We have a group of turkeys that live in the woods near us. They started out as a group of 6 with a big one as the leader. We spotted them at the end of fall again, and noticed that they had reduced in number to 5. Today we found them in our yard again with only four in the group (the big leader is missing). We watched them c losely and quietly. *you know how hard it is for kids to be still and quiet.* They came around the back of our house to the side porch area. We watched as one by one they jumped up onto the top of my car. It looks like they are having a Turkey Party. I have posted the following picture for you to see…
A little more info about wild turkeys: Hens begin nesting in late March or early April, laying one egg a day until the clutch reaches 10–12 eggs. They nest on the ground, in a hidden area in the forest or fields of tall grass. Incubation lasts for 28 days, and hatching occurs over a 24–36 hour period in late May or early June. Poults, or baby turkeys, stay near the nest until they are about 4 weeks old and can fly 25–50 feet. This allows them to escape predators by roosting in trees for the night, usually near their mother.
By three months of age, turkey groups will begin to form a social hierarchy, and an established pecking order is set by five months of age, at which time groups show subdivision by gender. As full-grown adults, wild turkeys can fly at 55 miles per hour and run at 25 miles per hour.
Hens are protective of their young. They will hiss and ruffle their feathers to scare away trespassers, and will only abandon the nest as a last option. Hatching begins with pipping, where the poult rotates inside the egg, breaking the shell in a circular pattern with its egg tooth (a sharp spike on its beak). Hens cluck as they check the eggs, beginning the critical imprinting process. Social cohesion among the poults is evident the first day after hatching, as is attachment to the hen. Vocal and visual signals are used to maintain close contact. This facilitates the learning of certain important activities, particularly feeding. Turkeys are social animals who prefer to live and feed together in flocks.
