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. ...
- 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.
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.
Should I feed a nesting turkey?
Offer Plenty of Food Close to Nesting Cover Nesting hens still eat. The closer food is to the nesting cover, the less ground hens must cover to meet their basic needs. Offering plenty of grub next to known nesting is a great way to help keep them alive.
What can I feed a wild turkey in my yard?
Preferred foods of wild turkeysBeech (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 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 do you feed a wild baby turkey?
What do baby turkeys eat in the wild? For the first month of their lives, baby turkeys eat mostly protein foods like mollusks, insects, and small reptiles. After this critical month of life, babies are just as omnivorous as adults. They start eating more seeds, vegetables, roots, fruits, grains, and nuts.
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...
Is Cracked corn good 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.
Is it OK to feed wild turkeys?
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.
Do wild turkeys eat bird seed?
Grasses, sedges and many wildflowers provide wild turkeys with seeds to eat. We don't encourage attracting turkeys with birdseed from feeders, mostly because artificially feeding turkeys causes them to lose their natural fear of people*. Grit and Gravel: Turkeys will swallow grit to help them digest their food.
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.
What do newly hatched turkeys eat?
Baby turkeys need to eat turkey/gamebird starter mash or crumbles, a blend specially formulated for their growth and development. Layer or breeder mash, crumbles, or pellets should never be fed to poults, not even as an emergency ration.
How do you take care of wild baby turkeys?
Keep them clean and dry. Pine shavings or rice hulls make good bedding. Never brood them on slick surfaces like newspaper. Never give a turkey poult cold water - cold water can be deadly to turkey poults.
Can baby turkeys eat chick starter?
Feed for Turkey Poults Turkey poults require higher levels of protein than chicks. It is recommended that they are fed unmedicated chick starter with a supplement of brewer's yeast (2 cups per 10lbs of feed). For their first 12 weeks, poults should be given a 28% protein feed.
Is it OK to feed wild turkeys?
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 can you feed 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.
Do wild turkeys eat bird seed?
Grasses, sedges and many wildflowers provide wild turkeys with seeds to eat. We don't encourage attracting turkeys with birdseed from feeders, mostly because artificially feeding turkeys causes them to lose their natural fear of people*. Grit and Gravel: Turkeys will swallow grit to help them digest their food.
How can I bring a turkey to my property?
6 Ways To Attract Turkeys To Your YardProvide Turkeys with a Varied Diet Year-Round.Provide a Water Source.Install Shelters and High Perches.Provide Nesting Sites.Limit Your Use of Pesticides.Lock Up your Pets.Attracting Turkeys May Be Illegal in Some States.Turkeys Can Cause Damage to Your Property.More items...•
What to feed a turkey?
Here are some common snacks often offered to turkeys: 1 Watermelon#N#This is an excellent summertime treat to offer your turkeys as it can help keep them hydrated even on the hottest days. All parts of the watermelon are safe to feed your turkeys, including the flesh, seeds, and rind. 2 Apples#N#Most turkeys love apples and will enjoy pecking at them cubed or sliced. Seeds should be removed if possible, but small amounts of seed ingested on occasion are not dangerous to your birds. Applesauce is a great snack option for young birds as well! 3 Peas#N#This is probably going to be the table scrap your turkeys enjoy the most! Peas are a healthy snack to offer your birds and can be offered dried, cooked, or frozen. You can even mix peas into your regular feed ration for extra protein! 4 Spinach#N#If you really want to offer spinach to your turkeys as an occasional treat or snack, doing so in small amounts is fine. Spinach can block the absorption of calcium, leading to bone density issues over the long term if fed in abundance.
Why do turkeys need extra food?
Providing a little extra food in addition to their normal ration can help save on feed costs while ensuring nothing goes to waste. Turkeys, like most poultry, will readily accept scraps and leftovers, but as their caretaker, it is up to you to know which foods are safe for your flock.
How to attract wild turkeys to your property?
Diversity is key when trying to attract wild turkeys to your property. Always be sure to plant multiple choices to help coax turkeys into the area. Additionally, consider seeding the area with ryegrass, oats, sorghum, or corn to provide a well-rounded and lush place for turkeys and other wildlife to visit.
How much protein do turkeys need?
As turkeys grow, their protein requirements change. Young turkeys require around 28% protein from the start to ensure they grow quickly and safely.
What do turkeys eat?
Their exact diet depends on the season and available food and their age and stage in life. Turkeys eat insects, snails, slugs, lizards, snakes, and grasshoppers. They enjoy nuts, acorns, seeds (including many wild weed seeds), corn, grain, and peas. They eat berries, flowers, bulbs, foliage, and fruit.
