Turkeys

It is so much fun watching the rescued turkeys enjoy their outdoor pasture, acting like their wild cousins.

This is Miwok and Cheyenne. They are two of five turkeys who were dropped off at the sanctuary a couple weeks before Thanksgiving.

After their quarantine, the four boys (the girl is with the female turkeys) were released into their new enclosure.

The boys spend their time roaming the meadow, perusing the grass for edibles. Sometimes they perch up on the boulders, looking pleased with their new vantage point. There will come a time when such a feat will prove difficult, if not impossible as they will weigh too much.

Plus, when they see you enter their territory, they come running over. Sit down, and they are all over you. They love freckles and hair bands. Creek loves it when you scratch his chest. Miwok will stand still and start preening himself if you rub his belly. Dakota is shy, while Cheyenne loves to walk on your leg.

We used to play them wild turkey calls when they first arrived. They were so petrified of us that nothing could convince them to get close. When I would play them the calls, they would look intrigued, cocking their head to the side, staring at me curiously. I didn’t think it had worked, because they didn’t get any closer.

But as I was leaving their quarantine enclosure, all the turkeys came running after me. They tried to fly over the fencing, and they trilled at me. From then on, they became more friendly around people. Now they are social butterflies.

Debeaked Dakota

Miwok the ewok