The Life History of the Wild Turkey Eastern wild turkeys are part of a

group of birds that include pheasants, grouse and quail. Wild turkeys are

the largest of the North American game birds with an adult male weighing

17 to 30 pounds. An adult hen will weigh from 8 to 12 pounds.

Gobblers (or toms) can be identified by a reddish-blue head and neck, a

long hair like appendage known as a beard, a sharp bony spur on the lower

part of each leg, and black tipped breast feathers. Hens tend to be

slimmer in appearance; have a less colorful head; have breast feathers

with light-colored tips; and lack spurs. A few hens have beards, but other

characteristics will help to distinguish male from female.

1. Head -- feathers only to base of head; colors variable red,

white, and blue.2. Beard -- evident3. Foot -- greater than 4.5 "

4. Droppings -- j-shaped5. Tarsus Length -- 6 "; with spur6. Breast

7. Head -- feathers on crown; light blue.8. Beard -- usually none9.

10. Droppings -- curled11. Tarsus Length -- 4.5"; no spur12. Breast

Wild turkeys differ from domestic turkeys in color and body form. Wild

turkeys tend to be slimmer and more streamlined in appearance. Tips of the

tail feathers on wild turkeys are usually deep chocolate brown; on

domestic birds the tips are white. Also, the legs of wild birds are bright

pink, while the legs of domestic birds are gray or black.

Wild turkeys are susceptible to many of the diseases of domestic turkeys

and chickens: fowl diphtheria, fowl typhoid, cholera, blackhead,

trichomoniasis and coccidiosis. Fortunately, wild and domestic birds

seldom come in contact with each other, thereby reducing the opportunity

for disease to spread. Potential for the transmission of disease is a

major reason why releasing domestic birds into the wild is greatly

In the early spring, flocks formed during winter begin to break-up and

courtship and mating begin. In the winter, gobblers flock together,

separate from hens, young hens and jakes (young males). Occasionally

jakes will be found with gobblers, but typically they remain with the hens

until spring flock break-up. As courtship and mating commerce, males begin

traveling greater distances seeking mates. Gobbling increases and

strutting displays characterized by tail fanning and wing dragging also

become more frequent. Older dominant birds do most of the breeding and one

gobbler is capable of breeding with many females. The Wild Turkey Life

Peak time for gobbling in most years is late April. By this time most of

the hens are laying eggs or incubating. The average clutch for wild

turkeys is about 11 and incubation takes 28 days. In Missouri, most young

Turkey nests usually are located near the edge of woods, old fields and

roadsides. As soon as the last turkey has hatched, the hen leads her brood

away from the nest. During the first 3 weeks of life, young turkeys

(poults) are vulnerable to cold, rainy weather and must depend on the

older hen for protection and warmth. In addition, young turkeys may be

preyed on by foxes, coyotes, bobcats, or great-horned owls.

Young turkeys grow rapidly and need a diet high in protein. For the first

week, approximately 80 percent of the poults' diet will consist of

insects. As they become older, their diet will broaden to include grass

seed, fruit of dogwood, wild grapes, acorns, corn, oats and wheat.

At approximately 2 weeks of age, the poults can fly short distances and

are soon roosting in trees. At 16 weeks, the young poults are hard to

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