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Turkey Tuesday: Blast from Turkeys’ Past

 

My husband’s family began raising turkeys in 1959.  Fifty years later, we built our personal farm in 2009.  I think it’s fascinating to see what has changed and what has stayed the same.

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Feb. 67: The turkeys were brown. 

Now: Our poults are yellow, and white as adults.

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August 68 – the whole family working in the brooder. 

Now - We still use cardboard rings to keep the poults close to the heat source, and we often do chores as a family, too!  The stoves are still very similar and you can see the feeders that would be lowered when the turkeys got bigger.

 

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June 1969-  Grandpa’s turkeys were “on range.”  For the first few weeks, they raised them in a shed, and then moved them out.  They started 1,000 birds at a time, and only raised two flocks per year.   They hoped to get all the turkeys to market before the first snow.

Now-  We raise our turkeys in climate controlled barns.  They are heated in the winter, and we do our best to cool them in the summer.  We raise almost 6 flocks of 20,000 per year.

Here are some more old pictures, just for fun.

Bob and Peg

Grandpa Bob and his horse, Peg

bob 49 kamrar

Bob, 1949

brent in window

Bart’s Dad, Dave on the wagon, and his uncle Brent in the window

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The original house on Grandpa Bob’s farm.  This is where my screen door came from. 

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Summer 1974 on Grandpa’s farm

Would you like to comment?

  1. Neat pics Katie! I like looking at old farming pics!

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  2. LOve old farm pics too! Thinking of you and your farmer as this week just seems to be rising in temp with each hour. I've been out this morning, but I'm calling it and inside day for the rest of the afternoon. Hugs and prayers to you all and your turkeys!

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  3. How fun, I love seeing how family businesses evolve through the years.

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  4. Old Family and Farm picts are always neat. It is amazing how far Agricutiure has advanced and practices have changed over a few generations.

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  5. Great compairson and contrast. I have a Grandpa Bob with a farm too. Thanks for sharing the pics!

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  6. That is sooooo cool! I love places that are rich with history. How lucky you are to live in just such a place!

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  7. That was a neat 'then and now' illustration! Are you scrapbooking these? Thanks for sharing!

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