Turkeys are amazing birds that can provide you with meat, eggs, and even warn you of impending danger.
They are known to be large wild birds that require a diverse nutrient mix to grow and reproduce.
However, aside from their regular diet, turkeys do love treats as well.
Wondering what treats to give to your turkeys? Well, fruits are the best types of treats for turkeys and other birds.
Fruits are not only delicious, but they also provide lots of health benefits for birds.
But, as you may know, birds shouldn’t be given just any fruit despite its health benefits. This is because most human foods can be harmful to them.
So, can turkeys eat fruits like kiwi? Let’s find that out.
Can Turkeys Eat Kiwi?
Turkeys can certainly eat kiwi. Kiwi isn’t only safe for turkeys; it also provides lots of health benefits to these birds.
Looking for a treat to give to your turkey? Well, here you have it – Kiwi fruits are one of many fruits that can be used as treats or incorporated into a turkey’s regular diet.
Kiwi, also known as kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry, is a nutrient-dense fruit that is low in calories and highly nutritious.
It’s a flavored fruit with numerous health benefits for both humans and animals.
However, kiwi is known to have high sugar content. And most turkeys may experience mild discomfort after eating it.
For this reason, kiwi does not rank among the best fruits for turkeys. As a result, feeding kiwi to turkeys should be done with caution and moderation to avoid endangering them.
We’ll look at some of the best fruit snacks for turkeys, as well as facts on feeding and keeping them healthy. So, keep reading.
What Are the Health Benefits of Kiwi to Turkeys?
As stated earlier, kiwi offer lots of health benefits to turkeys. This funny looking fruit is high in nutrients like vitamins, antioxidants, dietary fiber, and lots more.
Let’s take a closer look at some health benefits of these fruits to turkeys.
1. Aids development and repair of their body tissues: The importance of vitamins for birds cannot be over-emphasized. Kiwifruits contain a lot of vitamins. However, Vitamin C is more abundant in kiwis.
Vitamin C is necessary for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues of turkey.
2. Aids nutrient digestibility: The presence of dietary fiber in kiwi can help turkeys’ digestive health.
Turkeys consume a large amount of food throughout the day. It is unhealthy to have poor digestion.
The kiwifruit interestingly is high in dietary fiber in both its tough skin and flesh. Fiber can help turkeys digest their food.
It also helps to reduce constipation and a variety of other problems like gastrointestinal problems, as well as discomfort experienced by turkeys.
3. Provide immunity to diseases: The flesh of the kiwi fruit is high in vitamins. And, this boosts immunity and lowers the risk of disease.
Kiwi contains a high concentration of Vitamin C, which boosts the immune system.
The kiwifruit provides approximately 230% of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin C.
Every bite of this bold fruit provides a burst of immune-boosting nutrients for the turkeys.
4. Guarantees healthy bones: Kiwi is a great source of vitamin k as well as phosphorus and calcium.
These nutrients are known to help turkeys maintain healthy bones.
5. Antioxidants are abundant in kiwis: Antioxidants aid in the elimination of free radicals within the body and the reduction of oxidative stress in turkeys.
This, in turn, may protect them from inflammation and diseases.
Check out this comprehensive list of foods and treats for turkeys
How often Should I feed them Kiwi?
Although kiwi is a delicious and healthy snack, it does contain naturally occurring sugar, as do all fruits.
As a result, your turkeys should eat kiwis in moderation.
Limiting kiwi intake to 140 grams or less is best for turkeys to maintain a balanced diet and a healthy girth.
Can Baby Turkeys Eat Kiwi?
Thinking of feeding baby turkeys kiwi? There’s no need to get scared about it. Baby turkeys can eat kiwi.
However, they should be given only in moderation, bite-sized and tiny amounts at a time.
But, to maintain their natural growth rates, young turkeys require feeds containing approximately 28% protein.
Although their need for this high level of protein will diminish over time, their vitamin requirements will remain constant. This is where fruits like kiwi come into play.
Turkeys also require a lot of vitamin A and D, as well as a lot of calcium.
However, feeds designed specifically for turkeys or wild birds typically provide the nutritional benefits that turkeys require to thrive.
Do Wild Turkeys Eat Kiwi?
