What breed is a wild turkey?

[buglit]

We have tons of wild turkeys out here in Western North Carolina. Are there specific breeds that they are most likely to be? If I wanted to introduce turkeys to my 300 acres, what would be the best breed?

 

[chickenannie]

I think it's illegal to introduce any breed of turkey to live wild (even domesticated Eastern Wild Turkeys), unless you have 100% fenced in your entire 300 acres so they can't even fly out. I'm guessing this is impossible to do unless you are a millionaire. The reason is because any hatchery turkeys can introduce disease and poor genetics to the wild turkeys and kill them off. The domesticated Eastern Wild turkey breed has been bred so much that their genetics are different than the actual wild ones. And wild turkeys will come to your pens and try to lure your captive turkeys away, especially during mating season. That is my understanding of the situation. Others may know better than I.

My suggestion would be to build some really nice, large turkey runs somewhere on your acreage so that you can have a lot of turkeys but they are kept from mixing with the wild ones.

 

[jenjscott]

You might be able to work with fish and game on populating your land with wild wild turkeys, I don't know, but it might not hurt to ask. If there are wild turkeys near your place, your best bet might be working to make wild turkey habitat on your land and hope to get some immigrants.

 

[Struttn1]

Quote:
If you have 300 acres of prime turkey habitat the wild turkeys would already be there. Maybe the problem lies in your 300 acres not being suitable for the wild birds. Contact your local DNR wildlife or turkey biologist to see if they will come out and tell you whether your land is suitable or not.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

There are quite a few Eastern wilds in NC now, we are in Eastern NC and have counted 40 to 50 in the field behind our house last fall. I should have gone and got the camera but we were to busy just watching the flock. Every spring we see more and more hens and poults each year. In our area the farmers grow mostly grain, corn, soybeans, winter wheat so they have plenty to eat and lots of thick wet bottom land to hide in.

NC fish and game is very "touchy" when it comes to game birds. You need a game bird permit for any type of game bird and they are not issuing any permits for wild turkeys. They won't even discuss that - it's a flat out no.

Steve in NC

 

[buglit]

Very informative!! Thank you