Comments on: Try Organic, Free-Range Turkey For Thanksgiving

By: Tammy

Tammy — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:23:02 +0000

I am raising Organically fed, Free-Ranged Turkeys this year and they are a Broad-breasted breed so they are not as active ranging as they would be if they were a heritage breed(what I thought I was ordering!) However, they are super healthy and happy, ranging all over their pasture and eating bugs and seeds as well as their organic, local grain.
This is expensive to provide, but I am determined to support organic food.
In November I will process them and each bird is supposed to dress out at about 28-34 pounds. Thats a big bird!
I will have 19 for sale and I wonder how much I could charge. I have read anywhere from $2.99 – $4.99/lb., and though the cost/per bird would be at somewhere near there, I’m afraid no one will want to pay $100 or more for a Thanksgiving turkey. Thus leaving me with a freezer full of enormous birds!
Don’t know if I should charge less so that I can market them more easily or if people really do spend that much on a Thanksgiving Turkey. I’m looking for some opinions, please! Thank you!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:41:53 +0000

Yes, I’ve seen that Dirty Jobs episode. It’s pretty disgusting to think where our chickens and turkey’s come from – that is if we buy them at the grocery store. I think the meat tastes so much better if they are free range / wild.
Sarah´s last blog ..Dacor Epicure EG486SCH Gas Cooktop Review

By: Jane The Organic Gardener

Jane The Organic Gardener — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:22:37 +0000

Thanks for this post, I usually have a turkey for christmas but last year we decided to go for a goose and it was fantastic. As much as I enjoy eating turkey on special occasions I think we will be having goose from now on.
Jane The Organic Gardener´s last blog ..5 Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips

By: Will

Will — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:55:47 +0000

Well said, Keith. It is always dangerous to put human attributes like happiness on animals, but I feel for sure that some animals, like pigs have a capacity to be happy or sad, depressed or “normal”. Whatever you call it, when I was growing up the neighboring farm always had several pigs. They all had personalities and seemed to interact not only with each other, but with us. Cows on the other hand seemed pretty dumb, but that is no reason to raise them in the manner that most are.

By: Will

Will — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:47:24 +0000

Hi Beth – Yes the dead ones need to be removed every day, sometimes more than once. Some get trampled or suffocate, others just die from sickness. Pretty bad all around.

By: Keith

Keith — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:24:37 +0000

Any animal who gets to eat natural forage tastes better. That is why people love venison and wild turkeys so much. There is just a depth of flavor there. Some people call it gaminess, but really it is just much more flavor than they are used to experiencing.

And of course the meat is richer in almost all of the nutrients, especially the good fats.

Whether free range animals are “happier” or not, they are certainly healthier. They are also living as they were designed to live by the Creator. Win, win, win situation, especially if the consumer can get it ih his head that it is worth the extra expense. You did a wonderful job of pointing out that it is worth the extra expense.
Keith´s last blog ..Nov 22, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, is home to Norman Rockwell painting

By: Beth @ Thanksgiving Decorations.net

Beth @ Thanksgiving Decorations.net — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:46:53 +0000

Thank you so much for all this information – and for clarifying the difference between free range and organic, I used to think they were more or less the same, but now I know better!

I’ve had the misfortune of visiting one of those commercial turkey farms once and was appalled at the conditions that the birds lived in. There were so many trampled ones lying on the ground – It was years before I ever ate turkey again.

Thanks also for the cooking suggestions, I’ll try them out this Thanksgiving!

By: brittany clark

brittany clark — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:51:35 +0000

I used to raise turkeys as a little girl and there was nothing better than your own free-range turkey on your table for turkey day! (I hated to watch my dad cut their heads off though!) Come see my site! brittany clarks last blog post..A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on ABC

By: Turkey Time Again | Healthy Living

Turkey Time Again | Healthy Living — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:59:58 +0000

[...] a big treat. I have written a few times about the Thanksgiving turkey. Here is a post titled Try Organic, Free-Range Turkey For Thanksgiving and another discussing Some Reasons Organic Turkeys Cost [...]

By: Foods for Free

Foods for Free — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:44:44 +0000

I ordered some free range chickens. 20 of them. They cost nearly 15 a piece smoked. I can’t wait. These will be the best chickens of my life.