The addition of heritage breed turkeys on the homestead has given us a brand new supply of eggs and meat. So many individuals informed me how they like turkey to rooster eggs, that I used to be fairly interested by them.
We first tried them as scrambled eggs. The most important distinction was in how creamy scrambled turkey eggs are. Scrumptious. I believed they’d be glorious for French toast.
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| I make cinnamon bread in my bread maker only for French toast. It is 50/50 homegrown complete wheat to white flour, with 2 tsp. cinnamon. |
We weren’t disenchanted!
Of our three feminine turkeys, we deliberate to maintain two and so Dan dispatched one. I requested him if he wished me to freeze it for later or roast it now. He wished to strive it now.
Our heritage breed chickens do not produce a lot breast meat, so we had been pleasantly stunned at how a lot we obtained from our 10-month-old turkey hen. Although it wasn’t Thanksgiving, I could not resist making a conventional Thanksgiving model meal!
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| Heaps to be glad about right here: homegrown turkey and candy potatoes, with cornbread stuffing constructed from homegrown corn and sage. |
It was tender and flavorful. Dressed weight was ten kilos. That is a beneficiant quantity for an organization meal, and many meals for simply the 2 of us.
Our two remaining hens each seem like broody. Jenny B disappeared within the bushes a few weeks in the past and Dan found that she had three eggs in a nest. We did not like that she was brooding exterior the rooster yard, however birds have minds of their very own and the people’ opinion does not depend. Sadly, one thing obtained them, leaving solely scattered egg shells. She just lately disappeared once more, and I discovered her in the pasture hedgerow. We’ll depend eggs when she’s on her each day go to to the poultry yard.
Jenny J additionally began setting, however she selected the rooster coop. We really feel like she’s safer there, however there are nonetheless issues. For one, the chickens will not depart her alone. They regularly peck her on the pinnacle, making an attempt to make her to stand up to allow them to lay their eggs in her nest. Why they wish to lay their eggs in any individual else’s nest is past me, however that is chickens for you.
The opposite drawback is that one in every of our Muscovys has gone broody too. That in itself is not an issue, however when Jenny J will get off the nest to get meals and water, Mother Muscovy steals her eggs! Critically! The 2 nesting spots are close to each other, and Mother rolls a few of Jenny J’s eggs over to her nest. Dan places them again, however she is not too completely satisfied about that.
Blended nests might create one other drawback due to the variance of incubation days. Muscovy incubation is 32 days, turkeys is 28 days, and chickens is 21. The priority is that the mama will depart the nest with the early hatchlings and abandon the eggs that want extra time. We did have a Buff Orpington chicken raise some ducklings as soon as, however I feel it is higher if every species raises their very own infants, if there is a mom keen to do it. Retaining all of it sorted out, nonetheless, is an ongoing chore.
By no means a uninteresting second.
