Feeding Wild Turkeys the Natural Way
- Plant Native Oaks: Acorns are a key food source for wild turkeys. ...
- Plant Other Nut and Berry-Producing Plants: In addition to oak acorns, other staples of the wild turkey diet include beech nuts, pecans, hickory nuts, crabapples, and hackberries. ...
- Offer Seeds and Browse: Turkeys browse on plant buds and shoots in the early spring and feed off fern fronds, club mosses, and weeds such as burdock, especially when there ...
- Grit and Gravel: Turkeys will swallow grit to help them digest their food. ...
- Stop Using Pesticides: Aside from the direct harm you can cause wildlife by using pesticides, by not using these chemicals you’ll make sure that turkeys have plenty of much-needed protein ...
- Leave the Leaves: By leaving some dead plant matter in your garden, you’re providing habitat for the small animals that are a key part of a turkey’s diet. ...
- Beech (Beechnuts are an alternate food source when acorn supplies are low.)
- Hickory (As with beechnuts, hickory nuts are an alternate winter food source.)
- Dogwood.
- Wild cherry.
- Grapes.
- Berries.
What do wild turkeys eat in real life?
What do turkeys eat?
- Water. Turkey, like all other animals, requires lots of fresh water to survive. ...
- Plants. Turkeys love to pick at natural plants. ...
- Seeds and grains. Turkeys love to eat seeds and grains. ...
- Insects. About 10% of an adult turkey’s diet consists of small animals like insects. ...
- Fruits and nuts. ...
- Turkey feed. ...
- Diet variations. ...
What are wild turkeys favorite food?
- Soybeans
- Corns
- Buckwheat
- Grain sorghum
- Oats
- Sunflower
- Ragweed
- Buds
What is the best bait for wild turkeys?
- Beech (Beechnuts are an alternate food source when acorn supplies are low.)
- Hickory (As with beechnuts, hickory nuts are an alternate winter food source.)
- Dogwood
- Wild cherry
- Grapes
- Berries
How to attract wild turkeys to your land?
More Ways to Attract Wild Turkeys
- Create a large, wide dust bath where the turkeys can dust and preen safely and conveniently.
- Minimize the use of insecticides or herbicides that would decrease the availability of natural turkey foods.
- Provide a low stump or boulder for a guard perch so turkeys can watch for threats.
What kind of feed do wild turkeys like?
Acorns, hickory nuts, beechnuts, or walnuts, either cracked open or swallowed whole. Seeds and grain, including spilled birdseed or corn and wheat in agricultural fields. Berries, wild grapes, crabapples, and other small fruits. Small reptiles including lizards and snakes.
What does the Eastern wild turkey eat?
The eastern wild turkey is an opportunistic forager that feeds on green foliage, insects, seeds from grasses and forbs, and mast (acorns and nuts). Annually, their diet consists of about 36% grasses, 29% insects, 19% mast, and 16% forbs.
Should you feed wild turkeys?
Feeding turkeys Keep wildlife wild! Never deliberately feed wild turkeys to attract them to your property or keep them around. Turkeys can survive very well on natural foods and do not need handouts from people.
What is the best thing to feed wild turkey?
FEED turkeys cracked or whole kernel corn, sunflower seeds, oats, wheat, or non-medicated commercial poultry or turkey rations. FEED turkeys daily by broadcasting food at a rate of 2 large handfuls (or 1/2 cup) per turkey per day.
What are good treats for turkeys?
Adult turkeys will get as much as 50% of their intake from pasture or range grass. Range grass is grass that is four to six inches long. Turkeys like to eat the growing tips of the grass. They will also enjoy any kitchen or garden scraps: lettuce, tomatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, and so on.
What should you not feed turkeys?
Here is some food that you should not feed to turkeys:Low-Quality chicken feed.Dairy foods.Onions.Raw meat.Chocolate.Processed foods.Fruit pits and seeds.Tomato and eggplant leaves.More items...
How do I attract wild turkeys to my property?
Turkeys love acorns and pecans, as well as dogwoods, huckleberries, blueberries, and other fruits found in the understory. Planting food plots: Follow these tips to establish food plots as a supplement to natural forage. Food plots can also be used to increase turkey sightings and harvest success.
Can turkeys eat carrots?
Turkeys love to pick at natural plants. They will consume all sorts of leaves and grasses. You can also feed your turkey various vegetable plants like lettuce, cabbage, carrot leaves, and much more.
Where do wild turkeys sleep at night?
treesAlthough turkeys spend most of their time on the ground during the day, they sleep in trees at night. Turkeys cannot see well in the dark. Sleeping in trees provides protection from predators that roam and can see at night. They fly up to roost at dusk, and fly down at dawn to begin their daily rituals.
