Baby, it’s cold outside!

I first shared that photo on my facebook page, when we had our first big blizzard of the season.  The boys lasted exactly 8 minutes outside in the blowing snow, which is probably 7 minutes longer than these boys would last:

But even when the temperature swings from almost 50 degrees yesterday to 10 degrees and snowing today, we don’t have to worry about how our turkeys will handle the weather.

Inside the barn, thermometers measure the temperature, and the 16 heaters keep the temperature constant.

When Bart’s grandpa began raising turkeys over 50 years ago, he raised one flock per year, outdoors.  I remember him telling me how they prayed that the snow would hold off until after the turkeys had gone to market for Thanksgiving.  But some years, the snow would come, drift around the fences, and create a nice little ramp for the turkeys to use to climb over the fence and escape.  I have heard stories about shoveling drifts in blizzards to prevent that from happening.


But today, on this cold snowy day, we don’t have to worry about that.  We are confident that our turkeys are warm and dry in the cozy barns.