1. pets
2. birds

The Bird & Animal Times
Newsletter of the Midwest Bird & Animal Breeders Association
VOLUME 200
WWW.MBABA.ORG
Presidents Notes
Here we are having our last swap and meeting of the
Officers
President
Estelle Wernle
8749 Le Pere School Rd
Millstadt, IL 62260
618-538-7141
Vice President
Nick Heimos
5216 Kaskaskia Rd
Waterloo,IL.62298
618-340-1153
Secretary & Advertising
Mgr
Walter Rau
8800 Gilmore Lake Rd
Columbia, IL. 62236
618-939-6809
October 2014
year! Where did this past year go?
All in all ,we have had a good year. No serious problems.
A
huge "thank you" to everyone who helped in any way.
You are appreciated!
Bring your check list of items for new people to bring to a swap
to the next Oct meeting. We will compile our lists and get this
info to Ton e so he can get it on the website.(He does an excellent
job -we have a fantastic editor!)
Please join us on the 26th and bring a friend.
. Please please volunteer an hour or two, especially at 5:00
when we open the
Treasurer
sellers gate (lower) and 5:30 at the Buyers (top) gate.
Mike Tolka
1731 Boone Street Road SEE ME FOR NEW DIRECTORY
Odin, IL 62870
Happy Halloween!
618-775-8425
Newsletter editor and
Web Master
Ton e Becker
3205 E Airport
Urbana, IL. 61802
Estelle Wernle
217-898-5112
aebecker@illinois.edu ------------------------------------
Webmaster notes
www.mbaba.org ***Calling checklists and typical story of swap day.***
Someone please send me a check list of what to bring and story
of what to expect on swap day to post on the website. I get new
people emailing questions all the time. You can mail, but prefer
them emailed to me.
Ton e Becker
====================================================================================
How to and How NOT to Butcher a Turkey from
http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2012/10/how-to-and-how-not-to-butcher-turkey.html go
there to get details and pics
Our list of supplies One of the things we did right was to make a list of supplies and have everything ready in advance. As you will
find out, things went very wrong during our first attempt, but at least we weren't scrambling around for tools and materials.
The killing coneThere are several ways you can dispatch a turkey, but we felt most comfortable using a killing cone. It seemed to be
the easiest method as well as relatively peaceful for the turkey. Although we raised these birds for meat, it was important to Hubby Dear
and I that we do the deed as humanely as possible. You insert the bird's head and neck through the bottom of the cone and slit its throat
while it hangs upside down.
Our scalder set-up Once you kill the turkey, you have to remove the feathers. Plucking is the most difficult and time-consuming part
of the job. You can dry pluck the feathers, but it is often easier if you briefly scald the bird. I bought a cheap turkey fryer set-up similar
to this from Wal-Mart. It was just big enough to scald our small (12.5 and 15 lb processed weight) turkeys. It would be the perfect size
for scalding chickens. If you are butchering a turkey that is over 18 lb, you will definitely need a much larger pot to scald it.
Essential to the job are a set of very sharp knives. I also found a pinning knife like this one to be very helpful.
I often say that a person can bring themselves to do almost any gross task as long as they are wearing a pair of rubber gloves. We went
through several pairs of gloves a piece to help maintain cleanliness during the process.
And of course, you need a turkey or two. Our toms. So fun to look at, but even better to eat!
The process: One thing we did as butchering newbies was to write out all the steps and have it close at hand. It was really helpful to
have it right there for reference.
Steps to butcher a turkey We decided to butcher our Blue Slate tom first since he was the meanest of the two. Hubby Dear and I said
a prayer and then brought him over to the killing cone. He wasn't too keen to put his neck into the cone, but with a little fiddling, we
pulled him through. Hubby Dear made two swift cuts to the turkey's jugular veins on either side of the windpipe. He immediately began
to bleed profusely.
Slitting the turkey's throat. The blood is being captured in a bucket for later disposal.
Don't you love Hubby Dear's fashionable poncho? We realized that it would be a smart idea to cover our clothing but found that the only
thing we had on hand was large yard waste trash bags. We had no idea just how useful those make-shift aprons were about to be.
The aftermath At the very moment Hubby Dear finished slitting the turkey's throat, his cell phone started ringing. He walked a few
yards away to answer an important call from work. I stood beside Mr. Turkey, supervising the proceedings.
