The turkey poults are here! The girls and I picked them up this morning in Lexington. The guy I got them from says there 4-5 weeks old and are Narrangansett and Red Bourbon crosses. They're still too young to sex accurately but he seems pretty sure that the lightest one is female. We shall see.
They're all settled now, but it was certainly a rough morning for them. After the ride home I let them out in the chicken coop while I gathered supplies. They promptly freaked out- flying all over, bashing into the walls and trying to run through the chicken wire. They finally exhausted themselves and watched while I tried to set up a pen in the coop. Well, they're still a little small to contain in the wire I have left from the rabbit tractor. With the right angle and amount of thrashing they got out. So we got to got through the whole chase routine. Unlike chickens that just run and dart, baby turkeys have a different escape plan. They hunker down like they have no energy left, then when you try to grab them they FLY RIGHT AT YOUR FACE SQUAWKING! Very startling. Very.
Alas, I did prevail and get them all tucked into a small cage. As long as I watch from a distance they move around, eat and drink as turkeys should. If I get close they tuck in quietly and wait to JUMP AT ME AGAIN! It continues to be startling.
Isn't it nice when you are not outsmarted by a bird? After chasing many types of birds, from finches to macaws to baby ducks, I know how embarrassing it can be to have a bird mock you.
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