rty007 winemaking Q

[rty007]

Hi there, didn't post anything for a while here. So I need to ask you folks.... I am pondering that idea of getting some turkey for the freezer. I was talking to a farmer on line, and he says, he is gonna have those turkeys butchered at around 25kg of live weight. Is that even a possible weight?

 

[Farmfresh]

I think he is stretching things a bit.

Even the Broad Breasted White which is a commercial turkey usually finishes at about 45 pounds (20.4) mature weight. Anyway WHY on Earth would you want to hold them and feed them that long?

The last batch I did the largest dressed out at 19 pounds (8.61 kg) at 18 or 19 weeks. http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6387&p=1
At that size they are big enough to over fill my largest roaster!

My aunt DID raise one huge one years ago and they had to cut him in half to fit in the oven! What is the point in that?

I would highly recommend turkeys however. They have really fun personalities and are pretty easy birds to raise no matter what horror stories you have heard. They provide a LOT of meat (delicious meat) in a short time.

 

[rty007]

OK.... I said it wrong, I want to buy them finished, just to pack em into the freezer... He says that they are about 10-12kg now... and they will be ready in early dec maybe earlier at 25kg.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i dunno... Buster had a MONSTER turkey i think it was upwards of 50lbs.

some of ours finished over 20 pounds. but that would be one big turkey!!

the problem with a turkey that big is... whatcha gonna do with it?

we part ours up so they are in single meal servings:
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2010/04/politics-of-gobbling-part-2-turkey.html

and this has a link to Buster's 50lb turkey.

but roasting one that big would take a long long time.

good luck!

 

[Farmfresh]

OK.... I said it wrong, I want to buy them finished, just to pack em into the freezer... He says that they are about 10-12kg now... and they will be ready in early dec maybe earlier at 25kg.

Sounds like I would buy them and process them NOW. They should be PLENTY big enough.

 

[~gd]

Hi there, didn't post anything for a while here. So I need to ask you folks.... I am pondering that idea of getting some turkey for the freezer. I was talking to a farmer on line, and he says, he is gonna have those turkeys butchered at around 25kg of live weight. Is that even a possible weight?

Yes it is. A lot of people are not aware of the second turkey market. We all know those frozen birds that appear in our supermarket in Nov & Dec. almost no one wants a huge turkey that will take forever to cook.
But where does the processed turkey come from? Those huge breasts sliced for lunch meat, ground turkey, turkey ham, turkey hotdogs etc. In fact you have to look hard in the processed meat section of your supermarket to find a product that doesn't contain turkey, this is what I mean by the second turkey market. Huge turkeys grown in cages in factory farms delivered to the processing plant at weights as high as 75 pounds live weight where they are broken down to parts like pigs and cows are. Those huge deli breasts, the legs saved for dark meat applications like turkey ham. After the prime cuts are removed the remainder goes through mechanical deboners where every tiny bit of meat is removed. The different cuts are sold to other processors.
In this market large size is a plus, the meat doesn't have to be tender or perfect in appearance. This is probably the cheapest meat available in the US and most people aren't aware of the operations that go on.

 

[rty007]

Farmfresh, yeah but the thing is, that he is only willing to sell them at those 25kg.

Thanks a lot ~gd, for that info, after you said it, I did a little research about it.

To all the people... What other poultry would you suggest buying? Here in Poland it is pretty common to have poultry free ranging in the area of the fenced homestead. While people are willing to sell ducks, geese, even swans and some other poultry they will not sell chickens. So I am asking you folks... what would you buy for your freezer?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

why wont they sell chickens?

we are big on turkey (of course) and we'll have lots of duck this fall.

what about pork?

 

[Farmfresh]

If you can't buy chicken the next best thing is rabbit!

Rabbit meat works in most chicken dishes as a substitute meat. Since we live in a big city (over 150,000 people) and have a tiny yard (40 x 120 feet) we started off raising rabbits to fill our freezer. With 3 mixed meat breed does and a buck I kept my freezer full enough for a young family of 5.

Later we found a place to keep broilers and I now raise enough for both my needs and those of my "landlord", who is my oldest daughter.

I am surprised about not being able to buy chickens where you are. Are you trying to buy finished chickens? It seems that you would still be able to find roosters for sale. Lots of people around here sell off their extra egg type or farm type roosters. Usually for a $1. The meat is not the best quality, but it would still put food on the table in a pinch and can be used in lots of slow cooked moist dishes like soups or Coq au Vin. I have even pressure canned birds that were old and tough to good results.

If you were going to raise some, maybe you need an incubator and some fertile eggs.

 

[FarmerChick]

like said above
rabbit is delish!

rabbit is so under used as a meat in this country