Poults and More

So, you might be wondering...what is a "poult"? Well, I have included a photo or two for you to see how cute these little guys are. It's a good thing I have documented their cuteness because it sure doesn't last long! But, come Thanksgiving time you won't be concerned about that and might not even want to think about the fact that they were once cute, fuzzy little guys.
You might have guessed by now that I am talking about turkeys! Yes, the little guys are called poults, although I am not sure how long that name sticks with them. Already, and this is only day 5 of their lives, they have mini wing feathers!! Amazing!

Friday was the big day we received 100 of these 2-day-old turkeys, graciously donated by Cargill. Let me tell you, it took a lot of work to get their house turkey-ready. Chickens, of which we have an abundance of on this farm, are much hardier than turkeys and can pass on disease to them. So, their whole house had to be scrubbed from top to bottom and dishes thoroughly cleaned so there would be no contamination. Samson is their new mommy and he will be checking on them multiple times a day to make sure they have water, food, and the temperature in their "house" is good. They have a specific temperature range that is ideal for them based on their age. If it is too cold they huddle together and could get suffocated. Too hot- well they can suffer from heat exhaustion just like us. Needless to say, they require a lot of attention at this tender stage of their lives! During my weekend on-duty, I feel like I spent most of my time in the barn checking on them...taking off blankets, putting on blankets, making vent holes, filling water, replacing feed...sheesh!! Good thing I have such a great weekend-duty partner by the name of Nick!

I can hardly complain though because there were also the fun times of spying on them through a small crack in the cage and watching their little antics. Funny how such a small bundle can make you giggle! It was as if they could not decide which was the better side of the house and suddenly take off, their bare legs a blur, scraggly little wings going up and down (none have reached the stage of air-born yet), till they reached the opposite end and suddenly come to a complete STOP. With big, dark eyes blinking they look to and fro and then get distracted by some little piece of wood shaving or thread or decide the heat lamp above their head is a most amusing thing to look into.

You know when you get to the end of the ketchup bottle and have to tip it upside down, shake it hard, pound it against your hand, and then finally manage to get a burp of ketchup out, spattering all over your bun or fries (or whatever else you put it on)? There is that distinct sound the ketchup makes on exiting the bottle. Well, I have found these poults make a very similar sound except I have yet to see any ketchup! Right now they are getting a special green feed sprinkled on top of the regular brown food and so there are a lot of green spots all over the floor of wood shavings. In the midst of my spying this noise greeted me from all over the house almost continuously and that indeed made me giggle! Remember, there are 100 of these yellow, fluffy bundles.

Right-o. You have probably heard enough about turkeys and such for now. I did have some other pleasant times this weekend... cool mornings, trimming our basil hedge with my snips (I could smell it on my hands hours later!), sunrises, sunsets, and enjoying some of the beautiful late summer flowers. I believe this one is a variety of campanula. If you know otherwise, tell me!

It's off to bed now as soon as I make one last check on the poults and close up the chicken coops for the night! Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Jocelyne