Turkey apocalypse

Hey guys, not sure if this is the right forum, but I'll dive in anyways.

My step daughter signed up for 4-H, which means I signed up for 4-H. She soo. Realized that it is a lot of work! She decided to raise turkeys. Well we bought four chicks figuring a few might die before they reach maturity, no such chance. They all made it and all got big and fat.

Now let me just state that turkeys are the DUMBEST creatures on god's green earth. I hated those things. My wife and I ended up doing most the work. So instead of taking them to auction we were like, "let's butcher these jerks and eat like kings."

So yesterday we slaughtered two of them. We had our daughter help so she could appreciate the food she was going to eat.I've never slaughtered a turkey so it was a learning experience. We tied them up, and I slit their throats. And of course we don't have a sharp blade ANYWHERE!!! So after the first I was like, "I need a whetstone here." The second went more smoothly. We then cleaned them and froze one and cooked the other.

I have to say that butchering your own food, while a total chore, is so satisfying! Those dumb birds taste delicious. It definitely gave me a greater appreciation for the food I eat. I'm sure how we did it was ten thousand times more humane than a factory farm.

It was a learning experience for us all. We finished the last two today, and it went much quicker. It's a bit nerve wracking gutting them, you don't want to get their poo on the meat and what not.

Also, doing them in our front yard in a quiet neighborhood was interesting too. Kids walking by on the sidewalk were like, "holy cow!"

I'll never forget that.

a reply to: denybedoomed

Sign of the times. How dependent we are on the grocer to supply us with sustenance. How good it tastes when we do it ourselves.

I definitely prefer to harvest the meat I eat myself. I see to it that the animal passes with no suffering. It tastes so much better than the commercial stuff.

HAaha, my kids are in 4-H too and I ended up being a leader. It sure is a family commitment but there is nothing better for the kids. They develop a sense of integrity that is incredible. You also end up swamped in animals/food.

Your daughter is awesome for choosing turkeys. Mine, unfortunately, chose old English game chickens and mini-lop rabbits. Pets really, but pretty cool all the same. The learning is the same.

I just killed my first chickens last year and it still haunts me despite knowing they had a great life. Maybe it gets easier with time.

a reply to: igloo

The trick is to not name them and if you do have to name them for identification purposes, give them food names or not very cute identifying names. For example i have a chicken named two toe because she has a line of feathers up one toe of each foot

a reply to: EyesOpenMouthShut

Good idea to not name them, for sure. I tend to name them in groups... three white hens called the triplets, two barred rocks called the lesbians cause they hang out together, never broody and have nothing to do with the rooster, named Hendrix.

Naming is a really strange thing. We had a nameless Muscovy hen that escaped and was sitting on eggs somewhere but we never could find them. One day she came out for food and water and my son was so happy said "There's Honey Bunny." 'When she got killed by an eagle and all I could think of was my kid's name for her and it made me sad.

Yeah, names are a bad idea. When I was keeping fish, I only ever named my breeding pairs because they were the only ones I kept around long-term. The rest got traded off or become fish food for other, larger fish.

originally posted by: igloo
a reply to: EyesOpenMouthShut

Good idea to not name them, for sure. I tend to name them in groups... three white hens called the triplets, two barred rocks called the lesbians cause they hang out together, never broody and have nothing to do with the rooster, named Hendrix.

Naming is a really strange thing. We had a nameless Muscovy hen that escaped and was sitting on eggs somewhere but we never could find them. One day she came out for food and water and my son was so happy said "There's Honey Bunny." 'When she got killed by an eagle and all I could think of was my kid's name for her and it made me sad.

Cant get maudlin there Madlin....
Theres a lot of killin and eatin going on in this world.....
Sometimes I think if there really a God he is likely a sadistic old fart....

Like Bukowski?a reply to: stirling

Oh I named them. Pain in the ass one through four.

And sadly, the girl didn't learn anything about character or integrity. Maybe a little during the slaughter. But I told her straight out, "sweetheart, you are not the 4-h type. Learn to play an instrument and join a band."

Needless to say she does NOT want to do 4-h next year. It would have been different had she shown ANY interest. We had chickens as well, but the wife and I took care of them, the middle child was terrified of them.

I guess I don't understand kids, especially little girls (we have three). Maybe they just have too much stuff. Between all the grandparents and their real father, I fear they are becoming spoiled rotten.

Like when I was a kid, you know what I had for entertainment? Dogs. Lots of dogs. And maybe an occasional stick.

These kids have a plethora of crap. Which we didn't purchase for them.

Sorry, this rant is for another thread. . .