My brother’s keeper

/ J. F. Riordan

We’re in the teeth of winter now. The actual temperature is -5F but the wind chill is -15F to -25F, which means the wind sweeps away your body heat at a rapid clip, and flesh freezes in mere minutes. In this bitter cold both animals and humans are suffering. Although we got our power back, not everyone did, and outside in this dangerous weather, there are people working hard to protect the rest of us, restoring power and operating community shelters.

I’m watching the turkeys this morning from my warm, comfortable vantage point on top of the hill, looking down into the woods. We have a flock1 of nineteen this year, somewhat smaller than usual, but always fascinating.

After the deer had finished their morning graze, the turkeys came down from their roosts and spread themselves among the three spots where we have put out seed. As I watched, I saw my one-footed friend—who has been with us for several years now—sit down by himself in the snow, fifteen feet removed from the rest of the flock as they fed. He knew he could not compete with the rough and tumble of the flock’s drive for food. My heart broke for him, because even though the others do seem to look out for him generally, the nature of turkeys seems querulous and wholly intent on individual survival. I told myself he would be able to eat when the rest had finished, but wished I could go out to give him his own little stash. He looked cold and lonely.

As I watched, one of the other turkeys broke off from the flock and walked over to him, nudging him gently. He got up, and together they walked to the pile of seeds, and, shielded by his friend, the injured turkey joined the others and began to feed. For the remainder of breakfast time, the limpy guy ate with all the others.

If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.

The turkeys are still here, and have been joined by squirrels, junkos, and chickadees. I know from long observation that today, instead of marching off on their usual trek, the turkeys will stay close by, puffing up their down coats, and sitting on logs somewhere out of the wind, preferably under bushes or brush piles. And they will all have eaten enough to fuel their bodies against the cold.

So, who wants to discuss how animals don’t practice altruism?

  1. For domestic turkeys the correct term for a group is rafter. I have been informed, however, that wild turkeys are in flocks. Don’t ask me. ↩︎

36 thoughts on “My brother’s keeper”

  1. This is so sweet of that turkey to care for his injured partner and so happy you were able to witness it. Truly a wondrous moment in nature which you were blessed to see and share with us.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. It’s nice you can feed the Turkeys. I’m also glad one foot has a friend to lookout for & encourage him. What a lovely area you live in.

    Do stay warm, we were out in Montana a few days ago in this terrible cold. Had to go out to get to the laundry room as we prepared to leave. Now we’re back home in slightly, at least above freezing temperatures in SE Virginia,

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  6. That’s very sweet that “limpy guy” had a good friend to watch out for him. That’s what good friends do.

    Glad you got your power back in this frigid weather.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. More than anything, I miss the turkeys that lived out in the woods at my old house. They were fascinating to watch and like you, I had a couple of favorites. I’m so glad you feed them. They always brought me a great deal of joy. The dogs even tolerated them. This article made me smile.

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  10. Maybe the able-bodied bird realized there was enough to go around for all flock members. Normally, it’s survival of the fittest, and the weaklings only get to eat when the rest are sated.

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    • Possibly. But if it’s all survival of the fittest, why make any effort at all? Turkeys do work as a team to protect themselves, so it’s also possible this was part of that instinct. Or….

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    • I love the sentiment and would like to see it that way, but I must confess that I had the same thought as Catherine. “In times of plenty….”.

      I’ve raised chickens for years and witnessed the brutality of ‘the pecking order’. Recognizing that a domestic chicken is not a wild turkey, however, and perhaps this guy was truly special. It sure sounds like he (or she) was!

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      • I really do try not to anthropomorphize. Having seen the coordinated behavior patterns of the turkeys in response to threats, I am inclined to think that this was intended to protect a member of the flock. These guys have generals, captains, and footsoldiers, and they literally put plans into action. When my husband and I first observed it we couldn’t believe our eyes. But they can outfox a fox. Literally.

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  12. Your one-footed friend is lucky to have such a kind brother. Humanity could learn a lot from animals, if we only took the time. Thank you for sharing this lovely story.

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  13. We have a feeding station out in our backyard for any animal who wants a snack. We’ve had ducks come by and for many years there was one female who had a permanent food injury (we took a video and sent it to an animal rehabilitator who said she would do fine). She was the bravest of them all, always coming over to us when we threw out corn for them to munch on. We always felt she knew we had her best interest at heart.

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  14. Even being in the glow of last night’s fabulous Packers victory couldn’t stop me from tearing up over your beautiful turkeys story. Animals can teach humans a lot about compassion. 🦃🤍

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      • My Herd has been surviving on corn (and occasional pumpkins) for 40+ years. Bird seed is way too expensive to feed deer, but I have a lot of bird feeders for the birds & squirrels. And bears. They keep tearing them down, so I take them all in at night.

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  17. Thank you for this sad, but uplifting story. I often think I love animals more than people. But when I think about it, I realize there are many people like you. I’m happy for the gimpy turkey and all you Cheeseheads. Stay safe and warm.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Ann, you express perfectly me emotional response. This story was shared with me by my cousin, Harriet Jones Sudduth. – – – Rawleigh L. Sallee

      Liked by 1 person

  21. I am forwarding this to everyone I know on this deep freeze day! It warmed me heart too. One of those “I was thrilled but not surprised” stories.

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  24. Thank you for this sad, but uplifting post.  Sometimes I think I love animals more than people, but I realize there are so many kind people like you.  GaylDeaton

    Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail for iPad

    Liked by 1 person

  27. I replied right after reading this but may not have sent it correctly. The account immediately reminded my of your report of seeing the squirrel mourning its dead mate on the road. Both stories renewed my faith. Thank you.

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