Turkeys

I love love love my goats, but I do not hesitate to tell people that turkeys are my favorite thing on the farm. They arrive at the farm as chick sized babies called poults, with one distinguishing feature—a little bump on the head called a caruncle. Last year, all of our straight run turkeys were jennies (females), so we did not get to compare to jakes. This year, we have about half and half, so we can very clearly see the difference. The more testosterone a turkey has, the bigger its caruncle is.

It was my sincere hope this year to be able to raise heritage breed turkeys, but multiple factors contributed to that not being a viable option. However, we were able to order what the hatchery referred to as broad-breasted surplus, which means we have a little variety in our birds.

Until last year, I had never approached a living turkey. It took no time at all to fall in love with them. They have personalities, they make the sweetest noises, and they love foraging. If you ever tire of leaf blowing your yard, consider a turkey. They devour leaves. They do have a tendency to get pushy as they grow, and boy do they love shiny things (like wedding rings), but they are not aggressive and they just get so excited to see people who they know will take care of them.

Our turkeys are raised on pasture and prefer it to their supplemental grain. They are everything we hoped for when we wanted animals to raise on pasture. They have a special tractor that gets moved daily where they can perch at night and be safe from predators. If you live in a place that allows you to own a turkey or two, go for it! After all, who could resist a face like this?!

**Note-because of the lack of interest in pasture raised turkeys the past few years, we have decided not to raise them for the 2024 season. If you are interested in pasture raised turkeys, please see our friends at Zachry Farms in Norton.