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Growing Up

September 4th, 2014

You might remember the dozen turkey hatching eggs I purchased from a local farmer earlier this spring.  My neighbor hatched the eggs, only three of them hatched.  One kicked the bucket one day when it was about 6 weeks old, the remaining two are doing well.  It looks like we will have a pair, which is perfect because I was hoping to let them hatch and raise their own young next spring.
turkeys 1
These are ‘Wishard Bronze’ turkeys, a heritage breed. Originally we were hoping to raise enough this year to have them for Thanksgiving dinner and keep a pair, but the turkey eggs we got didn’t hatch very well. We had eggs for Narragansett and none of them hatched, guess the tom just wasn’t up to the task.
turkey poults 3
turkeys 2
They’re even starting to make their adult turkey calls. Mr Chiots is going to get his turkey call out to see if he can chat with them. These birds have been our favorite fowl to date, they are friendly and inquisitive. They follow me around and are very tame. I guess we’ll be ordering our turkey from Martha’s Farm once again for our Thanksgiving meal.

Have you found a local farm to get your Thanksgiving turkey from yet?

3 Comments to “Growing Up”
  1. Diana Holly on September 4, 2014 at 9:17 am

    We went to the same local farm for several years to get our turkey. Last year we called to place our order, and they told us they had stopped raising birds! We had to scramble to find a turkey. This year, we are raising our own turkeys for the first time. We had hoped for a breeding pair, but like you, one of the three didn’t survive, and the two remaining are definitely boys, so they are bound for the Thanksgiving table. We have a third older turkey that we keep as a pet. He’s a Royal Palm and the babies are Royal Palm/Narragansett crosses.

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  2. Nebraska Dave on September 4, 2014 at 9:29 am

    Susy, Thanksgiving already? Where has this year gone. My goodness I just can’t believe it. Unfortunately with only my daughter and I at home now, Thanksgiving dinners are a thing of the past. I usually go to good friends that have a big spread. My daughter has friends as well that she dines with. Many memories of having Thanksgiving dinners have happened in my home but probably won’t happen again. Sad but true. Another chapter of life unfolds.

    If I were to acquire a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, I’d try to capture one of the wild ones that roam through my garden. I’m not sure about how to go about that but it would be and interesting adventure for sure. Hmmmm, I might have to think about that one.

    Have a great Thanksgiving planning day.

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  3. Jennifer Fisk on September 4, 2014 at 10:20 am

    Have either of them displayed? The photo makes them both look like hens. I have a Narragansett x Std. Bronze mix tom and a couple of Bourbon Red looking toms although the breeder said they are all barnyard run. I also have a Bourbon looking hen. If you find in the next few weeks that you don’t have a breeding pair and aren’t picky about a mate, I’d sell one of mine. I also bought 3 BBB poults for the freezer.

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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