We were overjoyed Saturday morning to have brilliant sunshine melting Friday's snow. It was a warm enough weekend that we were able to accomplish a significant portion of our Autumn To-Do List.
First on the list was cutting up that big limb that blocked our driveway.
We cleaned out the west end of the barn for a big load of hay to feed the cows this winter. (A friend happened by at precisely the right time to help unload the hay--thanks Phil!) We cleared out miscellaneous construction materials from the north side of the barn in order to protect a load of straw and corn and create a winter shelter for poultry. A couple of turkeys were mesmerized by their reflections in some old windows leaning against a tree.
The turkeys are getting a bit feisty now. We were surprised to discover the females seem to spat more than the males. Here are two females in the act of neck-wrestling. Sometimes one will get overly vicious and the other hen will tuck her head under a male turkey's wing for protection.
This tom is at the top of our flock's pecking order --he can turn his head SO vividly blue and red, and irresistably attractive. The turkeys would probably be mortified for us to tell you this, but on occasion have seen a tom accidently bite his own snood when gobbling. They also sometimes trip on their own wing-tips when they are struttng their stuff.
The toms look huge when they fluff and puff themselves up. Male bronze-breasted turkeys can reach up to 40 pounds with a 6-foot wingspan --we think ours are about 30 pounds now.
We were overjoyed Saturday morning to have brilliant sunshine melting Friday's snow. It was a warm enough weekend that we were able to accomplish a significant portion of our Autumn To-Do List. 
First on the list was cutting up that big limb that blocked our driveway. 
We cleaned out the west end of the barn for a big load of hay to feed the cows this winter. (A friend happened by at precisely the right time to help unload the hay--thanks Phil!) We cleared out miscellaneous construction materials from the north side of the barn in order to protect a load of straw and corn and create a winter shelter for poultry. A couple of turkeys were mesmerized by their reflections in some old windows leaning against a tree.
The turkeys are getting a bit feisty now. We were surprised to discover the females seem to spat more than the males. Here are two females in the act of neck-wrestling. Sometimes one will get overly vicious and the other hen will tuck her head under a male turkey's wing for protection.
This tom is at the top of our flock's pecking order --he can turn his head SO vividly blue and red, and irresistably attractive. The turkeys would probably be mortified for us to tell you this, but on occasion have seen a tom accidently bite his own snood when gobbling. They also sometimes trip on their own wing-tips when they are struttng their stuff.
The toms look huge when they fluff and puff themselves up. Male bronze-breasted turkeys can reach up to 40 pounds with a 6-foot wingspan --we think ours are about 30 pounds now.
2 comments:
The turkeys admiring themselves is funny. The other day we saw our guineas looking at themselves in the shiny metal bumper.
He is a handsome Tom ... we had wild turkeys fighting in the yard last Easter --- they stayed at it for 2 hours and the weakest one didn't survive -- it was fascinating and horrifying at the same time.
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