Turkeys are omnivores with a highly varied diet that includes both plant and animal matter. Wild turkeys eat a wide range of foods such as leaves, grass, seeds, berries, insects, worms, snails, frogs, and small reptiles
. Their diet changes with the season and habitat, allowing them to thrive in diverse environments. Key components of a wild turkey's diet include:
- Insects and other invertebrates: Grasshoppers, beetles, grubs, snails, caterpillars, pill bugs, and ticks are important sources of protein, especially for hens during egg production and for poults (young turkeys) after hatching
- Plants: Turkeys consume tender greens, clover, alfalfa, wheat shoots, pine seedlings, ferns, and other broadleaf plants called forbs
- Fruits and berries: They eat blackberries, mulberries, bearberries, wild grapes, juniper berries, and prickly pear cactus, particularly in arid environments
- Seeds, nuts, and grains: Acorns, beechnuts, pine nuts, soybeans, sorghum, milo, sunflower seeds, corn, and other agricultural grains are favored foods
Turkeys forage by scratching and pecking at the ground, storing food temporarily in their crop before digestion. Their gizzard, aided by small stones and grit, grinds up hard food items to aid digestion
. In summary, turkeys eat a diverse diet of insects, plants, fruits, nuts, and grains, adapting their food intake based on availability and season