Do wild turkeys eat whole corn?
Whole corn is an excellent choice if you want to feed them. Cracked corn works good too but tends to get covered up quickly if it is snowing or blowing. I've found they also like alfalfa hay, strange as it might seem. They get right into it and eat the green leaves and flowers.
Do turkeys eat oats?
Turkey also eat waste grains in harvested fields of corn, buckwheat, soybeans, oats, and grain sorghum, and they will use food plots, as well. Turkeys foraging in agricultural areas in the fall and spring eat mostly waste grains, wild plants, insects, and young grasses.
Do wild turkeys eat grass seed?
Offer Seeds and Browse: Turkeys browse on plant buds and shoots in the early spring and feed off fern fronds, club mosses, and weeds such as burdock, especially when there is a lot of snow cover and other foods are hard to find. Grasses, sedges and many wildflowers provide wild turkeys with seeds to eat.
What does turkey feed on?
Turkeys are fed nutritionally balanced diets of mixed grains and oilseeds, which typically include corn, soya, wheat, barley and canola, for healthy growth and development.
What does turkey bird eat?
Depending on the plants species and time of year, turkeys will eat roots, bulbs, stems, buds, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. In search of protein, they move about the woods like a pack of velociraptors, thrashing up the leaf litter and eating anything that moves.
How do you attract wild turkeys?
Turkeys love acorns and pecans, as well as dogwoods, huckleberries, blueberries, and other fruits found in the understory. Planting food plots: Follow these tips to establish food plots as a supplement to natural forage. Food plots can also be used to increase turkey sightings and harvest success.
Do turkeys eat the same as chickens?
Turkeys are supposed to eat a higher protein food than chickens and game feed is the preferred turkey food. If you are raising turkeys for meat, it is important to feed them the proper protein content, but we honestly feed our turkeys the same food we feed the chickens.
What is the best feed for wild turkeys?
After thorough research, our top pick for the best wild turkey feed is the M anna Pro Gamebird Showbird Crumbles. It’s full of nutrients and vitamins to keep your birds healthy and energetic. If you want to encourage muscle growth, this meal is the most remarkable one you can get.
How much protein is in turkey feed?
To ensure top-notch muscle buildup, this feed contains 28% protein. Therefore, your turkeys will be growing fast and become strong, which is our topmost priority.
What is Wagner's bird food?
From turkeys to any wild bir d, this Wagner’s bird food is one of the most excellent ones you can get out there. It is formulated with cracked corn to keep your turkeys well-fed all the time.
Why should you consider the cost of turkey food?
You should always consider the food’s cost because you don’t want to go bankrupt for feeding your birds! Turkeys are an energetic breed, and they need an optimal amount of rations. Hence, you need to get something that will keep them well-fed and won’t burn holes in your pocket!
Do turkeys need a diet?
Turkeys are gorgeous creatures, and to maintain their optimal growth, you need to ensure a proper diet. Otherwise, your flocks will grow up in poor health conditions, and you don’t want that!
Do wild turkeys need nutrients?
Like any other breed, your wild turkeys will need proper nutrients for fabulous growth. If not, you can never expect a healthy bird on your farm.
Is turkey supplement good for birds?
This is a complete supplement that will keep the bird well-fed all the time. In this way, the turkeys will always be at their best behavior, which is pretty impressive.
What are the predators of wild turkeys?
Poults are especially vulnerable to predation in the first few weeks of life when they still roost on the ground. In addition, they are also more likely to succumb to starvation, birth defects, and inclement weather. In fact, less than 50% of poults survive to be one month old in east Texas. The two most common nest predators are the American crow ( Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the raccoon ( Procyon lotor ). Other common predators include snakes, feral pigs ( Sus scrofa ), opossums ( Didelphis virginiana ), great-horned owls ( Bubo virginianus ),
What does a forest provide for turkeys?
Forested areas provide soft mast and cover for most of the year. Forested areas must be well managed though for wild turkeys to utilize them. If the forest gets too dense, the wild turkeys main defense, sight, is compromised and they will no longer use it.
How many feathers do turkeys have?
The bodies of wild turkeys are covered with 5,000 to 6,000 feathers. These feathers provide insulation, lift during flight, and touch sensation and ornamentation. A wild turkey undergoes five molts (feather replacement) during its lifetime: natal, juvenile, first basic, alternate (first winter), and basic (adult plumage). The body feathers of toms are vibrantly colored: iridescent copper, bronze, red, green, and gold. While hens have these same colors, they are significantly dulled and muted which causes the female to appear brown. Gobblers have a beard, which is a cluster of long follicles in the center of their chest that can be an inch to 10 inches long. Unlike the rest of the body feathers which undergo 5 molts throughout an eastern’s lifetime, the beard does not molt. It becomes visible when the turkey is 6-7 months of age, and it continues to grow throughout their lifetime.
