what to feed wild turkeys ontario

To provide an adequate feeding area for wild turkeys:

• Opt for ground feeding areas or large, low platform feeders that can accommodate these large birds and the flocks they...
• Provide cracked corn, millet, milo, wheat, oats, or other seeds and grains. Wild turkeys are not picky and will readily...
• Plant oak or beech trees along with grapes, cherry trees, crabapples,...

Full Answer

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 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.

Can you feed wild turkeys acorns?

Feeding Wild Turkeys the Natural Way. Turkeys eat acorns in fall and winter and in many oak forests you can even notice a V-shaped scratching in the leaf litter (a sure sign of wild turkeys). Many other wildlife species rely on acorns as a food source too, so you’ll be feeding more than just turkeys when you plant native oaks.

What do turkey farmers feed their flock?

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.

What can I feed wild turkeys 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 do wild turkeys eat in Ontario?

Range: The birds are found throughout Southern Ontario and as far north as Sudbury and North Bay. Diet: Wild turkeys are foragers, eating everything from acorns to berries, grains, fallen fruit, small amphibians, snails and worms.

What is best to feed wild turkeys?

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.

Can you feed wild turkeys in Ontario?

By the way, just so you know, it's illegal in Ontario to hunt wild turkeys where there's food. In other words, don't put out food for them and then hunt them.

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...

Do wild turkeys eat bird seed?

Foods They Eat 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.

Do wild turkeys eat sunflower seeds?

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.

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 wild turkey eat in winter?

Turkeys eat acorns in fall and winter and in many oak forests you can even notice a V-shaped scratching in the leaf litter (a sure sign of wild turkeys).

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.

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 wild turkeys eat Canada?

Wild turkeys are opportunistic foragers and eat a variety of items such as nuts, fruits, seeds from grasses and sedges, insects, snails, frogs, salamanders and crayfish. They are generally crepuscular, meaning they forage in early morning and late afternoon.

Can you bait turkeys in Ontario?

It is illegal to hunt wild turkeys within 400 metres (437 yards) of any place where bait has been deposited unless the place has been free of bait for at least seven days. Bait means corn, wheat, oats, other grain, pulse, any other feed that may attract wild turkey or any imitation of such feed.

Where are wild turkey in Ontario?

Since then, Ontario's turkey population has skyrocketed to about 100,000 birds. Most remarkably, they now range as far north as Algonquin Park and Sudbury, which is likely outside their historical range.

Do wild turkeys eat ticks?

According to Wild Birds Unlimited, an adult turkey is one of the most voracious tick predators around, and an individual may eat 200 or more of these little critters in a given day.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Can you grow crabapples in the woods?

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 is the feed of a turkey?

Feed is often adjusted to match the growth stages of the birds. Young turkeys (poults) are fed a “starter” mixture. As they grow, the feed is changed to meet nutritional requirements. Each type of feed includes the proper balance of protein, energy, fibre, fat and other elements such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamins.

What is the best food for turkeys?

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.

How long do turkeys have to feed?

Turkeys have free access to feed 24 hours a day, which means they can help themselves to food or water at any time.

Do turkeys have steroids?

In Canada, turkeys are NOT given hormones or steroids. These have been prohibited for over 30 years. It is scientific advancements such as selective breeding, better feed formulation and on-farm management practices that are responsible for the larger, healthier turkeys raised today.

What is the best feed for a turkey?

The best feed for turkeys is a 28% unmedicated turkey starter for day old poults, which will be gradually transitioned to a 12% unmedicated maintenance ration for adult turkeys.

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.

What is the best feed for a day old poult?

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 would be fine for chickens.

Why do you want to keep track of the poults age?

The reason that you’ll want to keep track of the poults age and reduce the protein percentage of the feed is that higher protein feeds are expensive and lower protein feeds are less so.

What is starter feed for poults?

As the name “starter” suggests, it is the first feed your new poults need. It will be a bit higher in protein than the grower and come in smaller pieces, called a crumble, so it’s easier for the poults to eat.

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 instead of broiler feed?

Sometimes it can be hard to source a higher protein feed for your poults, and it’s easy to think well what about using a broiler feed, instead? Short answer: Don’t do it. The only acceptable substitute for turkey starter is gamebird starter.

