If you have live stock you are going to have dead stock. I know that is the way of it. But I hate it anyway.
Sadly the huge teenage mutant turkey gave up the ghost. With its badly formed wings and massively long legs it was more stalk than turkey. But was very sweet tempered. However he was found dead in his pen yesterday morning.
He may have got caught in something or something caught him (he could not roost so slept on the ground) and tried to drag him through the wire. I don’t know: something nasty happened (I won’t give you the gory details) but the death was enough to precipitate the move to the barn for the nights for the turkeys and the PopPops.
This was going to happen in the fall anyway.
If nothing else I am hearing a lot of coyotes these last few nights. Though I have never had trouble either coyotes before they could have spooked the turkeys and created an incident.
So, going forward, the piglets and the turkeys will be led to the barn in the evening and led back out into the field in the morning. It is a short walk past the green truck.
The Pops were easy to move. They just trotted along behind me and Boo and my bucket. Commenting on the scenery and ‘why is our food moving so fast’ in their low grunty voices the whole time. The American Guinea Hog is easy to train.
The turkeys were not quite as easy as they are timid and afraid of the ducks! But we all got there eventually and I watched over the turkeys until they roosted for the night in the barn. They will get used to it. Every animal and bird is trainable. It just takes planning and time.
And food!
Good morning!
The Brat Pack (chickens born in the barn in the spring while I was in NZ) have started laying. Look at that tiny egg in the middle.
The Charlottes were having fun in the water yesterday! And are finally starting to fill out and fatten up.
It is still beautifully cool in the night time but warming up a little.
Now I am off out to walk the Pops and the turkeys back to the field for a day of foraging. Let’s hope part two of this plan goes as smoothly.
Have a great day.
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
13 responses to “You know the saying :”
I’m sorry to hear about the turkey.
I bet those Pop Pops will do anything relative to the food bucket! I love the picture of that one standing up.
It is hard to show how really small these little tikes still are. The standing one kind of shows his size I think.
Yes, definitely – they look much smaller than a Charlotte.
Hmmm… almost time for two donkeys …
hah!!! Yes! Though my research tells me they would get too fat out here.
So unfortunate about the turkey but perhaps for the best in the long range plan, especially given that the others limited themselves (and perhaps their safety as well) with their loyalty?
Yes. Always best to look on the positive side.
Rather sad but point well made Deb
Thanks Andy! Miss chatting with you on Substack- had to drop that for a time and I feel out of touch with the regulars over there.
Always sad to lose a member of the farm gang. Looks like you have a good plan for the safety of the others. The little black pigs are so darn cute.
They are so easy to train. I can’t believe them. Tonight they and the turkeys are tucked up for the night inside the barn. So all good
😊🐷🐷
Sorry about losing the Teen, but sadly you’re right, odds are you’re going to lose a few every now and again.
Love the colour & pattern of the Black Turkeys Celi! Do they have any iridescence on their feathers?