06/05/2025
Meet Tim – Our Unexpected Turkey
We never planned on having turkeys. But one day, my dad pulled into the driveway, rolled down his window, and said, “I’ve got something for you in the back of the Jeep—go ahead and grab it. But be careful… they hit like a man!”
Curious (and a little cautious), I opened the back and there sat Tim—our very first tom. I had every intention of putting him in a pen, but my 78-year-old dad waved that off: “Just let him free range. He’ll stick with the chickens and guineas.”
I knew better… but I pulled Tim out, gave him a few gentle pets, showed him the water and feed, and let him go—hoping maybe, just maybe, he’d stay.
He didn’t. Within 45 minutes, he was gone.
We searched everywhere for two weeks and finally assumed he was lost for good. Then one day, my sister got a call at the animal sanctuary where she works. A kind elderly man was asking if they’d take in a turkey that had appeared on his porch and decided to roost there. She got the address, called me, and we went to check it out.
Just four houses down—there was Tim, strutting happily around the front yard like he owned it. He had arrived the day he left us… and never left.
We brought him back home and kept him in a pen for about six months, letting him out for treats and bonding time. Eventually, he earned his freedom again. That summer, he free-ranged peacefully, sleeping on top of the coop at night like he’d always been there.
Now, during mating season, Tim stays close to his ladies in the coop and run. But every now and then, he still sleeps in the tree outside our front door—his own little roosting spot.
Tim may have come into our lives by surprise, but we’re so grateful for him. He’s part of the family, and our flock wouldn’t be the same without him. 🩵