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 is the best thing to bait turkeys with?
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.
What do turkeys like to eat the most?
Preferred foods of wild turkeys
Generally, turkeys thrive in and near mature forests that produce abundant amounts of mast, the fruits and nuts of woody plants. In the spring, they tend to eat leaves and grasses, and in the fall, they feed more on fruits, berries, seeds and insects.
What foods attract turkeys?
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. Food plots can also be used to increase turkey sightings and harvest success.
Do turkeys eat whole corn?
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 can turkeys not eat?
Foods You Should Never Feed to Turkeys
- Low-quality chicken feed. Turkeys require more protein than chickens do, therefore, a simple chicken feed will not contain the nutrition that a turkey needs.
- Other Livestock Feeds.
- Dried/Raw Beans.
- Avocados.
- Fruit Pits and Seeds.
- Tomato and Eggplant Leaves.
- Raw Meat.
- Onions.
Can turkeys eat bird seed?
Foods They Eat
Seeds and grains, including spilled birdseed or corn and wheat in agricultural fields. Berries, wild grapes, crabapples, and other small fruits. Small reptiles, including lizards and snakes.
How much corn does a turkey eat?
The feed ration is 55-60% corn, with the balance soybean meal, minerals and vitamins, animal protein byproducts, canola meal, sunflower meal.
How do you attract turkeys quickly?
Food. 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.
How do you know if there are turkeys on your land?
Look for signs, such as scratching in wooded flats, tracks and strut marks on logging roads, and scat and wing feathers near roosting spots. Slip into the woods a few mornings and listen for gobbling — not just on the roost but after flydown.
How do you attract deer and turkey?
Food plots planted with cool season seed mixtures, or cornfields planted to attract deer during fall and winter are excellent food sources for turkeys. These mixes include some annual clovers, brassicas, oats and wheat.
Do turkeys eat popcorn?
Turkeys, crows, and other large birds will eat the kernels without any problem. If you are going to feed the kernels to smaller birds, consider soaking them in water so that they soften. This will make it easier for them to eat and digest. If you do want to pop the popcorn, be sure to do it using an air popper.
How much feed does a turkey eat per day?
Heritage turkeys will eat 73 pounds of feed by 28 weeks
| Heritage Turkey Age (in weeks) | Total Pounds Of Feed (per poult for 2 weeks) | Daily Pounds Of Feed (per poult per day) |
|---|---|---|
| 5-6 | 1.9 | 0.14 |
| 7-8 | 2.84 | .2 |
| 9-10 | 3.54 | .25 |
| 11-12 | 4.32 | .31 |
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.
Can turkeys see in the dark?
Turkeys really struggle to see at night, though. Their lack of low-light sight is why it’s so imperative that turkey hunters are set up early. However, this doesn’t mean that you can wander too close to the roost in the dark, since they still have a great sense of hearing.
Can you feed turkeys chicken food?
So, can turkeys eat chicken feed? Turkeys cannot eat chicken feed, or at least they shouldn’t. Turkeys are larger birds than chickens and therefore require more protein in their diet. Equally, chicken feed is usually insufficient to nourish and provide all the nutrients a turkey requires for optimal health.
Can turkeys have bananas?
By far, the turkey’s favorite snacks are small pieces of Bananas. However they readily gobble down any type of bread, raisins and grapes.
What do turkey eat in the winter?
The largest part of their diet is usually nuts, especially acorns, beechnuts, and hickory nuts. In most winters, there are ample supplies of nuts on the forest floor. Turkeys are vulnerable when deep snow stays on the ground for weeks at a time and covers their favorite feeding places.
Do wild turkeys get cold?
Turkeys can also suffer frostbite to their faces and snoods. But in most cases, turkeys that choose to sleep in the open will tuck their heads under one wing during extreme cold or weather.
Do wild turkeys carry diseases?
There are two viruses present in the wild turkey population that may produce visible wart-like growths or lesions on the head, neck or other non-feathered parts of the bird: Avian Pox Virus has been present in the U.S. for decades and Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus was first reported in the U.S in 2009.
Can turkeys eat fresh corn?
As we discussed in our last blog post, wild turkeys are opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything. They especially love eating nuts and grains such as corn cobs and wheat, making it easy to set food out for them. The simplest way to attract turkeys to your property is by scattering corn around.