OUT OF LINE

By NANCY JANE KERN

BEYOND THE LARGE WHITE PINE TREE trooped a rafter of two wild turkey hens with their young poults. They walked with purpose straight to the dusty gravel driveway. The hot sun had dried it to an irresistible and veritable turkey spa. The pecking order was established through mild attacks and skirmishes, and the dominant hen moved to the choice spot where there was the driest dirt and where she had been before. She scratched and turned and scratched, examined the material like a dog making its bed, and finally settled down with a violent shake of feathers. She stretched, rolled, kicked, flapped, and rubbed her head in the dust until the air was filled with the dry powder.

She was nearly hidden in the dust clouds and ecstasy showed in her eye. One by one, the other hen and poults picked a spot and began the bathing ritual. They dug down deeper and deeper until they were sinking into earthen bowls. The dusty layers disappeared, and they were kicking up the cooler damp earth beneath. They rested there in the early morning sun for more than half an hour of pure pleasure. Finally, the break was over and after getting to their feet and more violent shakes to free feathers of dust and dirt, they moved off to the field of daisies, hay, and yellow birdsfoot trefoil behind the house.

Grabbing an occasional insect on the way they disappeared into the east woods. Presumably, this is where they felt it was safe to leave their broods of young poults. The older hen-sized poults have grown fast and are already flying into the trees. The dusting process serves several purposes for birds. Birds carry parasites such as ticks, mites and lice, which they control through dusting. The dry bath physically removes them, and the fine dust particles plug the small breathing holes of the arthropod parasites and suffocate them.

The dust also cleans oil and other material from the turkey’s 5-6,000 feathers so it is an all-natural and organic general grooming technique. There is little sun and dry earth in the woods so safe sunny spots without vegetation are at a premium for the turkeys. Each year the turkeys have made their shallow dusting bowls in the hard packed driveway or along the softer edges. Another hen came with two small poults. She demonstrated the dusting technique while the poults attentively watched. Soon they were down in the dirt with mom and were flapping their little wings like kids playing at the beach.

Some benefits of these wild turkeys for us are the entertainment of watching all of their antics and offspring growing up, and mostly the wonderful removal of insects from the area. Some people keep a flock of Guinea Fowl to reduce the tick population. We have the flocks of wild turkeys. They glean the lawns, the field and the woods as they spend many hours a day searching for food. The little ones dart every which way and don’t miss much that supports their rapid growth. And as I write, to punctuate their constant presence here, a large hen turkey just flew across the field and past my window. Most wildlife have a downside such as eating our gardens or making noise at night. The turkeys have none and this rural area provides a safe place with all the amenities to live and raise their families.