- 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
- Fleshy plant parts such as buds, roots, bulbs, succulents, and cacti
- Plant foliage, grass, and tender young leaves or shoots
- Large insects including grasshoppers, spiders, and caterpillars
- Snails, slugs, and worms
- Sand and small gravel for grit to aid proper digestion
What do wild turkeys like to eat?
They enjoy nuts, acorns, seeds (including many wild weed seeds), corn, grain, and peas. They eat berries, flowers, bulbs, foliage, and fruit. Domesticated turkeys have different needs than chickens or ducks and should be fed either a turkey formulated feed or a wild or game bird feed to meet their needs.
What crops do I plant with wild turkeys?
Wild turkeys need crops like Biologic's Clover Plus, Whistleback, and Turkey Gold Chufa, all of which can be planted in tandem with your whitetail crops. Because a flock of wild turkeys does not require the tonnage that a deer herd would, you have some flexibility in where you plant these crops.
What can you do to help wild turkeys?
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.
How much of Georgia is suitable for wild turkeys?
Approximately 28,000 square miles, roughly one-half of the state, are capable of supponing wild turkeys. A key factor in this improvement is the relatively large amount of forest land and bordering agricultural land, particularly pastures. Wild turkeys now occupy 90% of Georgia's suitable habitat.
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 a 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.
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 kind of bird seed do wild turkeys eat?
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 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...
Can you feed wild turkeys bread?
Although they sometimes ate bread or popcorn, they appeared to have trouble recognizing these items as food. During the winter, wild turkeys are frequently on short rations, as their food is occasionally buried under snow.
Can turkeys eat cat food?
Some cat food can have ingredients that aren't particularly good for birds — things they can't digest, their body can't fully process or is just too much for them. But it can depend on the food, the bird and how much it eats. Filling up on cat food also could stop them from eating the foods that are good for them.
What kind of fruit do turkeys eat?
Other planting suggestions include black cherry trees, blueberries, wild grapes and dogwood. Wild turkeys consume cacti fruits in arid areas and like many species of wildlife, will even consume poison ivy berries too.
Do wild turkeys get cold?
Northern-range turkeys have been resilient through frigid winters, although they aren't invincible. If food is available during winter, turkeys can often survive extended periods of extreme cold and snow. However, deep snow and limited amounts of food can greatly decrease the turkeys' chance of survival.
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.
What do you feed turkeys for hunting?
Hard mast like acorns and beechnuts are preferred food sources for turkeys during the fall. Research also shows this important protein source is most abundant in open areas like fields, food plots, along roadsides and in grassy rows of young plantations.
What kind of fruit do turkeys eat?
Other planting suggestions include black cherry trees, blueberries, wild grapes and dogwood. Wild turkeys consume cacti fruits in arid areas and like many species of wildlife, will even consume poison ivy berries too.
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...•
Can turkeys eat cat food?
Some cat food can have ingredients that aren't particularly good for birds — things they can't digest, their body can't fully process or is just too much for them. But it can depend on the food, the bird and how much it eats. Filling up on cat food also could stop them from eating the foods that are good for them.
What do you feed turkeys for hunting?
Hard mast like acorns and beechnuts are preferred food sources for turkeys during the fall. Research also shows this important protein source is most abundant in open areas like fields, food plots, along roadsides and in grassy rows of young plantations.
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 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 Fermented Feed?
Fermenting is a way to take advantage of lactic acid fermentation in your commercial or custom mixed turkey rations. It is a simple and highly effective way to make digestion easier on your flock, leading to larger-sized birds with less feed required.
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.
How to attract turkeys to your farm?
Attracting wild turkeys can be as simple as clearing out some dense brush and leaving large trees available for roosting or as elaborate as planting a diverse selection of plants to attract them. Native nut-bearing and fruit-bearing bushes, shrubs, and small trees help attract turkeys, quail, and deer to the area as they will feed, rest and nest in areas where food is abundant.
What to plant in a turkey 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. This helps ensure you have a flock of wild turkeys frequenting and even nesting on your property.
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 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 do domestic turkeys eat?
