We will call her "Surprise"... if she lives!

[Birdgirl99]

Well that sounds really good i cannot wait to see her buddies if you take pics of them and i'll be sure to ask about her again soon

 

[Onewiththeducks]

I just read the whole story, and it was amazing! Too bad she's too camera shy to get a good picture! Anyway she is a very beautiful bird.

 

[PekinBantam]

Adorable little poult! I hope she makes it!

 

[Birdgirl99]

i am sure she will by this age but i hope she does too

 

[debir1966]

Thanks everyone! She is doing very good - she kinda does her own thing, but doesn't get very far away from the other birds. After I removed her from the broody hen (aka Mama Hen), I put her in with our youngest batch of chickens and she settled in with them very well. They are all free ranging now and she comes when we call the chickens in for treats

We are hoping to get quite a variety of heritage turkeys next year - 15 to start and then we will pick out the 5 or 6 we are most attached to for pets and producers. Since she was raised by a hen, I am hoping she will have good nesting instincts!

 

[kitmarlowescot2]

Did her foster mother take care of her until she was bigger than foster mother ? Because it must have been funny to she a buff oprhington trying to sit on a large turkey poult

 

[debir1966]

No, the hen went back to roosting when Surprise was about 8 1/2 weeks old so I decided to take her and put her in with our little batch of chicks.

After I started letting them free range, every once an a while she would roost in with the old hens (with her foster Mama), but she has not done that in about a month now.

 

[Birdgirl99]

well it seems she is a happy hen or a poult i should say be sure to post pictures of her soon

 

[debir1966]

Pictures from today! Surprise is getting less flighty and actually letting us get closer to her (but still not touch her or catch her).
I think it is because of Crazy Cranberry, our last Broad Breasted White hen that we still have. CC is super friendly and likes to
be petted LOL, so I think Surprise sees us lovin' on CC and maybe thinks we are not so bad anymore









And of course, a couple pictures of Crazy Cranberry!

 

[kitmarlowescot2]

Are turkeys like pullets, and settle down and become more friendly after they start to lay eggs ? Pretty white breast hen, will you be saving her for Christmas dinner, or is she a pet know ? I know some Broad Breasts can survive for a few years if kept on a strict diet. Or even breeding a broad breast hen to a smaller Tom.