Hey this is Brianna, Val, Brenna and Preston checking in! We spent the week of October 17 in Indianapolis at the National FFA Convention and didn’t get to spend very much time with our birds.  When we got back, we immediately noticed how much the birds have changed!  They have gotten a lot bigger since we first brought them to their special barn, and even in the week we were gone, they grew more!  This past week, the girls noticed that about 4 birds came up to them and started to peck at their boots. The guys noticed that the birds gobbled.  Some of the birds’ heads are turning blue and their snoods are growing longer, which shows that they are maturing. Everyone has noticed that the turkeys are also starting to strut.

We continue with our daily chores, but we have added a new one.  We now pick up the birds and set them on tables every day just like at the White House ceremony. They still are not completely used to us, but that’s improving every day.  Next week we are going to bring a radio to the barn for added noise and hope to get some lights to turn off and on to mimic camera flashes. By doing this, the birds will get used to all of the commotion and attention they’ll experience during the ceremony.  We’ve gotten a lot of attention too from reporters who have heard about our story.  Watch for our next blog post when we’ll tell you all about it!