Do you have wild Turkeys on or near your property in VA? In southern Oregon, they are out in full force right now. The hills are filled with gobblers, trying to find the females. I can see 2 or 3 right now from my window big Toms, beards down to the ground, all puffed up, strutting around looking beautiful, gobbling every once in a while. We already found a nest with eggs.
We aren't too awful far from the Malones here in SW Va and have a lot of turkeys that visit our field throughout the year. Huge groups of them from 15-25 at a time will visit every couple days. Sometimes we are lucky enough to see the males strutting around full feathers fanned on display - so cool. They have finally gotten used to me enough that they don't take off the minute I open the patio doors anymore.
I have raised plenty of chickens over the years basically for eggs. Only one year, 1984..just some 20yrs or so ago, we raised some chickens for meat. Once all the chickens were butchered and then processed in my kitchen, I declared that I would never go through that again!! I did quickly learn how to remove their innards but I was done ( I had a one month old breastfed baby)!
I still have to say that they were the BEST tasting chicken I have ever eaten 😋
JGM-Have you ever tried skinning the way you would a beef animal? That's what I've always done with the wild turkeys I take during hunting season. Easier and faster than plucking.
They are fun to watch. The Tom's strutting and fanning to hopefully become irresistible to the hens. I've watched the hens nestling into the dirt to preclude Toms doing what they do all too often from some hen perspectives.
Initially, I thought why would anybody bother with turkeys? I eat them maybe once a year. But by the time I got to the comparison with chickens, I was 100% absorbed. This entire piece was totally fascinating. Thank you!
Off topic - but does anybody out there have a recommendation for a microscope for veterinary type use? I’ve been floundering with this for awhile.
Thank you for this informative and pleasant read. Was taken with the Polyface video of a large flock of pretty mobile white turkeys. Perhaps they were young and that helped with mobility.
I've always been fond of dark meat,
and perticularly as relates to turkey. I'm more than saddened to hear poultry is on the schedule for mRNA treatments. With human mRNA vaxes as contaninated as they are, I hate to think of creature versions. Have given up pork. Is this but another of madman Gates strategies?
I did get temporarily confused when you used 'birds' in the processing section. When I substituted carcass it became clearer.
Looking forward to your next book and sharing it.
Got a 2 prong for 3 prong gismo which works (tho I can't get the 3 pronged plug to fully go in) so I should be able to start some seeds under my ancient grow light by next week. Oh boy, late to the party already.
Have a great day and early planting. BTW how are the bees?
We have wild turkeys here in great numbers. They are scary. Doesn’t seem like the mountain lions or bobcats have much effect on them. Don’t want my dogs near them. There is the occasional bumper love affair…
The basic issue with the US food supply is that it is reported that 75% of the products consumed have a corn product as a component. The Dumb turkeys are feed corn that produce the Omega-6 which can be artery clogging. Why I avoid corn feed protein products and focus on grass feed meat and lamb from New Zealand which deliver the healthy Omega-3. A issue our cardiologists ignore. I wonder why? Oprah made the mistake years ago when she interviewed a guy who was critical of corn feed American beef and they almost bankrupted her. Since then the message has gone out: Don't tread on the corn lobby. Omega-3 blood test should show a value of over 8.0.
Cardiologists should be ordering the test routinely.
Are you building a separate coop for them? Or putting them in with your chickens? And will they have a run, or free range wherever they want? What kind of feed will you supplement them with, if any?
The heritage turnkey sounds more yummy to my family. we prefer the dark moist meat. Can one buy a heritage in the markets in the suburbs? I am in Orange County, CA.
I painted picture once for somebody who loved turkeys and never knew until I painted that picture how many beautiful colors are in their feathers and the snood and all around their head and neck, and when the light is just right you get rainbow colors in their black feathers - it is really beautiful! Your photos show some of this beauty.
We have families of 15 to 25 turkeys that come through our back field every couple of days looking for bugs and stuff and I have noticed that they don't look anything like the white ones, they're not big and round they're actually quite slender for their size comparatively.
I don't have the constitution to butcher anything or even to eat something I saw butchered. My husband and I do a lot of crappie fishing, I go in the house while he gets the fish out and fillets them. I would cook them up for him but it was a good long while before I could actually eat them like I do now. I'm too wimpy. 😂
Do you have wild Turkeys on or near your property in VA? In southern Oregon, they are out in full force right now. The hills are filled with gobblers, trying to find the females. I can see 2 or 3 right now from my window big Toms, beards down to the ground, all puffed up, strutting around looking beautiful, gobbling every once in a while. We already found a nest with eggs.
