More about our thoughts on raising meat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szOApxCsvOc&t=546s
Hey ya’ll, I’m Jess from Roots & Refuge Farm
Welcome to a place that feels like home. A small farm with a big family. We hope you’ll pull up a chair, grab some coffee and visit awhile.
There was a time that all I wanted in the world was a little farm where I could raise my family and grow our food. Now, that is exactly what exists outside my door. In watching it unfold, a new dream was formed in my heart – to share this beautiful life with others and teach them the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Welcome to our journey, friend. I am so glad you’re here.
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45 Comments
This is fantastic information!
Jess, make that man some SWEET TEA popsicles!!! They are THE BEST!!!
Great video!! Thank you so much for sharing!
I was slightly hesitant to watch…not because butchering/meat processing bothers me but because my 4 ducks were killed this weekend by the dog of the person who was house-sitting for us while we were out of town 😢 They were my garden buddy ducks, not meat ducks so it’s extra heartbreaking.
Anyway, yes duck processing is a bugger! The more plump they are, the easier it is to pluck them I find. A more slim duck is just harder in my opinion but either way water fowl just do hold on to their feathers more.
Beautiful birds , we did chicken’s and bronze breasted , our toms dressed out at 30-35 our processing guy said every year that my birds were so big and at the top end if what his machines could do .
We are a hunting family . It’s great that your family is doing,learning and seeing where the food comes from .
Pretty and white skin. We used to raise double breasted. We did not have any trouble except they left with wild turkeys. We saw for several years
Hi jessica tobby dog says hello🐶
Process ducks with dish soap in in the scalding water tank. Duck oils come out when plucking so it makes a big greasy mess and super easy to cut yourself on a greasy knife so the soap really helps. Just go easy on the soap so you don't end up with a lot of bubbles on your duck. 😂
Love me some Will!!🥰 Give the man a popsicle Jess!!🤣😂
Great video Jess, this was very educated. Thank you for sharing. God bless
Thank you so much for sharing this!!!! I want this life so bad also 🥹😊
I just bring the feet in a put in boiling water for a approximately 1 minute and put into cool water and the skin peels off and the nails pop off. Then it goes in to make broth. I just do the feet separate from bones. It makes a beautiful jelled broth and I jar and freeze it. You can put one of the pint jars in the refrigerator and eat a heaping spoonful once a day for wonderful health benefits! It’s very tasty with the veggies that were cooked with the feet. Just FYI. 😊
I appreciate you all being exactly who you are. Plus, thanks for this. My family has done it but I personally haven't so it's quite helpful.
Makes me laugh when people watch homesteading channels then turn around and whine about the processing content!
neat to see and learn but i wont be doing that i cant raise them in city limits
Do you use vinegar on just turkeys or all birds or all meat butchered at home? (Newbie here and hoping to transition to this lifestyle sooner than later.)
I'm just a gardener in my classroom. I can understand now why you would want to start a place where renting that equipment is an option. Looks like a lot of equipment.
I would love to see the process on the feet to get them ready to make broth. Im a visual perso and remember things better if I see it done. Thanks.
Thank you ,for sharing
God bless you all
Mrs josette Tharp Montgomery County, Texas 🙏 ♥️
what's the vinegar do?
Best time to tell on your boss is in front of the camera! Lol.
Hopeful for duck processing content, too. We allowed some eggs to hatch and have 7 youngsters that we would like to use for meat.
Do you do the same cooling with the vinegar on the meat chickens?
😂😂😂😂😂 no popsicles. That is an abuse 😂😂😂
You know what’s funny.. I’m like these look exactly the ones at the store… lol cuz duh! Thank you for the reminder! I hope to become a homesteader one day so these are great! Keep them coming!!!
Those are some good-looking birds! The first turkey I raised in 4-H was named Tyson, and he was so big by the time we got him ready for the oven that he wouldn't even fit XD I appreciate your stance on this whole process and your willingness to share it <3 I've raised several batches of meat birds now and am always a little on guard explaining my philosophy and the process to others, but I think it's something people are becoming more interested in as they realize how divorced we are from our food and the process of raising and preparing food.
