Life on Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch

Life on Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch is good. Frank Reese raises heritage breeds of geese, chicken, and of course turkeys all on open pasture in the Tallgrass Prairies of Lindsborg, Kansas.

Heritage turkeys are by definition biologically capable. This means they are able to forage for their own food and reproduce naturally. At Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch turkeys (both the hens and toms) with the strongest expression of desired breed traits are selected to become the parents of the next generation, passing these traits along to their offspring.

Maintaining the health and diversity of a flock is both an art and a science. Frank Reese has over 50 years of experience and is considered an expert in his field.

Life on GSPR begins the old fashioned way– with an egg. After fertilization the eggs are collected and hatched in incubators. They look like large cabinets and are warm and padded inside to cradle the eggs. After the baby turkeys, or poults as they are known, are hatched they are moved to a temperature controlled barn where the poults enjoy warm humid air and are allowed to grow big and strong safely away from natural predators. Once the poults have grown large enough to safely begin fending for themselves, they are let out onto the open prairie.

The turkeys spend their days roaming the furtive pastures, forging for insects and seeds in the tall prairie grass, and indulging their curiosities. By nature turkeys are gregarious and social and flock in large groups. They can be pretty loud when they start gobbling. Once one starts, the gobble passes through the ranks like the wave at a sports arena. A lesser know fact about turkeys is that only the male toms are responsible for the audible gobble sounds.

Enjoy some of the videos and photographs we’ve collected over the years visiting Frank and his turkeys, and visit our online store to reserve your Heritage Turkey for this Thanksgiving!