Friday, September 9, 2011

The wee turkeys aren't so wee any more

Just thought I'd share what our flock is looking like these days...

Here we have Tom and Hen Turkey with some Ameraucanas (green egg layers) and a Welsummer on the right (brown egg layer)
Yes, his face turns blue when he's gotten himself worked up. He has done a great job protecting the whole flock, though Buddy doesn't like him much as Tom isn't afraid of him and will charge at him if provoked. They stay in their fenced in area and usually this isn't a problem.
Here's one of our newest feather-footed Brahmas. We have four of them and an all black Jersey Giant. None have started laying yet, but it won't be long!
A few months back we had to slaughter one of our Ameraucana chickens because she wouldn't stay in their fenced in area and was getting into the neighbor's garden. Last week, we had to slaughter a female turkey because she started pecking "Shorty" one of our favorite chickens till her head was bleeding. Here she is in the cage of doom.
She almost looks sorry doesn't she? Ben did all the work, we all watched. Juju was a bit upset afterwards, but only for a minute. I found myself eating tomatoes out of the garden while the execution took place. We're all getting a bit tougher. I threw one of her feet in my last batch of chicken stock I was making, as I heard chicken feet help make wonderful stock. I saved the other one with the frozen turkey meat which we're saving for a holiday this year.

We still have a male and female turkey, and as long as they can behave, we hope they'll stick around to make baby turkeys next year for us. We'll see!

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