Turkey talk: If the turkey has been refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before cooking. Keep it in its plastic wrapping until you are ready to cook it. While in the refrigerator, and or while you are bringing it to room temp, have the bird resting in a pan or large dish, so that if the plastic covering leaks for any reason, the juices will stay in the pan/dish and not make a mess. If you are using a frozen turkey, you will need to defrost it in the refrigerator and it can take 3 days. Allow approximately 5 hours of defrosting for every pound.
Handle a raw turkey with the same amount of caution as when you handle raw chicken - use a separate cutting board and utensils to avoid contaminating other foods. Wash you hands with soap before touching anything else in the kitchen. Use paper towels to clean up.