All of a sudden, the turkey flopped UP and OUT of the killing cone. He lay in a silent, bloody heap on the ground. I didn't know that
stunt was even physically possible, much less by a turkey losing blood at a rapid rate. (I should mention that the turkey didn't move until
that moment. The turkey remained silent throughout the entire process.) Hubby Dear was still on the phone and gestured for me to take
care of the problem.
Alrighty. I grabbed the turkey's legs and guided him back into the cone. I held onto the turkey's legs while he dangled and dripped.
The next thing I know, the entire killing cone is falling off the plywood. It wasn't the turkey's doing this time, but the nails that
Hubby Dear had used to affix the cone to the plywood had come out. Here's a tip for you: use screws, not nails on your killing cone!
By that time, Hubby Dear was done with his phone call and he came to my rescue. He picked up the tom by the legs and held him for
the remainder of the time that it took him to die. Since he was not confined by the cone, the turkey flapped quite a bit at the end, making
us very thankful that our clothes were mostly covered by the redneck ponchos.
So much for a quiet, dignified death. I am happy to report that neither of us was overly traumatized by the first day's proceeding and that
we butchered turkey #2 on the very next day. It was a much different story - quiet, peaceful, and, importantly, the killing cone stayed in
one place!
Scalding the bird The next step once we were sure the turkey was dead, was to scald it. The temperature of the water and length of
scalding is a matter of debate. We ended up using water that was about 145 degrees and scalded it for 30 seconds, moving it up and
down in the water occasionally. Then we moved the bird over to a flat surface and quickly began removing the feathers, starting with the
wings and tail first. Those are the toughest feathers to pluck, so you want to do those before the bird cools down.
FYI: When we butchered turkey number two, we scalded it for 45 seconds and we found that it was much easier to pluck. Turkey #2
post-plucking The parts you still see feathers on were to be disposed of, so why pluck them?
We learned a lot from butchering the first turkey and ended up buying a couple of extra tools that made the job easier for our second try.
Torching the filoplumes After you remove the large feathers, the hair-like filoplumes remain. You can leave them alone and trust
that they will be unnoticeable after cooking, or you can lightly torch them with a flame. They disappear in a puff of smoke, but you do
have to be careful you don't remain in any one spot for too long or you'll prematurely cook your bird.
Loppers are great for the neck and last wing section.
We also bought a pair of loppers to help remove the neck and wing bones. You can carefully use a boning knife to cut between the
joints on those locations, but loppers make the job much quicker and easier.
After you've plucked the bird and removed the extra bits like the head, neck, and legs, it's time to gut it. Unfortunately, my hands
were so busy that I didn't take any photos of this process. It really isn't as intimidating as it sounds. \
CONTINUED below
description
ponderosa room deposit
doorprises /estelle
WALTER RAU ADVERTISIN
Estelle / supplies
Allan Blumhorst
ponderosa
postage/estelle
postage /mike
monroe co rabbit club
monroe co fair grounds dep.
monroe co fairgrounds rent
Walter Rau advertising
Eckhardt florist
Heartland classic poultry sho
franklin co 4H
voided check
Gene Willmann
news letter/
Mike/ flyers /
dues/season passes
country mutual
jerashen flowers
clinton co 4H
monroe co fair/ 4h
marion co 4h
washington co 4h
il mo bantam club
caseyville library system
st genevive area 4h
joe hoy sholarship fund
executive business
mar hat sales
dues/ 1 pass
mar gate
april gate
executive business
action graphics signs
ton e / web site
woodside / flowers
executive business
may gate
june gate
1 pass
2 dues
1 card add
3 dues (1 aug 2)
insurance refund
directory printing
advertising
4 dues
aug gate
advertising
executive business
dues
sept gate
expense
income
$60.00
$250.00
$389.62
$25.81
$100.00
$385.88
$276.00
$276.00
$250.00
$200.00
$2,000.00
$330.00
$123.70
$100.00
$100.00
$100.00
137.2
$320.80
$575.00
$385.00
$26.27
$150.00
$125.00
$120.00
$105.00
$125.00
$500.00
$150.00
$2,500.00
$59.00
Treasurers Report
Greetings! in this newsletter you will find a 2014
treasures report for the 2014 year to date.
