I've got a hen with 4 poults that have been living in my yard the past few days. She doesn't like to pose for a picture, so this is the best I got:



I hate to even walk outside because I will scare the turkeys and she will take them into the woods, but she soon brings them right back. There was even a gobbler strutting for her one day last week, but I think he figured out she wasn't interested. I went months without seeing a turkey around, so it's good to see some. I think it shows how poor the habitat is around here when my yard is the only bugging area she can find. I have held off cutting the grass, but it's not exactly loaded with insects anyway.

Anyone got a suggestion of how to help her out? I thought of putting out some wheat for her. It would seem reasonable to think that letting her find an easy meal would help, but I've never seen that recommended anywhere. Is there anything I could do for the poults? I thought of buying crickets, but can't think of a way to make them available without most getting away.

Is there anything you can buy and put out that poults can eat? What do you feed domestic turkeys at this age?

I think these turkeys illustrate how an area can look like great habitat yet have no turkeys. There are just no bugging areas around here. Leaving out just one type of critical habitat results in no turkeys.

I could send you some of my special no hopping yellow striped crickets. 19% protein

Send them on!

I wanna see these poults grow up.

What about some of that high protein starter feed like they give young chickens and domestic turkeys. Even if the poults didn’t eat it at first I’m sure the mama would appreciate it and probably be able to communicate to them that it was something good.

Mine seem to like to hang around the corn feeder. Maybe they enjoy the corn, maybe its just buggy out there? Seems like that feeder has attracted a LOT of critters. Deer, Coon, Opossum, dove, crow, coyote ETC.

Jason

Preacher, go to a tractor supply & get a bag of mealworms for chickens,they'll wear em out

We feed laying pellets through spring then medicated starter/grower and gamebird high protein after hatching. Trying to help the turkeys and quail have every advantage possible.

leave a .22 on the porch for varmits....

I always fed milo after the season was over. I was told by an old timer the seed was small enough for the poults to eat after they started growing good. If nothing else the hens had easy picking in open areas.

Wild bird seed and milo.

Thanks for the ideas. I'll see what the feed store has in stock. Of course, a hawk will probably get them all today

I've got two big ones that have been hanging out here a bunch and that's all I can think when I see them....."Yep, there goes those turkey poults."

Hell SSS

X2

Same goes for any feral cats, possums, coons, etc. Anything with turkey on it's breath would have to die.

I think one of the reasons she keeps hanging around here is that it's the safest place around. The neighbors have lawns, but they all have free ranging dogs. The poults should be able to fly now, so a hawk might be their biggest danger if they stay around here.

Get some dried meal worms from tsc, you will have them eating out of your hand

An 8ft post with a steel trap on top will help with those hawks. Goodluck with them buddy, maybe they’ll make it!

That'll clean out the Hawks and you're bank account!.... Just saying.

I heard mention of someone doing this. I couldn't believe they freely talked about it out loud.

My chickens love those mealworms. When they see me walking towards the backyard, they come running!! I can shake the bag and the will run over from wherever they are

Also, maybe buy a bunch of crickets and letbthem go near where you usually see them