Spring Turkeys on Pasture.

It’s hard to believe we are half way through January. It sure does not look or feel like January-more like March without the rain.

  We had one big week of winter, and now we are back to 70-80* weather. Plan on lots of bugs this spring and summer.

  Spring turkeys arrived on pasture in January. We are thankful everyone is doing great-moving around and foraging really well. Only a handful keep escaping-which is much easier than when all the turkeys escape. The netting is more a phycological barrier for turkeys. The younger they get introduced to the netting, the better they do in respecting it.

  When they arrive on pasture, we give them Oregano oil in their water (at a very small dose) and cayenne in their feed (they do not have the taste receptors for capsaicin). It is a shock to their system to go from a brooder setting to a pasture-this helps their immune system function at optimal. Raw milk is another preventative we give turkeys when we see signs of lethargy.

  That’s about it around here. Turkeys have consumed alot of time the past few weeks as we once again get into a routine of feeding, watering, and rotating them. We are thankful to have such a big flock to raise this spring. I’m sure we will be singing a different tune come March when it’s time to process.