turkey trouble...what was I thinking

[scooter147]

OK, I have raised poultry for 30+ years and I never have trouble butchering meat birds or spent laying hens. Don't get me wrong I have pet/favorite chickens that have a home for as long as they shall live!

Now my issue, For the past several years I have bought locally grown and butchered free range heritage breed turkey for thanksgiving and christmas from a guy in the next town over. WELL, this spring I decided I would raise two turkeys myself for the above mentioned holidays.

My SO just called and said Sweetie and Sugar just ate bread out of her hand and talked to her while they were eating.

I said "who are Sweetie and Sugar", she replied "the turkeys!!!"

SHE NAMED THE DARN THINGS!!!!!

I guess I need to look up that turkey farmers number because I am gonna need it, look like Sweetie and Sugar, both toms by the way, are gonna be around for a while.

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

HAHAHAAH!!!
We are looking at the same thing...Only I am the one who named them...
I have always and forever wanted turkeys. Well I got them....8 of them that is...I couldn't just pick 1 or 2.. Had to get all 8. So now we have them. They each have there own personality....And are so fun to watch run around and make noise...Not sure which are male or female yet...We just named each one after "Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs..". Worked out prefect...

I keep telling myself that we are going to butcher one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. Maybe even New Years....BUT in all reality I highly doubt I will beable to do it....

 

[asher]

Eep! Yeah...that's never a good idea!

 

[scooter147]

I purposely raised these things in a dog kennel and away from the general population of poultry, not just for the cross disease issues but so I could go out twice a day put feed and water in their pans and WALK AWAY.

This week I have been opening the kennel gate and letting them free range in the yard, I should have known better. I should have known they would have been attracted to SO, all animals are. She had specific instructions to stay away from them which she did a very good job of, but walking about the yard was just too much for her I suppose.

This is one reason I buy white rocks for laying hens, they all look a like and I can't pick out one or two as pets, so culling them is not difficult.

 

[poultrypal]

What got a dozen turkeys last year and planed on having one for thanksgiving. We were even going to give one to our neighbors. About a week before both my DH and I backed out of doing it and ended up giving four up as pets for other people. They just seem to have so much personality compared to our chickens - the Narragansetts are especially docile.

 

[sandspoultry]

They really do have alot of personality,

"Everybody loves a turkey"

 

[HaileyandJoliesMom]

Sandspoultry, what type of turkeys are those? They are beautiful!!!!

 

[silkiechicken]

I'm having the same issue... butcher day is just a few days away for one... and the second goes the week after. They are so fun! My two toms are great. Both are 40 lbs live weight and gobble all day. I like them just as much as my chickens! I am so gong to get more in the future!

 

[blue90292]

are those boubon reds? they're georgous.

do your turkeys fly? i'm getting some eggs from a fellow byc'r and am so excited.

 

[chickenannie]

Sands, those are beautiful Bourbon Reds. Their tails are whiter than my tom's.

Scooter, don't tell your SO that the toms like to have their heads scratched. Mine has made lots of friends that way. He is so gentle. His worst trait is that he chases certain cars that drive up the lane (always people who don't like him -- funny) AND he shimmies up to people a lot and they get nervous at that closeness. He's only curious, friendly, and if he gets the "no" sign, he keeps to himself.

Blue, my turkeys fly 40' high to sleep in the big tree at night in my yard. I recently clipped their wings, so now they're out in a large fenced-in pasture.