Turkey Chick

[jinman]

Last night, when I got home from work, I noticed two turkey hens in the yard and then did a double take because one of them had one little chick following behind her. I got as close as she and the chick would allow to take this picture. In the end, I startled her a bit and she started to walk off fairly fast. The chick just ducked down and completely hid in the grass. It was like it just instantly went invisible. I watched for several minutes before it popped up out of the grass and ran to its mother. This was the first time my wife had ever seen a wild turkey with a chick. Normally they have 4 or 5, but I'm sure several have been lost to other critters.

I wish the photo was closer, but this is the best I could do.

 

[shvl73]

That's a cool photo. You got a lot closer than I ever have. I've come across a hen sitting on a nest before and only ever seen them leading their chicks around from a distance. I've always needed binoculars.

 

[riptides]

Cool.

This w/e I chased all the turkeys out of my back pasture while bushhogging.

One had two chicks following it to the wood line.

So the question is, what is a normal sized brood and where do they nest? In the pastures or on the edge of the wood lines?

-Mike Z.

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Jim,
Great shot ! My wife just loves to see the turkeys traverse our fields with all the little chicks in tow ! God help anyone that hurts those chicks on our property !

 

[shvl73]

The one nest I saw was under a small pine tree, near the edge of the field. I'm not real sure of the number but, I think I've seen 5+ chicks with a hen.

 

[jinman]

So the question is, what is a normal sized brood and where do they nest? In the pastures or on the edge of the wood lines?

-Mike Z.

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.

 

[ToadHill]

Just this past weekend we had 2 hens and 24 chicks scratching in some newly turned over dirt in the back yard. I'd guess that their was a hen or 2 we did not see.

 

[BB_TX]

Just another of the joys of living in the country.

 

[srossman]

funny I just ran across this thread. I was thinking about posting the following pictures about why I love living in the country. This was in my back yard last weekend. I took these from my sliding glass doors looking into my back yard. They basically hung around for 15-20 minutes.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Very nice, thanks for posting.

 

[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.