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  • From: Tom Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] turkeys in the orchard/vinyard
  • Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 13:36:07 -0500

Hello,

Curious... Are wild turkeys any smarter than their domesticated cousins?

You talk to any farmer in our area (who has raised turkeys and chickens,
headed for their freezers)
and they just roll their eyes, and say "Turkeys are the stupidest animals I
have ever encountered",
with a disgusted edge in their voice. Farmer's being very practical people,
I have to believe
them. Then they will regale you with a few reinforcing stories as to how
dumb domestic turkeys
are.

So I am curious as to how intelligent the wild ones are.

Later,
Tom

Bernie Nikolai wrote:

> Lloyd Lee, famous 90 year old fruit tree breeder near Barrhead, Alberta, has
> kept WILD turkeys and chickens free range in his orchard for decades. The
> turkeys do a fabulous job of eating grasshoppers, bugs, and even killing
> mice (but they don't eat the mice), and weeding. There is no damage that I
> could see to any of his trees or fruit on the trees. Lloyd feels strongly
> you must use WILD turkeys, not the domesticated ones, which are near useless
> in his opinion. His wild turkeys even breed on his property, and it is
> common to see a brood of up to 10 chicks with the mother walking and pecking
> away in the orchard. Because he feeds them and offers shelter, the turkeys
> stay on his property, with the odd one ranging a few miles away. If he
> didn't feed and protect them, especially in winter, the population in a few
> years would disappear, due to ravens, coyotes, foxes, etc. But each year
> enough wild turkeys are born and survive to sustain the population, which
> ranges from about 100 birds in early fall to about 15 or 20 by late spring,
> then the breeding cycle kicks in again.
> Bernie Nikolai
> Edmonton, Alberta
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rondi" <dee@mokalive.com>
> To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2003 9:24 PM
> Subject: [NAFEX] turkeys in the orchard/vinyard
>
> > Anyone try this before?
> >
> > I have 13 turkeys (mosting Spanish Blacks) and plan on raising several
> more
> > this coming year. I'll have them roosting at night in their own coop, but
> am
> > wondering if they would do any damage apple, apricots, apple or pears any?
> >
> > The trees and plants are young yet.
> >
> > Rondi
> >
> >
> >
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--
Thomas Olenio
Ontario, Canada
Hardiness Zone 5b






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