Turkey Chick

[jinman]

Scot, your pictures are far better than mine. Thanks for posting them.

My wife is convinced that a hawk got the little poult I took a picture of. She saw a hawk swooping down around the deer feeder where the turkeys hang out, and we haven't seen anything but two hens with no poults.

 

[EddieWalker]

My neighbor just let ten turkeys loose on his land. We've been seeing three of them on our place, which is very exciting. We're hopeful that with a few more releases that in time, there will be some turkey chicks around here too!!!

It's funny how many of your pics are what I'm hoping to achieve here.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[texasjohn]

Wild turkeys need cover, cover, cover.. and water.. trees, low brush, tall weeds... lots of cover... They are susceptable to raptors, coons, coyotes, etc. I'm anticipating a good hatch this year, given all the rain/cover/insects that will be available.

 

[Slacker]

Keep in mind that Turkey chicks need bugs...lots of bugs. If it rains alot right after they hatch, survival chances go way down. I've seen up to 13 chicks with a hen (wild). Some years chicks are everywhere, some years I don't see even one.

 

[RobS]

We have two hens in the area and I saw a number of chicks as well. Pretty funny watching them the other day. I could see the hen's head roaming around my prairie pecking at bugs. Then I noticed the grasses moving around her but not right at her. I realized then that it was the chicks roaming nearby. Fun stuff!

 

[jbrumberg]

The hens have been parading with their young around here as well. I never have a camera when I want one . Jay

 

[Ricochet]

I have a neighbor who watched a turkey hen destroy a rat snake that was attempting to eat her eggs. He said the snake had no head left when she finished with him. The nest was just at the edge of a tree line near a small meadow.

I have another friend whose brother found a nest in the middle of a field while running a rotary cutter. They found 5 eggs and hatched three of the five under a heatlamp. I believe the normal brood is anywhere from 4 to 8 chicks, with 1/2 dozen being the norm.

Cool pic! BTW, a hen's clutch can have as many as 13 eggs and with many predators many don't survive.