The Time and Heart That Goes Into Raising and Preserving Your Own Meat
Homesteading isn’t just about collecting eggs and growing tomatoes — it’s about the long hours, the learning curves, and the deep appreciation that comes from providing for your own family. This fall, I was reminded of just how much time (and love) goes into raising and preserving our own animals — especially when it came time to process our turkeys.
Meet Kirk, the Turkey Who Thinks He’s a Chicken
Our original plan was to breed our own turkeys this year. We wanted to raise a few from our flock to fill the freezer for winter, but our tom, Kirk, had other ideas.
Kirk was a late bloomer and was given to me before we had any other “keeper” turkeys. He grew up with the chickens, and somewhere along the way, he decided he was one. Unfortunately, that led to some trouble — he even killed one of my hens trying to breed her. He never quite figured out his role, and despite his best efforts, our Spanish Black hens remained unimpressed. Poor Kirk… a big chicken at heart.
Bringing in the Big Birds
Since breeding didn’t go as planned, we decided to order Broad Breasted White turkeys from McMurray Hatchery again. They grow fast and put on weight quickly — great for the freezer, but not so great if you wait too long to butcher. These birds can get huge, and once they reach a certain size, they’re hard to handle.
It’s definitely a two-person job. My husband and I tackled the butchering together — I held, he chopped — quick and humane. I decided to skin them this time instead of plucking. For one, they don’t fit in my plucker. And two, even if they did, I physically couldn’t lift those heavy birds in and out of the scalding pot all day.
And because timing is never perfect on a homestead, the weekend we processed six turkeys turned out to be a busy one — and rainy, of course. But it got done. Because that’s homesteading. Rain, mud, feathers, and all.
From Rainy Day to Freezer Full
After processing, we let the birds rest in coolers for 48 hours so rigor mortis could pass. Out of the six we butchered, I parted out five and kept one whole as a gift for a friend — the same friend who gave me a pair of mated Royal Palm turkeys this summer. I told her I had her Thanksgiving covered.
If you’d like to see how I part out a turkey step-by-step, I filmed the process for YouTube — you can watch it here (it’s short, simple, and shows what works best for me).
Preserving the Harvest
I’ll be canning some of the turkey, turning some into homemade deli meat, and freezing the rest in meal-sized bags. That way, I can pull one out anytime for soups, crockpot meals, or a quick dinner. It took several days of hard work, but every time I open the freezer or see a row of jars cooling on the counter, I’m reminded it’s always worth it.
Knowing exactly where our food comes from — how it was raised, butchered, and preserved — means so much to us. It’s strange to think I haven’t bought meat from a grocery store in who knows how long. It’s not always easy, but it’s real, rewarding work.
And at the end of the day, I’m simply grateful — for the effort, for the lessons, and for the opportunity to live this life.
Preserving the Harvest
I’ll be canning some of the turkey, turning some into homemade deli meat, and freezing the rest in meal-sized bags. That way, I can pull one out anytime for soups, crockpot meals, or a quick dinner. It took several days of hard work, but every time I open the freezer or see a row of jars cooling on the counter, I’m reminded it’s always worth it.
Knowing exactly where our food comes from — how it was raised, butchered, and preserved — means so much to us. It’s strange to think I haven’t bought meat from a grocery store in who knows how long. It’s not always easy, but it’s real, rewarding work.
And at the end of the day, I’m simply grateful — for the effort, for the lessons, and for the opportunity to live this life.
🦃 Watch the Video
Want to see how I part out a turkey? Watch the video here:
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