The benefits of turkey meat cannot be overestimated. Its dietary qualities have long been known in cooking. And in terms of production of turkey, it takes the 2nd place, immediately after chicken, - more than 6 million tons per year. Poultry is grown both in private farms and on special farms. One of the main stages of turkey breeding is the correct slaughter of the bird and the quality butchering of the carcass.
How many turkeys grow before slaughter
An adult male reaches a weight of 20-30 kg, a female - up to 15 kg. Weight depends not only on the gender of the bird, but also on the quality of food and content. The correct balance of compound feeds and natural foods (green grass, grain, vegetables) for six months will help to grow a significant weight of poultry for meat. You can feed for slaughter both young animals from 2 months old, and very young chicks. In this case, turkey poults will require increased attention and care. The temperature of the room where recently hatched chicks should be at least 25 ° C.
Important! Within 7 days after birth, the turkeys are fed fat-free cottage cheese, which helps to increase immunity and the active growth of chicks.
Litter should be changed as often as possible: a dry clean floor is one of the main rules of maintenance. The constant presence of feed, the presence of dairy products in the feed mixture (milk, yogurt, curd) are also required. After a couple of weeks, the poultry can begin to be taken out into the fresh air, add fresh greens to them: fresh onion feathers, chopped nettle leaves. Gradually, crushed grain is introduced into the diet. Drink turkey poults should only clean water at room temperature.After you can distinguish the sexual characteristics of turkeys, males and females should be jailed. Starting from 3 months, the bird is put on fattening. The main condition is movement restriction and enhanced nutrition. In addition to the natural diet, forced feeding is additionally used: bread pellets, balls of flour of different varieties (corn, barley), wheat bran, with the addition of salt and yeast are introduced into the beak of birds. There is no single and accurate indicator of at what age a turkey can be slaughtered. Individual individuals can reach the required mass in 4–5 months.
How to score
To obtain a quality product without losing a single gram of useful properties is the main task of the farmer. Slaughter of turkeys is done before molting to avoid the appearance of a large number of feather stumps on the skin. In this case, plucking and cutting the turkey will be easier and faster.
Important! A turkey should starve before slaughter for at least 14 hours, better - a day.
Before slaughter:
- you can’t feed the birds - food debris in the esophagus, goiter and intestines will lead to difficulties in cutting and meat contamination;
- turkeys need to be kept in a dark room;
- it is necessary to supply water to the birds for a good cleaning of their intestines from feces.
Depending on the purpose of product sales, there are 2 methods of slaughter:
- Internal when carcasses are prepared for sale. Promotes better storage of meat.
- The external method is more often used in the household if the turkey is slaughtered for quick processing.
Internal way
Experienced farmers determine how much turkey to grow for slaughter, based on the breed, feed quality, and conditions. Turkeys grown for sale in whole carcasses are slaughtered using the internal method, “splitting”: the jugular and bridge veins of the bird are promptly cut, providing maximum outflow of blood. To do this, you need:
- Immobilize the bird.
- Maximize the beak.
- With scissors with very sharp tips, cut the connection of veins on the left side of the throat over the tongue.
- A quick blow just below the bottom to the right to pierce the cerebellum of the bird.
- Hang the carcass upside down above the blood collection container, spread your wings. This position will help the rapid outflow of blood from the carcass.
The weight of poultry depends on how much it is necessary to keep the carcass suspended. It is important to prevent complete "cooling", as this will make it difficult to pluck the turkey.
Did you know? Large turkeys 2–3 years old are often beheaded with a sharp ax due to the large mass and resistance of the male.
External way
Processing and use of turkey meat immediately after slaughter allows you to use the external method - more "sloppy", but less time-consuming:
- Tie the legs of a turkey, put it in a bag.
- Through the hole made, the head and part of the neck are pulled out.
- A very sharp knife sharply dissects the jugular vein from the outside: on the right, 2.5 cm below the ear opening.
- The bird is hung upside down, substituting a container for collecting blood. They pinch after a complete outflow of blood from the carcass, not allowing complete solidification.
Video: how to stab a turkey
What to do with the carcass
A plucked turkey must be prepared for gutting:
- remove residual blood in the mouth;
- wash the legs, cut the claws;
- completely wash the carcass, wipe with a dry cloth, send for cutting.
Important! The plucking of a turkey begins with the fly and tail feathers, adhering to the direction along their growth.
It is worth noting that the preparation of dishes from turkey meat does not need to start immediately after the slaughter. “Having reclined”, the meat will become softer, more juicy and tasty.From the turkey breed, the quantity and quality of the feed, the conditions of detention, it depends on how many months it will take to get well-fed, with juicy meat without hard carcass fiber. And delicious turkey dishes diversify the menu of the most whimsical gourmets.