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General Discussion => General Forum => Topic started by: BlakeJ on March 05, 2013, 07:38:38 AM

Title: Turkey's feeding times?
Post by: BlakeJ on March 05, 2013, 07:38:38 AM
During the spring, what times do turkeys like to feed the most?
Title: Re: Turkey's feeding times?
Post by: busta biggun on March 05, 2013, 10:05:24 AM
All day, every day. That is for the hens. The gobblers are focusing on love and will eat whenever they get a chance to pick some seeds up, etc. but usually only when they are not focusing on ,..."love". They really don't eat too much. They rely on the fat that is built up in their fat reserves. So there doesn't seem to be a feeding time that I am aware of.
Title: Re: Turkey's feeding times?
Post by: WNM on March 06, 2013, 07:14:56 PM
Quote from: busta biggun on March 05, 2013, 10:05:24 AM
...They really don't eat too much...

I disagree with that. Every gobbler I've ever seen the craw cut open from was full of acorns, crickets, grasshoppers, tadpoles, seeds, pecans, corn (not mine), and even plastic trash. Turkeys, gobblers and hens, never stop eating
Title: Re: Turkey's feeding times?
Post by: CASH on March 06, 2013, 08:06:41 PM
All day long
Title: Re: Turkey's feeding times?
Post by: tomstopper on March 06, 2013, 08:08:19 PM
From dusk til dawn.....
Title: Re: Turkey's feeding times?
Post by: hookedspur on March 06, 2013, 08:24:14 PM
Quote from: tomstopper link=topic=32624.msg 335804#msg335804 date=1362618499
From dusk til dawn.....
Or Vise-verse
Title: Re: Turkey's feeding times?
Post by: runngun on March 06, 2013, 08:42:33 PM
Daylight til dark!!!     :OGturkeyhead:
Title: Re: Turkey's feeding times?
Post by: Fatbeard on March 07, 2013, 07:41:17 PM
Hens will from the time they hit the ground until they fly up at night and toms will strut a lot and pic some
Title: Re: Turkey's feeding times?
Post by: busta biggun on March 08, 2013, 01:12:26 PM
Quote from: WNM on March 06, 2013, 07:14:56 PM
Quote from: busta biggun on March 05, 2013, 10:05:24 AM
...They really don't eat too much...

I disagree with that. Every gobbler I've ever seen the craw cut open from was full of acorns, crickets, grasshoppers, tadpoles, seeds, pecans, corn (not mine), and even plastic trash. Turkeys, gobblers and hens, never stop eating

I guess I should have elaborated. I too have seen many gobblers with food in their craw. I have also had a majority (for me) with just a few seeds, etc. I have watched gobblers strut in an open field for hours and not bent down once to pick a seed, etc. Meanwhile the hens are eating. pecking, etc. the whole time. I should not have implied that gobblers do not eat much in the spring, but I still feel that the boss birds, are focusing on strutting, mating, fighting, etc. and they do not have their typical focus on foraging as they normally do. Biologists have acknowledged this fact as well. They have large fat sponges that allow them to get by with much less food intake for this reason.