Thanksgiving turkey

Friday: This always happens when it's the first time to take a type of animal to the butcher.  The chickens are ready to go.  No problem there--they've been in the PVC/netting cages for a week now.  The 2 Cayuga ducks are in a different cage.  I've taken chickens away many times, and ducks once before. The problem is the turkey.  I put him in a dog crate last night.  He hasn't been on my list of favorites for quite a while, since he was caught in the act of killing something smaller and defenseless several times.  He struts around and "courts" the full-grown geese, following them out into the pasture, regally turning his fanned-out tail to and fro, elongating the dangly-thing on top of his nose that usually looks like a bulgy lump, making his face and neck colors change from dreary bluish-gray to sky-blue mottled with bright red.  They go about their business and totally ignore him.  It's sad, in a way, because a turkey hen would have completed his life and given him purpose besides gracing our Thanksgiving table. Anyway, he's in the crate, ready to go to the butcher tonight with the 2 ducks and 21 young roosters.  The difficult part is hearing this bird that I've grown to HATE call out to the geese in the pasture.  He's inside the barn, either gobbling to make himself heard by what he considers to be his flock, or making little peeping noises like when he was a poult (turkey chick).  I had lots of chicken litter to shovel out, so turkey-boy's sad little noises were getting to me. He WILL go tonight, no doubt about that.  The question was:  Do I let him out of the crate for one more day of freedom?  Not a good idea.   I wish I'd gotten a good photo of him.  If you don't know his personality, he is really a stunning bird--a heritage breed called a Blue Slate.  You'd never know that he was a chick from Farm and Fleet that was mixed in with the chicken-chicks that I intended to buy.  He looked a little odd, and there were 2 others like him, but the girl insisted that she was giving me the right ones.  The poults were right next to the chicks, in a different section of the heated cage at the store.  My guess is that someone put them back on the wrong side---but the girl didn't want to hear that I thought these 3 looked JUST LIKE the turkey poults next door! Well, the turkey poults were supposed to cost $16 each, and the chicks were only $5 or less, so Farm and Fleet lost out.  Then WE lost out as first one and then the second one died, leaving us with a love-sick and very confused half-grown tom-turkey.  He identified with the only other birds close to his size--the 4 American Buff geese! If we get turkeys next year, I want to get at least half-a-dozen, maybe more, but only if we have a separate move-able coop for them.  Watching him mercilessly chase a broody hen around and around in the barn for seemingly no reason was NOT something that endeared him to me at all.  Seeing a large turkey viciously killing a young pigeon or a sick chick has taken the intrigue right out of having a mixed flock of birds that are housed together!  Makes me curious to know if all turkeys are territorial or mean to smaller poultry. Thanksgiving dinner, here he comes....  And I have to admit, I AM curious to know just how much he weighs.  He will be our first home-grown, heritage breed turkey, ever.  Stay tuned for the November report and maybe some photos of a fabulous Thanksgiving array of fine dining.  Laura http://dykstrasfarm.blogspot.com/