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[list@ginda.us]

Yes, wild turkeys are considered very smart, and domestic ones very 
stupid.

There was a thread back in Apple Crop in late August about turkey 
damage in the orchard.  The consensus was that they aren't as bad a 
crows, but several people cited damage.  I'll forward a couple of them 
to this list.

Ginda

On Nov 16, 2003, at 1:36 PM, Tom Olenio wrote:

> 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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