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. These commercial feeds typically contain a mix of material to simulate these birds' highly varied diets. 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. Some farmers, however, focus on heritage turkey breeds and offer a more natural diet for the birds to eat, including allowing them to forage freely through pastures and fields.
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 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.
What are some good plants to feed a turkey?
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. By planting native nut and berry-producing plants you’ll provide turkeys with the natural foods they’ve consumed for thousands of years.
What is a wild turkey?
Wild turkey in a garden. Credit: Joanna Sivers. The wild turkey is one of the most recognizable birds in all of North America and a symbol of the holiday season . As these fascinating and adaptable birds are becoming increasingly common backyard visitors and popular birdwatching subjects, you can turn your own yard or garden into a natural buffet ...
Why do turkeys eat grit?
Grit and Gravel: Turkeys will swallow grit to help them digest their food. Offer grit by placing a shallow bowl filled with sand, fine gravel, sterlized ground eggshells or ground oyster shells. Or just keep a patch of sandy soil free of plants.
How to scare off a wild turkey?
If you find that the wild turkeys in your yard are too much trouble, we recommend putting automatic sprinklers in your yard to scare them off whenever they show up. They also don’t like larger dogs and avoid yards where they are present.
Do turkeys help with pests?
Turkeys will actually help keep invertebrate pests in check for you, and there are many organic gardening techniques you can also use to control pest outbreaks. 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.
Do turkeys eat poison ivy?
They will even consum e poison ivy berries (along with dozens of other bird species). 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.
Do wild turkeys become aggressive?
Wild Turkey Chick. Credit: Nick Kerosky. * Male wild turkeys are territorial and can occasionally become aggressive, especially during the spring breeding season. This often happens when wild turkeys are being artificially fed with feeders and have lost their natural fear of people, so avoid doing that.
What to feed turkeys in spring?
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. The intent is to not only draw turkeys from adjoining properties onto yours, but to also hold the turkeys currently calling your property home, all with the hopes of imprinting them and convincing them to stay long after the food source is cut off. A fat turkey is a happy turkey, and this strategy seems to work in most occurrences.
How to manage a wild turkey?
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. For instance, wild turkeys are not as tolerant of thick understory as is the whitetail deer, so you need to control the underbrush as well as provide them wide travel corridors to use. 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.
Why are whitetail deer banned?
Feeding Concerns. In many states, providing supplemental food sources for the whitetail deer has been banned due to outbreaks of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which has decimated portions of the deer herd in certain pockets of states such as Wisconsin.
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 you feed wild turkeys off season?
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. Make sure you provide a “total solution” for your turkeys by giving them all the food, water, and cover they could possibly need
Can you feed a turkey gobbler?
Certain states allow year-round and unconditional feeding, and a turkey hunter can harvest a gobbler over artificial feed if he so chooses (which to me personally sounds like no sport at all). 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.
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.
What do wild turkeys eat?
These daily feeding activities may cover several miles, depending on food availability. Wild turkeys eat just abou t a11ything that is sma ll enough to swallow. They have a varied diet as shown by [ood habit studie s in Virginia that listed 354 species of plan.LS and 313 species ol animals eaten by turk eys. Most of the food consumed is swallowed whole. The turkey's crop can expand to store more than a pint when full, before passing food through the digestive system. The diet of wild turkeys consists of about 90% plant material and 10% animal matter. Fruits ( called mast), insects, green leaves, seeds, and buds are some of the more important foods in their diet. Cultivated crops such as com, grain sorghum. chufa tubers, and brown.
How many turkeys were there in Georgia in 1973?
As a result of protection, relocation of wild birds, and habitat management, Georgia's turkey population numbered 17,000 by 1973. In 1973, intensive restoration involving the relocation of wild birds to selected vacant habitat, and increased emphasis on biologically sound hunting seasons, was started.
