Christmas is coming - anyone for turkey?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (326093)
Rockingham, Australia
November 22, 2020 6:11am CST
My parents were born in 1910 and 1914 so they grew up in an age where everyone worked hard and luxuries were few and far between. My parents had a farm and Mum made a bit of extra ‘pin money’ by selling eggs, butter and cream and, occasionally, a dressed chook (chicken). At Christmas, dressed turkeys were added to the list. Our turkeys looked the same as the wild turkeys that our American myLotters sometimes show on their posts.
Well before Christmas the turkey hens would go broody and set on their eggs. The chicks would be fattened for Christmas and sold by word of mouth.
One year, she did really well from the sale of the dressed poultry. This would have been hard work catching, killing, plucking and ‘dressing’ a few dozen of these birds. They couldn’t be done ahead of time then frozen as we had no freezers.
My sister, eight years older than I, told me just recently that, the following year Mum took the turkey eggs to a poultry farm and had the eggs incubated. However they didn’t take good care of them and the vast majority did not hatch. I can only imagine how devastating this must have been for her.
The photo shows Mum with one particularly large turkey which she cooked one year for our Christmas dinner. I forget now how much it weighed but it looks like it would have fed a few.
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29 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
22 Nov 20
That looks quite a big bird, possibly 12 to 14 pounds.
I grew up during and after the end of World War 2, so food was rationed for my early years, though i remember very little about it, I think that my parents must have saved up their coupons for Christmas because our Christmas dinner table was always bright and laden with all sorts of food besides the main item (which I think would have been a large chicken rather than a turkey) and Christmas pudding and mince pies and nuts and crystallised fruit, sugared almonds, brandy butter ... the lot. Looking back, I really don't know where it all came from, though my mother made her own Christmas puddings and mince pies and a lot of the vegetables came from the garden.
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@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
23 Nov 20
@JudyEv I think that rationing was probably less severe in Australia (and the US) than it was in Britain. Rationing on meat and bacon ended in July 1954. Sugar and confectionery rationing was lifted in 1953 and I remember that because I didn't have to give coupons when buying sweets any more! I believe that our ration books had to be sent to the boarding school we went to but I wasn't aware of how late the rationing on meat was ended until I looked it up. The whole system was extremely complicated with special concessions for people with certain illnesses and disabilities and for people in key jobs. Also, anyone who was able to eat out while at work effectively doubled their family rations.
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@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Nov 20
@owlwings I recently read a book (based on fact) about Australian brides being shipped to England to join their British husbands. All the Australians believed that rationing was very strict in England and didn't just involve food. All sort of rumours abounded - no shoes available, no clothing. It seems the book was on the money.
I don't remember much at all about rationing in Australia. I have an idea some people swapped coupons depending on what they needed.
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@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Nov 20
Parents went to a lot of trouble and sacrifice back then. I remember Mum talking about ration books but I think they were a thing of the past by the time I was born (1946). Being on a farm, there was always plenty of milk, cream and eggs. Hens past laying and reject sheep provided meat so we were well off in some respects.
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@Juliaacv (48537)
• Canada
22 Nov 20
What a wonderful memory.
My mother also made a little pin money by selling eggs from the house.
She did not dress turkeys, although she always had a turkey in the oven on Christmas day as well as Boxing Day, her family always descended to our place on Christmas and my Dad's family all congregated at our home the following day. And as much work as it is to cook just 1 big meal, my mother did 2 in 2 days and surprisingly enough we never had too many leftovers.
I love the picture, your mother had a huge turkey that year.
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@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Nov 20
I think that is the only reason it had its photo taken - because it was so big. Like you, we sometimes had a double celebration over Christmas and Boxing Day then the whole thing was virtually repeated for New Year. We never stayed up to see the new year in though.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
23 Nov 20
oh, bless her :( 'tis most disappointin' when others don't do's they claim'n ya suffer such a loss. i'm sure she'd grand plans from the funds generated. folks back then worked, rarely complained 'f such. so much to be tended, so few hours quite oft. dressin' poultry 'f any sorts 'tis not a fun nor easy task. sooooo many pin feathers...quite stubborn, but'd to come out.
wowzers! ya sure y'all'd not company fer such beast? sure looks yummy 'n 'nough to feed a small army.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
23 Nov 20
@JudyEv ya did such 'lso? i 'lways consoled myself (very diff'cult fer me to kill a critter 'f any sort) that such 'twas required nourishment fer our bodies. i wish i'd newspaper fer such, lol. most oft 'twas squattin' next to an open fire fer those.
'tis grand when y'ave a houseful durin' the holidays. used to 'lways make my heart jest sing. miss those days...
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@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Nov 20
@crazyhorseladycx I was to have grown up when I did and possibly you'd say the same. They were good times and much simpler in a way.
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@DocAndersen (54407)
• United States
22 Nov 20
it is such a huge part of American culture - the only specific food that people eat on one holiday (Christmas in the US is all over the food map)!
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@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Nov 20
@DocAndersen Mum found the turkeys easier to dress as they were so much bigger than the normal rooster.
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@DocAndersen (54407)
• United States
22 Nov 20
@JudyEv that is cool. Over the years we have learned to get fresh turkeys versus the store fast frozen trukeys. the quality is so much better.
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@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
22 Nov 20
We had chickens and turkeys that we raised and butchered. It was nice to have fresh poultry. Poultry is my favorite protein.
Hated plucking hot, wet feathers though. Stunk so bad!!
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@GardenGerty (157652)
• United States
22 Nov 20
We have it so easy now, but I bet your dressed poultry was very flavorful because it was so fresh.
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@jobelbojel (34730)
• Philippines
22 Nov 20
I have not tried turkey. That must be a good meal and a wonderful memories there.
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@jobelbojel (34730)
• Philippines
23 Nov 20
@JudyEv my uncle used to have turkeys. I am not sure if he still have turkeys.
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@Tampa_girl7 (49114)
• United States
22 Nov 20
Thanks for sharing your memories. That is a really decent sized turkey.
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@Tampa_girl7 (49114)
• United States
22 Nov 20
@JudyEv I bet it smelled delicious.
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@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Nov 20
@Tampa_girl7 You can almost smell it from the photo, can't you? 
@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Nov 20
Those must have been really difficult times. I think we had it a little bit easier being on a farm.
@rebelann (111249)
• El Paso, Texas
23 Nov 20
I'm not sure if they had a cow but I know they had chickens @JudyEv grandpa was always raising chickens. He had a kind of incubator where he would keep the eggs he'd hope would hatch. My folks told me stories of how much trouble I'd get into for chasing the chicks when I was 4.
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@RebeccasFarm (86833)
• United States
22 Nov 20
What a wonderful photo Judy!!!
Such fond memories thanks so much for sharing with us and sharing that photo of your dear Mum
Not sure what we will have this year.
Not sure what we will have this year.2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (86833)
• United States
24 Nov 20
@JudyEv Yeah that is a bit of a sizer
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@Fleura (29218)
• United Kingdom
22 Nov 20
She certainly worked hard. Must have been a terrible disappointment when the incubator idea didn't work out. How could a poultry farm not manage to hatch the eggs? Maybe they just told her that. And then they sold Christmas turkeys that year.
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@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Nov 20
Thanks for the kind words. Christmas was a very big occasion in our house.
@freelancermariagrace (27219)
• Philippines
23 Nov 20
It really is nice to reminisce at times! And thank you for sharing that beautiful photo with all of us.
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