The latest from the farm: 9, no, 10, no, 11 wild turkeys; or could it be 20?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ivan Seeking
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the presence of wild turkeys in participants' backyards, sharing experiences, observations, and humorous anecdotes related to wildlife encounters. The scope includes personal stories, wildlife behavior, and interactions with other animals, as well as light-hearted commentary on the implications of having such wildlife nearby.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants share sightings of wild turkeys, noting varying numbers of adults and chicks, with one mentioning a total of ten turkeys observed.
  • Several participants express excitement about wildlife in their areas, with one mentioning a variety of other animals like deer, raccoons, and foxes.
  • One participant humorously contrasts the charm of seeing turkeys with the annoyance of a large number of them making noise early in the morning.
  • There are discussions about the behavior of turkeys, including their interactions with pets, and the cleverness of the birds in avoiding danger.
  • Some participants express concerns about larger wildlife, such as bears and coyotes, and share anecdotes about past encounters.
  • One participant questions the accuracy of the turkey count, suggesting they may have only seen seven chicks instead of eight, leading to a light-hearted debate about potential hallucinations.
  • Another participant shares a humorous take on the potential for a Thanksgiving feast, playing on the theme of wild turkeys.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the enjoyment of observing wildlife, but there are competing views regarding the number of turkeys and the impact of their presence, with some expressing annoyance at their noise while others find them charming.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the exact number of turkey chicks observed, as well as varying perceptions of the impact of wildlife on daily life. Some participants mention the presence of other animals, which may influence their experiences with turkeys.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in wildlife observation, animal behavior, and personal anecdotes about living alongside nature may find this discussion engaging.

  • #31
Okay, I hate to spoil the party, but here's another perspective.

Imagine it's not a cute little crew of mom and auntie turkeys with a few totally cute, adorable babies; but instead it is, every, single, solitary morning, at 4:45 AM, a cacaphonous HERD of 90-120 gobblers a few dozen yards outside your bedroom window.

They separate into two groups, and then run gobbling, turkey-honking at the top of their scrawy throats, back and forth between the two groups.

Now the first morning you witness this it is fascinating. The second morning it is scientifically curious. The tenth morning it is . . . tolerated, after all, they are creatures of evolution, and you are getting to witness raw nature at work. The 30th morning you want to KILL THE NOISY SOB's!

No, not really because I am after all a veggie tariun' and thinking homicidal thought are impure, right? But then, the farmworkers who take care of the vineyard here . . . aren't they in need of food? Aren't their families hungry? Yes, it is for them that I might consider . . . it isn't murder really is it?

Sorry, I haven't slept much lately. :cry:
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #32
Roving herds of tofu are relatively quiet.
 
  • #33
Les Sleeth said:
Now the first morning you witness this it is fascinating. The second morning it is scientifically curious. The tenth morning it is . . . tolerated, after all, they are creatures of evolution, and you are getting to witness raw nature at work. The 30th morning you want to KILL THE NOISY SOB's!
I have an easy solution to this. Give up being vegetarian. :biggrin: They only hang out by your window because they know they are safe there...they can smell all those vegetables on you. :-p Post a big calendar to count down the days to Thanksgiving, and they'll never come your way again. :smile:
 
  • #34
Les Sleeth said:
Okay, I hate to spoil the party, but here's another perspective.

Imagine it's not a cute little crew of mom and auntie turkeys with a few totally cute, adorable babies; but instead it is, every, single, solitary morning, at 4:45 AM, a cacaphonous HERD of 90-120 gobblers a few dozen yards outside your bedroom window.

They separate into two groups, and then run gobbling, turkey-honking at the top of their scrawy throats, back and forth between the two groups.

Now the first morning you witness this it is fascinating. The second morning it is scientifically curious. The tenth morning it is . . . tolerated, after all, they are creatures of evolution, and you are getting to witness raw nature at work. The 30th morning you want to KILL THE NOISY SOB's!

This reminds me of our neighbor who put in a pond which fills with frogs every year. A couple of years have been incredible - there have been times that we had to shut the windows so the our neighbor's frogs, being, oh, maybe 1/4 mile away, didn't drown out the television. These guys can make one hell of a lot of noise in the spring and early summer.

I mentioned this to our neighbor once; the one with the frogs. As he started talking about his frogs I noticed that he grew more and more agitated, and then how his face was turning red. Finally, at one point he admitted that they get to him so badly at times that one night - in the middle of the night - he opened the window and screamed SHUUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUPPPPP!

:smile: :smile: :smile: He didn't take kindly to me laughing at him.
 
  • #35
Math Is Hard said:
Roving herds of tofu are relatively quiet.

Roving herds of tofu are ultimately made of beans, and so the noise merely get's switched to the opposite end. Right?
 
  • #36
Moonbear said:
I have an easy solution to this. Give up being vegetarian. :biggrin: They only hang out by your window because they know they are safe there...they can smell all those vegetables on you. :-p Post a big calendar to count down the days to Thanksgiving, and they'll never come your way again. :smile:

Very funny biogirl. I am sick of all the disrespect shown to us ultra-sensitive types who care more about our fellow creatures than satisfying some immediate lust for flesh. That's why I am implementing a turkey appreciation program where even if a turkey totally, mistakenly dies by no fault of my own in some sort of weird accidental gun mishap that went off when inadvertently aimed in the very GENERAL direction of a turkey herd gobbling at some God-awful morning hour . . . well we will utilize every part of God's precious critter in fertilizer, cat food, farm worker sandwiches, feather dusters . . . you know, total appreciation of nature. o:)
 
  • #37
Les Sleeth said:
Roving herds of tofu are ultimately made of beans, and so the noise merely get's switched to the opposite end. Right?
They don't call 'em the musical fruit for nothin'. :biggrin:
 
  • #38
Could this be the great turkey invasion??!?

Maybe two families? Okay, PF Turkey BBQ to be announced.
 
  • #39
It's possible to have multiple hens in one area with all being fertilized by one male. The males look like - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d0/Male_north_american_turkey_supersaturated.jpg/240px-Male_north_american_turkey_supersaturated.jpg

Males are polygamous, and they have as many as 5 hens within the same territory.

So far, I have only seen the females and chicks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #40
Ivan Seeking said:
Could this be the great turkey invasion??!?

Maybe two families? Okay, PF Turkey BBQ to be announced.
:-p I've got my fork and knife and appetite all ready! Maybe Les will send some of those "accidentally" killed turkeys to some of us carnivores...so they don't go to waste of course. :biggrin:
 
  • #41
Moonbear said:
:-p I've got my fork and knife and appetite all ready! Maybe Les will send some of those "accidentally" killed turkeys to some of us carnivores...so they don't go to waste of course. :biggrin:
and wolram can't have any :devil: