Turkey and quail are often forgotten when it comes to listing livestock poultry, but they make good pets. Here's all you need to know about Poultry Miscellaneous Breeds.
Why a Turkey?
Turkeys can be more than Thanksgiving Dinner. Turkeys make good pets because they are smart and can be entertaining to watch. Domestic turkeys are usually too fat to fly, but wild turkeys are smart and will fly if they’re not contained in a covered area. Turkeys, especially the males, are fun to watch. The males fluff their colorful plumes and make loud gobbling noises but the females don’t.
These animals eat pellets and berries and absolutely love dry oatmeal sprinkled on top of their food. It’s important to keep in mind that other animals, even pet dogs, view turkeys as prey so fencing needs to be sufficient enough to keep all predators out.
Quail in the House
Quail are small enough that they can live in the house and they are relatively easy to raise. Button quail are the most popular house pets in the quail family. They’re very small and can be kept in a small aquarium.
These animals are shy and startle very easily. Because they jump up when they’re startled, button quail owners have to create a giving lid for the aquarium otherwise when the quail leaps up, it may kill itself on by hitting its head on the hard surface of the lid. Soft lids can be created using netting and spring tension chords.
