Turkeys for the Home Table

Raise your own birds for a tastier and healthier holiday meal.

- SHANNON BROOKS

Many small flock owners have considered adding a turkey or two to their home flocks, and there are plenty of good reasons to do so. Turkeys are companionable, friendly birds who convert feed to meat more efficiently than any other variety of poultry — meat that coincidentally has lower fat content than either chicken or duck. Moreover, because they’re typically only temporary residents, turkeys have less need for permanent housing and no long-term feed costs. Plus, there’s a satisfaction that comes with knowing what went into the bird you put on the table: fresh air, sunshine, freedom and the best of care.

 So why don’t more small-flock owners make the leap into turkeys? I’ll explain in one word: processing. While all poultry parents eventually find themselves having to dispatch the occasional sick or elderly bird, taking a turkey from live bird to basting dish is another matter. Professional meat processors will only deal with large quantities of birds, so raising two or three turkeys for your family’s use means learning to process them at home. The good news is there’s an easy way to do it.

 ZERO PLUCKS GIVEN

If the biggest obstacle to raising turkeys is home processing, the biggest obstacle in home processing is plucking. Plucking machines cost $1,000 or more, and most can’t handle a 40-pound tom, but hand-plucking full-grown turkeys is time-consuming and physically demanding. There is another way: skinning.