Where is the wild turkey in Ontario?

It was reported north to Lake Simcoe and eastward between Toronto and Trenton.

How many wild turkeys were released in Ontario?

Trap and transfer of established Ontario wild turkeys into new areas was initiated in the winter of 1986-87. In total, approximately 4,400 wild turkeys were released at 275 sites across the province as part of the release program.

How many turkeys were radio tagged in 1984?

Sixteen hens and five gobblers were radio- tagged prior to release in 1984 and 11 hens were tagged in 1985. Survival, mortality factors, nesting success, movements, range size, and habitat use were documented in an area considered at the time to have some of the best remaining turkey habitat in Ontario.

How did the clearing of deciduous forests, savannas, and prairies for agriculture affect turkey?

The clearing of deciduous forests, savannas, and prairies for agriculture significantly altered the landscapes turkeys were historically adapted to in Ontario and contributed to extirpation of the birds in the province . Turkey restoration programs in North America have been very successful in part because the birds can adapt to agricultural landscapes. The production of agricultural crops, particularly grains, may actually increase turkey carrying capacity and available range by providing an additional and readily available winter food resource. However, restoration and expansion of wild turkeys in agricultural landscapes has led to concerns by farmers about the potential for crop damage by the birds and economic loss. Concerns have also been expressed in suburban or rural areas where turkeys come into increasing contact with human development.

What is the goal of the turkey plan?

Plan Goal: To ensure sustainable management of turkeys as important components of the biodiversity of southern Ontario, and for the continued social, cultural and economic benefit of the people of Ontario.

What is the Wild Turkey Restoration Program?

With this plan the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (also referred to as MNR or ministry) celebrates the success achieved by the wild turkey restoration program in restoring a native species that was once extirpated from the province. MNR sincerely thanks all the individuals and organizations that have helped re-establish and ensure the future of the wild turkey in Ontario. Particular thanks go to states that provided birds for release, to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters ( OFAH) and to the many game and fish clubs and National Wild Turkey Federation ( NWTF) chapters that raised money to support trap and transfer and who continue to support the program and the species through their volunteer efforts, and to the many landowners that allowed the release of birds on their property. Many MNR staff members, past and present, contributed greatly to the program’s accomplishments. Much credit for the success of the restoration program goes to the ministry’s program partners of OFAH and NWTF. Ontario Nature (formerly Federation of Ontario Naturalists) was another important partner that helped initiate the program. Two ministry technical teams- the Wild Turkey Reintroduction Steering Committee and the Wild Turkey Working Group- provided vision, directed many of the efforts of the turkey program, and were instrumental in its success. The ministry would like to sincerely thank all the members of both groups for their tremendous efforts. MNR thanks all the individuals that contributed to the development of this plan and associated materials, in particular the Wild Turkey Working Group, MNR Turkey Plan Advisory Team, and other MNR staff. We would also like to thank all those that have provided comments on various draft of this plan.

How to keep birds out of berry farms?

Berry farmers have had success keeping all birds out by constructing complete exclosures of bird netting around their crops. Wild turkeys prefer to walk, rather than fly, into feeding areas such as feeds bunks and silage pits. Temporarily erecting fencing at the entrance, or around feed / grain storage has been successful at excluding turkeys. Exclusion can be cost-effective at protecting relatively small sites ( i.e., grain cribs, silage pits, etc.) or high value crops like berries, but is likely too cost-prohibitive for protecting larger areas.

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.

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.

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.

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 ...

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 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.

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 ...

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.

Why are turkeys aggressive?

These birds can be aggressive, particularly during their breeding season, when males are competing for mates and females are protective of their young poults. If agitated, threatened, or cornered, a wild turkey may attack other large birds, pets, children, or adults with its sharp bill, beating wings, and strong talons .

Where do turkeys nest?

These birds nest on the ground beneath shrubs or a brush pile, and if that shelter is already available in your yard, turkeys may choose to raise their young nearby. Typically, turkeys have large broods, so a good-sized private area for nesting is essential. It's also a good idea to leave leaf litter out once it falls from the trees in the fall, as it is the best nesting material for a turkey's shallow scrape (they will also use plant debris to line their nests).

Foods They Eat

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How They Eat

How Their Diet Varies

Feeding Turkeys