Ah, the life of a turkey. Rolling in the dirt, eating flies, and perching in trees. For our turkeys, this is all true. Except for perching in trees. They’d rather sit on our roof, swing set, deck, or fence.

These are Rio Grande turkeys brought to us from Utah. My father-in-law was up that way for work and decided it would be interesting to bring us a couple back. In his defense, he asked Mark for permission first.

Turkeys are fairly easy to take care of as far as feeding them is concerned. Their natural diet consists of bugs and pretty much any vegetation. They enjoy the grass and weeds in my back yard along with the petunias and geraniums in my flower pots. I do supplement with Gamebird/Showbird food which can be bought at Orschelns. They also enjoy eating chicken starter and scratch. A big treat for them is watermelon rinds, especially on these hot summer days. Don’t forget though, turkeys are like any other animal and need water readily available for them.

Here’s a picture of them with Sally the rooster, and one of our New Hampshire Red Pullets. We have not named the pullets yet so I am needing ideas….

We were lucky enough to get a male and female. I am hoping they fall in love and make baby turkeys. My future farm plans include a flock of turkeys that are domesticated yet still have some natural instinct. It would be easier for everyone if they were free range. Wild turkeys sleep in trees and I am hoping they still feel the desire to do this. I don’t like it when animals are caged up their whole lives. It creates more work for the owners and the quality of life for the animal is low.

The turkeys get along great with the chickens. As far as companionship though, they prefer each other. I do catch the birds intermingling at night. They aren’t afraid to snuggle up in the roost.

Recently, Mark filled holes in the backyard with dirt. Birds love playing in the dirt to clean themselves, so this was a treat for them.

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The turkeys are very gentle as well. Shoulders are perfect for perching.

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