Julia’s Memorial
BROADBREASTED BRONZE TURKEY
Adopted: 2019
Crossed the Rainbow Bridge: Nov 6, 2023
Julia Roberts was our one and only Broad Breasted Turkey. We named her after our friend and ranch artist, Julia Roberts, who was deathly afraid of turkeys. She didn't initially appreciate the joke at the time, but Julia eventually appreciated the sentiment.
Most Broad Breasted Turkeys, if allowed to live as pets, only live for a year or two. They typically pass away from a heart attack or broken legs... unfortunate complications of being a heavy-set bird.
Julia came to us in early 2019. She was purchased at a feed store by a friend of ours in 2018. Our friend had no idea that Julia would grow so big. We had experience with caring for Heritage Turkeys but had no experience with Production Turkeys.
They're basically the same, but Julia weighed 32 pounds (at her heaviest), while our Heritage Turkeys weighed about 12 pounds.
Julia was quite docile and inquisitive. She didn't mind being put in our annual 'Turkey Protection Program' in November. In jest, we dressed her in different costumes to keep her safe until after Thanksgiving. She made for a great lobster and hot dog!
When it came to food.. Julia would gobble up pretty much everything. I can say without a doubt, that she easily ate over $3k worth of blueberries and blackberries in her lifetime. Most of it was donated by Grocery Outlet. But we would purchase them specifically for her, as well.
As she grew older and more arthritic, the berries were the best way to hide the pain medications. She had the best of veterinary care. We soaked her aching feet in Epsom salts. And when she broke her toe, we had the bird vet amputate it. And for her arthritis pain, our holistic vet performed acupuncture on Julia.
Because she was sensitive to the heat, we rolled Julia into our air-conditioned garage during the hot summer days.
During the cooler times of the year, Julia made several public appearances including visiting senior care homes, (twice on Thanksgiving, of course!) and an elementary school. At the school, she met over 100 children who had been learning about turkeys.
When she dropped her feathers last fall, we didn't take her out for a planned community event. But I put star pasties on her bare turkey breasts to keep FB from censoring her photo.
Julia really made such an impression on so many people in her 4 years with us. I will miss hearing our volunteers having their 'turkey talks' with her. Julia always had a lot to say, and I already miss her chirps when she heard me call out for her.
Fly Free Julia. You were one of a kind.
Julia’s Story
At 29 pounds, Julia is a big girl. She is a Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey and she was purchased from a feed store when she was a small chick in 2018. As she grew and grew, Julia became too large for her owner's backyard and she was subsequently relinquished to us. We named her Julia, after our friend/talented ranch artist, Julia Roberts. Our artist friend is scared to death of turkeys, so as a joke, we named our newest turkey after her.
Julia is very friendly and will make all sorts of pretty vocalizations. You can have a full conversation with her and she will chirp as you talk to her. Along with talking, she also loves to eat. Julia's breed is known to be fast growing and one of the largest and heaviest of turkeys. So, we have to be careful that she does not over eat.
Julia is a big hit at the local senior homes. Since she is so large, we use a wagon to wheel her around for the seniors to see her. In Thanksgiving Day 2021, she made a special appearance at Pacifica Senior Living in Vacaville. It was so fun to watch the expressions of the memory care residents, as Julia made her rounds! Julia makes a great turkey ambassador and we look forward to showing more people how wonderful turkeys can be!