12kgs!

Please can you explain to me the difference between a stag and a cock. I do not keep turkeys but still like to know these things.

[joyfull]

male turkeys are called stags 

[GrannieAnnie]

And in the USA they call them Toms!

Cocks are male chickens!

Joy is right, the white ones are White Plumpies, again we get them like the bronzes from Kelly's Turkeys

[LivvyW]

Really useful thread, thanks everyone.

My other half is going tomorrow (weather permitting) up the mountain to our neighbour who will be starting to dispatch their 30 - 40 turkeys. He is going to help/learn the process.

I may have missed earlier threads on the subject, but today i only fed our 5 turkeys wheat, and tomorrow i've been told not to feed. The plan is to dispatch them on Sunday. Does this sound about right to you?

Also, Brian cuts their throats to bleed them, how does he 'stun' them? I was thinking it was a pull and twist thing?

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Livvie, if you are killing just for yourself, you can 'neck' them, but as Brian kills for other people too, 'necking' is illegal.  He has had his electric stunner for around 14 years since he took his poultry slaughterman's licence.  Last week, I bought him his first new set of stunner tips.  the other sets lasted 14 years!

Electric stunners are not cheap, but his has probably earned it's money in that time! 

[Dellie]

Just for future reference, which breed would you recommend for next year?  I would like a high meat yield with plenty of taste - if that's not asking too much 

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Dellie, the white ones we get are the white plumpies from Kellys turkeys, but I don't know what's available where you are.  Or the Kelly Bronze.

I took this photo of the 2 turkeys the young lady down the road brought in yesterday for Brian to 'prepare' for her!  They look like Royal Palm turkeys, which according to the Feathersite are the only turkeys NOT used for meat production!

Brian said to her there won't be much meat on them.  Oh but the place where I got them from said they'll be ready by Christmas!  Luckily the idiot who sold them to her has been shut down now!    And luckily I think its only her and her Mum to eat them! lol

As you can see they are very tall and slim and tomorrow I'll show you what they look like now they are plucked!  We've got chickens with more meat on than these ones!

You could try getting in touch with Kelly's after Christmas and asking if they have any farmers over your way!  I know they've started selling to Russia now! lol

[joyfull]

poor wee things, they are pretty things though 

[GrannieAnnie]

Really useful thread, thanks everyone.



I may have missed earlier threads on the subject, but today i only fed our 5 turkeys wheat, and tomorrow i've been told not to feed. The plan is to dispatch them on Sunday. Does this sound about right to you?

Oh sorry Livvy, forgot to anser your question.  Yes, no food for 24 hours before culling, otherwise their crop will still be full and if it splits the contents can contaminate your turkey meat

[henamoured]

Grannie Annie - what do you do with all the feathers out of interest?