18 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2016
Turkey Facts
By Paula Hoppe
An increase in light of lengthening
days triggers behavioral changes in
turkeys associated with reproduction.
This prompts, among other things, an
increase in gobbling. Here are a few
more facts about one of Nebraska's
most prized game birds, the wild
turkey.
•
Adult toms average about 18
pounds, but can weigh up to 30
pounds. Adult females average 10
pounds.
•
Nesting of wild turkeys in
Nebraska usually occurs between
mid-April to early July. Habitat must
include trees for roosting and cover
for nesting. Nests are usually only a
shallow depression, placed in the open,
under shrubby cover, at the foot of a
tree.
•
Hens lay one egg a day. A
complete clutch averages 10-14 eggs,
and only after all are laid will the
28-day incubation period begin.
•
Young turkeys, or poults, are first
brooded on the ground. During this
time, mortality can be 50-70 percent
due to weather or predation. Thus,
communication between the hen and
her poults is very important. Turkeys
have an extensive vocal repertoire of
about 20 different sounds, which poults
learn early if they want to survive.
•
As summer progresses, family
groups of hens and their poults begin
to flock together as protection from
predators. Usually, tom turkeys remain
aloof or in small groups of two or
three. ■
PHOTO
BY
JENNY
NGUYEN
