- 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.
- Seeds-. Another easily attainable food source, seeds provide even more nutrition for wild turkeys. Mixing seeds and cracked corn makes a great spread out meal.
- Crabapples-. It’s likely that you’ve already seen crabapples growing in the nearby woods. Crabapples make great wild turkey food because they are easy to attain and inexpensive to grow.
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. ...
How to attract wild turkey to my land?
- 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?
Problems Caused By Wild Turkeys
- Empty Feeders. Turkeys are very large birds, and because a single flock can have a dozen or more adults, they can quickly clean out a large feeding area.
- Damage and Mess. Turkeys are quite strong and can easily damage small feeders. ...
- Injuries. ...
- Vehicle Accidents. ...
- Law Violations. ...
What food to use attract turkeys?
- Chufa
- Clover
- Ryegrass
- Corn
What to put out to feed wild turkeys?
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 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...
What scraps can you feed turkeys?
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. Access to leafy greens can also discourage development of a bad feather-picking habit.
Why you shouldn't feed wild turkeys?
Feeding, whether direct or indirect, can cause turkeys to act tame and may lead to bold or aggressive behavior, especially in the breeding season.
Do 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.
Do wild turkeys eat vegetables?
Wild turkeys are opportunistically omnivorous, which means they will readily sample a wide range of foods, both animal and vegetable.
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 corn?
Since wild turkeys are a ground-feeding type, sprinkling cracked corn in an open area of dirt is a sufficient way to attract them. Seeds- Another easily attainable food source, seeds provide even more nutrition for wild turkeys. Mixing seeds and cracked corn makes a great spread out meal.
Can turkeys have lettuce?
As these birds are bred to be large, food intake should be restricted with extra greens (pasture, alfalfa, grain sprouts, lettuce, cabbage, swiss chard) and roughage. Turkeys also love fruit, but it should be given in limited quantities.
Are wild turkeys good to have around?
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 do I attract wild turkeys to my property?
Ideally, 20 to 30 percent of your woodland should consist of these fruit- and nut-bearing trees. 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.
Do turkeys bond with humans?
They create long-lasting social bonds with each other and with humans. Turkeys love to be stroked, petted and cuddled. They will remember your face and if they like you, they will come up to you to greet you. Turkeys also love music and will cluck along with the songs.
Things to consider while choosing the best wild Turkey feed
To get the most suitable feed for your turkey, you need to consider some factors. In this way, you can guarantee an appropriate diet supply for your flock.
Popular Wild Turkey Feed Brands
There are several well-reputed brands that make fantastic food for wild turkeys. Here are the names of those top-rated manufacturers.
Top 6 Best Wild Turkey Feeds Reviews
Here are the reviews of the top wild turkey food supplements you can get. By the time you finish reading it, you can make a confident purchase.
Our Top Pick – Best Wild Turkey Food
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.
The Bottom Line
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
What to feed a turkey to fatten it up?
This can come in the form of a starter or grower feed. For fattening up a turkey, using a 30% protein gamebird feed will likely give the best results.
What do turkeys eat?
In the wild turkeys eat insects, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, plants, and small vertebrate animals. Acorns are a particular favorite during the wintertime when other food sources are scarce. Wild turkeys will use their feet, like chickens do, to scratch up worms, snails, and seeds to the surface.
Why are turkeys considered commercial birds?
Because turkeys (and chickens) are commercial birds, turkey growers and universities have put millions of dollars into research to ensure that they grow strong and healthy. For meat birds, rations are typically formulated so they grow to their maximum potential but not so fast as to cause issues with their health.
How to get turkeys to be more friendly?
Feeding your turkey treats by hand is a great way to get your birds to become more friendly and used to you. They will learn that not only do you not hurt them, coming close to you usually means they get some kind of yummy treat!
When to start feeding chickens a low protein diet?
At around 5 weeks of age you can start feeding a lower protein feed. Typically, this type of feed is found in feed stores called a “grower” feed. Traditional chick starter (the kind sold for chickens) also has this protein level if you are unable to find a turkey or game bird specific product at your feed store.
