Turkey owner goes everywhere with his inseparable companion - even to the pub and the dentist
- 7 months ago
Don't mention Christmas but one turkey might just avoid the oven this year after becoming best friends with his owner.
Animal lover Dave Brooker goes everywhere with his beloved pet turkey Trouble Version Two - or T2 for short - who is like a child to him and has followed him everywhere from the pub to the dentist since she was born two years ago.
Locals in Maidstone, Kent, are often baffled as they see the 56-year-old sat alongside T2 in his car when they stop at traffic lights, or when he feeds her her favourite snack - the meat from a scotch egg - in the middle of a Tesco's car park.
She can often be seen casually sitting in the White Horse pub in Maidstone with a packet of cheese & onion crisps and has had such an effect on her owner that he's stopped eating turkey for Christmas dinner.
But though some people find their undeniably strong bond a little unorthodox, the pair are inseparable and even sleep in the same room together at their home in the village of Wouldham, Kent.
"She's like my child," Mr Brooker admits.
"There's a mutual bond. She's good company and entertaining - sometimes I even think she's part human."
The unlikely duo's story began when Mr Brooker, who keeps turkeys for their eggs, was forced to care for newborn T2 before he could return her to her mother, Trouble.
"Her mum was sitting on a dozen eggs and the weather turned awful," he explained.
"The first two that hatched died, so I set up a brooder to get the turkeys strong enough to go back under their mum.
"T2 was the first one out and I fed her for 10 or 11 hours.
"She was on her own with me checking on her and must have thought I was her parent.
"The others all went back underneath the mother quite easily, but not T2.
"Ever since, she literally goes everywhere with me."
One of T2's favourite outings is to the car park of the Tesco store in Tovil, Kent, where she feasts on her favourite snack.
“I feed her in the car park because she loves the sausage meat on scotch eggs," Mr Brooker, who also owns three horses, explained.
“She absolutely adores that and it’s her treat when she goes to Tesco.
"We also go to the White Horse in Maidstone; she's been going there since she was a baby.
"I’ve got a video of her walking on the bar as a little chick."
Indeed the only time the pair are separated is when Mr Brooker goes to work as an online order picker for Tesco.
T2 is such a feature in her owner's life she even accompanies him to the dentist.
"I was at the dentist recently and I asked the receptionist if she could turkey-sit for me," Mr Brooker said.
"She thought it was a joke, but then I brought T2 in. They all loved it.
"Most people think it's really strange, but it's actually a really good talking point."
T2 is fast becoming a normal sight amongst locals, who frequently spot her sat alongside her owner in his car at traffic lights or at the pub for a pint.
Animal lover Dave Brooker goes everywhere with his beloved pet turkey Trouble Version Two - or T2 for short - who is like a child to him and has followed him everywhere from the pub to the dentist since she was born two years ago.
Locals in Maidstone, Kent, are often baffled as they see the 56-year-old sat alongside T2 in his car when they stop at traffic lights, or when he feeds her her favourite snack - the meat from a scotch egg - in the middle of a Tesco's car park.
She can often be seen casually sitting in the White Horse pub in Maidstone with a packet of cheese & onion crisps and has had such an effect on her owner that he's stopped eating turkey for Christmas dinner.
But though some people find their undeniably strong bond a little unorthodox, the pair are inseparable and even sleep in the same room together at their home in the village of Wouldham, Kent.
"She's like my child," Mr Brooker admits.
"There's a mutual bond. She's good company and entertaining - sometimes I even think she's part human."
The unlikely duo's story began when Mr Brooker, who keeps turkeys for their eggs, was forced to care for newborn T2 before he could return her to her mother, Trouble.
"Her mum was sitting on a dozen eggs and the weather turned awful," he explained.
"The first two that hatched died, so I set up a brooder to get the turkeys strong enough to go back under their mum.
"T2 was the first one out and I fed her for 10 or 11 hours.
"She was on her own with me checking on her and must have thought I was her parent.
"The others all went back underneath the mother quite easily, but not T2.
"Ever since, she literally goes everywhere with me."
One of T2's favourite outings is to the car park of the Tesco store in Tovil, Kent, where she feasts on her favourite snack.
“I feed her in the car park because she loves the sausage meat on scotch eggs," Mr Brooker, who also owns three horses, explained.
“She absolutely adores that and it’s her treat when she goes to Tesco.
"We also go to the White Horse in Maidstone; she's been going there since she was a baby.
"I’ve got a video of her walking on the bar as a little chick."
Indeed the only time the pair are separated is when Mr Brooker goes to work as an online order picker for Tesco.
T2 is such a feature in her owner's life she even accompanies him to the dentist.
"I was at the dentist recently and I asked the receptionist if she could turkey-sit for me," Mr Brooker said.
"She thought it was a joke, but then I brought T2 in. They all loved it.
"Most people think it's really strange, but it's actually a really good talking point."
T2 is fast becoming a normal sight amongst locals, who frequently spot her sat alongside her owner in his car at traffic lights or at the pub for a pint.