Turkeys love to eat most berries including and not limited to raspberries, strawberries, blueberries to mention a few.
Berries are packed with a lot of nutritional value for birds and they are usually often tossed to birds from time to time.
Raspberry has a number of nutritional value to offer to turkeys including minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
It is perfectly healthy to feed turkeys all parts of the fruit.
Today we will discuss the health benefits of raspberries, whether baby turkeys can eat it, how often to feed raspberries to turkeys, how to feed raspberries to turkeys and other related issues.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Raspberry To Turkeys?
- Water
Turkeys are rambunctious pets who can’t sit still and it is possible for them to become dehydrated.
Especially in the warmer months, when the sun is scorching.
In such cases, water provides them with all of the hydration they require and they can easily get this from being fed raspberries.
- Vitamins
A variety of vitamins such as vitamins A, B complex, C, E and K can be found in the raspberry fruit.
These vitamins are important for a variety of actions such as metabolism, boosting the immunity system, muscle and egg development to mention a few.
They are quite essential for your turkey.
- Fibre
Dietary fiber is an important part of your turkeys’ diet because they improve intestinal movements, regulate blood sugar levels, and promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
- Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral responsible for the working of your turkeys body system.
It is especially required for repairing and improving their feathers and its formation.
Feeding your turkeys raspberries will ensure they have a fine outlook and plumage.
- Calcium
Calcium is a major mineral that should not be lacking in your turkey’s diet. It plays a major role in egg, muscle and bone development.
Here is an article I wrote on what to feed turkeys
How Often Should I Feed Them Raspberries?
Although it has been established that raspberries provide some important nutrients to the health of turkeys, turkeys require far more nutrients than what only raspberries can provide.
You should just feed them raspberries as treats, as they should only make up a small portion of their diet.
It is normally advised that they would get 90% of their diet from commercial turkey feed.
Remember that fruits like raspberries have a high sugar content and this can cause health problems for your turkeys when given in excess.
Limit the feeding to one or two berries per turkey and you can feed them this once a week.
Can Baby Turkeys Eat Raspberries?
Turkey poults can be fed raspberries from time to time.
Have it in mind that they are not as strong as the adults and it is better to wait till they are slightly developed before feeding them other feeds apart from their commercial feed.
For the first six weeks of their life, the focus should be on their starter feed which will provide them with the necessary nutrients they require.
When feeding your turkey poults raspberries, you must be especially careful about the quantity you feed them because their delicate digestive systems can handle even less sugar.
You can feed them one berry per bird once a week or even less.
Do Wild Turkeys Eat Raspberries?
Wild turkeys enjoy eating and in fact, they will consume almost anything. Wild turkeys will eat everything they can accommodate in their mouths.
They can eat a variety of seeds, insects, animals, plants, fruits, and vegetables because they are omnivores.
Wild turkeys enjoy eating raspberries and can eat them anywhere found including the skin, core and seeds.
The seeds are not toxic to them unlike those of some other fruits and as such they are seen enjoying it from time to time.
If you have a flock around, it is okay for you to toss them raspberries from time to time.
Can Turkeys Eat Raspberry Juice?
Turkeys can have raspberry juice from time to time, however it is better if it is homemade as store bought juice can have higher sugar content and other additives and preservatives that might be harmful to your turkeys.
You can give them about a spoonful each of raspberry juice because of the sugar content to avoid them getting overweight.
Another advantage of making your own homemade raspberry juice is that you can also feed them the leftover pulps as a snack.
Also check out this article I wrote on can turkeys eat raisins
Can Turkeys Eat Raspberry Pie
Turkeys can be given scraps or leftovers of homemade raspberry pie if you happen to have it at home.
However, this should not be an everyday thing because of the sugar and salt content and other ingredients that might be unhealthy for the turkeys.
I’m sure your turkeys would lovingly pounce on any scraps you give to them. But put it in mind that they do not process the food the way we do.
Raspberries have high sugar content and you would also be adding other additives to the pie that if given in excess can cause health problems.
Limit feeding them raspberry pie to once in a while.
Things To Watch Out For Before Feeding Them Raspberry
Raspberries like other berries are quite healthy and are safe to be fed to turkeys.
If you have a raspberry patch in your yard, chances are they will visit to decimate it from time to time. ‘
However, it is advisable to minimize your raspberry feeding.
For one, raspberries are high in sugar content which can cause your birds to be overweight as they cannot easily process sugars.
Before feeding them raspberries, also remember to remove the calyx of the fruit.
The calyx of the fruit, like those of others, is frequently sprayed with agrochemicals to keep pests and insects away from the fruits.
This is why it is important to carefully detach the calyx from the raspberries before trying to feed them to turkeys.
Just like every other fruit and snack, restrict raspberry feeding to about one or two berries per adult bird once a week to avoid excesses.
It should constitute part of the supplementary 10% of their food source.
How Can I Feed Raspberry To My Turkeys?
Before feeding raspberries to your turkeys ensure the berries are totally washed to remove any pesticides or insecticides that might have clung to the skin during planting.
As a matter of fact, if you have your own raspberry patch then you should rather avoid using those chemicals to avoid getting your birds ill.
After thorough washing, you can decide to cut the berries in half before feeding them to the turkeys or just toss it to them whole and watch them pecking at it.
If you are feeding the young poults, you might want to cut them into tiny pieces to aid their eating.
You can also decide to buy organic berries in which case you don’t have to worry about them being grown with pesticides but you should still give a good rinse no matter what.
Conclusion
Raspberries are quite nutritious and healthy for your turkeys to eat and it is a safe treat that you can feed them from time to time.
Raspberries provide nutritional value for your turkeys in the form of vitamins, minerals, water and fibre.
This fruit is a great treat however it should only be treated as such and not made their overall feed as it cannot provide them with all the nutrition they require.
Wash the berries thoroughly before feeding them and then toss or cut them into pieces for eating pickings.
