Our sweetgrass turkey poults are almost ten weeks old now. They have been living in the tiny broody condo in the barn and enjoying a small outside covered run. In the last few weeks they decided to begin roosting at night on the frame over the door. Here they are last month.
More recently they have added a new trick to their arsenal of things that drive me nuts. When I open the door to go in, they jump on to the top of the door where I can’t reach them. I have to stand down at the barn and scream for Michael to come get them off. I can’t shut the door or I’ll smash them. If I leave it open they can get out where they face certain death by stomping.
As if that weren’t enough, the Icelandic trio had to join in the fun.
Worried that they were going to injure themselves helicoptering up in a tiny space, we decided to move them. We moved some chickens around and cleared out the jail coop and yard. The coop at 8×8 is much larger than the one they have been in and the covered yard is much larger and nicer. They seemed to be quite happy. Michael put them on the roost the first night. The next morning their Icelandic buddies were pacing the fence line trying to get in with them. When I saw Diana start pushing my Icelandic babies around, I opened the gate and let them in with their turkey friends.
I went out later to take some pictures, causing major breach of security, caught on video. Of all the barnyard animals we have had, turkeys are the funniest!