Well, it’s been 2 1/2 months since my last turkey post, so I figure I’m overdue!
As I mentioned in my original post about raising turkeys, we’re newbies at this, which means the learning curve is pretty steep.
For example:
I’ve learned how to “walk wide” to corral them in the general direction I want them to go…
I’ve learned that they like to fly and really like to roost in annoying places (like the roof of the barn)…
I’ve learned that their poop is huge and very, very stinky…
I’ve learned that they are each, truly, a bottomless pit and will eat 24/7…
I’ve learned that they love to free-range (and love my grapes even more), though they don’t love to go back in their run at the end of the day (hence the wide walking mentioned above)…
I’ve learned that they go through a ton of water…
I’ve learned that the would prefer to sleep under the stars instead of inside the coop and that’s where the biggest danger lies…
I’ve also learned that they are the sweetest creatures who like to chat, follow along, and hang out with their neighbors.
The experience, so far, has me deep in debate about which breed we might choose to keep again next year.
On the one hand, I really like the idea of keeping Heritage breeds for all of the reasons I mentioned previously (natural, beautiful, deliciousness).
On the other hand, of the eight Bourbon Reds we started with, only five remain, and I credit this fully to their (incredibly) slow (and normal) growth rate. These heritage birds are still so very small in comparison to the Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys, which make them the easier target for predators (dogs and wild predators a like) despite their ability to fly better than their larger counterparts.
As one of the neighbors said when we first got our little flock, “They’re on everyone’s menu around here, you know?”
Yeah, so we’ve learned.
And it carries with it a deep sadness I didn’t expect given our clear intention for these ladies and gentlemen to begin with.
Such Newbies, ha?
Now, the question remains, was that a Bobcat or a Mountain Lion that hopped over the fence, snatched dinner, and hopped right back over, only to lay right on the other side of the turkey run and devour their tasty meal leaving nothing but a few sad feathers as evidence?
And was it the same creature who grabbed a mouthful of feathers yesterday evening though the Bourbon Red did, in fact, get away this time?
Geez…
So, we’re left with four Broad Breasted Bronze beauties (one Tom and three hens), tentatively slated for “harvest” the weekend of the 15th…
And five Bourbon Reds, who I hope beyond all hope will all make it through another couple of months until they can fatten up and be ready for our friend’s Thanksgiving tables.
Any good Turkey Juju you can send our way will be greatly appreciated 🙂
xoxo,
M
Beware of weasels also as predators. We’ve raised turkeys for 4 years and never had problems. We had a fence around their yard and ropes above to keep hawks away. Always worked till this year.
A weasel snuck under the fence, killed two large turkeys by slitting their throats and biting off their heads. They never ate any meat. I would rather if a wild predator killed my birds that they would have at least eaten the meat. What a waste.
Oh no, how horrible, Caroline! I’m so sorry! Yes, we worry about skunks here, too. Mean buggers who kill just to kill. Such a waste!
My dad had chickens, not turkeys, but he grew up in a farm in Pennsylvania where there was all manner of predators and they had turkeys, geese, ducks and chickens. I remember that at our home he always covered the top of the “pen” with fencing as well as the sides. I also think I remember him clipping their wings so they couldn’t fly.
Thank you for this, Marilee! There was a small space between the top wire and one side of the fence that we have since covered! We haven’t clipped their wings yet, but still might have to.
My FIL found an abandoned nest in a hay field. He watched it to see if the hen came back but after a few days he took the eggs and put them in his incubator. The chicks imprinted on him, of course, and followed him ceaselessly. But the funniest thing was the way they sat on the picnic table in front of the living room picture window to watch TV. They loved Gunsmoke…
LOL…love this story, Pat! So much fun!