Chana Stiefel - Turkeys on the Family Farm

Gobble, Gobble!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY FARM! TURKEYS ARE ONE ANIMAL THAT LIVES ON THE FARM. HOW DO THE FARMERS RAISE THEM? FOLLOW THE FAMILY AT HOWLING WOLF FARM AS THEY SHOW THE IMPORTANT STEPS IN RAISING HEALTHY ANIMALS AND HEALTHY FOOD FOR THE PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHANA STIEFEL has a Masters Degree in Journalism from New York University and has written a wide variety of childrens books. While interviewing the family from Howling Wolf Farm, she enjoyed learning many new things about their farm animals and the hard work it takes to make healthy food.

coopA safe place for turkeys.

flockA group of turkeys.

henA female turkey.

jakeA young male turkey.

poultA baby turkey.

tomA male turkey.

Did you know that a turkey can see 100 yards away? Thats the length of a football field! Find out more fun facts about turkeys on the family farm.

Tara, Matt, Jack and young Alice are ready for the day.

Up to 100 turkeys live on Matt and Taras farm. The family raises many other animals, too. Their children, Jack and Alice, help with the chores.

Name game: A male turkey is called a tom or gobbler. A female is a hen. Baby turkeys are called poults. Young male turkeys are jakes. A group of turkeys is a flock.

A turkeys sharp nails help it dig up food.

During the day, the flock runs around outside. They eat grass and plants. Turkeys feet have sharp nails for digging. They dig up acorns, nuts, and seeds. Turkeys even find worms and bugs to eat! They drink water.

The farmers check on the turkeys every day. If one gets sick, Matt will take it away from the flock. He may change its food. He may give it a healing plant to eat.

Young turkeys live inside a fence. It protects them from hungry animals, like foxes.

At night, the turkeys nest inside a coop. The coop looks like a big tent. It rests on wheels. Jack helps roll the coop down the field each day. This way, the turkeys always have fresh grass to eat.

The farmers roll the coop to a new spot every day.

A tom turkey looks different from a hen. A toms head has more lumpy parts. When a tom gets excited, these parts fill with blood. They turn red.

A toms feathers are more colorful than a hens feathers. Its tail feathers spread open. They look like a fan. The fan makes the tom look bigger and stronger. Toms shake their feathers to make hens notice them.

Toms strut around and display their fans so hens will spot them.

Poults are kept warm in the barn. The farmers move the turkeys to the coop when they are seven or eight weeks old.

Baby turkeys are poults. They are bigger than baby chicks. Their necks are longer, too. Poults eat grass and bugs. Matt and Tara also feed them grain, dried fish meal, seaweed, and hard-boiled eggs. Alice helps feed the baby turkeys.

Matt and Taras biggest holiday turkey weighed 34 pounds.

The turkeys are raised for meat. People come to the farm to buy fresh turkey for their holiday dinners. The turkeys may weigh 8 to 25 pounds.

Matt, Tara, and Alice sell the vegetables they grow, too.

Not all turkeys are the same. Turkeys have many breeds. See how different they look? Which one is your favorite?

Naragansett

Bronze Broad-Breasted