What is the best food for turkeys?
Many custom rations for turkeys include a variety of grains and seeds, including: Corn. While corn is not the most nutritious food on its own, it can be a great option for providing fat and overall energy. This can be especially useful in the winter, so corn is common in most winter rations.
What to avoid feeding turkeys?
Regardless of how abundant these scraps may be around your farm, these are some of the most common foods to avoid feeding turkeys: Uncooked Beans.
How long does it take for a hen to hatch from a pipping poult?
Pipping is when the poult uses is egg tooth (hard, sharp spike on the upper beak) to break the shell. The pipping poults rotate in the egg to make a complete break around the large end of the egg. Hatching takes about 24 hours. Once the poult frees itself from the egg it is ready to follow the hen within 12-24 hours.
What does it mean when a turkey hen is incubating?
Laying hens cover the eggs with leaves or other material, while incubating hens leave the eggs exposed. Turkey nesting means behavioral and habitat use changes for turkey hens. Most subspecies of wild turkey are gregarious, but turkey hens change their behavior during the nesting season.
What happens when a hen leaves the nest?
When a hen leaves the nest, she leaves the nest uncovered and goes directly to water, drink, defecate, and then feed. Time off the nest varies from day to day and weather can play a factor in her outings. On hot days hens seem to feed longer and in a more leisurely manner than on cold days.
How successful are turkey nests?
Ground-nesting birds have an average success rate of about 15%, but the success of turkey nests can range from 0 to 50% depending upon habitat condition, predators, and environmental factors.
Where do turkeys nest?
Turkey nests have been found in a variety of habitats, but nest are usually situated in close proximity to woody vegetation. Sites are primarily selected for their undergrowth characteristics. Nests are often found at the base of trees or against fallen logs. Though turkeys will not usually select wide-open grasslands for nesting, hens will often select a nest site near a trail or open area. This allows for access to the nest and the trail or open area may be used for a feeding area during incubation. Turkey nests are a shallow depression formed mostly by scratching, squatting, and laying eggs. Most hens lay one egg a day, and have a clutch of 10 to 12 eggs. Laying hens cover the eggs with leaves or other material, while incubating hens leave the eggs exposed.
Do turkey hens avoid other turkeys?
When a turkey hen starts looking for a nest site she will avoid all other hens. Once a site is selected, this behavior continues to occur in an area of a half mile around the selected nesting site. However, when she is further out from the nest the hen will associate with other turkeys.
What is the best feed for a turkey poult?
Day old turkey poults need a 28% feed. The key to raising healthy poults is to give them the correct feed! For your day old poults, use 28% feed or a gamebird starter which will be a 30% feed. Poults need a much higher protein feed than most other young birds and the appropriate day old poult feeds are noticeably more expensive than ...
What to do if your turkeys look lackluster?
Just watch the condition of your birds, if they look good, you’re doing it right! If your turkeys look a bit lackluster, up their feed amount and possibly increase the protein in the feed , especially if you notice they are molting.
What do turkeys eat?
Our adult turkeys run around the barnyard and eat grass and bugs and occasionally eat some shelled corn. We don’t feed them anything special, since they can roam about and get what they need by grazing.
What is 12% turkey feed?
Once your turkeys get to adult size, they are fine with a 12% feed as a maintenance ration. 12% non medicated poultry feed should be really easy to find at most any feed store. Notice that 12% is a maintenance ration, not a breeding/laying ration.
Can you feed gamebird starter to chickens?
You can use gamebird starter, which is also a very high protein, non medicated feed. Any formulation for chickens, no matter the chicken, will not work. And definitely not an “All Flock” type feed, it will be no where even close to what your poults need. Maybe it will be your best choice when they are adults, but not now.
Can you feed turkey poults outside?
Do your best, but just don’t switch feed all of a sudden, ease them into it. Once your poults can go outside, read Space Needed To Raise Turkey Poults, keep feed available to them. Poults will eat whatever snacks they want to outside and eat the turkey feed they need, as well.
Does turkey feed change as it grows?
Protein % needed will change as turkey grows. You’ll notice in the table at the beginning of the article, the percent protein in the feed changes as the poults grow. This is normal for any feed ration.
What do turkeys eat in the spring?
In spring, they eat more fresh buds, grasses, and similar plant material, while insects and berries are more popular fare in summer. In autumn and winter, nuts, fruits, and grains make up the bulk of a wild turkey's diet.
What do wild turkeys eat?
They forage frequently and will eat many different things, including: Acorns, hickory nuts, beechnuts, or walnuts, either cracked open or swallowed whole. Seeds and grain, including spilled birdseed or corn ...