When can turkeys start eating game bird feed?
At about 13 weeks or so, your turkeys can start eating a regular turkey or game bird feed. At this stage, you can start feeding a lower percentage protein. As far as commercial poultry feeds go, typically the lower the total percentage protein in the feed, the less expensive it is.
What to feed a turkey to gain weight?
Consider adding corn and oats to your turkey’s diet in larger quantities. Corn is especially good for weight gain but typically results in birds putting on fat and not muscle. Even so, it is good to offer different types of food to encourage the bird to eat more.
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 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 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 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 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.
Can you use turkey starter for poults?
Short answer: Don’t do it. The only acceptable substitute for turkey starter is gamebird starter. I can see why you think of broiler feed right off, it is a higher protein feed, as far as chickens go, but it’s not enough for your poults! Use the turkey starter, if it’s available in your area.
Why is the NH Fish and Game Department not feeding turkeys?
The NH Fish and Game Department discourages people from purposefully feeding turkeys because doing so enhances the likelihood of disease, predation, and human conflicts. Fish and Game does not provide turkey feed or compensate individuals for the cost of turkey feed.
How to ensure a good distribution of food among flock members?
To ensure a good distribution of food among flock members, spread it out so that all birds have an opportunity to feed. FEED turkeys until the flock ceases daily visitation or until severe conditions moderate. FEED turkeys where you have observed turkeys feeding naturally in the past.
What are the consequences of irresponsible wildlife feeding?
BE ADVISED that irresponsible wildlife feeding can result in: the spread of disease and parasites; increased rates of predation by wild and domestic animals; human habituation by wildlife and resulting animal nuisance problems, and; the illegal taking of wildlife.
Does the Fish and Game Department advocate turkey feeding?
While the Fish and Game Department does not advocate wildlife feeding, we recognize that turkey feeding will at times take place with or without our input, and we also recognize that poor feeding practices may do more harm than good.
Can you feed turkeys in a residential area?
DO NOT feed turkeys within 100 yards of an occupied dwelling, adjacent to busy roads, in areas of high visibility, in residential areas or in areas where pets, predators or vehicles pose a threat to traveling or feeding turkeys.
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.
How to provide water to turkeys?
Ground bird baths are the best way to provide turkeys with water. Your chosen basin should not only be low to the ground but should also be broad enough to accommodate a large turkey flock. A shallow bath will be more attractive to turkeys, and it should be kept as clean and fresh as possible.
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.
What do turkey hunters stock up on?
One of the first things the majority of turkey hunters and managers do is head to their local feed store, stock up on chopped corn, wheat, or grain sorghum, and spread it out in areas turkeys frequent.
How to get a feel for turkey life?
To get a feel for what life is like as a turkey, get on your knees and see if traveling through a timber stand would be possible. If not, then you may want to either consider prescribed burning or an herbicide treatment to reduce some of the understory.
Can wild turkeys be kept long term?
That is a temporary fix, and has not been proven to hold turkeys long-term. Do not get me wrong, off-season supplemental feeding is sometimes necessary, but should be a small part of the overall management plan.
Is a fat turkey good for chufa?
A fat turkey is a happy turkey, and this strategy seems to work in most occurrences. Just as a whitetail manager uses summer supplemental feeding to take the pressure off his corn or soybean crop (and benefit the herd's health), feeding your turkeys can help save some of your chufa patches or other crops for the season.
Can you hold a turkey year round?
However, if you want to hold your turkeys year round, make sure you have plenty of food for them once you cut them off from the bait. People forget that turkeys need to be managed just as whitetails need to be managed. In many ways, turkeys require more tender loving care than whitetails.
Can you feed turkeys in spring?
However, the majority of the states do not allow feeding during the spring turkey season or have stipulations in place that make it almost impractical. The issue in question here is not whether feeding should be allowed or not, it is if you should feed your turkeys before the season starts. Let’s dive into this issue.
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…