The turkeys are here!!! (Ok, we’ve had them for about five weeks now).
We got them as sweet tiny day-old poults, and boy have they grown and changed fast! They required more care and patience than chicks, because it is harder for them to figure out how to eat and drink on their own. We put colorful buttons and beads in their waterer to encourage drinking, put their food on aluminum foil, and put paper towels down in the brooder so they wouldn’t slip. We had to dip their beaks and encourage eating and drinking a lot more than with chicks who naturally take to it.
This particular breed is the heritage Bourbon Red. They are supposed to be hardier than some and have a great flavor for meat. I have always been partial to Heritage breeds. An added bonus, the breed originated from Kentucky (my home sweet home).
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| turkeys are obviously very flexible- this one seems to be scratching his bum 🙂 |
We finished up the turkey pen at the back of our shed just in time! Using chicken wire, metal fence posts, and scrap wood, we built a pen for the turkeys that has a roost underneath the covered portion. My husband draped netting overtop to secure from above-ground predators. A full-sized door allows easy access for us to go inside. We also cut out a “window” screened with chicken wire for us to easily see what was going on in the pen without having to walk all the way around to the back of the shed.
(Pictures of the pen to come very soon!)
Oh my goodness these turkeys are too funny– they are SO attached to us already. Way more than the chickens. When we leave their pen after coming in to change food/water or it visit, they cry and cry and CRY! If we come back before they have settled down or really anytime we show up to their pen they rush up to us so happy and cheeping. They like to be so close to us all the time and love to jump up on our knees or arms or whatever is available to them and be petted– ahhhhh!!! My turkey poults must have separation anxiety or think that we are their mama turkey.
Do any of you have turkeys? What do you find most interesting about their personalities?
Very cool pet !!! No we don't buy I would love to one day ! Hope you having a great holiday weekend
Very cool pet !!! No we don't buy I would love to one day ! Hope you having a great holiday weekend
Very cool pet !!! No we don't buy I would love to one day ! Hope you having a great holiday weekend
How wonderful! Some day I hope to raise our own turkeys for holiday meals 🙂
How wonderful! Some day I hope to raise our own turkeys for holiday meals 🙂
How wonderful! Some day I hope to raise our own turkeys for holiday meals 🙂
We've never kept turkeys but my husband's family has. Your babies are cute! 🙂
We've never kept turkeys but my husband's family has. Your babies are cute! 🙂
We've never kept turkeys but my husband's family has. Your babies are cute! 🙂
They are very cute! It's so sweet that they cry when you leave. I guess they see you as their mama! I didn't know they were harder to take care of than chicks. Very interesting!
They are very cute! It's so sweet that they cry when you leave. I guess they see you as their mama! I didn't know they were harder to take care of than chicks. Very interesting!
They are very cute! It's so sweet that they cry when you leave. I guess they see you as their mama! I didn't know they were harder to take care of than chicks. Very interesting!
I enjoyed reading this. I know little about raising turkeys-didn't know you had to teach them so much! Reminds me of that book "Are you my mother?"
I enjoyed reading this. I know little about raising turkeys-didn't know you had to teach them so much! Reminds me of that book "Are you my mother?"
I enjoyed reading this. I know little about raising turkeys-didn't know you had to teach them so much! Reminds me of that book "Are you my mother?"
Congratulations on the twins!
Congratulations on the twins!
Congratulations on the twins!
I hope to raise our own turkeys for holidays some day. You are one lucky lady!
I hope to raise our own turkeys for holidays some day. You are one lucky lady!
So fun to see the turkey poults, we haven't had them in yearsi. They are so darn cute.We use to have a Royal Palm Tom Turkey a while back as a pet too. He would follow kids to the school bus …luckily he never went in the road.
So fun to see the turkey poults, we haven't had them in yearsi. They are so darn cute.We use to have a Royal Palm Tom Turkey a while back as a pet too. He would follow kids to the school bus …luckily he never went in the road.
So fun to see the turkey poults, we haven't had them in yearsi. They are so darn cute.We use to have a Royal Palm Tom Turkey a while back as a pet too. He would follow kids to the school bus …luckily he never went in the road.
We are raising two little poults who are still less than one week old. Very active little guys–they run around their brooder box like maniacs, step in their mash instead of eating it (I'm still working on a solution to this–the shiny rocks do seem to help) and cry when I leave them alone. I worry about them keeping warm enough, so we spend about 1-2 hours every day with them wrapped up in a little piece of fleece, snoozing contentedly on my lap while I read or write. I predict this will be a highly addictive endeavor.
We are raising two little poults who are still less than one week old. Very active little guys–they run around their brooder box like maniacs, step in their mash instead of eating it (I'm still working on a solution to this–the shiny rocks do seem to help) and cry when I leave them alone. I worry about them keeping warm enough, so we spend about 1-2 hours every day with them wrapped up in a little piece of fleece, snoozing contentedly on my lap while I read or write. I predict this will be a highly addictive endeavor.
We are raising two little poults who are still less than one week old. Very active little guys–they run around their brooder box like maniacs, step in their mash instead of eating it (I'm still working on a solution to this–the shiny rocks do seem to help) and cry when I leave them alone. I worry about them keeping warm enough, so we spend about 1-2 hours every day with them wrapped up in a little piece of fleece, snoozing contentedly on my lap while I read or write. I predict this will be a highly addictive endeavor.
We are raising two little poults who are still less than one week old. Very active little guys–they run around their brooder box like maniacs, step in their mash instead of eating it (I'm still working on a solution to this–the shiny rocks do seem to help) and cry when I leave them alone. I worry about them keeping warm enough, so we spend about 1-2 hours every day with them wrapped up in a little piece of fleece, snoozing contentedly on my lap while I read or write. I predict this will be a highly addictive endeavor.
We are raising two little poults who are still less than one week old. Very active little guys–they run around their brooder box like maniacs, step in their mash instead of eating it (I'm still working on a solution to this–the shiny rocks do seem to help) and cry when I leave them alone. I worry about them keeping warm enough, so we spend about 1-2 hours every day with them wrapped up in a little piece of fleece, snoozing contentedly on my lap while I read or write. I predict this will be a highly addictive endeavor.
We are raising two little poults who are still less than one week old. Very active little guys–they run around their brooder box like maniacs, step in their mash instead of eating it (I'm still working on a solution to this–the shiny rocks do seem to help) and cry when I leave them alone. I worry about them keeping warm enough, so we spend about 1-2 hours every day with them wrapped up in a little piece of fleece, snoozing contentedly on my lap while I read or write. I predict this will be a highly addictive endeavor.