Tips on raising turkeys, Salt & Pepper

• The more space - the happier the turkeys. I read somewhere you only need 6sqft a turkey but that even seemed too small for their liking.

• I built S&P a small shelter because they never could get the hang of flying to roost. Most turkeys will roost in a tree so they can feel safe away from predators, but my birds I think were way too fat.... The natural instinct is to get off the ground at night though, so I also had some low hanging posts for them to hop up on. Nobody wants a paranoid turkey; keep turkeys happy.

• My turkeys may have been considered spoiled, but I also had electric ran outside to the shelter for a heat lamp during the winter. Happy turkeys!

• Water. (Dry turkey is the worst)

• Food. I used general poultry feed from the local farm and home. I started with chick feed while they were young and transitioned to normal adult feed as they grew. I also only fed S&P once a day, but they also had an entire yard to explore and graze on 24/7. My mom always saved scrap fruits and vegetables for 'treats', and their absolute favorite was old pumpkins after Halloween.

• A friend.... A companion.... Turkeys are companion birds, and a lonely turkey is a potentially depressed turkey. Give your turkey attention, and/or even a turkey friend to make a pair! What’s better than 1 turkey? 2 turkeys!

Now enjoy some pictures of Salt and Pepper

Check out Salt showing off the cool blue! Like I said, happy turkeys!

Salt, showing off for the camera. Pepper, looking like an angry, beaked ball sack

First snow! ....This was the day I realized they could probably use a shelter to get inside for when it's real cold out.