Here at Barn, November is a time for gathering together over seasonal festivities and plant-based food, expressing our gratitude, and of course, celebrating the turkeys! We’re so thankful to know and care for turkey residents Blanche, Ben, Harry, and Harper; and we want you to get to know and love their unique interests and quirks too.
Blanche was rescued from an unfinished barn on a frigid December day in 2017 along with her friends Stanley and three other females, collectively known as the Golden Girls. She is now the sole survivor of her original feathered troop, but her sweet demeanor has made her a great new roommate to chicken pals Tracey and Frances. Blanche is calm, patient, and appreciates affection from staff and volunteers. In fact, she has a reputation for loving a good lap to snuggle and nap in! She loves getting spoiled with produce snacks (strawberries, blueberries, and egg yolks are favs) and also adores getting a good epsom salt foot soak. Sometimes she will gently close her eyes and almost fall asleep during them. Blanche’s caregivers all agree that she is just an all around angel.
Boss man Ben is the biggest and most stunning of the turkey quartet at Barn. He has always been a show off and enjoys strutting his stuff for staff and visitors ever since arriving from a hoarding case in the summer of 2018. When he arrived, Ben was severely overweight from the cat food diet he was being fed and struggled with health issues as a result. Since being at Barn and on a proper diet, he’s undergone a major transformation into the healthy, handsome guy he is today. Part of his healthy diet includes snacks, and Ben is a huge fan! So much so that his caregivers have to watch out when giving them to him because he will jump up excitedly if they take too long. Ben is a lovely, absolutely regal guy who doesn’t mind a hug every now and then.
Harry also arrived in rough shape from the same hoarding situation as his friend Ben. He had a maggot-filled hole in his wing that came very close to being amputated, but you’d never know it these days! For as long as we’ve known Harry, he’s had iconic, chaotic feathers that have always distinguished him from the other toms. He is the resident shy guy, but he’s always very curious and can make friends with any turkey or chicken. He used to be a bit of an outcast, but now he and Ben are best buds. Harry and Ben can often be found at the far corners of the yard “hunting” for snacks.
Harper is the latest turkey to call Barn Sanctuary home after being nursed back to health and raised by Dan as a baby. She has kept us on our toes from the start when her blood test said she was male, and she often poofs up like one, but she also lays eggs! Harper grew into a lively gal who is full of fire. For all of her fighting spirit, Harper can still be very sweet when she desires. She loves her turkey friends and hangs out with the boys during the day before spending evenings alone on her platform. As if Harper wasn’t already unique enough, she also has a gorgeous heterochromatic eye – part of it’s brown and part is blue!
Turkeys are wonderfully curious, affectionate, and social birds. They make strong, lifelong bonds with their family and friends and are very loyal. We love watching the friendships and interactions of Blanche, Harper, Ben, and Harry, and we’re honored to provide care and sanctuary for these unique individuals for the rest of their lives.
Want to learn more about our resident turkeys? Visit our Meet The Animals page here.
