The blue slates are wonderful, but they aren't particularly huge breasted and they can absolutely fly...in fact, ours can pretty much 'hop' right up on a 5ft fence without so much as a running start. They do make excellent 'pets' though if that's really what you're looking for - that's how we got ours in fact - the people who had originally raised them found that they just couldn't butcher them. Actually, the only turkey breed we've found without a wonderful personality has been the Royal Palms - yep, gorgeous, but flighty is putting it mildly...they wanted NOTHING to do with us and had even less instincts than other breeds. We haven't found turkeys to be dumb at all, btw and have found nearly all of the well-meaning advice that we've gotten about all of the ways they will manage to kill themselves to be ridiculously exaggerated - even with the commercial whites. What is different with these birds is that they are just not born with the instincts that other poultry are - they are made to be raised by their parents and they learn from watching. Not very conducive to being raised the same as chickens - but it can be done - it's just easier to do some modifications. For instance, we've had the best luck starting our poults with keets (baby guinea fowl) - we've also done it with chicks, but the keets worked better. These babies ARE born with instincts, and the turkeys will follow their lead. Also, the suggestion above about making things round is a good one if that's practical for you (it really hasn't been for us past when they are brand new and we keep them in a stock tank with a light) - they definitely seem more comfortable in a round space than an unnatural square one. Though even in a cornered pen, we have never lost them due to them piling up in a corner...the only time we've ever had a problem with piling up has been if we haven't made sure to keep it warm enough at night. That's when they start piling too tightly together - and that will happen with any kind of baby. Another quirk we've found unique to turkeys is that they really like to keep to a schedule - you don't have to be super strict about it, but it really helps to do things around the same time frame. If you get good about it everything will be easier. We raise them in tractors through the Spring and most of the summer - when it's time to move, they are almost pushing on it excited about the new grass they're going to get...if you use that to your advantage, it makes them MUCH easier than broiler chickens. If you want to see our little flock of Blue Slates that we kept for breeding, you can visit our page below. :) Here is a link that might be useful: Guthrie Gator Farm and Gardens

I actually live in a town where one can't get turkey starter (at least not without extreme measures). But I drive 45 minutes each way to get it, and to get the very best. Turkeys are a lot more particular than chickens when it comes to diet. Some years ago, when we lived in NJ, I would ask for turkey feed (grower) and they would just give me game bird mix. A far number of my toms would turn up lame as they grew. Turns out that normal chicken feed lacks the proper mineral balance required by growing poults & young turkeys. Without the proper mineral balance some birds have problems with their legs. Starting last year we fed our turkeys, straight through with feed engineered for turkeys. We were amazed how much better they grew. We had no lame birds either. George Tahlequah, OK

I managed to wheedle around and not really answer you question, didn't I? ;-0 Yes, I do let large pieces of meat rest before carving. Meats continue to cook after removed from the oven, so no if they aren't sliced into they don't cool off considerably, in fact, the external temperatures tend to rise a bit for a few minutes. Had you carved the turkey and let is set twenty minutes, it would cool. I have to fight the DH to wait until I finish setting out the meal to carve. To be truthful, I am usually busy until I force everyone to sit down. I will not let the rest of the food suffer to pamper the meat, since I am not a big meat eater. So, I don't have things all done, people seated and waiting for the meat. Even though the kitchen is my domain, I ALWAYS have to move over to let DH in to carve and work around him. He manages to somehow use all of my eight foot by five foot island. Don't ask me how. It's all a happy and delightful pandemonium when I have a hoard for supper. There is nothing remotely organised about it, and if the meat is cool, nobody notices.......least of all me. LOLOL.

Good news! My English Brown Turkey [tentative ID] is very resistant to dropping of unripe fruit. Unlike a nearby Celest which has dropped up to a half of its figs, English Brown Turkey is ripening a bumper crop of purplish fruit. Unfortunately the figs are highly visible to birds and other hungry wildlife so I know I won't get to eat too many of the figs.