Turkeys

New turkey pictures! This was two weeks ago and I really need to take some more pictures but they are so happy and fattening up very well.

The turkeys are now 18 days old and getting lots of feathers. Like with all babies, they eat, sleep and poo, growing bigger by the day.



Turkeys at 18 days old.



I feel compelled to introduce you to our new babies. Mainly because we lost one of them last night to, what can only be described as, suicide. We acquired eight baby turkeys about ten days ago from a school enrichment day delivered by a well-known local turkey farm (!) They couldn't go back to the sheds due to risk of contamination, so various people adopted them. We have a lot of experience rearing chicks and we have the outbuildings to rear them in. Previously, they had been in a large, covered wooden box on a shelving unit in the barn, but after our tragic death they have been moved to what, hopefully, is more secure venue.

Now, back to the untimely death of one of our feathered friends: it had appeared that the creature had broken free from its warm and comfortable abode and thrown itself onto the barn floor, wriggled under the door and walked straight into the jaws of our semi-feral cat, Pesto. For Pesto, at least, Christmas had indeed come very early.

I must admit, baby turkeys have the look of the devil in their eyes-much more so than baby hens. Maybe they sense where they will end up in six months' time so adopt a more lackadaisical approach to life. 

I will continue to update the 'turkey-cam' and let you all know how they are fairing. I'm afraid as soon as they are 'teenagers' they will move house to my parents' garden for frolics and fattening; their address is considerably more fox-proof than ours.