The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: mebnandtrn on December 05, 2015, 10:31:06 am
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It is our first year with turkeys, and our carefully laid plans for their fast approaching end have gone awry! The local farmer who sold us our 3 turkeys in September assured us he could help us with dispatching them, he had hundreds of his own. He now says he can't do this, and put us in touch with someone who does a few of their own, but their wife is sick of turkeys and doesn't want him to take on any more to dispatch! So that leaves us stuck for a way to dispatch them. Ideal would be someone who knows what they are doing and is happy to do them for us either for cash or possibly for a turkey. Does anyone know of anyone in our area (near Warrington) who might do this. Failing this, someone who can show us how to do it? Or any advice at all? I have read the thread on new laws on here. Many thanks
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If you purchased the turkeys on the understanding that the seller would despatch them for you then it was part of the contract of sale and he's in breach.
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That's very poor form! Is it a legal thing because he is a commercial producer?
We have had turkeys in the past and there are various methods to dispatch them. Probably the simplest and most certain is to hold them upside down and lay their head on a hard surface, hold the top of the neck to stop them moving and bang them on the head very hard and then cut the head clean off. I used a sharp axe to do both jobs: back of the axe for banging and blade for head removal. It's fairly messy, so keep hold of the neck.
They flap like mad and are very strong in death throes, so either holding them firmly around their middle against your body with wings pinned down and legs held firmly with the other hand, or putting them in a "killing cone" (traffic cone with suitable amount of top cut off for neck to come through and wings to be pinned). If you do the former, keep hold of the neck so you don't get sprayed, but don't grip so hard that you stop the blood flow as you need it to drain out. As soon as you are able (ie post-flapping) hang the bird upside down by the legs (string around the ankles and a place to tie it) for the rest of the blood to drain out. Whilst this happens, you can start plucking if you wish. Keep the bird hanging for at least 20 minutes, but preferably a lot longer (days). Put the neck stump in a plastic bag tied on so you don't get bloody feathers.
Hang for 10 days before eating in a good cool place. Plucking works best after rigor mortice has gone off if you don't do it immediately and don't gut/dress them more than a few days before cooking.
I think the legistlation is in regard to commercial concerns: ie if you're selling them rather than for your own use.
Good luck. It isn't a pleasant task but certainly makes you appreciate your Christmas feast all the more!