{Papa's new favorite Silk Oak tee.}
The turkeys are here! Today we got that early morning post office call that we've all come to love. As Papa returned with birds in hand, the turkey welcoming committtee was on standby. After some oohing and aahing, and just a bit of snuggling, Adelaide and Harper settled those two day old turkey chicks right into their brooder home in the barn where they'll hang out for just a short while to grow some before moving out to pasture. Or, more accurately, the pasture that doesn't exist yet because we still need to fence it in. Details, details. (The fencing never ends.)
We chose heritage turkeys this year, rather than the common breed more easily found (and that we raised last year). Last years trial of turkey raising was a success for us - after some initial loss, we found them easy to care for, a pleasure to watch, and oh so good for all the fertilizing and bug eating that they did in the orchard where we kept them. We finished the year with nine turkeys, which were a wonderful treat to share as gifts with friends and family, and to enjoy ourselves as a special feast throughout the winter and spring months.
With this years heritage breeds, I had intended to have two dozen Auburns, but the small hatchery we used had a difficult hatching year (hence the late turkey start for us) and we've ended up with a mix of Auburns, Bourbon Reds, Golden Narragansett, Red Bronze and Slate, oh my! They are already a colorful and beautiful bunch, I am as eager as my little girl to see them grow into their distinct breed colorings. (And I will confess to you my homesteading fantasy of keeping a few of them around for breeding. We'll see!)
With them in place, the barn and pastures are officially at capacity for this year, and this little farm of ours feels more alive than we've ever felt it before. It feels good.
