Celery is a vegetable which humans use in cooking and it is in the family of Apiaceae which includes carrots, parsley and parsnips.
Turkeys will eat anything they come across and this includes most vegetables and plants so they can eat celery.
Celery is not on the ‘don’t eat foods’ for turkeys and as such you can feed them celery if you have some in the house.
It is a nutritious plant which has essential nutrients which are useful to your turkey.
Let’s discuss the health benefits found in celery, how often you can feed them, if baby turkeys can eat celery and a whole other issues.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Celery To Turkeys?
- Vitamins
Vitamins are important for every organism on earth and turkeys are definitely not left out.
Celery is a rich source of some vitamins such as vitamins A, C and K.
Celery is also rich in riboflavin and all these nutrients put together are very much necessary for growth, immunity and maintenance of the turkeys.
- Fibre
Celery contains a considerable amount of fibre and when ingested into your turkey will help ease the digestive process.
Dietary fiber also works in the gut to aid the growth and proliferation of good bacteria through the use of prebiotics.
This in turn helps to improve gut health of the turkeys.
- Water
Celery is rich in water content. Feeding your turkeys celery will help ensure they are not dehydrated.
- Calcium
Calcium is an essential nutrient important in bone and muscle development, healthy eggshell quality and aids the egg laying process for the hens.
A deficiency of calcium in turkeys especially poults can lead to deformative rickets.
- Low-calorie
Celery is also a low-calorie vegetable, which means it doesn’t add unhealthy calories and carbs to your turkeys and essentially keeps them in good health.
I wrote a huge and complete list of foods and treats that you can feed turkeys
How Often Should I Feed Them Celery?
Celery is essentially a low-calorie vegetable and once given in moderation to the turkeys is a healthy snack for them.
If your turkeys clearly enjoy eating celery, then it is great for you as some turkeys might be picky and want to eat it.
However do not get carried away and continue feeding celery to your turkey flock all the time.
Switch up the treats from time to time, you can mix celery in with other vegetables and treats to get a more healthy and delicious mix for them.
Also, remember the 90/10 rule i.e 90% of their diet should be formulated turkey or gamebird feed, with the remaining 10% being scraps and treats.
As such restrict the feeding of celery to about once a week and you can also feed them other vegetables within that period too to provide them with an allround nutrition table.
Can Baby Turkeys Eat Celery?
Turkey poults require vegetables from time to time. Celery is a low-calorie vegetable which has some nutrients that they can use to effectively grow and survive.
However, celery should not be your first option of food for the turkey poults.
From their first week, turkey poults should only be fed on game bird or turkey starter feed.
Turkey poults require a higher percent of protein and this cannot be found in scraps and treat foods.
Once the turkey poults have grown to about 6 weeks of age and they have developed enough grit in their gizzards to digest the tough part of the celery, you can feed it to them.
As they are still young, it is important that celery is fed to them in moderation as an excess of it can cause an impacted crop.
Do Wild Turkeys Eat Celery?
Wild turkeys eat celery. Wild turkeys are known for being able to eat vegetables and plants and would most likely be attracted to a celery leaf or plant.
If you are raising wild turkeys, apart from their commercial feed, you should add other supplements and feed to give them an all round det.
Celery is a low calorie vegetable that when fed in moderation with other vegetables will help provide your turkeys with an all round balanced nutrition.
If your wild turkeys do take to celery then ensure, it is not fed to them in excess to avoid giving them impacted crops.
Also here is an article I wrote on feeding turkeys with cucumbers
Can Turkeys Eat Celery Leaves
Turkeys can eat celery leaves as well as the stalk and stem. It is easy for them to pick at the leaves as they are quite okay to eat.
Before serving them the celery, it is best to cut into small bite size pieces with which the turkeys can easily eat the food.
It is better to feed it to them as the leaves would be easier to eat when they are cut.
Things To Watch Out For Before Feeding Them Celery
One thing to note is that celery is more bland than other vegetables and the turkeys might not enjoy it as much as other tastier vegetables which you give to them.
Some turkeys might be pickier than others and they might not eat the celery even when you serve it to them.
This should not discourage you as you might want to try other treats with them or mix celery in with other vegetables to make it easier for them to eat.
Celery is also known for his tough stringy stalls which might not exactly be easy for the turkeys to eat, as such you can make it easier for them to eat by cutting it up into smaller pieces,
As turkeys do not have teeth, it might be problematic for them to get through the tough stems.
How Can I Feed Celery To My Turkeys?
The easiest way to feed celery to your turkeys is to cut it for them to ensure easy swallowing and digestion of the vegetable.
Before cutting up the celery, check them over to see that they are still fresh and have not been eaten by plant weevils.
Wash them thoroughly, then place on a chopping board and you can either cut them into small bite pieces or cut them into dice shapes that are easier for them to pick and eat.
You can mix celery in with other vegetables from time to time or you can serve it in their feeder mixed with their feed to make it more enjoyable to eat.
Conclusion
Celery is not your first choice of food when you think of treating your turkeys to a treat, however we can assure you that feeding your turkeys celery is one great way to give them a treat.
Celery is rich in minerals, low-calories, anti-oxidants and water.
Not all turkeys will want to eat celery as it is not as sweet tasting as other vegetables, however if they do like it then you should remember to feed them celery in moderation.
You should restrict celery feeding to about once or twice a week.
Ensure you wash it properly before you feed to them and cut into small bit sizes so it is easy for them to swallow and digest.
