Gardening With Turkeys

I wanted to show you what the task of weeding looks like
around our farm.
The past week has me weeding around the perimeter of my 
garden fence.


Each handful of weeds that I pull is supervised by....
Edith!


She inspects each handful of weeds and roots looking for a tasty morsel,
her favorite being grubs.
Occasionally she grabs a gloved finger!
To give you an idea of how close she stays....


you can see she stands right by my knees.

Behind me are the guys, Chuck and Tom.


They stand just as close as Edith, as you can see in this next picture..


I still haven't figured out turkey behavior.
My daughter Jenn says they stay close to us plotting our demise.
Maybe, but I think not.
They have never shown any aggression towards us.
But then, we have never threatened them, either.

The other day, Sam (bad dog Sammy) decided to play with one and started to chase him.
Sam got a good flogging in response and has not been able to go close to them again.

From this, I have learned that they are friendly as long as they are not threatened.
And....they have a good memory!

Comments

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said…
At least you have company when your weeding. Usually weeding is a very lonely job. Say that word at my house and even I can think of a thousands things to do beside that.
May 20, 2011 at 7:08 AM
Teresa said…
Sounds like Sammy learned an important lesson in their behavior as well.
May 20, 2011 at 8:22 AM
Michle said…
Nothing like life on a farm. Please except my apology for calling you Linda and not Beverly in yesterday's post. I had one of my senior moments! Your blog is one that I read first each morning when I first get up.
Again, I am so very sorry.

Michle
May 20, 2011 at 8:31 AM
Cindy said…
So funny! Do they do damage to you gardens? Most days we let our chickens out for awhile to forage and we have to watch them carefully. They want to be with us, but they also find hostas, strawberries, etc. Drives us crazy!
May 20, 2011 at 8:35 AM
Denise at Autumn Sky said…
I just find your turkeys so interesting. We have chickens and we have always called them "the inspectors" because they are involved in every project. Because, of course, there might be bugs involved!! Do your turkeys mingle with the chickens or have their own space?
May 20, 2011 at 8:58 AM
Bee Haven Bev said…
Our turkeys have their own living quarters and yard. But, when they are out free ranging, they share the rest of the farm with the chickens...even visiting their chicken coops at times. The guineas, chickens, and turkeys all seem to mingle quite well.
May 20, 2011 at 9:28 AM
This N That said…
So nice to have company..whether it be human, furry or feathered..lucky you...
May 20, 2011 at 10:14 AM
Melissa Plank said…
It's nice to see that peace settle back onto the farm after Sam's little transgression.
May 20, 2011 at 10:58 AM
Maura @ Kisiwa Creek Photography said…
Hi Bev,
How cute...I agree with you though...if you're nice to them they'll be nice to you but if you tick them off...things will be much different. Our geese were like that. Looks like you're doing a good job of weeding...I need to do that around our garden too but I need to get the house painted first! Enjoy your weekend.
Maura :)
May 20, 2011 at 11:51 AM
jerilanders said…
I do miss my turkey boys, I do not know why they became such stinkers as they were always treated with much respect. But I think they wanted a mate...oh, the stories I could tell you about their desperation! ( one having to do with a gourd!!) Well, my boys ran away into the woods, never to be seen again. BUT, my dear little chickens love to help me garden and grubs are definitely the favored reward.
May 20, 2011 at 12:38 PM
C and C Antiques and Animals - What a Life! said…
Looks like you have plenty of "help" with the weeding!
May 20, 2011 at 1:38 PM
Wonky Girl said…
When visiting a friend that has turkeys her one warning was- never get between the tom and his mate. That is threatening and the tom will attack.
May 20, 2011 at 1:53 PM
Anonymous said…
I've always been a bit scared of them, I suppose since they are such large birds. I've heard they can be quite nasty when they decide to be.

DI
May 20, 2011 at 7:27 PM
Karen thisoldhouse2.com said…
So in other words, don't tango with a turkey, you'll lose.

I love how they follow you for treats ..well, bugs. Yuck.
May 20, 2011 at 7:43 PM
Mary Ann said…
Your blog is wonderful! I love the turkey pictures... we miss our so much.

We are gardening in deep beds lasagna-style, too... we love your example! Your potatos look great!
May 21, 2011 at 12:09 AM
Anonymous said…
I found your blog a few weeks ago, and keep coming back to it just to find out what the turkeys are up to! I loved the video of them following your little boy. My chickens also love to "help" in the garden. Your farm looks lovely, especially as you are now going into summer, whereas over here in Aus things are cooling down.
Kathy
May 23, 2011 at 7:16 AM
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