I am pleased
to report to you that we are doing well financially even
after we made a $2500.00 transfer to the Joe Hoy
scholarship fund. It looks like our gate receipts will replace
most of that money. Overall expenses seem to about the
same with the price of the color newsletter being the main
increase in expenses. Although there was concern over the
low gate returns in April and May it seems Aug and Sept
has evened them out. We began this year with about
$15,000.00 and as it stands we have $12,900.00 and still
the Oct swap left to go taking in to consideration the
scholarship fund donation we have gained $400 over the
break-even-point. However, as members of this club we
need to fix a couple minor problems. We have a “member”
who has been getting member discounts and has not paid
dues since July 2012 according to my records and another
vendor told gate personnel he was no. 50 there has not
been a member no. 50 since I started as treasure in 2009
also my apologies to club member 80 Max Harmon I somehow overlooked his dues payment in April.
For those wanting to pay 2015 dues I will start taking
dues at the Oct meeting. and with Oct being officer
nomination time I would like to say thanks to the
membership for being able to serve the last 5 years and
hope to be able to continue as club treasurer
Mike Tolka
$22.00
$100.00
$1,240.00
$1,065.00
$424.77
$142.50
$53.18
$59.00
$1,155.00
$1,385.00
$20.00
$20.00
$10.00
$30.00
$24.00
$87.86
$163.50
$10,601.09
$94.00
$65.50
balance
$15,026.95
$14,966.95
$14,716.95
$14,327.33
$14,301.52
$14,201.52
$13,815.64
$13,539.64
$13,263.64
$13,013.64
$12,813.64
$10,813.64
$10,483.64
$10,359.94
$10,259.94
$10,159.94
$10,159.94
$10,059.94
$9,922.74
$9,601.94
$10,176.94
$40.00
$1,625.00
$7,311.00
$10.00
$1,325.00
$4,245.27
$5,931.67
$2,427.00
$8,358.67
$679.45
$7,679.22
$2,644.00
$10,323.22
$251.36
$10,071.86
$1,665.00
$11,736.86
$11,736.86
$159.50
$11,577.36
$1,335.00
$12,912.36
-------------------------------------------------------------------------con't from prev page
The only tricky part is getting the crop out of the chest cavity
in one piece. Then, you make a 2-3 inch cut over the vent,
scoop out the organs, and remove. We cut out the actual vent
last. Everything comes out in one package and it is easy to
dispose of. We chose not to mess with the giblets (neck,
heart, liver, gizzard) since our family generally doesn't eat
those.
After we finished gutting the turkey, we rinsed it very
well and put it into a cooler full of ice water for several hours.
You need to make sure the bird cools down completely or it
can grow harmful bacteria.
Cooling the bird After a few hours, we let it drain and
placed it in a pan in the refrigerator. You can store the bird
for up to five days before you cook it, and it is best to age it a
bit before you cook or freeze it for the most tender results.
The first bird took us 3 and 1/2 hours from start to finish.
Yikes. We learned quickly, though, and bird number two only
took 1 and 1/2 hours. I'm sure we'll get it under an hour with
practice. We probably won't do turkeys next year, but we
certainly will use the skills we learned when we butcher our
old laying hens.
Don't be scared about doing your own butchering! Hubby
Dear and I did not grow up on farms and have no experience
in this area. It really isn't so tough once you try it. I know we
gave our birds a great life and now we have delicious, healthy
meat to show for our efforts. Just make sure you secure the
killing cone properly and try not to answer your cell phone
during the process! ;)
Swaps n’ Classified Ads
This space is free for members to advertise items they have for sale. Please
limit your ads to 20 words if possible. Non-members may advertise for a
small donation. Swaps and shows are welcome and are not asked for a
donation. Send postings to the Webmaster.
TRI COUNTY AUCTION & CAFE, Medora, IL
www.auctionzip.com #4366 Auction Dates Farmer's
Market Auction w/Goats/Sheep Small Animals, hay,
straw etc. Saturday Check in 7-9:30am Begins 9:30.
Cafe 7AM (618) 372-8888 ofc or (618) 729-2005
Barn
Whitaker Small Animal Auction. Madison, Mo. 12
noon3rd Sat Apr-Oct Mi. south of Madison on 151
Please call 573-822-2912 or 660-291-3972
Eastern Iowa Exotic Bird and Small Animal Swap 711am. Maquoketa, IA, Jackson County Fairgrounds.