What to do if a turkey eats a lot of insects?
Minimize or eliminate herbicides and insecticides that could contaminate foods wild turkeys eat, particularly during the summer when young birds are more susceptible to toxic chemicals. Instead, allow turkeys to forage freely and they will eat many bothersome insects.
What is the same as wild turkey?
Seeds and grain, including spilled birdseed or corn and wheat in agricultural fields. In captivity or in agricultural settings, domestic turkeys —which are the same genetic species as wild turkeys—are often fed a special commercial feed formulated for game birds, turkeys, or poultry.
What do turkey farmers eat?
Many turkey farmers also supplement their flock's feeding with additional corn, grain, or other foods. The diet of domestic turkeys is often formulated to encourage heavier birds and faster growth to increase commercial profits.
How long does it take for a turkey to digest?
After feeding, turkeys will often roost quietly for several hours while they digest.
Do wild turkeys eat grain?
In agricultural regions, wild turkeys can often find much more grain to eat, and may even be considered a nuisance or pest in farmers' fields. Age: Young wild turkeys can forage for themselves very quickly, and the hen will lead her brood to the best available food sources.
How long do turkeys stay on their nests?
Now she would stay on the nest day and night for 28 days to incubate the eggs, only taking a brief break mid-day to feed on protein-rich insects. According to the Wild Turkey Federation, only 10 to 40 percent of turkey nests hatch successfully. Ground nests are very vulnerable to predators; raccoons, skunks, foxes, snakes, ...
How much do hens weigh when they hatch?
Though the chicks weigh only 1.6 ounces when they hatch, they gain 1.1 pounds per month, said Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Chris Bernier. By summer’s end, they usually weigh several pounds.
How many feathers do turkeys have?
They would undergo two more molts before their first winter, and as adults they’d have 5,000 to 6,000 feathers. During the first four weeks of life, turkeys are very susceptible to weather and predators. Prolonged cold, rainy weather can kill them. A whole host of predators, including hawks and bobcats, will hunt them.
What does it mean when a turkey poult is precocial?
Turkey poults are “precocial,” which means they are well-developed and able to walk soon after hatching.
How long does it take for a poult to grow feathers?
After 8 to 10 days, the poults would have begun to grow their first flight feathers, and by two weeks of age they’d be able to fly short distances to low branches to roost. Soon their down would be replaced by juvenile plumage, which offers better protection from bad weather.
When do turkeys stay with their mother?
In the fall and winter, the family would join other hens with their broods. They would stay with their mother until the spring mating season. One day in early November, after we’d received a few inches of snow, a group of four juvenile turkeys marched up our driveway.
Where do turkeys nest?
Most turkey nests are in the woods, but within 100 feet of an opening such as a woods road, clearing, or field. The hen looks for a concealed spot with overhead cover from which she can easily watch for predators. Typical locations are depressions in thickets or beneath the branches of fallen trees.
How to entice turkeys to make an appearance?
In that case, a few extra steps may be necessary to entice the birds to make an appearance. 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.
Why are turkeys dangerous?
As turkeys get accustomed to visiting your yard, they may begin to roam through other parts of the neighborhood that they perceive as "their" territory. This puts the birds at risk of vehicle collisions and other dangerous situations. A flock of turkeys alongside the road could impede traffic and cause other problems.
What is a wild turkey?
Email. The Spruce / Anastasia Tretiak. Wild turkeys are instantly recognizable birds that are more common in suburban yards than many birders realize. With the right preparation and steps to attract these large game birds, they can become regular visitors to your yard. However, you may also want to consider the potential problems they can cause ...
How to attract turkeys to your yard?
To attract turkeys to your yard, you can provide them with a large ground feeding station containing cracked corn or mixed birdseed. Turkeys will also happily clean up any spills under hanging feeders you may have up for other birds.
Why do we love turkeys?
Why We Love Turkeys. Wild turkeys are fascinating to watch, not only for their distinctive plumage but also for their interesting behavior and social natures. The birds eat many pesky insects, and a flock of turkeys nearby can be ideal pest control for a yard. Turkeys are also beloved for their association with the Thanksgiving holiday.
How to keep turkeys from spooking?
Provide a low stump or boulder for a guard perch so turkeys can watch for threats. Keep any pets indoors or closely supervised so they do not spook or harass the turkeys when they're visiting your yard. Be prepared to host turkeys year-round, since they stay in the same range every season.
What are some good foods to feed a turkey?
Plenty of natural foods are also great options for turkeys, including nuts, berries, crabapples, snails, slugs, and insects. Letting turkeys snack on these natural foods is a cheaper alternative than paying for their hearty appetites.
