Friday, March 27, 2015

Gobble Gobble Gobble - Adding Turkeys this year


                                            

Adding turkeys to the backyard flock this year.


Like their chicken relatives turkeys have been breed specifically for the dinner table.  They come in many colors.  I have just received 12 white broad breasted turkeys.  These are the same ones that are raised for the grocery store.

The chicks are very cute and sweet.  They almost seem to enjoy human company.  They have a different kind of peep than chickens which is much easier on the ears.
They also have a cute bump on their beaks which will turn into a rather ugly thing called a "snood".  The ugly stuff hanging under their chin is called a "wattle".

Not so cute once they get older.
In as little as 20 weeks the hens should be 22 lbs and the toms should be a whopping 34 lbs.  That's a lot of turkey.  I've only named two (Christmas and Thanksgiving), probably won't name the rest.  

I know you might that's cruel, but what will you be eating on Christmas and Thanksgiving?  

I will be eating a bird that was raised humanly, given the run of my small but green and sunshine filled little urban farm and getting to eat feed, grass, bugs and all the things turkeys are supposed to eat. 

Cross turkey off the grocery store list.