SMALL fARM

While we were away on vacation, my in-laws, watching the house, noticed one of our turkeys had vanished. After a thorough search the next day, they found her tucked away in a cozy nook among some clutter, diligently brooding. I told them not to worry—we’d sort it out upon our return.

Back home, I couldn’t immediately check her nest since she’d hiss fiercely whenever I approached, making me too nervous to disturb her. One day, while she was off eating, I finally got a look. To my amazement, there were 12 eggs! That explained why we hadn’t seen any turkey eggs lately—they were all here. 

I was both surprised and delighted. Surprised because we’ll need to prepare a larger space for 12 growing turkeys. Delighted because this is our first time letting a turkey naturally incubate her eggs. Previously, I’ve relied on an incubator, and teaching the poults to eat was always a challenge. Now, I’m eager to watch this turkey mom tackle that task with ease.