Turkey hens on the nest right now are incubating birds that will form the bulk of the chase in the spring of 2028, so anything that can be done to help or not hinder them is an investment in the future of all.
Hens across the southeast should be nesting now through early June. This is the time when the birds are most vulnerable, and the flocks’ future along with them. Cold, wet springs are especially difficult for nesting success. The current spring so far hasn’t been especially bad. So far, the outlook for current broods should be good as far as good goes, but average nesting success is abysmally poor at best, so every bit helps.
Beyond the obvious threat of nests flooding, biologists believe predators may be better able to find hens and nests through scent because of the way damp conditions support and hold scent particles in the air.
According to wildlife officials, 40 to 60 percent of turkey eggs are eaten by predators before they can hatch. Likewise, no small number of flightless young turkeys become food for everything from coyotes to bobcats.
Once turkeys reach the flight stage, wildlife biologist studies indicate less than 10 percent fall prey to tooth and claw. While eliminating predators on sight and one at a time has its attractions and certainly helps, the best use of the land manager’s time at this time of year has been shown to be planting clover fields and maintaining forest habitat.
“Nesting hens need dense vegetation near the ground that will keep them concealed,” Adam Butler, MDWFP turkey program biologist, says. “Likewise, young turkeys need low-growing, lush vegetation that allows them to forage without being exposed. For adults, timber stands should not be so dense that the birds are unable to scan for potential danger.
“Creative distribution of these habitat types can minimize the amount of travel required for the birds to meet their needs, which will further reduce exposure to predators. All of these elements are important parts of a turkey habitat management plan.”
Wild turkeys can serve as a bellwether for the overall health of any given stretch of land. Flock health is a good aiming point for improvement efforts. Weather affects their nests. Availability of forage affects their continued presence. Predators impact their very existence. Any help land managers can give turkeys can make a big difference.
May and June in Mississippi are critical for the state’s turkey poults and, therefore, critical in the overall health of the turkey population. Turkey hens across the southeast should be nesting now through early June. This is the time when the birds are most vulnerable, and the flocks’ future along with them.
Two-week span
The hens will lay their eggs on the ground, typically selecting or creating a shallow bowl-like depression in a hidden spot in a wooded area. They’ll generally lay 10 to 12 eggs over a two-week period, and the eggs will be incubated for about 28 days. Fertilized eggs can be laid for up to four weeks after mating, meaning if one nest is destroyed by weather or predators, hens may be able to lay a second clutch of fertile eggs.
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, hens don’t begin incubating their nests until the entire clutch of eggs is laid so that the hatching is synchronized. Adult turkeys depend on their sight, hearing and camouflage for defense and fly well, but newly-hatched poults are without most of that protection.
Up and moving
Although they can walk and feed within 24 hours of hatching, they’re initially without the feathers that allow them to fly. Generally within 10 days to 2 weeks, they’ll have sufficient wing feathers to fly short distances and begin roosting at night in the lower branches of trees. Until then, they’re a buffet for any predator walking by.
Bugs, bugs, bugs
Adult turkeys eat a wide variety of bugs, fruits, grains and other seeds, but young turkeys almost exclusively eat insects and larvae for the first several weeks. Insects are useful for their high protein content, which supports the young birds’ rapid rate of growth. After seven months, young gobblers should weigh just over 12 pounds and young hens should weigh around eight pounds. From that point on, their growth rate slows and more closely matches the seasonal availability of food.
Although turkeys have a very poor sense of smell and research indicates touching eggs found in a nest likely will not cause the hen to abandon them, there’s no reason to do so. Because of the myriad of unavoidable natural difficulties nesting hens face, people who find nests should not only leave them alone, but go to all reasonable lengths to see they remain undisturbed.
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