Wild turkeys do not have easy access to Kiwi fruits. As a result, it is impossible to say whether wild turkeys can eat Kiwi fruits or not.
It is most likely that they may eat the fruit if they come across it. However, they do eat fruits such as crabapples, berries, wild grapes, etc.
Wild turkeys consume a wide variety of foods. They eat large insects like caterpillars, spiders, and grasshoppers.
These wild birds also enjoy eating nuts, bird seeds, grains, lizards, baby snakes, snails, and worms.
However, their primary diet consists primarily of grasslands.
They are, however, omnivorous, so masticating red meat is a regular part of their diet, albeit on rare occasions.
Also here is an article I wrote on can turkeys eat kale
Can Turkeys Eat Kiwi Seeds?
Kiwi seeds are very healthy for turkeys. These seeds are both tasty and nutritious. They include omega-3 fats, which are excellent lipids that keep the brain and heart healthy.
Similarly, some of the fiber found in kiwis is found in the seeds. Protein is also found in kiwi seeds.
You might be surprised at how many different types of fruits seeds turkeys can safely consume.
Watermelon, apple, pineapples, grapes, tomatoes, cucumber seeds, and leaves are just a few of the fruits they consume.
Well then, let’s find out what makes these fruits safe for turkeys.
Watermelon: This fruit is not only sweet because of its high-water content, but it is also nutritious.
Turkeys can safely eat the flesh, rinds, and seeds of the watermelon fruit as well. However, for easier picking, dice the watermelon before feeding it to your turkeys.
Apples: I’m sure you enjoy apples. Like, who doesn’t love this delicious nature’s gift?
Interestingly, apples are equally adored by turkeys. Like you know, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Apples are high in vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients that are helpful to your turkeys’ health. However, apple seeds are bad for them. Therefore, it is advisable to keep them away from turkeys.
Grapes: Grapes provide a lot of moisture, sugars, and vitamins, among other things, for turkeys.
Grapes can be eaten whole by mature turkeys. Their seeds are safe and healthy to turkeys. but it’s best to take out the seeds before feeding them to baby turkeys.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes are great for turkeys. Tomato seeds are also good for birds. You can serve this fruit in a variety of ways to turkeys.
You can either cook or dry them. Dried tomatoes have been discovered to be an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
However, it is unhealthy to feed turkeys with raw tomatoes. Raw tomatoes are acidic and can pose a danger to them.
Cucumbers: Interestingly, birds do enjoy eating cucumbers. This is because of its juiciness. Aside its high content of vitamins and minerals, this fruit would keep your turkey hydrated.
Every part of this fruit is safe for turkeys to consume. They can eat the skin, seeds, and leaves of cucumber fruit.
Things To Watch Out For Before Feeding Them Kiwi
Kiwis are a delicious fruit, but many people and animals are allergic to them. The severity of symptoms can range from very mild to severe.
Keep an eye out for side effects and symptoms when feeding kiwi to turkeys. Mild symptoms may include Itching or discomfort in the mouth.
In severe cases, they may throw up after eating the fruit.
If your turkey shows any sign of a reaction, whether severe or mild, to the kiwifruit, you should stop feeding it to them.
How Can I Feed Kiwi To My Turkeys?
There are different ways to serve kiwi to turkeys. Here’s a simple home recipe you can try out.
Recipe
1 fresh kiwi
1 long thin carrot (optional)
Preparation
- The first thing to do is to take off the kiwi skin. Although this is a soft-bodied fruit, it is best to help turkeys out by peeling off the skin. This makes it easy for them to eat the fruit.
- When the kiwi skin is off, the next thing to do is cut them into smaller pieces. When feeding kiwi to turkeys, keep in mind that feeding it in its entirety may pose a risk to them when swallowing, especially for baby turkeys.
As a result, the best way to feed kiwifruit to your turkey is to cut it up into smaller chunks before serving it.
- You can offer turkeys kiwi alongside other fruits like carrots. This would give them a variety of nutrition. However, severing them just the kiwi fruit will be just fine.
Conclusion
Kiwi fruit can be eaten by turkeys, but it is not one of their favorite foods. However, it has a significant nutritional value and several health benefits.
But, its allergic reaction, however mild, is a strong indication that giving it to them in large quantities is not a good idea.
