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. ...
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 can I feed a baby wild turkey?
The poults will need a 28% protein starter for the first 6-8 weeks. We recommend looking for specialized turkey or wild game bird feed. After that, you can change them over to a feed with an 18% protein. Grange Co-op offers Rogue All-In-One (25AIO-50AIO).
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 you feed young turkeys?
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.
What is the best feed for 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 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.
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.
Can baby turkeys eat chicken starter?
The protein content of modern turkey starters ranges from 26 to 30 percent. However, the Game Bird starter can contain up to 28 to 30% protein. There's a type of starter food known as “chicken starter.” However, this chicken starter has a protein content of 18-19%. This may not be the greatest gift for newborn turkeys.
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.
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 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 turkeys eat pumpkins?
While pumpkin has great nutritional benefits, it's best to feed it as an occasional treat and not rely on it as a wormer. How to feed: It's safe to feed raw pumpkins to your backyard flock - including chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese. Your birds may peck a whole pumpkin open, but it's best to break it up in pieces.
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 do I attract wild turkey 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.
What vegetables can turkeys eat?
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.
How do I attract turkeys to my yard?
Turkeys are omnivorous and will sample a wide variety of foods. 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.
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 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 turkey fat?
For fattening up a turkey, using a 30% protein gamebird feed will likely give the best results.
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.
What happens to turkey chicks as they get older?
As your turkey chick (poult) gets a little older, the protein requirements decrease.
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!
What is the best grain to feed a turkey?
Oats have about 11 – 14% protein and are a great grain to feed as well. Giving your turkey a variety of grains to access will help encourage them to eat.