We aren't too awful far from the Malones here in SW Va and have a lot of turkeys that visit our field throughout the year. Huge groups of them from 15-25 at a time will visit every couple days. Sometimes we are lucky enough to see the males strutting around full feathers fanned on display - so cool. They have finally gotten used to me enough that they don't take off the minute I open the patio doors anymore.
I have raised plenty of chickens over the years basically for eggs. Only one year, 1984..just some 20yrs or so ago, we raised some chickens for meat. Once all the chickens were butchered and then processed in my kitchen, I declared that I would never go through that again!! I did quickly learn how to remove their innards but I was done ( I had a one month old breastfed baby)!
I still have to say that they were the BEST tasting chicken I have ever eaten 😋
JGM-Have you ever tried skinning the way you would a beef animal? That's what I've always done with the wild turkeys I take during hunting season. Easier and faster than plucking.
Never. But I will give it a try.
They are fun to watch. The Tom's strutting and fanning to hopefully become irresistible to the hens. I've watched the hens nestling into the dirt to preclude Toms doing what they do all too often from some hen perspectives.
Initially, I thought why would anybody bother with turkeys? I eat them maybe once a year. But by the time I got to the comparison with chickens, I was 100% absorbed. This entire piece was totally fascinating. Thank you!
Off topic - but does anybody out there have a recommendation for a microscope for veterinary type use? I’ve been floundering with this for awhile.
".. he developed a passionate relationship with the chrome bumper of our truck." 😂😂
Side note: All great info. I knew nothing about turkeys or their differences!
Thank you Dr. Malone! Looking forward to your analysis of ACIP etc. All the best and Happy Easter!
Thank you for this informative and pleasant read. Was taken with the Polyface video of a large flock of pretty mobile white turkeys. Perhaps they were young and that helped with mobility.
I've always been fond of dark meat,
and perticularly as relates to turkey. I'm more than saddened to hear poultry is on the schedule for mRNA treatments. With human mRNA vaxes as contaninated as they are, I hate to think of creature versions. Have given up pork. Is this but another of madman Gates strategies?
I did get temporarily confused when you used 'birds' in the processing section. When I substituted carcass it became clearer.
Looking forward to your next book and sharing it.
Got a 2 prong for 3 prong gismo which works (tho I can't get the 3 pronged plug to fully go in) so I should be able to start some seeds under my ancient grow light by next week. Oh boy, late to the party already.
Have a great day and early planting. BTW how are the bees?
Hysterical.
Life cycle of Turkeys.
Thanks
We have wild turkeys here in great numbers. They are scary. Doesn’t seem like the mountain lions or bobcats have much effect on them. Don’t want my dogs near them. There is the occasional bumper love affair…
I will never look at my pre-ordered turkey the same way again. Thanks Dr. J. for the educational (with bursts of funny) piece today.
The basic issue with the US food supply is that it is reported that 75% of the products consumed have a corn product as a component. The Dumb turkeys are feed corn that produce the Omega-6 which can be artery clogging. Why I avoid corn feed protein products and focus on grass feed meat and lamb from New Zealand which deliver the healthy Omega-3. A issue our cardiologists ignore. I wonder why? Oprah made the mistake years ago when she interviewed a guy who was critical of corn feed American beef and they almost bankrupted her. Since then the message has gone out: Don't tread on the corn lobby. Omega-3 blood test should show a value of over 8.0.
Cardiologists should be ordering the test routinely.
Are you building a separate coop for them? Or putting them in with your chickens? And will they have a run, or free range wherever they want? What kind of feed will you supplement them with, if any?
The heritage turnkey sounds more yummy to my family. we prefer the dark moist meat. Can one buy a heritage in the markets in the suburbs? I am in Orange County, CA.
I painted picture once for somebody who loved turkeys and never knew until I painted that picture how many beautiful colors are in their feathers and the snood and all around their head and neck, and when the light is just right you get rainbow colors in their black feathers - it is really beautiful! Your photos show some of this beauty.
We have families of 15 to 25 turkeys that come through our back field every couple of days looking for bugs and stuff and I have noticed that they don't look anything like the white ones, they're not big and round they're actually quite slender for their size comparatively.
I don't have the constitution to butcher anything or even to eat something I saw butchered. My husband and I do a lot of crappie fishing, I go in the house while he gets the fish out and fillets them. I would cook them up for him but it was a good long while before I could actually eat them like I do now. I'm too wimpy. 😂
Thank you, Jill!