Dishing the dirt
Three afternoons out of four, you'll find this hen turkey hunkered down in a strip of dirt along the south side of our pole barn.
I knew she must have had her reasons ... Was it the warmth of the sun she sought ... ? Or did she come to snack on the citronella ants that seem to favor the area ... ?
It was a mystery, but after careful and patient study from our kitchen window, I think I know what the attraction is: the dirt itself.
The dirt along the barn is especially loose. Several times now I've seen this hen - using her head, wings and claws - throw the dirt all over herself, as though it were dusting powder. And, in a way, that's what it is to our girl. Here's what the Internet says:
" ... bathing in dust and dirt actually helps turkeys get cleaner. Dusting removes pests and parasites and keeps the birds' skin healthy and feathers from getting matted, which could impede flight."
