Baymule
Herd Master
Next year you can have your own turkey for Thanksgiving! Why don't you just give the pigmy buck away? Let him go be somebody else's problem.
Changing goals and speed
- Thread starter AClark
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- #772
AClark
Loving the herd life
We're going to wether him and after he stops being "nasty" he's destined for the freezer. I'd send him packing for free except with the amount of feed I have into him, I may as well get some kind of return out of it. He's young enough that he shouldn't be particularly tough and I'm not particularly attached to him either, especially after all the fence damage.
Yes, we'll have our own turkeys for T-day. Derp was originally purchased for T-day festivities, but ended up being DH's pet. She literally runs over to us and lays down to be petted. Call me soft, but if it's a "pet" I'm not eating it. Derp is a good 45 lbs now too, I learned you have to butcher them WAY younger if you want something you can reasonably fit in a fryer.
That said, we are smoking our turkey this year. I have it brining right now.
Yes, we'll have our own turkeys for T-day. Derp was originally purchased for T-day festivities, but ended up being DH's pet. She literally runs over to us and lays down to be petted. Call me soft, but if it's a "pet" I'm not eating it. Derp is a good 45 lbs now too, I learned you have to butcher them WAY younger if you want something you can reasonably fit in a fryer.
That said, we are smoking our turkey this year. I have it brining right now.
Mike CHS
Herd Master
Brining gives an ok meat the WOW factor. 
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
I agree with ya AC.....no need to give food away for free when ya have $$ into the animal....it just makes the butchering much better when the sentiment isn't present. I agree with Mike too....brining is the only way to go....sure hope it turns out to be Delicious!!.....
Bruce
Herd Master
I brined once at my sister's suggestion. Wow was that salty and naturally the gravy was even worse. Not doing it again. I think I did read that it is better done with previously frozen than fresh free range turkeys.
- Thread starter
- #776
AClark
Loving the herd life
I use 1 cup of salt per gallon, and I rinse them after they've brined. I LOVE salt though, but never had one be too salty. I don't want to run the risk of it drying out being on the smoker (it's going in tonight!) I'll put a rub on it and smoke it low for about 15 hours. I'm going to treat it like a brisket, should come out great! Plus, saves me time in the oven and heating the house up, or the fryer and buying oil. Normally we fry them, and they are good like that, really good, but this year I thought we'd do something different.
I won't butcher him myself, we have a place fairly close that does sheep and goats. I'll send him down there and pick it up when he's done. I'm about to have another arm surgery and I have too much other stuff to do to be bothered with it, plus by the time he doesn't stink anymore, I might have had surgery and won't be able to do it.
I have a MRI for my elbow today, and then an appt at the neurosurgeon right after to read it. If it comes out normal, then it's surgery on my elbow for the nerve, if it doesn't, he's going to send me back to orthopedics and have them work on it. Pretty much just ruling out bone problems in the arm, as the x-rays are all normal, because he's pretty certain my first surgery wasn't done right. He said the scar is a LOT bigger than it should be and it's probably still pinched somewhat. Either way, it's surgery on my elbow. I want this crap done before spring and the rodeo season starts up for me so I can go this year. Hard to ride the horse when my dominant hand and arm are too messed up to have the right "feel" going on. Plus I'm tired of taking gabapentin 3x a day and it's not helping.
Yeah I have a "pet" problem. If they become pets, I can't butcher them. Derp went from Thanksgiving guest of honor to "hmm we'll just hatch her eggs" lol.
I won't butcher him myself, we have a place fairly close that does sheep and goats. I'll send him down there and pick it up when he's done. I'm about to have another arm surgery and I have too much other stuff to do to be bothered with it, plus by the time he doesn't stink anymore, I might have had surgery and won't be able to do it.
I have a MRI for my elbow today, and then an appt at the neurosurgeon right after to read it. If it comes out normal, then it's surgery on my elbow for the nerve, if it doesn't, he's going to send me back to orthopedics and have them work on it. Pretty much just ruling out bone problems in the arm, as the x-rays are all normal, because he's pretty certain my first surgery wasn't done right. He said the scar is a LOT bigger than it should be and it's probably still pinched somewhat. Either way, it's surgery on my elbow. I want this crap done before spring and the rodeo season starts up for me so I can go this year. Hard to ride the horse when my dominant hand and arm are too messed up to have the right "feel" going on. Plus I'm tired of taking gabapentin 3x a day and it's not helping.
Yeah I have a "pet" problem. If they become pets, I can't butcher them. Derp went from Thanksgiving guest of honor to "hmm we'll just hatch her eggs" lol.
Bruce
Herd Master
Gee that is never a problem this time of year for us
I bet that smoked turkey is going to be 
I rinsed the one I brined but maybe not enough. The bacon was similar though we either got used to it or the one end was saltier than the rest. Only 3 slices left. Kinda hard to know when enough salt has been rinsed out!
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
Either way I hope ya can get some relief from the elbow paining ya....and get back to riding like ya like to....
Good luck with the elbow and the whole process. Hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving. That smoked turkey sounds delish.
Baymule
Herd Master
I am brining my turkey too. I spatchcocked it and mashed it flat. What I read on the internet, it shouldn't take long for it to cook on the pit, 3-4 hours. Tonight I'm going to take it out of the brine and leave it in the fridge to dry the skin so it will be crunchy. At least, that is what the directions say.... And in the morning I'll put a rub on it. So we'll see. I'm looking forward to the carcass bones so I can make broth. LOL Smoked turkey.....
