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Dozens of turkeys lurk at Wild Turkey Farms
Photo by James Nix
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Published: November 25, 2009
CHINA GROVE — Common folklore about turkeys says they will stare at the sky with their beaks hanging open, transfixed, until they drown.
But they're not as dumb as they look or as their reputation would suggest, according to local farmers who raise turkeys.
They socialize with each other, and if people come around, they will greet them, as did the 50 or so turkeys being raised at Wild Turkey Farms, just outside China Grove.
Lee Menius, his wife Domisty and his brother Randy Menius run the 100-year-old, 50-acre, family farm.
Once a year they raise a small group of turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Some people may think it's better not to know the turkey you on your dinner table too well.
It's less personal when they are lying piled up in a freezer in the grocery store, but being mass produced and squeezed together in small coops is not only cruel, but unhealthy, and not just for the bird, according to the Meniuses.
Commercially bred turkeys use antibiotics because of the close living quarters the turkeys share, which can cause illnesses that can spread among the crowd of birds.
These turkeys have short legs, fat bodies and have lost the ability to mate naturally.
The broad-breasted white turkey, which is most commonly used commercially, is the result of artificial insemination.
This bird has been bred for the large amounts of white meat, which is a Thanksgiving favorite, as well as for its white feathers.
The white feathers do not discolor the turkey's skin, for a better-looking turkey.
The drawback of being big breasted is that these birds are no longer able to fly.
It throws off their aerodynamics.
The Menius brothers are using the same type of bird, but it takes them 24 to 28 weeks to reach 15 pounds, whereas the commercial processors take only 13 weeks.
The turkeys are also free range, which means they are permitted to graze or forage the pastures, and have a more natural diet.
Wild Turkey Farms buys all the feed they use from local farmers and farm stores.
"We try to keep as local as possible," Lee said. "We grind our own feed. By grinding our feed I can guarantee that I know what is in the feed. You can buy cheaper rations, but most of those are by-products of whatever is cheaper. You never know with that stuff."
This allows a better flavor to the meat, and while there is a significant price difference in free-range farm raised turkeys, the taste is cleaner, he said.
"They are juicier," Lee said. "We did one last year for Thanksgiving. The flavor is there and the juiciness is there. Commercially raised birds are raised to be quick and cheap, and that's the two things they're after. Most of their birds are processed at 12 to 13 weeks of age. Ours get a little bit of age on them, which allows them to develop more marble; even turkeys and chickens marble. You think of that with beef, but that's where all the flavor comes from."
Two of the birds wandering around Lee's barn were the state fair "showing turkeys" he raised this year.
"They think they are part of the crowd, but they are going to be Thanksgiving stars, too," Lee said.
The Menius brothers purchase the 50 turkeys in July, and the birds spend most of their time in a large fenced area that allows them to move freely and feed.
The fence mostly keeps out the goats who graze in the nearby fields and like to wander over and scavenge for a snack.
The low fence allows the turkeys to "semi-fly," or leap over it, and feed on the grass in the area.
The inevitable "end of the road" for the turkeys comes the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, which makes it harder to find a fresher bird.
The farm is Animal Welfare approved, and the turkeys meet their demise in as humane a way as possible.
"We hope to have a pneumatic stunner, from Animal Welfare this year," Lee said. "What it does is stun them, and then when you cut their throats, they are unconscious."
"It's a lot more humane than a hammer," Randy said.
Wild Turkey Farms has been successful selling its turkeys.
"We have been sold out of these turkeys for two weeks," Lee said. "We have had interest from some caterers and institutions, so we may do several hundred next year."
• Contact reporter Robin L. Gardner: 704-789-9140
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