This Turkey Tuesday is about agricultural crops. With fall right around the corner, fields of grain crops become increasingly important to wild turkeys throughout broad portions of their range. These grains provide an important source of forage starting in fall and lasting well into winter, whether it be standing crops ready for harvest or waste grain left on the ground after harvest. Agricultural grains such as corn, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat offer turkeys carbohydrates that serve as an energy source, and proteins that support molting and growth of juvenile birds still building muscle mass. These grains also provide a critical source of fats, and turkeys steadily build fat reserves throughout fall to help them withstand harsh winter weather conditions. In fact, research in agricultural landscapes has shown that waste grains dominate fall and winter diets and provide nearly all energy requirements for turkeys during winter. This reality is why the availability of grains has such an impact on wild turkey movements during fall and winter, as they key in on areas where they can efficiently consume high energy foods. As farming practices continue to evolve and technology allows increasingly efficient harvest of grains, it will likely become more challenging for turkeys living in agricultural landscapes, which places more importance on optimizing quality of other vegetative communities on the landscape. The take home is agricultural grains are important food sources for wild turkeys throughout much of their range, particularly as we transition into fall and winter.
Pic by Darcy Daniels
