Turkeys: there's more to them than meets the eye!

Daniel and I realized that the "video" in one of the earlier blogs didn't actually work, it only came up as a photo. So, here it is! This is Mr.Douggy strutting around. So, I'll be honest. When Daniel first started talking about turkeys, I wasn't that excited. They're just kind of ugly...nothing like a duck you know. Ducks are adorable- they waddle around, wag their tails and quack a lot....cute!! Turkeys have their own charm...Now that we actually have our own turkey pair, and I've had a chance to get to know them, I have to say I've grown rather fond of them. Plus, Daniel has been learning all sorts of neat things about turkeys and telling me all about it.

Here are some interesting turkey facts:
- Did you know Turkeys can fly? Rather well too, despite their size! They actually prefer roosting on the highest possible perch at night- up in a tree or on the side of a barn for protection from predators

-Male turkeys are called gobblers, because they are the only ones that can make that adorable gobbling sound. Each male turkey has his own unique gobbling "technique". You can see Mr.Douglas strutting around and then letting out that gobble in the video. Its a mating dance for them to attract mates

-Turkeys blush! You can hear my mom commenting on it in the video. Male turkeys have that droopy "snood" hanging off their beak and the folds of skin below. These go from pale blueish/grey to bright red when he's excited, agitated or feeling horny!

-Daniel has noticed that Mr.Douglas is very personable, and friendly. Apparently domestic turkeys are known for being fairly tame. You can see he's quite calm when Daniel handles him

-Narragansets (the ones that we plan on breeding for our flock) traditionally were known for their calm disposition, good maternal abilities, early maturation, egg production, and excellent meat quality (the meat is listed in the Slow Food Arc of Taste!- please note, the Narragansett turkey is actually listed in Slow Food USA Ark of Taste, but I thought Slow Food Canada is more relevant to us)