From turkey part names to pardoned turkeys, Kaylee Vaughn tells us fun facts about Ben Franklin’s favorite bird. Turkeys have long been the bird of choice to serve at Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. But, have you ever considered just how unique and interesting these birds really are? Wow your family and friends over the dinner table this […]

Turkeys are pretty healthy birds, but they can catch some diseases. Luckily, you can vaccinate your birds for many of them.  Turkey Diseases Turkeys are generally healthy birds. Most backyard farmers will tell you while the birds may be fragile for the first couple of weeks, they grow into robust adults with few health problems. […]

Delicious turkey meatloaf recipe with a veggie twist from Traci DeLore. Mom’s meatloaf might have been one of your favorites growing up. However, if you’re looking for ways to cut back on red meat, this flavorful meatloaf made with lean ground turkey will soon be your new favorite. My now-grown children still love this meatloaf. Little […]

College Farms are training grounds for students who want to learn about farm management, from small organic operations, to large industrial farms.  C.J. Walke is the manager of Peggy Rockefeller Farms, part of The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. He shares with us the history of the farm and specifics of its […]

Learn more about turkeys and wild turkey breeds in this excerpt from Don Schrider’s “Storey’s Guide to Raising Turkeys”. WHEN WE SPEAK OF TURKEYS, we will find some surprising diversity. Turkeys come in a range of colors and patterns, and a few different shapes as well. As we try to sort through this mix, it is […]

Lately I’ve been reading a lot about companion planting. It’s a gardening technique in which different species of vegetables and flowers are planted together and they work as a group to benefit each other. In the Mother Earth News article Companion Planting With Vegetables and Flowers, the author Barbara Pleasant gives an example of the […]

Our adventure in turkeys began with a simple phone call.   Ten days ago, I received a phone call from a dear friend in a bit of a pickle. She had left a few days earlier on a road trip from Ohio to Colorado. She called from Topeka, Kansas in need of a favor. The […]

By: Candess Zona-Mendola The CDC announced this week that they are investigating a multistate outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Reading infections linked to raw turkey products. There are 90 confirmed human cases of illness, and 40 of those have been hospitalized. People are sick in 26 states. Confirmed outbreak Illnesses started on dates from November 20, 2017, […]

Since receiving my turkeys mail order 2 months ago, our turkey chicks have proven to be tough little birds. Having only 5 made it imperative that they survive and it seemed, unlike many of our Cornish Cross chicks, they were rockin’ it.

  The one in the photo below was always calling for attention and loved […]

  So, you’ve been raising chickens for a few years and now you think its time to try your hand at turkeys? Like chickens, turkeys come in heritage, production, and ornamental breeds. There are many great choices to be made in all categories. The choice comes down to your needs and wants in a turkey. […]