Animals
"When it comes to accessorizing...
sometimes you just have to use what you've got!" - Nettie B.
Have a wonderful weekend.
We are expecting a little snowstorm here at the farm.
See you Monday with wintry "tails from the farm."
- Herding Turkeys
Our two bourbon red turkeys, Tom and Chuck, spend their dayspatrolling the farm.For the most part they hang out with the chickens most of the day. However, if there is any other activity going on,you can find them in the middle of it. Every afternoon...
- Herding Turkeys
As if we needed a new task to add to the end of each day....we seem to have acquired one....herding turkeys! We decided over the weekend, that it is time for the turkeys to free range a bit.We have been reluctant to allow them to leave their yardout...
- Turkey Trivia
Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner,I though I would share some trivia and observationsI have made raising turkeys. Oh, and by the way, we are NOT eating our turkeysfor Thanksgiving.They have gobbled their way into our hearts and we are...
- The Great Turkey Debate
The great turkey debate is actually two separate issues.The first debate is over the sex of turkey #3. It is quite obvious that we have one "Tom",as he spends quite a good deal of time strutting his stuff. Of all the turkeys, he has the longest snood...
- In Four Short Months.....
We have gone from this.... to this.... Of the four bourbon red turkey poults that I brought homeat the end of April,three remain and are thriving nicely.(One died in infancy.) As just hatched babies, they were very curiousand extremely friendly.They remain...
Animals
Talkin' Turkey
Two years ago we had the idea of raising our own heritage breed turkeys for meat.
We thought we would start small,
so I ordered a few bourbon red turkey poults from our local feed store.
From the very first day, these little birds were quite friendly
and curious about us.
Whenever we would approach them, they would come scampering over to us
to say hello.
Over the next few months, they continued to grow and continued to be quite friendly.
It didn't take long for us to realize that we would not be able to eat our new friends.
As the months passed, they grew and grew.
Eventually their mature feathers came in and it was apparent
that we had one hen and two Toms.
Finally we could name them.
They were given the names Tom, Chuck and Edith.
(much better than their original names...Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter)
By the following summer, they had developed into the showy
birds that they are now.
The turkeys spend their day free ranging.
They have the run of the farm,
and are usually found wherever the action is.
Whenever there are workmen on the farm, the turkeys are there.
When I am in the garden, the turkeys are there.
They love human attention; however they prefer not to be touched.
They have their own house where they roost at night.
We close them in at sundown and let them back out the next morning.
Their house is equipped with fresh feed and water,
however,
they seem to prefer foraging for whatever food they can find around the farm.
I am planning to hatch out a few turkey eggs this spring
for a local young man to raise and butcher for us.
This way I won't get attached to the birds,
and we will have delicious heritage breed turkey meat for next winter.
Rule of thumb:
if you name it, you won't eat it!
Cute picture of the week:
"When it comes to accessorizing...
sometimes you just have to use what you've got!" - Nettie B.
Have a wonderful weekend.
We are expecting a little snowstorm here at the farm.
See you Monday with wintry "tails from the farm."
- Herding Turkeys
Our two bourbon red turkeys, Tom and Chuck, spend their dayspatrolling the farm.For the most part they hang out with the chickens most of the day. However, if there is any other activity going on,you can find them in the middle of it. Every afternoon...
- Herding Turkeys
As if we needed a new task to add to the end of each day....we seem to have acquired one....herding turkeys! We decided over the weekend, that it is time for the turkeys to free range a bit.We have been reluctant to allow them to leave their yardout...
- Turkey Trivia
Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner,I though I would share some trivia and observationsI have made raising turkeys. Oh, and by the way, we are NOT eating our turkeysfor Thanksgiving.They have gobbled their way into our hearts and we are...
- The Great Turkey Debate
The great turkey debate is actually two separate issues.The first debate is over the sex of turkey #3. It is quite obvious that we have one "Tom",as he spends quite a good deal of time strutting his stuff. Of all the turkeys, he has the longest snood...
- In Four Short Months.....
We have gone from this.... to this.... Of the four bourbon red turkey poults that I brought homeat the end of April,three remain and are thriving nicely.(One died in infancy.) As just hatched babies, they were very curiousand extremely friendly.They remain...