After the tragic loss of three of our four our turkey poults, we had to determine what we might do for our one survivor.
It was understandably wired, and spent all the day calling, calling, and pacing backwards and forwards. The logical answer appeared to be to contact the oldsters we bought them from and see if they’d extra. Dan heard again, they usually did. May we get a couple of extra? After which issues bought bizarre they usually stopped responding to our emails. Downside? Glitch? Possibly we failed their turkey parenting take a look at? We did not know.
After communications got here to a halt, I assumed possibly smartest thing was to discover a new dwelling for our little man. To present him to somebody who had turkeys about the identical age. I bought a craigslist advert prepared, and Dan contacted the Buff breeders once more. The reply was immediate this time, and recommended that possibly we might meet someplace within the center to get the turkeys. Dan mentioned okay, when? Silence once more. Lastly, an e mail got here that night asking if Dan might meet them that morning. Sure, that morning. He bought the e-mail hours after the recommended time, which factors to the truth that pc communications will not be all the time as instantaneous and environment friendly as we assume they’re. Dan replied that he simply now bought their e mail, and that was the final we heard from them.
I had wished to stay with the identical breed if potential as a result of I appreciated them. But additionally, as a result of they might be the identical age and measurement, and hopefully, coming from the identical breeder, there could be some sense of familiarity for our Tiny Turkey. However for no matter purpose, we had been hitting a lifeless finish.We wanted a Plan B as a result of it was no good for our little man to be so wired.
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| One factor that helped was a trick I discovered from once we had guinea fowl. A mirror! It gave him a “buddy,” and he calmed down fairly a bit, however it appeared to puzzle him as properly. |
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| Occasional guests helped, however Tiny Turkey actually missed his buddies. |
Dan hit craigslist once more and this is what he discovered.
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| Black turkey poults. They’re going to lose their white feathers of their first moult. |
That is one other heritage breed, often called Black, Spanish Black (as a result of they had been standard in Spain) or Norfolk Black (as a result of they had been standard in England). They are often traced again to Europe within the 1500s, however I do not know after they had been delivered to the New World. The breed was admitted into the American Commonplace of Perfection in 1874 and at the moment are on the Livestock Conservancy’s threatened list. They’re mentioned to have pleasant personalities, fast development, and are tolerant of a giant vary of temperature situations. Like all heritage breeds, they’ll breed and rear younger naturally.
We put the brand new poults within the hen tractor’s coop, however left the door open. Tiny Turkey remained within the run. He panicked once I eliminated the mirror, so I attempted to position it to entice him to go up the ramp and take a look at the coop.
Lastly, he did and found that he was not alone. It did not take lengthy for his new buddies to observe him out and into their new world.
The newcomers are nonetheless a bit skittish, however I believe Tiny Turkey will assist them settle down and regulate. They’re about the identical age and measurement, so despite the fact that this did not work out the way in which we thought, I believe it labored out properly.
We nonetheless do not know of their sexes, so for that we’ll have to attend and see! We’re simply hoping we do not have three toms! Dan’s already planning for after they outgrow the hen tractor, which can be pretty quickly as they’re rising properly. For now, although, everyone’s completely satisfied and that is a aid.
