Dead Tom is dead, Long John shot him!

Uh.... Dead Tom has always been dead, that's why he's called Dead Tom.

Bonus points if you know the reference.

So as others have done before, Tom crossed the line. Tom had been getting more and more aggressive toward Rosie and I over the last few months and the other day it came to a head. I was out feeding the chickens and Tom thought it would be a good time to take a flying leap attack at my head.

That was the last mistake he will ever make.

Now don't get me wrong Tom was not killed out of vengeance or out of anger, Tom had reached a point where Rosie was a little worried about small children in the yard and as you know, at our house personality counts for a lot. So Tom was grabbed and placed on the chopping block, neck placed in the noose and we used a machete to cut off his head. He went quickly with a single chop from a sharp blade. We then dunked his carcass in a tub of hot water (about 120 deg.) to scald him and make the plucking easier. With the exception of the large wing pin feathers the plucking was very easy, much easier than a chicken or a duck. In a little less than an hour Tom went from an angry attacking turkey to slaughtered, plucked and dressed in the fridge with a carcass weight of about 12-15lbs. So for Valentines day Rosie and I will be dining on a roast turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, home made rolls, and a nice veggie side. I will get some images up in the next few days of Toms' journey from diner to dinner so you can all see the process. I will also see about getting some images up of the lovely roast turkey coming out of the oven, YUM.