Kerala, India
Wild turkeys are native to North America and consist of five subspecies: Eastern, Osceola (Florida), Rio Grande, Merriam’s and Gould’s. All five are distributed throughout different regions of the continent. The eastern subspecies is the most common and inhabits the entire eastern half of the United States. The Osceola (Florida) is exclusively found on the Florida peninsula, while the Rio Grande ranges through Texas and extends into Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. Rios are also present in parts of the northwestern states. The Merriam’s subspecies inhabits areas along the Rocky Mountains and the adjacent prairies of Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota. Gould’s can be found throughout the central portion of Mexico and into the southernmost parts of New Mexico and Arizona.
Between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers cover an adult turkey’s body in patterns called feather tracts. A turkey’s feathers provide various survival functions – they maintain warmth and dryness, enable flight, provide sensory input and display for attracting the opposite sex. The head and upper neck are featherless, but upon close inspection, small skin bumps are visible on the bare area.
Most feathers exhibit metallic glittering, called iridescence, with varying colors of red, green, copper, bronze and gold. The gobbler, or male turkey, displays more vibrant coloration, while the hen has drab brownish or lighter coloring to provide camouflage with her surroundings.
Two major characteristics distinguish males from females: spurs and beards. Both sexes have long, powerful legs covered with scales and are born with a small button spur on the back of the leg. Shortly after birth, a male’s spur begins growing pointed and curved and can reach approximately two inches. Most hen’s spurs do not develop. Gobblers also have beards, which are tufts of filaments, or modified feathers, growing from the chest. Beards can grow to an average of 9 inches (though they can grow much longer). It should be noted that 10 to 20 percent of hens also have beards.
Wild turkeys have excellent daytime vision but reduced night vision. They are also highly mobile. Turkeys can run at speeds up to 25 mph, and they can fly up to 55 mph.
When mating season arrives, anywhere from February to April, courtship typically begins while turkeys are still grouped together in wintering areas. After mating, hens begin searching for nest sites and laying eggs. In most areas, nests can be found in shallow dirt depressions, surrounded by moderately woody vegetation that conceals the nest.
Hens lay a clutch of 10 to 12 eggs during a two-week period, typically laying one egg per day. She will incubate her eggs for approximately 28 days, occasionally turning and rearranging them until they are ready to hatch.
A newly-hatched flock must be ready to leave the nest within 12 to 24 hours to feed. Poults eat insects, berries and seeds, while adults consume anything from acorns and berries to insects and small reptiles. Turkeys usually feed in early morning and in the afternoon.
Wild turkeys prefer open areas for feeding, mating and habitat. They use forested areas as protection from predators and for roosting in trees at night. A varied habitat of both open and covered areas is essential for wild turkey survival.
Lack of quality habitat was a problem in the past, but with the passing of the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937, an excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, wildlife restoration programs now have funding to restore wild turkeys and wild turkey habitat. With the invention of the rocket net, wildlife agencies and the NWTF can trap and transfer turkey populations to areas of suitable habitat. From only 30,000 turkeys in the early 1900s to more than 7 million today, this remarkable species has truly made an impressive comeback.
With the ever-increasing demand for additive-free, natural feeds, we have decided to withdraw all zootechnical medications from our Turkey Feed Products. Although good husbandry is perhaps the most important criterion for raising healthy stock, these products have been carefully formulated with utmost precision, which has shown to provide natural and effective alternatives for the management of coccidiosis and of the risk concerning flagellate protozoa.
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