My Red Tom Turkey

[jab91864]

OMG, I think it worked...lol

Julie

 

[texaschickmama]

Wow, those are some beautiful birds. Do y'all raise them for pets or do you use them for Thanksgiving? They are almost too pretty for that. What is a turkeys demeanor, I mean are they mean or pretty passive?

 

[jab91864]

I started with 9 turkey poults this spring. The 2 larger white meat birds have already gone to freezer camp... they were very sweet tempered, but getting too big to wait till Thanksgiving.

I lost 1 poult early on for unknown reasons, but to be honest had heard there could be a high death rate so I ordered extra...lol.

I have 3 hens currently....1-bourbon red, 1-narragansett, and 1-royal palm. They are all sweet as can be. I have a neighbor who claims she adores turkey eggs and has begged for some which I have explained they aren't laying yet.

The toms I have pics of are 2-bourbon reds and a royal palm. I personally like the personality of the royal palm better.

My bourbon reds can be bullies to the other poultry and each other even when they were tiny guys. They get on a mission and if they don't like you kiss your feathered butt goodbye...the bourbons don't forget.

I plan for them to be THANKSGIVING. I toyed with the idea of keeping a tom and two hens for eggs to hatch/trade/give away in the spring but am re-thinking it at this point. I plan to give away atleast two Thanksgiving day turkeys to friends.

I love the fact that they stay close by when out in the yard. I also enjoy the fact that as soon as they see me or hear my voice they run full speed gobbling for me...lol, "the fat girls got food". The rest of the family is somewhat intimidated by them as they don't like them running at them or the way the toms surround you "thumping and huffing" if you are working outside.

My bourbon red hen likes to use me for a perch and will jump on my shoulder.... one of the white freezer birds loved to be hugged and would "cry" from the brooder till I would hold it and stroke it... talk about guilt.

Julie