How to tell if a turkey is wild or eastern?
Eastern wild turkeys can be differentiated from Rio Grande wild turkeys by the coloration of the tips of the tail feathers and the upper tail coverts (feathers of the lower back, covering the base of the tail feathers). In Rio Grande wild turkeys, these feather tips are buff or tan, contrasting with the dark brown tips of the eastern wild turkey.
How many eggs do turkeys lay?
Hens lay one egg per day, for an average total of 10 eggs. Turkey nest. The eggs are incubated for 28 days, after which the poults begin to hatch. The poults and the hatch then form a brood, and spend the majority of the poults’ first few weeks of life foraging for invertebrates. Hen with poults.
What are the diseases that turkeys are susceptible to?
bobcats ( Lynx rufus ), and coyotes ( Canis latrans ). In addition to predations, eastern wild turkeys are also susceptible to numerous diseases and parasites such as aspergillosis, mycoplasmosis, salmonellosis, and coligranuloma.
What is the habitat of a turkey?
Habitat and diet. Habitat diversity is important for eastern wild turkeys, which require an interspersion of forested areas and open grasslands to meet their needs. Open grasslands are necessary for turkey courtship in addition to providing the necessary seeds and insects for poults. Forested areas provide soft mast and cover for most of the year.
What do turkeys eat?
Season: At spring green-up turkeys typically forage on leftover nuts, tender plant shoots, grass, leaves and buds. In summer, insects, berries and small reptiles are abundant. Fruits, nuts, seeds and grains provide nutrition in fall and winter. When snow cover or ice prevents ground foraging, turkeys can survive by eating white pine and hemlock needles and buds; evergreen ferns, lichens, moss, and buds and stems of sugar maple, beech and hop-hornbeam trees.
Where do turkeys live?
Location: Turkeys thrive in a diversity of habitats. Turkeys living in forested areas consume more nuts, fruits and buds. Turkeys found in agricultural regions take advantage of available grains and crops. Desert-country birds might eat reptiles, cacti and seeds, while swampland turkeys utilize nuts, buds, plants, frogs, salamanders, worms and snails.
Why do turkeys have dark beaks?
Dark, manure-stained beaks indicate turkeys are spending time poking around in cow poo. Elevated food bar – When turkeys hang up on the morning roost, they may be feeding on tender tree buds. If other foods are scarce they often return to the trees for short periods during the day , too.
What do gobblers eat?
The southern Eastern gobbler filled its crop with mostly blackberries and grass seed heads.
Do turkeys eat leaf litter?
Feeding commences shortly after fly-down with pauses throughout the day to loaf, digest, dust and preen. Major feeding times occur for several hours in the morning and again several hours before fly-up time.
Do wild turkeys eat poults?
Wild turkeys have big appetites. From large-bodied adults to broods of rapidly growing poults, they require considerable amounts of food. Their diets are varied, not only by region but by the season. Think of them as foodies of the bird world , with about a hundred different dietary items on the menu – including some you wouldn’t expect.
What is the best food for wild turkeys?
Cracked Corn- Corn is chocked full of protein and fiber that makes a great wild turkey food. Cracked corn is simply corn that has been dried and broken into pieces. This process makes it easier for wild turkeys to digest. There is also little waste associated with cracked corn.
What to feed wild turkeys in winter?
Mixing seeds and cracked corn makes a great spread out meal. Sunflower, milo, and millet are all enjoyable types of seeds to put out for wild turkeys. Nuts- Acorns are a chosen favorite for wild turkeys. But in the wintertime, acorns can become scarce. Beech and hickory nuts are a great alternative.
What do wild turkeys eat?
According to the DNR, they can eat more than 100 different food items! Wild turkeys love to chow down on insects and small reptiles. But insects are hard to contain if you want to feed wild turkeys yourself.
Is a wild turkey breast dark?
Oh one more thing. The eastern Wild turkey are mostly all dark meat including the breast, but the breast will not be as big as any broad breasted varieties, at least that is my understanding. Please correct anything I have wrong here as I know very little, just what I've read or experienced or by information passed onto to me from others.
Do domestic turkeys like dogs?
The domestic turkeys are very docile and tame. In fact, they're rather endearing. They follow me around like dogs, and will even tolerate wearing little hats (hey, I have small children and they find it amusing). They come when called and want to be a part of EVERYTHING we do outside. The wild turkeys hang out with us too, but tend to be about 10-15 feet away while observing us.
Do wild turkeys eat chicken?
