Saturday, November 05, 2005

Turkey Thoughts


Jerri and the Chicklets came over for the afternoon yesterday and Jerri and I had another of our usual "growing up country" conversations.

Jerri's whole family are critter lovers in a big way. Before you start your truck in Jerri's drive it's a good idea to check under, atop, and in the truck bed for curious critters. At this time she only has kitties, a doggie or two, a bird, and horses but you never know what may take up residence there because she won't turn a stray critter away.

She was telling me yesterday about a hen turkey her mother bought extra when she purchased some geese a while ago. The poor turkey looked as though she was starving and had a scraggly, sparse feathered, look about her but this changed soon after Loyce, (her mom), took the sickly fowl under her wing. Jerri says that's now the fattest turkey she's ever seen in her life. She's so fat that her belly/breast nearly touches the ground and she's become bow-legged. (this part of the story is where Jerri demonstrates the turkey's bow-legged waddle and that was funny as hell). I can't remember what she said Loyce named the turkey but she put her in the pen with the chickens and every time she sees Loyce, she follows her every step. Jerri also mentioned that she believes the turkey thinks she's a chicken which is a smart move on the turkey's part this time of the year.

I can remember my grandmother always having a few turkeys strutting around her yard. When I was a kid she had this big ole tom turkey who'd spend his days waiting for us to dare to venture off the porch so he could come give us a flogging. It was great fun to see if we could outrun that ole tom. I learned very early in life that a hen turkey who's got little ones is not to be messed with either.

Turkey Facts

A turkey's brain is about the size of a walnut and it is said that is has fewer brain cells than a cockroach. (It's funny how often a turkey hunter can be outsmarted by this bird.)

Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.

Turkeys can drown if they look up when it's raining.

Turkeys have excellent vision and hearing. Their field of vision is about 270 degrees. (who said it takes brains to elude those silly hunters?)

A spooked wild turkey can run up to 20 mph and fly up to speeds of 55 mph. Domestic turkeys can't fly because they're too fat.

12 comments:

Mary Lou said...

yEP, i HAD A TOM LIVING IN THE FIELD NEXT DOOR IN nEVADA, and he would come peck at the wall under my bedroom every Saturday morning. Until I would peek out and gobble at him!

Anonymous said...

We had a young Tom turkey, when I was a kid and he would play hide and seek with us. However when he got older, that gobbler would peck at our heels and flog us every chance he got. He eventually ended up on the dinner table, and Granny said she had to cook him twice, cause he was so doggone tough. LOL

I remember trying to dress him up for Halloween in a feed sack one year. Can you believe it, he would have nothing to do with it! Silly turkey...

Sally said...

I refuse to eat a turkey who has a name - "what are you having for Thaksgiving? Bologna sammiches - can't stand to eat someone named Homer or Phenius.

Brent said...

A turkey can drown if it looks up when it's raining? I really need to know who had the time to discover that! WAY TOO MUCH FREE TIME!

Anonymous said...

okay guys the turkey drowning is totally true.....been having turkeys since I was about 14 and they WILL drown themselves...even if you put in a dish of water deeper than about 2" they will manage to drown! we also have horses and I have always heard that a may colt will drown itself and I have never seen this done but Our Polly was a may colt and she literally sticks her entire head in the watering bucket! I call her suicidal all the time. we pondered the thought of digging a pond in the pasture but quickly decided against it!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the turkey facts. I knew they could drown in the rain, but not much else.

Cas

Holly said...

if jerri were closer i'd bring her my last remaining tiel *sniff*

Joe said...

LOL! I always wanderd why I can't get off the ground!

Anonymous said...

Turkeys. I like turkeys.

Tazzy likes to eat them and I like to adopt/sponsor them.

Poor wee things.

wanda said...

What does it say about the hunter who can be outsmarted by a turkey with a brain the size of a walnut? Then again, housewives have been being outsmarted by cockroaches for centuries.
Maybe with brains it's kind of like it is with other body parts. It's not the size that matters but how well you use it. ;)

I love turkey at Thanksgiving, but will not eat it any other time of year. Yes, I know I'm weird!

Anonymous said...

Best regards from NY! » »

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