$3/person Buy or Sell Laurie Marx 563-212-9435,
Chuck Holdgrafer 563-689-6743
easterniowabirdswap.webs.com
Iowabirdswap@gmail.com,
Mineral Area Bantam Club Swap Days.
TWO SWAPS TWO LOCATIONS
1ST Sun Ea Mon Mar Thru Nov.
Located on lot behind Busenbark Carpet on Hwy 67
between Farmington & Park Hills exits.6 AM-?
2ND SWAP, 2ND LOCATION
rd
3 Sat ea Month Mar-Nov 7:30 AM-?
Bonne Terre Family Center
Bev 573-562-7562 or Wilma 636-933-0640
CL Auction 2nd Sun Ea Mon Hwy Y, Valley Mines, MO
573-358-4479 or 0035
Ill-Mo Bantam Club Website
illmobantamclub.org
Burlington, IA has 6 swap meets throughout the
summer. Southwest Iowa Pigeon Club. It costs just $2
per carload to get in. Starts early and done by noon. For
more info, please email wrpfad@danvilletelco.net.
Fruitland Swap 2nd Sat Mar-Oct, Daylight-10 AM I-55
Fruitland exit 105 north on Rt 61 ~3 miles Bob Hoffman- 573 788 2139 Raymond Petzoldt 573 243 3487
The Olde Barn Small Animal&Misc Auction.
Enterprise, Il.Sale 2nd Sat each & Every Mo.For
Information call 618-926-3254 Clay Sanders
Bird-Pet and Game Swap,
Bob at 815-739-7434 7-Noon,
Plowmans Park 48W 508 Hinckly Rd, Big Rock IL
Veedersburg Salebarn Auction Indiana
2nd and 4th Fridays 6 pm 765-376-5144
Mikeworths Trade & Swap Flea Market Swap Phone
618 544 8053 Phone 618 592 4859
theonlybolong.com/fleamarket
Randolph co swaps, 506 W Belmont st, Sparta, IL.
62286. 6PM 3rd Sat ea month Mar-Oct EXCEPT Jul is
on Sunday. $5 for sellers, buyers free. Alicea @ 618
317 6056
Swapping Days Jacob’s Cave, Meadowlands
Activities L.L.C., Located South of Versailles,
Missouri 573-378-4374 or visit jacobscave.com
Mid-American Pigeon Club Show, Bureau Co FG,
Princeton Il. Lew Westcott 509n 12th Ave Sterling IL
61081.Entry $3.50.815-288-1967, 815-288-2339.
coopscoop@essex1.com OTHER CLUBS are there.
Triple W - 2009 Cookeville TN
931 808 0231 triplewlivestockauction.com
Troy Swap Meet & Flea Market, Troy Oh
info@TroySwap.com 937 372 1332 TroySwap.com
Arthur Sale Barn Auction
Every Monday 11:30 am: Hay & Livestock Auction
2nd & 4th Monday 6 pm: Small Animal Auction
ALL YEAR LONG Arthur IL. Call 217-543-3255
Leady’s Feed Store 10747 HWY 127, Murphysboro, IL
618 687 6131 Swap Meet Every 3rd Saturday 8-Noon
Livestock, Yard spots available
_____________________________________________
Southern Ohio Poultry Association,
Lucasville Swap is moving to Ross Co. Fair grounds in
Chillicothe Ohio.
2014
State Testers
When you call, leave a message
Shari Goldsberry
618 317 0227
Walter Rau
618 939 6809
Estelle Wernle
618 538 7141
Mike Tolka
618 775 8425
Hank Marquardt
618 935 2520
Nick Heimos
618 340 1153
Larry Parr
618 457 2830
If you wish to have your name listed please inform me.
_____________________________________________
WANTED.
2 female Sebastopol geese
call Estelle Wernle
618-538-7141
______________________________________
Taking orders for this fall: Scintillating Copper $250/pr
Blue Eared $100/pr, Black swans $450/pr
Gene Leffelman, 1785 Lee Center Rd., Amboy, Il.
61310-9439. 815 857 3607
Your card can go here.