An Ode to Turkeys
The Last Gobble Cometh
As the last ragged breaths of summer warm the evenings, it leaves my mornings much darker and colder than just a month ago. I am no longer dragging my sweet eight year old out of bed to help me with chores, which means I have a lot more time to myself in the early morning with nothing more than my thoughts, a head lamp, and a six foot circle of light that is my whole world for about half an hour. That will sound like a whole lot of “no thank you” to some, and “I would do that in a heartbeat” to stay-at-home moms reading this at noon on a Wednesday.
Every action taken in the dark is done with more care, more thought, and more focus on the task, to the point where it almost is meditative at that hour. The past couple of morning my thoughts have been on the end of the turkeys, and just like the seasons, I am both happy and sad to see them go.
When we processed chickens in early June with two other families it was a completely different sort of experience. I don’t know if it is the fact that they were dumb (even for chickens), or that they simply weren’t alive long enough to develop any kind of personality, and lastly chicken chicks are just more skittish and less interesting. In comparison, when we had our turkeys come in as chicks we spent a lot of time with them as they were allowed a large reign over the garden until they were old enough to go to pasture.
Immediately the whole family noticed the difference in boldness, curiosity, and our all-around enjoyment of the turkeys versus their chicken counterparts. We would have to be careful that they weren’t underfoot when working, but it was worth the chirps and interest they exhibited. As they aged we moved them down to the pasture where they started strutting, fighting, calling, and roaming around. I have spent a lot of time watching them live and be happy.
Now that it is time to start processing them, the task is a lot more taxing on every level and in every way. I know people say they are just dumb birds and they drown if they look up when it rains, but their natural curiosity, little inquisitive chirps, and cricket hunting capacity tell a different story about their intelligence. We processed 5 this past weekend to learn ourselves and get a feel for it, and the fact that I have raised them with care, fresh daily air, and the best feed on the west coast makes it a lot easier for me to do what needs to be done to an animal I have come to enojoy seeing.
As we prepare ourselves and equipment for another day of turkey processing tomorrow, it is a great reminder that our end is as surprising as being chased by a pair of giant bipeds on a Saturday morning, weighed, and sat on as your lifeblood seeps into woodchips and the forever pasture beckons from beyond the closing darkness.
Hi there.
I’m brand new on substack and I joined because of your link. I was searching for nearby raw milk options. I am still learning how to use this app so please forgive me if this is not an appropriate place to post this.
I’m a local, almost retired family focused woman who since battling cancer 6 years ago, wants to be as healthy as possible. I have had laying hens for about 7 years and would like to start sourcing our meats and milk from others who like you are stewards of the land and the animals. I have no idea how to reach you, but I am not far from Modesto Milling, where I get the feed for my girls too. My mother has a huge amazing garden that I plan to get dirty in this coming year since I won’t be working full time anymore.
I saw there is no raw milk available currently, but please let me know when it is available again soon. I’m interested in the training you offer as well.
Also, I would love to purchase a couple processed turkeys from you if that is an option.
Thank you for what you are doing.
God bless,
Rae
Andrew, I love that you have great reverence for life and are not falling into the trap that we as humans are smarter and better than turkeys or any animal. I have done, what you have done with turkeys, with cats. I have put the largely Vetenary-driven knowledge of them aside and let them tell me who they are. Wild cats, (not domesticated ever) have brought me to a humble place of admitting, "We know nothing about cats and kittens!" Now I have a deep respect for them in a way I never expected! So, dear man, I really understand what you are saying about turkeys.