Table of Contents
Is it legal to raise wild turkey?
Answer: There is nothing illegal about selling or purchasing domestic poultry sold as wild turkeys. However, it is not legal to release wild turkeys that have been domestically reared for propagation or hunting purposes.
How do you raise turkeys in the backyard?
Provide a roosting area if possible. Keep them inside at night to provide more control over parasites and keep them safe from predators. Turkeys are social birds, so plan to spend time with them while you’re outside. Allow one square foot of space for the young birds, up until they’re two months of age.
Can you domesticate wild turkeys?
While most who raise turkeys raise them for eating, some keep turkeys as pets. And some do both; keep some as pets while eating the others. There are many different breeds of turkeys, however there are two varieties, domestic and wild. The wild turkey lives and breeds in the wild and some are kept as pets.
Are turkeys hard to raise?
Turkeys are not that hard to raise, but they differ a bit from chickens in terms of what they need, and raising them from poults (baby turkeys) is more time- and energy-intensive than raising chickens from baby chicks.
Can I shoot a wild turkey on my property?
California’s wild turkey populations are healthy and growing. Where safe and legal, hunt wild turkeys on your property, or allow others to hunt them. A hunting license and upland game bird stamp are required. Legal methods of take include shotgun, archery equipment, or air rifle.
Do wild turkeys return to nest?
In rainy springs, second nests can make a difference in recruitment (the number of young that enter the population), as late-hatch poults might have a higher survival rate. The answer is yes, many hen turkeys will try to re-nest if they lose their first nest to a predator or disturbance.
Can turkeys live in a chicken coop?
Your chicken coop was likely not designed with an extra large bird, like a turkey, in mind. Turkeys may not fit through your chicken door, they have a hard time climbing chicken ladders like many ducks, and high doorways are sometimes insurmountable for these birds.
Can I keep turkeys and chickens together?
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 much room do you need to raise turkeys?
The following is the amount of coop space per turkey that will be needed: 0-8 weeks: 2-2.5 square feet per turkey. 8-16 weeks: 3-4 square feet per turkey. 16-20 weeks: 5-8 square feet per turkey. 20 weeks to market weight: 6-10 square feet per turkey.
Will pet turkeys fly away?
Because turkeys are able to fly, those birds have been confined to the caged yard. We wanted to allow them free range in the fenced-in grassy area. However, because it has an open top, the turkeys would be able to fly away. Clipping the wings, a painless procedure, prevents the birds from taking flight.
How long do turkeys live for?
Turkey/Lifespan.
What do you feed a pet turkey?
Captive turkeys eat insects and seeds if they can roam and forage on the farmland or other outdoor space. Baby turkeys raised in captivity eat a different diet than adult domestic turkeys. A baby bird is given feed called a game starter or chick starter.
Can you let turkeys free range?
It’s like free-ranging chickens. The free-ranging can give the birds access to natural vitamins and nutrients they need. But it isn’t enough to sustain them properly. Make sure you give your turkeys grain and grit along with their free ranging.
What age do you butcher turkeys?
Butchering, Processing, And Cooking Turkey With that being said, at 16-22 weeks they should be weighing at around 12-14 pounds. A heritage breed turkey will mature at 25-30 weeks. So when you have determined they have reached the appropriate weight, you will pull your turkeys out and butcher them.
Do turkeys need nesting boxes?
Nest boxes are an essential feature for laying turkey hens, and can be simply built with just a little time and effort. Turkeys are large birds, but enjoy a cozy nest, so 8 inches of nesting room is more than enough to make them feel comfortable.
Are wild turkeys hard to hunt?
When gobblers are hard to hunt, they are hard to hunt. That’s what we have here for you — three extremely tough-to-kill longbeards that exhibit very different actions. The key to killing these turkeys is understanding their personalities — and they do have personalities — before formulating a game plan.
Can a turkey hurt you?
Wild turkeys that adapt to urban or suburban communities, especially young and mature males during the breeding season, can become quite aggressive towards people. Rarely do they cause serious damage, although they often will chase and harass children.