😂when I was young, my parents processed chickens. We called them toughies because the meat was so tough. Now I know why… they were frozen right after bring processed.😂
Is it weird that this video made me tear up? 🥹🥹 I spent my childhood with my dad processing things and he passed away in 2020. Whew. 😭😭Thanks for sharing Jess. 💛
I cant wait to have land
Is it wrong that I’m sitting here eating my eggs and watching this video? Lol Very interesting.
Thanks so much for sharing with us and for those of us who can’t handle the gruesome part for whatever reason like today I have a very sick stomach, so it’s a good thing lol, I appreciate for us you not showing the the actual butchering and some parts. I’m interested. I just can’t tolerate it right now. And sadly, I’m never going to have turkeys to process, but that’s life I count my blessings. But I sure do appreciate you explaining things to us. I learned a lot. And when you saw that Ben had that scratch from the turkeys and he’s making no big deal about it, it’s because he’s a farm boy, remember when he said that on a video Lol 😝 . Your kids are growing up, not only living their best life, but learning about things that they can carry with them, their entire life, and have opportunities, empowerment, and so much more that most of us don’t ever have. He obviously loves every aspect of the farm, and he literally went from being a baby to an older boy in the garden😍. And I love how excited he is and how he just takes it all in stride because he really doesn’t know any different and that is such a Blessed gift that you give him, the rest of your family and your friends who you also work with and us😁. I am the youngest of five kids and I have five kids that are all young adults now. I’d like to think that if my parents had had the ability to live their dream and raise us on a farm, that I would’ve thrived like Ben. For one thing I’d rather be around my parents than any friend lol or anybody else in the whole world. Sadly, I lost them in my mid 30s but they were mine and my ex-husband‘s favorite people. OK I had the problem that every creature was my baby lol, but I think if I grew up with it all, like farm life, I would’ve loved it all. Thanks so much for sharing this with me and all the rest of us. I love you all❣️🥰😘
I'm curious what he will do with the organs.
We've been processing Bourbon Red turkeys for 7 years, and they are always soaked in Kosher salt, ACV, and ice water for 48 hours. We wash them again afterward to make sure the stray feathers and anything else is washed away. We always wax our ducks, too. It works wonderfully.
Jess, you need to make some basil tea popsicles and hand those out! 😊😅
A customer brought us a Tom and a hen to butcher last weekend and the Tom dressed at 41 pounds and the hen 27 pounds. We asked the customer if they were sure they want us to leave them whole. They insisted they wanted them whole. I don’t think the Tom will fit in their oven.
I was at my property this week and it was worth the wait. How can I get in contact with y’all because I am close to y’all but I would love to get some of your expertise.
I don’t season my broths either. Sometimes it ends up for the dog. And it is so easy to season when cooking later.
Thank you for sharing this! So many great tips that the rest of us would have no way to learn otherwise. I'll make sure to be stocked up on white vinegar before our first time butchering. And I'm definitely going to have to start adding some ACV to the roaster when I make our bone broths!
UMA EXCELENTE SEMANA PARA VOCÊ JESSICA CALIFÓRNIA WONDERFUL 👏🏻
My husband processes all our birds, im so blessed, he is very clean and meticulous. 😊 we currently don't have room to raise our own meat but im excited to get back on larger acreage and get back into it. Definitely teach your sons how to do it, if they want to learn, your future daughters in law will thank you one day. 😄
Once we didn't get the feet dunked, so I just put them in 150 degree water for a minute or 2 on the kitchen stove to skin and use for broth
Nice
I remember butchering day as a kid, i always looked forward to it because it meant delicious food that day!
I'm really glad you're covering this. I bought 4 turkeys and will be going through the process in the next month. Bring on the confidence please😂
Your turkeys were raised in a humane, clean and happy environment. Anyone who takes issue with butchering your own animals should see how commercially farmed animals are raised and treated, it is the stuff of nightmares.