I have a "love-hate" relationship with turkeys. I love hatching them in spring. Those awkward looking poults are cute and so needy. I like to keep 3 (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Giblets - as a back up) They have an odd desire to accidently kill themselves in strange ways (get body stuck in a feeder, fall into the compost bin, get trapped in a box, end up on wrong side of fence & can't find way back. They're not very bright, need to be regularly monitored, and they eat every bit of food you put out. I can't use my auto feeders in the summer because the turkeys empty them. Instead, I put out the daily amount of feed in a dish and make them forage in the afternoon.
Unlike most people, I raise my poults with chicks and a broody bantam hen. I find they do well following an intelligent, attentive mama. Because they were hatched and raised with chickens, mine seem to tolerate chickens OK. Yes, they are bullies, clumsy, will eat up all the chickens' feed, peck the heads of chickens so they can eat all the food, and I fear they were the cause of a few missing chicks last summer. Most of the time they put themselves to bed in the coop. Once in a while they will sit ON TOP of the coop. I poke them down with a stick & then they go inside. I clip wings but they pretty much stay in the yard. (A few times they fly down onto wrong side of fence and panic when they can't return to the flock.) So why do I put up with this?........ The male turkey is stunning. They taste delicious (my orig reason for keeping them). They are curious and follow me around the yard - hoping for a bit of treat. They are entertaining to watch because they make up some hilarious games - like running in circles around a pole for 10 min. I never knew who was chasing whom. I admit by the end of summer, I start counting the days until I can be rid of those annoying, eating machines.
But then last year, we had a hawk attack. I heard loud squawking and looked out the window to see a fierce scuffle feathers on the ground. By the time I got outside, the Cooper's hawk escaped and flew up into the pine tree. The turkey stood his ground and puffed out. I ran outside and threw some rocks to scare off the hawk. Hawk continued to return but the 3 turkeys would call the alarm and stand out in the open to challenge that hawk. Normally I stop free ranging the flock in early October when the hawks get desperate and the trees lose their cover. With those turkeys on guard, I was able to allow free ranging until mid-late November, when we processed them.
Once again I was thrilled to longer have to deal with turkey drama. My chickens could have some peace and my feed bill went down. As spring approaches, I get an urge to hatch. I start to remember some of the good times. Then some enabler offers me some extra turkey eggs, and the process starts all over.
I do not want to breed turkeys, so my goal is different. If I wanted to keep them permanently, I'd probably have a separate place for them. They can be rough.
Unlike most people, I raise my poults with chicks and a broody bantam hen. I find they do well following an intelligent, attentive mama. Because they were hatched and raised with chickens, mine seem to tolerate chickens OK. Yes, they are bullies, clumsy, will eat up all the chickens' feed, peck the heads of chickens so they can eat all the food, and I fear they were the cause of a few missing chicks last summer. Most of the time they put themselves to bed in the coop. Once in a while they will sit ON TOP of the coop. I poke them down with a stick & then they go inside. I clip wings but they pretty much stay in the yard. (A few times they fly down onto wrong side of fence and panic when they can't return to the flock.) So why do I put up with this?........ The male turkey is stunning. They taste delicious (my orig reason for keeping them). They are curious and follow me around the yard - hoping for a bit of treat. They are entertaining to watch because they make up some hilarious games - like running in circles around a pole for 10 min. I never knew who was chasing whom. I admit by the end of summer, I start counting the days until I can be rid of those annoying, eating machines.
But then last year, we had a hawk attack. I heard loud squawking and looked out the window to see a fierce scuffle feathers on the ground. By the time I got outside, the Cooper's hawk escaped and flew up into the pine tree. The turkey stood his ground and puffed out. I ran outside and threw some rocks to scare off the hawk. Hawk continued to return but the 3 turkeys would call the alarm and stand out in the open to challenge that hawk. Normally I stop free ranging the flock in early October when the hawks get desperate and the trees lose their cover. With those turkeys on guard, I was able to allow free ranging until mid-late November, when we processed them.
Once again I was thrilled to longer have to deal with turkey drama. My chickens could have some peace and my feed bill went down. As spring approaches, I get an urge to hatch. I start to remember some of the good times. Then some enabler offers me some extra turkey eggs, and the process starts all over.
I do not want to breed turkeys, so my goal is different. If I wanted to keep them permanently, I'd probably have a separate place for them. They can be rough.
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at the size difference
