The fluffy yellow chicks that arrive the day after they hatch out of their eggs, fresh and new, are most everyone’s favourite, followed closely by piglets, and calves. For me, though it’s the turkeys. They’re not fluffy and they’re not adorable in that baby animal way. They are gangly and slow moving and sort of ugly. I love them. I have never experience the troubles other (small-scale) turkey farmers tell me about. I find them sweet and silly and gentle, but not stupid or stubborn or aggressive. They always come back to the coop at night, they’re mostly nice to each other and they’re calm when the other birds are dramatically alarmist. I’ll film them later in the season when they are free ranging and you'll see. I just love the way they run all knock-kneed and long-necked and I adore their little trill.
All of this to say, since I love the turkeys so much, John agreed to fix up the chicken coop for them instead of tearing it down. Last winter during a storm the north wall fell off and the walls shifted. We thought it was a goner, but John worked tirelessly for a week and now it is fixed! It is spacious and clean, it gives a person the opportunity to stand for hours giggling at the silliness and allows a person to cuddle a turkey or three in relative comfort. The turkeys adore it and so do I.
Thanks John,
Love Emily (and the Turkeys)!