[Glaswegian]

hi all.
i am rearing a few turkeys (first time)and would like some advice from anyone with experience with regards dispatching,plucking,hanging etc. it will be a few weeks yet before their time is up but i'd like to get a wee bit of homework done first.

                                  regards. johnie.

[Dundonald hens]

Hi Johnie this will be my fourth year doing some I started out just with 3 to see what they were like and this year i am up to 12.
I have tried just about all the ways to kill them from a axe to sticking them down a traffic cone and pulling there necks and beleave me some not for the faint hearted from the frantic flapping wings to heads coming of if you try to wring there knecks and pull to hard!
The best way that I have found without an exspensive stunner or a ilegal tazzer is to catch them from behind with your hand just at the top of there neck so that only the head is pocking up and quickly and firmly knock them out with a hammer make sure its a good hard hit so they are knocked out the first time then i drop them head first into this upside down trafic cone with the top cut of a bit on a frame so there head pops out the bottom and cut there throat and they bleed outrealy quick and are dead within seconds.
You can just pull there necks and wait till they stop flapping which can take several minutes which is not for me i like to put them through as litle stress as possable and make sure they are dead quickly
I plucke them by hand first year it took me a while but im getting better now The feathers on the tips of ther wings are usealy the hardest to come out last year i left them in and just cut the end of before cooking when you go to pluck do the big feathers first while the bird is still warm good firm sharp tugs and they mostly come out easy I have heard of dipping them into hot water and they come out easy  i have always been worried about dipping them in to hot water and then not cooking them straight away as I have always hung mine for about 4 to 5 dyas ungutted

[Hermit]

I agree, quick, calm and clean.  But I would get someone with experience to perform the first act and then on standby for you till you are confident. Farer on the bird.

[Glaswegian]

hi. thanks for your reply's.
i was considering the traffic cone,and cutting the throat method,but i dont think i would have the b*lls
to hit them with a hammer. does hanging ungutted make a difference to the taste? where would be the best place to hang them? (4 black 2 bronze).

                     cheers.

[shetlandpaul]

hitting a bird with a hammer. i would suggest that there are better methods. if they are for your use and friends. then the axe is the simplest. snapping there knecks with a brush handle works i don't do it but it does work. shooting into there brain with an air rifle while its held down kills them. but you really need to know the structure of a turkeys head. the benifit with axe is that apart from knowing that they are dead is you get a very good bleed out. but its not pretty. whatever method you use you must be sure to be quick and have a backup incase your method fails. not nice seeing a dead bird comeback to life.
if you cut them then your very limited were you can hang them. you can't hang a bird thats been gutted it will go off quicker. a day or so will make the task of gutting easier. if your planning to pluck six in one go get someone to give you a hand. they are big birds so two people are better than one.

[Glaswegian]

hi paul.
thanks for your info. planning to do them over a weekend with a couple of friends to help with the plucking.

[Dundonald hens]

Where abouts are you ?

[Hermit]

You dont whack them around the head Paul, it only takes a tap in the right place! It all depends on experience of different methods to make a choice. An axe is a gruesome, messy choice to me and what about flapping and bruising, how do you get a bruise free bird without using a cone. When my OH showed your wife how to kill she was amazed at how quick and calm it was.

[shetlandpaul]

she was impressed. so we may come borrowing in the next few weeks. thats why its a two person job. but definitly messy. not done it on a turkey apart from an emergency kill. it was no worse than a big chuck. wrapping in cloth works. just not as good as your grahams gadget.

[robert waddell]

we use a neck breaker will post a photo on   the cone is alright for small birds crap for larger ones they have some power in their wings when flapping their last blanket is best

[Hermit]

We use a traffic cone and never had a problem with geese or turkeys, stun them first and simple then.

[Glaswegian]

hi folks.
could you explain the wrapping in cloth method?

[shetlandpaul]

you just wrap them up in some fabric an old beach towel will do. it just holds the wings in place as you do the deed. hermits cone does really work but we have used the cloth method over the last two years. with the cloth method you really need two people. be prepared for the bird to flap a lot so make sure its wrapped up tight and hold it tight.

[Glaswegian]

cheers paul.

[robert waddell]

photo's of home made neck breaker works for us with large turkeys 26lbs