How much is your Christmas Turkey?

[Guest]

At that price I would want it framed not eaten!

If I had the money and didn't rear my own I would go more expensive. It is that ole thing of ignorance is bliss. Unfortunately I have seen the intensive reared white feathered (actually due to conditions they look more like ex-bats) force feed turkey farms of a well known brand and when they are plucked you don't know any better. I have been to several places were norfolk blacks are reared and the latter is more labour intensive and they are reared for longer.

I know it is easy for me to say mine cost £8 for 6 eggs and roughly £1 a week for bed and board but that doesn't allow for meds, me letting them out and putting away, a secure paddock to roam, weekly inspections, possible loss to theft, vermin and illness etc. etc. But those birds are for me and my conscience not a profit.

So, there is my usual waffle

[Alison]

Ok, we all like a bargain so I thought I'd find out what the going rate for fresh turkeys are by area.

We are having a Welsh Turkey, don't ask me how that differs from a bronze or a Norfolk, it probably just responds to welsh only. Ti'n siarad Cymraeg twrci? Ydw....?

Ours is coming from the local butchers as my normal farmer has stopped keeping them, and is £3.40 a lb (roughly £7.50kg)

How much is yours, and no GYO'ers unless you are including running costs and slaughter.

We're paying about that for a free range bronze. Got from the same place for the past few years and they're really lovely so long as you cook them properly (blast of very hot followed by long lower cooking so it doesn't dry out). It works out a lot for a single piece of meat but considering the amount of meals it produces (plus stock for soup) it's very cheap per person, especially compared with prepackaged joints / cuts.

[arpoet]

When i was trainee butcher back in the early 60s i had to pluck and draw about 100 turkeys on my first xmas in the trade. No one would sit next to me on the bus home, my mums cat would not leave me alone and my hands stunk for days. I refused my free xmas turkey from my boss and got a leg of lamb instead.
Never had turkey for xmas since.
This year, Steak on the day, lamb on boxing day and sausage surprise on the sat.

[Kirk]

Just me so a turkey is simply too big.
Decided on a lump of gammon about 2Kg, will roast it, £6.
Then I found a small crown of lamb (6 piece thing £2.50), had one 2 years back and it was really nice. Although the cooking of it then was a bit odd, I sort of goofed at getting it out of the freezer on time. But it turned out really good. Just wish I could recall exactly how I cooked the thing so I could repeat. Think it was sort of 2 stages.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I ask SWMBO and she said we are having very young chicken, sounded good till I realised she meant...............................boiled eggs.

[Nicos]

This up is the 2nd year we're not having our own goose.

We have 2 x 1kg chunks of Turkey breast from Lidl...7,70€/kilo ( about £6.70 per piece)

We've had it before and I think that it's the way you cook it which makes the difference....ours has always been moist and juicy.

oK...it's not so pretty to look at when it comes to carving...but heck , it's tasty, and very easy to carve!

[Noosner]

Yes, our turkey's following close behind yours, sparrow100, in the winceometer stakes - not free range but from our poshest local butcher at £9.60 per kg.

[Scarlet]

I have got very attached to my turkeys so I will be keeping 2 girls and a boy so I can breed my own next year ( hopefully).

Keep the boy that is most afraid of you. They can become quite aggressive when they are breeding. I couldn't go in to the pen without a dustbin lid for protection. The girls will need saddles if you only have two girls.

One of my boys before I decided they weren't worth the hassle. I had to pick him up and put him to bed every night

[Guest]

Keep the boy that is most afraid of you. They can become quite aggressive when they are breeding. I couldn't go in to the pen without a dustbin lid for protection. The girls will need saddles if you only have two girls.
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One of my boys before I decided they weren't worth the hassle. I had to pick him up and put him to bed every night

Its amazing how different they can be. I have a bourbon boy and he is as good as gold even with raging hormones and I only have one girl. Again really not an issue. I do have to pick him up to put him to bed and he is a lump (very tempting for the table centrepiece)

Breeding from I personally would keep the largest boy and eat the 2nd largest boy.

[Small pumpkin]

Scarlet your boy looks fantastic in the snow.
Here is one of my boys, taken last month, I'm surprised how much he has grown since then

[Small pumpkin]

Breeding from I personally would keep the largest boy and eat the 2nd largest boy.

That's what I've done. I'm pleased you agree with my thinking. This turkey breeding is all quite new to me. But it's OK I'm getting a book on the subject for Christmas

[Scarlet]

I also kept the largest boy, unfortunately he was also the friendliest, used to run after me for treats etc. He was gorgeous to look at but suddenly I couldn't turn my back on him without an attack. He didn't do it to anyone else. OH had to take over the cleaning of their pen. At bedtime there were times when I would have to do the putting to bed. I started worrying about it he was huge, really heavy and picking him up meant my face was open to being pecked. He just had to go. Sold him on for breeding - he was a fabulous looker. I found it easier to get in eggs for the incubator instead though not the same as doing the whole thing.

[Scarlet]

Its amazing how different they can be. I have a bourbon boy and he is as good as gold even with raging hormones and I only have one girl. Again really not an issue. I do have to pick him up to put him to bed and he is a lump (very tempting for the table centrepiece)

Breeding from I personally would keep the largest boy and eat the 2nd largest boy.

Same with chickens I think. I've had plenty of cockerels and only one that has been viscous - when they turn they are just evil.

[Guest]

Same with chickens I think. I've had plenty of cockerels and only one that has been viscous - when they turn they are just evil.

Yes met the now deceased Evil Ernie



Scarily he did actually bite and draw blood. Unfortunately it was my early days of bird keeping so couldn't bring myself to eat him (so my Dad did). Thankfully (touch wood) he is the only true evil one I have had.

[Mikey]

Does anyone else ask for a female turkey when they order?

The comments about cooking the 2nd largest boy got me thinking about my mother when the turkey arrived Christmas Eve. 'Oh good' she'd say it's a girl. The breast is always larger on the girls, I have no idea if this is true or not?