Well,how about that.

So you know that little voice in the back of your head; the one that can nag at you ? The one that leaves you wondering what you are forgetting or not noticing? Mine has been tapping me on the shoulder for the past few weeks and started to be a real nag this past week.

I finally tuned into that nagging. What is up with the Tom Turkey and  what about those extra  eggs we keep finding?

I have been waiting to see this.

Waaay back last summer when we were asked to foster the 2 Turkey's our friends said to us, "The black one is a Tom and the Bronze one is a Hen.You keep the Tom,he will be bigger for your family of 4." Ok, no problem we said.This whole time we have been going on that,black is a Tom,bronze is a Hen.

But as time went by I kept waiting for something to happen.I didn't know what but something.I know enough to know that Tom turkeys are really into girls.I mean really, really into girls if you get my drift.The Toms strut around,tails spread out with their faces changing colors which is their "hey there baby" thing.Our Tom was not doing any of that,zero action going on.

I had also been waiting to see some of the cool looking face stuff that the photos I had seen to appear.Honestly they end up with faces only a mother could love or a turkey hen.Since this was our first round of turkey's I had no idea when their faces should look like the photos, at breeding age, at a year old or five years?

He is also mostly the same size as the Hen.He is taller but not any heavier.But again what do I know? Aren't heritage birds smaller than the commercial meat breeds?

This is what we have,a hen not a tom.              

Then over this past weekend we were very busy and in and out for three days running.I was not keeping the regular schedule of feeding or collecting eggs.Saturday, Chance and I found a larger clutch of eggs than normal,I guessed we had not picked them up on Friday.But there were 4 turkey eggs.4? What,we couldn't be that far off on picking up the eggs,could we? And no way would she be laying 2 a day,right? So after talking things through I realized we were on track but maybe that Tom was really a Hen.

I sent an email to our chicken/bird guy and it is confirmed we have two Hens.By now we would seeing male turkey shows with even me getting the "hey baby" looks.

Yet another thing to add to our list of crazy things we are learning as Homesteades.Do I feel stupid? No, not at all,we genuinely had no idea.No harm was done.We just now get 2 Turkey eggs a day not just 1.


We are liking the Turkey eggs.They are much richer than a Chicken egg but I don't think I could eat more than 1 at a time.The shells are tougher to crack than a Chickens egg.The yokes are not as orange/ yellow as out Chicken  Hens eggs but that's ok.Today I made Challah Bread with some of the Turkey eggs.I must say that was some of the most beautiful dough I have ever worked with and we ate most of one loaf with dinner tonight.I did use one less egg than the recipe called for since the Turkey eggs are larger.In fact they get bigger everyday,they are now the size of a lemon.

I had named the Turkey's Hansel and Gretel because our coop looks like Baba Yaga's house and the birds were here to be fattened up.Now that one is no longer a Tom,she will need a new name.Most likely Dinner since keeping both Turkey's will be a bit too much. Unless I find out I can make big bucks selling her eggs.


Rois