There are two kinds turkeys, one of which is in the Phasianidae family and the other in the Meleagrididae family. Both species are in the order Galliformes which also includes other ground feeding birds such as: chickens, peacocks, pheasants, and quail. Turkeys are originally from Central America and North America but were domesticated to feed people as early as 200 BC. They were later taken to Europe by means of Spanish explorers in the 1500s.
The North American common turkeys are commonly referred to as the wild turkey and the domestic turkey. Domestic turkeys are those raised by people for food. They are larger than their wild cousins because they are fed to grow bigger and provide more meat. The species native to MexicoThe Yucatan Peninsula is called the ocellated turkey.
In addition to providing tasty meat and eggs for human dining tables, turkeys and their other Galliformes counterparts serve another important purpose wherever they live. That is, they disperse seeds to help new plants grow. They are also important links in the food chain within their ecosystems, as they are predators for insects and help control insect species.
Turkeys are related to the earliest creatures that walked the earth, dinosaurs like the velociraptor. Their skeletal structure and general shape closely resemble these giant prehistoric animals in a smaller form. They also move around like the velociraptor, usually walking and running on their two legs. Adult turkeys only fly very short distances near ground level when trying to escape a predator. Most of this flight is a fast wing flapping and walking on their two feet.
Today, common turkeys roam the United States, Canada, and parts of northern Mexico. But they are easier to find in large numbers on poultry farms. Every spring and fall, North American hunters in some regions stalk the birds in the wild and use turkey calls to attract them as a sporting target. Free-roaming wild turkeys otherwise live their lives in wild and urban environments, in search of the food turkeys eat.
While Americans especially like to eat turkey meat for winter and fall holidays, namely Thanksgiving and Christmas, meat is a common part of year-round diets.
What do turkeys eat?

As omnivores, turkeys mainly eat seeds, grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables and insects. But they also eat many surprising foods such as fish, snails and lizards. The birds spend all of their awake time hunting, scratching, pecking and foraging for food. They search for food by turning over leaves and other ground debris with their paws. But they even wade in ponds or streams, jump and flutter in trees and venture into urban neighborhoods in search of the food that is part of their diet. Their favorite places to find food in the wild are under fruit trees and shrubs.
Even in winter turkeys eat well. They can keep their stomachs full and fat on their bodies during the winter months by adapting to the diet available. They have no problem feeding on pine needles, lichens and anything they can find above or below the snow.
What do turkeys eat in captivity versus in the wild?
What domestic turkeys eat on a farm or in a backyard is, of course, very different from what wild turkeys eat in the wild. While wild turkeys will eat anything they can find in the wild, such as the foods described above, farm-raised and backyard-raised turkeys typically eat commercial-grade feeds purchased from stores. This food consists of the nutrients they need to maintain their weight and size. It may also contain seeds, grains and vegetables such as corn. Caught turkeys eat insects and seeds if they can roam and forage on the farmland or other outdoor space.
Captive reared baby turkeys eat a different diet than adult domestic turkeys. A baby bird is fed food called a game starter or chick starter. This food has a higher protein content than adult food. Then, at eight weeks of age, the baby turkey is switched to a cultured feed diet. This food, as it sounds, is designed to quickly grow the baby into a nicely plump and fleshy adult for processing for human consumption.
Since humans provide the turkey’s diet in captivity, humans also control how heavy these birds get. The farmer’s goal is to grow the largest turkeys possible. In the wild, turkeys will eat anything they can find from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep. But the diet turkeys eat in the wild doesn’t make them gain weight as quickly as they do in captivity. This makes the wild turkeys appear smaller and thinner to human eyes. But wild turkeys can usually maintain a healthy, natural size on their own. They find plenty of food and rarely starve.
What animals eat turkeys?
Just as turkeys are predators of insects, worms, caterpillars, lizards, snakes and other small creatures, other animals are predators to these birds. Foxes, snakes and raccoons are among their greatest threats in the wild. But every type of cat, from the domestic cat to… panthers, bobcats and cougars, will make the birds a meal. The same goes for canines such as domestic dogs, coyotes and wolves.
A Complete List of 21 Foods a Turkey Eats

Since they are truly omnivores, turkeys will eat just about any plant or animal they find attractive at any given time. Of course, their small mouths, beaks and absence of arms mean that turkeys generally eat a diet of foods that they can easily forage, peck, pull apart with their beaks and swallow. Most of these foods are small.
As chicks, healthy domestic baby turkeys eat diets high in niacin and protein. They usually need about 28% of their diet to consist of protein for the first 8 weeks of life. They then need 20% to 21% protein in their diet until adulthood. Baby turkeys can forage on the grass independently from two weeks of age. But unlike other types of ground-foraging bi
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s, they don’t need calcium-rich foods like oyster shells.
Wild turkeys require less protein than domesticated birds because they don’t gain weight before the dinner table. Instead of 20% to 28% protein according to their stage of life, wild turkeys only need about 12% to 14% protein. This keeps their weight within a healthy range.
21 of the foods omnivorous turkeys eat include:
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are Turkey’s favorite dishes?
As omnivorous foragers, turkeys eat just about anything they can find and scratch the ground with their paws and pull apart with their beaks. They like a mixed diet of grains, fruits, roots, seeds, nuts and living things such as lizards, worms, snails, spiders and other insects. In winter, they eat anything they can find above or below the snow, such as pine needles and lichens.
Can turkeys eat chicken feed?
Chicken feed contains about 16% protein, good enough for a wild turkey to eat and stay healthy. But for domestic turkeys raised for their meat, the ideal protein level for their diet is 20% to 28%. This means that a meat-producing turkey has to add extra protein to chicken feed to reach market weight.
What should you not feed turkeys?
There are many things that turkeys should not eat. These include wet bread that sticks to their intestinal tract causing health problems and possibly death. Other dangerous foods include onions, raw processed meats, chocolate, dairy products, processed or packaged foods, fruit pits, tomato and eggplant leaves, avocados, dried or raw beans, and feed for livestock or other types of birds.
What do baby turkeys eat in the wild?
During the first month of their lives, baby turkeys mainly eat protein foods such as mollusks, insects and small reptiles. After this critical month of life, babies are just as omnivores as adults. They start eating more seeds, vegetables, roots, fruits, grains and nuts.
What can I feed wild turkeys in my garden?
The best food to feed wild turkeys in your yard is the food they would forage for themselves in the wild. These include acorns, nuts, berry-producing plants, grasses, crushed eggshells or sand grit to aid in digestion and fresh water. Never feed wild turkeys wet bread, bird seed, or foods made or packaged for human consumption.
How do I get wild turkeys to my property?
Acorns are a favorite food for wild turkeys and what they like to eat in the winter, spring, summer and fall. If you want to attract these birds to your property, providing them with enough acorns on the ground to forage is a great way to entice them inside. You can also plant legumes, winter wheat and clover or give grapes for the wild turkeys. eat in winter and spring.
Do turkeys eat apples?
Turkeys like to eat apples. These fruits are also a great food source for the birds as they contain fiber, vitamins and minerals.