All of my turkeys have done well free-ranging, but I feel that the wild variety was much more efficient. In fact, I don't have to do much to keep them happy. They sleep in trees, eat bugs and grass. They do have access to chicken layer feed, but I never actually see them eat it. That doesn't mean they don't, it's just that the wild turkeys are a bit more "wild" and standoffish than the domestic varieties.
Do wild turkeys hang out with guineas?
I let all my birds intermingle, but they all form their own groups. Wild turkeys actually hung out with the guineas, and the meat and Beltsville birds had their own little group. /shrug
What is the black breed of turkey?
Once back in the U.S., the Black was bred with Eastern American turkeys. The breed has deep, black feathers with a greenish tinge. The skin is white.
What color is a turkey?
Most of the turkey that is sold in grocery stores comes from white turkeys. White is a popular color for meat turkeys because if there are small feathers left behind on the carcass, it’s not as noticeable as dark feathers. If you want a more traditional looking turkey, then you’ll want to consider a heritage breed.
Why are my turkeys slate?
The slate color is due to a genetic mutation that leads to the smoky gray coloring. Slate turkeys can also be called Lavender or Blue turkey. Some Slate turkeys can have brown edges to their feathers but this is considered a defect and is undesired. Toms mature at 23 pounds and hens at 14 pounds.
How much does a turkey cost to raise?
You can expect to raise turkeys for somewhere around $1.20 per pound. This will depend more on the type of turkey you raise, the feed you give them and whether they are pasture raised or not. Broad breasted breeds usually grow faster and can reach harvest weight in about three and a half months.
What is the smallest turkey?
The Midget White turkey is the smallest breed of turkey. The breed weighs in at 13 pounds for toms and 8 pounds for hens. These turkeys have broad breasts for their size and look like miniatures of the larger broad-breasted breeds. Midget Whites are known to be excellent breeders and overly friendly.
How long does it take for a turkey to reach harvest weight?
Broad-breasted turkeys will reach harvest size in about 16-22 weeks. Heritage breeds take a little longer and will reach harvest weight at about 25-30 weeks. Simply mark your calendar and then work backwards, depending on the type of turkey that you’ll be raising.
When was the Beltsville turkey created?
The Beltsville Small White turkey was created in the 1940’s. Prior to the Beltsville Small White, families had to purchase large turkeys. The consumer demand for smaller turkeys led to the creation of the breed. The birds would mature with hens weighing about 10 pounds and toms around 17.
Foods They Eat
How They Eat
- Wild turkeys forage constantly, always seeking out a new meal or snack. They are most frequently found feeding for several hours in the early morning just after sunrise, and will also feed more actively several hours before darkness. If food is scarce they will forage at any time of day, and when the flock includes young, hungry chicks, they are more often foraging throughout the day a…
How Their Diet Varies
- Though turkeys will eat many different things, their diets can be influenced by a number of factors, such as: 1. Season: Turkeys, like all animals, select food sources that are most abundant and easiest to reach. When different foods are abundant in different seasons, turkeys adjust their diets accordingly. In spring, they eat more fresh buds, grasses, and similar plant material, while i…
Feeding Turkeys
- Wild turkeys are not common as backyard birds, but birders who live near wooded areas may find these large game birds foraging near their feeders. To provide an adequate feeding area for wild turkeys: 1. Opt for ground feeding areasor large, low platform feeders that can accommodate these large birds and the flocks they forage in. Turkey scratching can damage turf or delicate la…
Physical Attributes
Mating and Nesting
- Gobblers attract a hen’s attention by gobbling and strutting. The hen will select a mate by lying close to the ground in front of him, which signals the male to begin copulation. The breeding season is generally from March to June, with hens beginning to nest mid-April to mid-June. In open herbaceous habitats and thinned pine forests, females choose nesting sites in native bunc…
Habitat and Diet
- Habitat diversity is important for eastern wild turkeys, which require an interspersion of forested areas and open grasslands to meet their needs. Open grasslands are necessary for turkey courtship in addition to providing the necessary seeds and insects for poults. Forested areas provide soft mast and cover for most of the year. Forested areas mus...
Predation and Other Mortality Factors
- Eastern wild turkeys are prone to predation from the nesting to adult stages of life. Half of all nests are lost to predation or abandonment. Poults are especially vulnerable to predation in the first few weeks of life when they still roost on the ground. In addition, they are also more likely to succumb to starvation, birth defects, and inclement weather. In fact, less than 50% of poults sur…
Conservation and Management
- Up until 1881, eastern wild turkeys could be harvested year-round. In 1881, the Texas legislature passed the first turkey season, closing the season for three and a half months of the year. By 1907, a three-turkey bag limit was passed by the Texas Legislature. In 1941, the eastern wild turkey season was officially closed. Despite these and other preventative measures, by 1942 the…