Argae Cottage

A practical 'Dispatch, Plucking & Dressing' course

Come and learn the essential skills required to prepare your own Christmas Turkey.

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If you're dreaming of a home produced Christmas dinner this year, let us help you produce the most fabulous centrepiece!

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This course will teach you the essential skills required to prepare your homegrown turkey for the table.

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On the day, you will prepare a free range turkey from start to finish (with as much assistance as needed)  These birds have been reared free range here on our smallholding.

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This course will be run for small groups (maximum 6 participants) to ensure that you have plenty of supervision.

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We will teach you how to humanely dispatch a turkey, looking at different methods available, and how to ensure welfare is maintained throughout (mechanical neck dislocation and electrical stunning will be demonstrated)

Plenty of discussion and demonstration will take place, to ensure you are confident with what you are about to do.

If you are comfortable with the process, you can then carry out this stage yourself.  

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You will then dry pluck your turkey, and look at the options for hanging or resting to mature the meat.

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Lunch is included - we will treat you to a delicious homecooked lunch, featuring produce from our smallholding.  There will be an opportunity to have a look around the rest of our smallholding too.

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After lunch, we will move on to the dressing stage - again, each participant will be individually supervised to ensure that you are fully comfortable with the procedure.

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During the afternoon, we will also spend time considering the whole rearing process -  from day old poult to adult turkey - looking at brooder set up, feeding, housing, and equipment required.

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At the end of the day, you will take your oven ready turkey home to enjoy.  You will leave equipped with the skills and confidence to go on and process your own birds.

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