You Guys Seriously Aren't Gonna Believe It.. (Phyllis the Turkey pt1)

[ThreeOfSeven]

Love it! Occasionally, a female will visit our backyard, and I have to remind my Greyhound that even turkeys are off limits. He gives it a backward glance and goes back into the house. Can't wait to hear more of Phyllis's adventures.

 

[alexisrambles]

Adorable story! I can't wait to hear more about Phyllis! <3

 

[Ericapd]

It was fun reading your story!! Can’t wait to see how she grows up!!!

 

[WhoDatChick]

So I'd like to preface things with the statement that we ARE getting a permit and are not breaking any laws here in Ohio. Please be kind. We went into this led by our hearts, as we usually are, and we are remedying things as quickly as we can.
Now, onto the story..
--
It was a casual day for me at work. About late April. things were slow, I was at my desk reading an article on my computer when my facebook tab showed a notification. Clicking over I read the message from my mom.

"Out foraging this morning and look what we found!!"

Oh no. oh no, no no. The attached image was an egg.
(I don't have the same photo anymore, but here is a close one)

this was not good. my mom informed me that there had not been a nest, any other eggs, or any sign of nest nearby. so, naturally, she did what anyone would do.

she brought it home and popped it in the incubator.

now I'd like to say for the record that if you were out in the woods and came across a lone egg with no nest, no sign of anyone caring for it, you would probably take it home too. I mean, it's not like it's actually gonna hatch or anything, right?? haha that would be so funny-

... I had to go challenge God, right? I had to. it's in my arsenal of bad choices.

I mean, these things don't just hatch. that isn't how it works. especially by folks like my mom and I who had no idea how to hatch a turkey. we didn't expect anything to happen, we were just curious.

but the danged thing went and got us good. a couple of our poultry friends told us it was a turkey egg when we showed them the photos, but that we were very very unlikely to hatch it because turkeys, let alone wild ones, were a bit more finicky than chicks in the incubator.

look at that smug little poult face. talk about sweet. now we were screwed. we'd gone and hatched a wild turkey. but still, we weren't expecting much. most of them die very quickly after hatch so this was a really cool fluke thing for now.

and then it was this really stressful "oh good lord we have a turkey what are we gonna do with it" thing because well, Phyllis decided to stick around.

we had been smart enough to hatch a few chicks alongside her for company, since we had been doing research on how to care for these things. (is there a manual on rearing wild poults? we haven't found it yet..)

for the first week of life, Phyllis was a darling. we could hold and cuddle her, and she would snuggle happily into our neck and go to sleep.

then Phyllis decided we were demon spawn from another planet and at any moment, we were going to eat her.

cue the screeching and flapping around like a maniac.

the other chicks decided to hail her as their leader, and so too decided we were enemies that warranted wild screaming any time the food was refilled or the waterer cleaned and refilled.

it didn't stop them from chowing down on Phyllis's expensive gamebird food, though.

View attachment 1828177

another week went by. Phyllis remained. another week. Phyllis decided she was tired of this brooder and was going in search of better accommodations.

I stepped into the garage where we were keeping them and nearly screamed. Phyllis roosted on the edge of the brooder regarding me with the same attitude as a cat that has taken over the bed and left you on the floor, wondering how you let this creature into your life at all.

Screens went up over the top and then the real fun began.

Phyllis decided we were now actively trying to slaughter her and any time she saw us, would run head first into the brooder wall. Yes, Phyllis, the walls have always been there. No Phyllis, you're not dead.

The other chicks were coming around again, mostly because we had introduced mealworms into their lives. Phyllis refused to eat from our hand like her broodermates but would snatch the dropped pieces up and munch morosely, glaring at us like we were parasites in her territory.

This went on for about three days and Phyllis learned a new trick. She figured out that if she stood on the waterer, she could stretch her neck up and look out of the brooder. This worked until she grew too tall, so now, she hits her head on the screen and looks at whoever is in the garage with her soul piercing turkey stare. It's unsettling.

The screaming has stopped. Phyllis still hates being handled though, and we have backed off save for several times a week which we do with every bird regardless of their attitude about it. She will claw and shove her head into your face, which is considerably strong backed up by her endless little bird neck.

and then she learned about outside. Phyllis liked outside. She liked it almost as much as sticking her head through the bars and trying to snap her neck. Hey, we were still enemies in her mind. The other chicks were at the point where they saw us as the food bearers and treat givers, so we were probably okay for now.

Now Phyllis is a little over a month old, and while she still despises being handled.. she will calm down after a couple minutes so you can pet her wings. She likes her wings, she is very proud of them. She preens them every morning and night, and likes to flap them around and knock her chick friends over. Turkeys have big wings, which we didn't really realize until she whapped us in the face with them. Phyllis also likes strawberries. And raspberries. She likes fruit. She is okay with our hands if they bring fruit.

Phyllis is also learning her name. Every time I go through the garage, I'll sneak by the brooder and sing "Oh, Phyllis~" and she will cock her head and give me a look that doesn't look totally vehement, so I think that's progress.

Soon, Phyllis and her band of merry little chicks will go into their small growout coop. It will be particularly interesting to see how Phyllis handles bugs. She has a voracious little appetite.

Until next time, by which point Phyllis will hopefully be more calm.

---
This is written as humorous, so don't take everything literally please. We are first time turkey owners enjoying the trip and asking experts and others who own turkeys about advice and such. She's growing, seems healthy, and vibrant. We are surprised. Everyone we tell is surprised. The guy at the local feed store who sells hunting supplies told us he's never heard of anyone hatching a wild turkey and keeping it alive this long. So maybe that's a sign we're doing something right?

We also try to offer our animals the most enriching diet possible, and even though Phyllis is a total spaz, we are thinking this weekend will be the first cricket hunt for her. Outside, of course. We've raised many a strange animal, we bred gerbils for a long time, have raised parakeets, a cockatiel, chickens, turtles, hermit crabs, a bearded dragon, rabbits, hamsters, so a turkey can't be that hard, right?

*I feel I will be eating those words...*

That was a great story.. funny! Good luck with Phyllis!

 

[-Flash-]

How is Phyllis going? She sounds like an evil turkey!