Exotic Pets: Thanksgiving Turkeys

Somehow I just can’t see my Thanksgiving turkey all hot and naked sitting on my dining room table. After my first experience with a turkey, I have learned to see them in a whole new light. A perfect recipe for a Thanksgiving turkey is healthy food, fresh water, free range, a safe and clean place to live and plenty of love.

While we were still living near Sacramento, CA, I wanted to go visit a favorite place from my youth William Land Park. I remember a lot of beautiful adventures there from the zoo to Fairytale Town. I had always enjoyed both as a child, and I also took my children there while they were small. It is like a magic wand circles your head, and you are in a land of make-believe from Humpy Dumpty to birthday parties in the magic castle.

However, my favorite part was the animals, one animal, in particular, a turkey that insisted on following me through the entire park. After a while, I stopped and was amazed when he let me pet him. I was even more surprised when he flared his beautiful tail for me. I am pretty sure it was love at first site. I had kind of hoped he would follow me to the car. Fairytale Town introduced me to several animals I'd eventually have! A goose once followed me around the park, a magic kingdom indeed!

Since I was smitten with an animal, it wasn’t long before I had to buy turkey eggs for my incubator. I just loved that incubator. Some of my best friends hatched there, from ducks to geese, to turkeys. My kids enjoyed the incubator too, what a valuable lesson for children.

After they hatched, I kept them warm with a heat lamp until they were old enough to live outside, to free range the open ranch. As soon as they heard the house door open, the turkey would come gobbling up to the door. They would follow me throughout the day as I did my chores. As did the geese, and ducks I had hatched in an incubator.

Once you meet a turkey and get to know it as a living being, it is tough to think of them as a meal. I certainly have nothing against other people enjoying their Thanksgiving turkey different from me. Unfortunately my husband and family do enjoy a turkey dinner.

I will always remember those extraordinary days with my turkeys and modicum of other animals; those were days I will never forget.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, enjoy your families, and enjoy those special memories that make our lives so rich!

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