It's Time Turkeys.... Sorry y'all.

It was a beautiful Morning..... I took the calender out of the turkey pen months ago so they wouldn't know Thanksgiving time was quickly approaching.
I went out to their pen, and they gathered around me as usual expecting feed. All was going well.....

Someone must have tipped Tom off... He charged me to protect his flock. Mean sucker he is! He knew I was there to take some of his girls, and a few of his buddies too. It was his job to stop me.

Yoooooo Hoooooo Turkeys..... Where are you?

Try as they might, I found em. I picked the 5 who needed to go first because they were getting to heavy for their bird legs.

When I took them out of the pen. Tom was not impressed.

"Darn!!!! Foiled Again!!"

The turkeys and I had a nice ride in the car. (Note To Self.... Next time you plan to go to the processors with turkeys, make sure the trailer is actually at your house and not in use by your father-in-law!) Transporting 5 turkeys in 5 half 55gal barrels in the back of your Suburban is NOT the ideal way to do it. (Thank Goodness we could roll down the windows!)

We made it!! The turkeys were kinda happy to get off of the farm. (did I mention that turkeys are pretty darn dumb?) They hopped out and looked around....

"Cool! Nice Place!"

Then they saw it.

"Uh Oh.. this cant be good!"

'IT' was the killing cones. This is where they very quickly turn from animals to meat. (**NOTE**There is some blood in the next picture, but it's very small. If you want to see what it looks like up close, just click on the picture. If not, just scroll past it, it's not bad, I promise.) The man places the turkey into a cone, where his head pops out the bottom, then in one swift cut he is gone. Then they bleed out. No pain. Its fast. Don't worry.

This was Worker #4's first time going with me to have birds processed.... I told him what to expect.... I was a little bit worried about his excitement. I have done it many time.. But It is NOT a fun thing. He looked like he was going to get candy or something! geesh!

Until he actually saw the transformation from Animal to meat. (whew... death is never something any of us look forward to causing... But it's part of life, and it's plain old fact, if you eat meat... something died to give it to you.). "Thank You Turkey."

The Little Foreman in Pink has been here several times with me.... she watches very closely like always to make sure everything is ok... and she even protects worker #4. (She is a kind and loving Foreman.)

Don't worry about worker #4.. after the first one he was very interested in the process. And was just fine.

So was LFIP.. as always.

After the yucky killing cones the turkey (now meat) is put into a big tub of hot water for a few min to soften its feathers.

Then it's into the Plucker...

This Plucker is a very cool thing!! I could watch it all day, so could the kids.... Its kinda like a BIG washing machine tub thingie..... It spins the birds (now meat, not birds) round and round (think amusement park ride if it helps)

anyway... inside the washing machine-tub-like-thingie there are a bunch of little rubber fingers... and in less than 1 min.. they take off every single feather!! (Did you know a grown turkey has over 3,500 feathers??) and in less than 1 min they are all gone!! too cool man!! just too cool!

They spray water into the spinning-ride-washing-machine-like-thingie and all the feathers come out the front onto the floor to be taken away.

Click on the pic for full-sized view.

Then the meat goes into the next room.

Where some amazing man works. He can dress a turkey in less than 2 min..... He's like a samurai warrior and his sword. cept he is a butcher with a knife.

So, I guess not the same at all. hmmm

Look at that man work! Its like a dance..... Ok, it's not like a dance at all... but he sure knows what he's doing.

Look at the size of that bird!!! I am very Thankful.

I am thankful my family can raise our own food.

I am thankful I know everything that ever went into that bird.

I am thankful I know it lived a very good and spoiled life.

I am thankful He died quickly and painless.

I am thankful to have him for my Thanksgiving Day Meal.

And so will my Thanksgiving Day guests.

Thank you again Turkey.

(I'm also thankful I have this guy to do the dirty work for me this year!)