With the temperatures over 100 degrees I was very nervous when I got the announcement that our turkey poults had shipped.  I was even more nervous the following day when I hadn't heard from the post office. Unlike our broiler chicks, our turkeys come mail order from Ohio and a few years back we had the misfortune of receiving a box of poached poults.   When I finally got the call from the post office I was prepared for the worst. Sure, the hatchery guarantees the animal, but it takes several weeks to get replacements, and holiday turkeys are all about timing. 

As I got to the post office, I could hear the peep-peep-peep, but it seemed awfully quite for 75 turkeys.  The lady behind the desk handed me three boxes all bound together.  Knowing a few minutes’ drive wouldn’t change anything, I headed back to the house to assess the situation.  Imagine the relief when I opened the last box to find that, miraculously, all 75 birds had survived. 

Turkey poults are very different from chicks in that they are highly inquisitive and do not show the least apprehension when encountering new things.  They're very active and pretty hardy.  Though the broiler chicks that they are sharing the brooder barn with are one week older, the turkeys seem to be handling the heat much better. I'll likely be moving them out of the brooder next week as there is a lot more air circulation and the forecast is calling for a slight reprieve in the heat. 

The turkeys will spend several weeks in our mobile "chicken tractor" - getting moved along the pasture with the broilers.  Once the broilers head off to the processor, the turkeys will begin their free-range adventures; hanging out with our flock of laying hens.  They'll spend the next several months gorging themselves on the overabundance of grasshoppers we have until that fated day in November.

It takes a long time to raise turkeys, and a lot of things can happen between now and then.  As we allow them to free-range, we plan on a few losses.  Like previous years, we will be taking pre-orders for 50 birds only.  As we approach the final weeks, we'll be offering any extras that have defied the odds.  We strongly encourage you to reserve your Holiday Turkey today.  We will be posting periodically on social media - journaling their adventures as they explore the ranch and get into all kinds of mischief.  Below are a few cameos of last year’s turkeys to give you a preview of what to expect. Follow along and watch your Holiday Turkey enjoying life on the ranch.

We're pleased to announce the Pflugerville Pfarmers Market's permanent move to the Green Red Barn at the back of Heritage Park. Say goodbye to the hot parking lot, and hello to shaded comfort with parking available next to the barn.