I had one lonely little Midget White turkey hatch. So that he would not be alone, I put him in with a duckling.
I was worried that the slightly older duck would teach the turkey to be a duck. Ducklings are suspicious of changes and run from people. I was worried that the turkey would be taught to run from people and become wild.
Well, the duck gave it her best effort. But the turkey held out until the duck learned to be a turkey. Turkeys run to people and chatter and follow people around. I now have a duckling that runs to people and chatters and follows me around. Turkeys run to check out anything new. I now have a duckling that runs to check out anything new.
Turkeys will jump up suddenly and race around flapping their wings, just as fast as they can go for a few rounds of the pen. I now have a duckling who races around the pen, flapping, and following a racing turkey.
The duck did teach the turkey to grab those greens and eat fast because if you study and peck for too long, all the greens are down a duck gullet. The duck was not able to teach the turkey to swim in the little duck puddle, although she has tried her best.
The turkey can get up onto the roof of the shelter, but that makes the duck cry, so now the turkey roosts on a section of 4X4 and the duck sleeps right beside with her head resting on the 4X4.
The turkey is really tiny, so he is probably destined to be a pet. We call the duck the "turkey's pet duck", so if the turk wants to keep his pet duck, the duck now has a pet home, just by association.
The duck is one of the calm natured, easy-to-get-along-with Appleyards, and very fortunately has started to quack, so it's not going to be much inconvenience to keep a pet for the turkey.
I was worried that the slightly older duck would teach the turkey to be a duck. Ducklings are suspicious of changes and run from people. I was worried that the turkey would be taught to run from people and become wild.
Well, the duck gave it her best effort. But the turkey held out until the duck learned to be a turkey. Turkeys run to people and chatter and follow people around. I now have a duckling that runs to people and chatters and follows me around. Turkeys run to check out anything new. I now have a duckling that runs to check out anything new.
Turkeys will jump up suddenly and race around flapping their wings, just as fast as they can go for a few rounds of the pen. I now have a duckling who races around the pen, flapping, and following a racing turkey.
The duck did teach the turkey to grab those greens and eat fast because if you study and peck for too long, all the greens are down a duck gullet. The duck was not able to teach the turkey to swim in the little duck puddle, although she has tried her best.
The turkey can get up onto the roof of the shelter, but that makes the duck cry, so now the turkey roosts on a section of 4X4 and the duck sleeps right beside with her head resting on the 4X4.
The turkey is really tiny, so he is probably destined to be a pet. We call the duck the "turkey's pet duck", so if the turk wants to keep his pet duck, the duck now has a pet home, just by association.
The duck is one of the calm natured, easy-to-get-along-with Appleyards, and very fortunately has started to quack, so it's not going to be much inconvenience to keep a pet for the turkey.
