That hornlike growth on his head is actually, my son tells me, his beard. I watched as it did indeed fall down into the beard position when he was all puffed up in masculine display.editor's note: Danielle, our experienced animal farmer (among so many other things) friend, has helped us out - what Gillen called the "beard" is actually the "snood". Makes much more sense! Whatever it is, it is funny that it falls to the side when he's trying to look all big and important:
He is one of three new turkeys that Gillen got yesterday - two Toms and one female. So as not to cross-breed the Bourbon Reds with the Bronzes he has them in different coops for the duration of the breeding season. It is much more peaceful as a result. "Fighter" wasn't too friendly while he had a male in his territory. The new Bourbon Red female turkey has been named "Zac" to go with "Cody", the Bourbon Red female that he got as a chick. Look at how big that chick is now:
Can I really eat these guys' babies in November? Well, yes actually. But I might not be taking their portraits or learning their names.
5 comments:
Hi Madeline,
congratulations on the prize! You all look luminous up there on the stage.
Great also to see you admire Janisse Ray's books: also a favorite of mine. Wouldn't it be great to write a literary non-fiction book like that: what a great mix of all that good stuff that makes life, with some (?) poetic leeway (?).
I am also quite jealous of your summerish environment!
By the way, you are tagged for an A to Z of Madeline! (cf. MamaStories for the template). Enjoy!
Ooooh, yay! Too cool. I'm so glad Gillen got a Tom!
Just fyi, the thing on top of his head is a "snood"; the "beard" will protrude out of his tom's chest, and as he gets older, it will likely be longer. Hunters prize a long beard and often hang it on their walls, much the same as one would hang a good "rack" from a buck.
See how much I've learned. ;)
With any luck you all will have babies some time in May. My hens haven't started laying yet, but I hope they soon will. I would think with your warmer temps that laying would happen sooner—maybe at the end of this month or April?
Danielle, thank you for setting us straight on the "snood". Much better name for that thing. Gillen has decided that he will not just rely on Aaron, his hunting neighbor friend, for his information. I'd better edit this post.
Kaat, I am very intimidated by a whole alphabet but saw your's now and I think I can do it. I'm so glad to hear that you know about Janisse Ray, that she is known in the north as well.
Have you guys eaten any other critters from the farm before? My kids would be so torn up about it! They're very sensitive.
I'm guessing yours have a better grip on farm life than mine do. LOL
I think it's awesome that your kids get to experience raising their own animals by the way.
yes, we've eaten our roosters, in stock and "rooster" soup. Gillen recently blogged about it being hard to kill them but not to eat them. Although, for a few hours that first time, he was a passionate vegetarian. Then he smelled them later in the week, cooking.
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