In good-quality habitat, the area will safely support one bird per 30 acres or one flock for every 640 to 800 acres. But unless you own a lot of land–1,000 acres or more–it is unlikely that turkeys will remain on your property year-round because they need a large amount of living space.
How much land do you need for a turkey?
A turkey can and does cover a lot of ground in its daily travels. Their home range varies by season and can range from 400 to 2,000 acres or more. Therefore, unless you own a large tract of land (at least several hundred acres), you do not need to provide for all of a turkey’s annual needs on your land.
What is the best habitat for turkeys?
Mature woodlands with a well-developed understory provides excellent habitat. In wooded areas, turkeys often nest at the base of a tree, fallen log, ea boulder, which provide additional concealment from predators. Be sure there are numerous patches of low cover in the vicinity.
How many turkeys can you raise on 1 acre?
5) Give them plenty of room
Keeping that in mind, it’s still easy to underestimate the amount of space you’ll need to allocate once the birds arrive on the pasture. A basic rule of thumb is 10 acres for every 200 turkeys.
Can turkeys free range with chickens?
One of the main ways to keep turkeys healthy is too NOT raise chickens and turkeys together. When turkeys and chickens are raised together, turkeys run a high risk of contracting the disease histomoniasis, also known as blackhead.
How do you make a good turkey habitat?
7 Ways to Improve Wild Turkey Habitat:
- Plant and maintain mast-producing trees and shrubs.
- Provide and maintain sources of protective roosting and nesting cover.
- Establish and maintain food plots.
- Establish and maintain native grasses and forbs.
- Conduct timber stand improvement (TSI)
- Manage invasive plant species.
What is the best food plot for turkeys?
A mixture of corn, cereal grains, and green field is the ideal mix for turkey food plots. If you need to create openings for food plots, concentrate on clearing timber or brush that isn’t producing valuable hard mast. Forage-rich openings, food plots and small fields will be prime bird-attracting tools.
How do I attract wild turkey to my property?
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.
Is turkey farming profitable?
According to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the turkey farming industry was valued at over $5.8 billion in 2021, producing 7.18 billion pounds of meat, with 216 million individual birds in U.S. production.
How do you keep free range turkeys?
After the first few weeks they become hearty birds, but here’s what you must do to give your turkeys the best chance at survival:
- A Brooder Box is a Must.
- Introduction to Water.
- Proper Feed.
- Warmth is a Major Necessity.
- Protect the Corners.
- Add Grit as They Grow.
- Proper Care of the Land.
- Feeding on Pasture.
Are turkeys profitable?
Turkey is one of the best animals to raise for meat and profit. Especially during the holidays because their price will spike as almost every single family in the US buys a turkey for dinner. Raising turkey will also save you money because you won’t need to buy one for the holidays.
Do turkeys need to be locked up at night?
Turkeys are very vulnerable to predation, especially overnight. Because of this, turkeys must be closed into their indoor space before dusk and should not be let out again until the sun is coming up in the morning.
Do turkeys return to coop at night?
Turkeys will roost anywhere except where you want them to.
They would go in the coop at night with no problems and roost with the chickens.
How many turkeys should you have?
Turkeys should be kept in groups of at least three to six birds.
What kind of terrain do turkeys like?
Edges: Much like deer, turkeys tend to remain close to edge habitat. Hens especially like these areas, and routinely nest within 30 yards of field edges. Turkeys especially love the inside field edges like the one above. Flats: Turkeys love flat areas adjacent to hilly terrain.
What should you not feed turkeys?
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.
How do I make my land better for turkey hunting?
Turkeys prefer an open forest floor covered in leaf litter for easy forage. Creating openings: Turkeys like open, brushy space and grasslands rich in forage. Grass-rich areas also provide safer nesting sites. These can be created by clear-cutting one- to five-acre patches through the forest.
What clover do turkeys like best?
Durana is an intermediate type clover that is tolerant of deer pressure and produces more seed and smaller leaves for turkey. Since it is a perennial, Durana will last for several years and will provide a highly digestible, high protein food plot for deer, turkey and many other types of wildlife.
Do turkeys like corn fields?
Turkeys will forage on field corn from fall into winter; be sure to plant at least an acre to allow enough corn for other wildlife foragers, such as deer.
Is corn good for 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.
What trees attract turkeys?
Turkeys will be naturally attracted to trees and shrubs like dogwoods, chokeberries, viburnums, hickories, beech, hawthorns, and more. Oak trees should also be on the top of your list with white oak and red oak trees, in particular, proving to be effective at attracting turkeys.