How long does it take for a wild tuykey egg to hatch?
ln the early stages of iucu baLion, some hens will aband on the nest if disturbed. As incubalion continues, hens lol erate more disturb ance. Whil e incubating, hens stay on the nest at night and rarely leave the nest more than once daily. Durin g this time they are especiall y vulnerab le to preda- tion. Near the end of incubation, the poults inside the eggs begin to make sounds and vibra tions. The hen clucks to the hatching poults and the poults chip their way ouL of their eggs using a tempora ry "egg looth" located on the tip of the upper beak. Hatching requires 24 to 36 hours. The poults imprint on the hen, the hen calls the poults from the nest, and lhey never return . Adult hens are more success(ul than juveniles in hatching and rearing broods. Gobblers do not assist hens with incubation or brood-rearing.
What are male and female wild turkeys called?
Male wild turkeys are called gobblers and females are called hens. Males less than one year old are often called "jakes," while very young birds of both sexes are called poults.
How many turkeys were there in 1991?
The statewide turkey population in 1991 exceeded 375,000 . with bird'> in nearly every county including much of metropolitan Atlanta. This abundance has provided for an increase in sport hunting. In 1991 there was a spring gobbler season in 138 counties com pared to 41 in 1973. State wildlife man.agement areas with spring gobbler huming also increased from seven in 1973 to 54 in 1991. The number of turkey hunters has likewise increased, rising from 7,800 in 1973 to 93,000 in 1991. The number of birds harvested has increased lo about 45,000, up from a low of 675.
How many acres does a turkey live in?
Recent studies have shown normal daily movements of one to two miles covering 200 to 1 ,000 acres. However, annual home ranges in excess of 12,000 acres and move ments of more than 15 miles have been documented. Researchers tracking the movements of gobblers and hens have come to different con clusions about home ranges of wild turkeys. In some studies, hens had larger annual home ranges than gobblers, while in other studies the reverse was true. In general, gobblers tend
What color are the tips of turkey feathers?
However, tips of tail feathers and rump feathers are white on domestic birds, and are cinnamon-brown on -wild birds. Feet and legs of wild turkeys are normally a shade of pink, except that on juveniles they tend to be brownish -with a tinge of red.
What do wild turkeys eat?
In the spring, they tend to eat leaves and grasses, and in the fall, they feed more on fruits, berries, seeds and insects. Acorns are a crucial source of nutrients for wild turkeys, ...
What are the best food sources for wild turkeys?
Acorns are a crucial source of nutrients for wild turkeys, especially in the wintertime. To attract and retain wild turkeys, landowners should promote the growth of their favored food sources. Besides the critical acorn-producing oak, other plant species that are favorable for turkey habitat include: Beech (Beechnuts are an alternate food source ...
What to plant for turkeys in Virginia?
Virginia forestry specialists recommend planting legumes and grasses, such as clover and winter wheat. This will provide green forage for adult turkeys in the late winter and early spring and insect-rich habitat for poults and wheat seed for adults in the late spring and early summer. Allowing some wild grapes to grow will provide another food source for turkeys in the winter. North Carolina Extension specialists also recommend rye, millet, fescue and chufa as supplemental crops.
How many turkeys can you have in a square mile?
High-quality turkey habitat will support one bird per 30 acres or a flock of 18 to 20 turkeys per square mile, according to North Carolina state forestry specialists. Since turkeys often travel in flocks, you may want to cooperate with other adjacent landowners to maintain a habitat of suitable size.
When do turkeys need food?
This will provide green forage for adult turkeys in the late winter and early spring and insect-rich habitat for poults and wheat seed for adults in the late spring and early summer. Allowing some wild grapes to grow will provide another food source for turkeys in the winter.
Where do turkeys live?
Turkeys prefer to reside in the forest during the winter and near the edges of clearings in the summer, where they can forage but also quickly take cover.
How to attract wild turkeys?
Land management techniques to attract wild turkeys. Perhaps the most important land management technique to promote wild turkey habitat is not cutting too many mature oaks and other mast-producing trees. Clearing too much land or planting all of your land to pines will limit the amount of turkeys that can live in an area.
What to plant for turkeys in fall?
What To Plant. The good news is turkeys love eating the same mixes you plant for whitetail deer in the fall — oats, winter wheat, brassicas, etc. However, by mid to late turkey season, these cereal-grain plots begin to grow tall and stalky, making them less palatable to deer and turkey.
When to plant clover in turkey plot?
That way all your plots will have lush thriving clover in the spring turkey season.
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…