This resources was updated as part of the veterinary review process. It was originally published on November 30, 2022.
Veterinary Review Initiative This resource has been reviewed for accuracy and clarity by a qualified Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with farmed animal sanctuary experience as of June 2023.Check out more information on our Veterinary Review Initiative here!
If you’ve spent much time looking through our offerings, you likely know the important role routine health checks play in keeping residents healthy and catching signs of concern early. Performing health checks regularly is imperative, but this should not be the only tool you use to monitor your residents’ health and well-being. The importance of thoughtful daily observation cannot be overstated. While some issues may be difficult to detect without a hands-on evaluation, there are other potential signs of concern that could be missed during a health check particularly those that manifest as slight changes in behavior or activity. By incorporating both daily observation and routine health checks into your care protocols, you are more likely to catch issues that develop in the period between health checks, as well as issues that are unlikely to be detected without a hands-on evaluation.
When it comes to daily observation, the keyword is “thoughtful.” Daily observation of residents must be more than just looking at them. Anyone caring for an animal, regardless of their species or breed, should be trained to observe the individuals in their care for behaviors and physical signs that are abnormal for the species, keeping in mind issues that are common in a particular species or breed and their warning signs. Of equal importance is getting to know the individuals being cared for and watching for things that are out of the ordinary for that particular individual. To read more about refining your observation skills, check out our resource here.
For hunters, naturalists, and backyard birders alike, learning to identify the scat (also known as droppings or poop) of different wildlife species is an important skill. When it comes to turkeys, their distinctive scat provides clues about the bird’s sex, age, and diet. Read on to learn what turkey poop looks like, what the differences in shape and size mean, and how to distinguish turkey droppings from other animals.
Turkey Dropping Shapes
The most notable feature of turkey scat is the variation in shapes between males and females:
-
Male turkey droppings typically resemble a “J” or spiral shape. They are long and cylindrical often with a slight curve at the end. Male scat may also form a “?” shape with a curled tail.
-
Female turkey droppings look more rounded and lumpier, lacking the elongated form of the males. Female poop tends to pile up in messy clumps or take on a spherical coiled shape.
These distinctive shapes stem from differences in male and female turkey anatomy. A female turkey’s wider cloaca (the single opening for reproduction and excretion) allows droppings to lump together before passing. Males have a narrower cloaca that produces tubular straighter poop.
Turkey Dropping Size
Larger turkey droppings indicate an older bird. As turkeys mature, their scat increases in diameter:
- Juvenile (under 1 year): 0.5 cm diameter
- Young adult (1-2 years): 0.7 cm diameter
- Mature adult (over 2 years): 1+ cm diameter
Males tend to produce slightly wider scat than females on average. But regardless of sex, turkey poop diameter correlates strongly with the bird’s age.
Turkey Dropping Color and Texture
Fresh turkey droppings have a greenish brown color from the combination of bile and fecal material. White streaks of uric acid crystalize on the surface. The texture is moist and soft initially.
As turkey scat ages, it darkens in color and dries out. Old droppings appear black or very dark brown. The texture becomes brittle and crumbly when desiccated.
Wetness or moisture content depends on the turkey’s recent diet. Droppings containing more liquid have a looser texture. Hard, dry poop indicates thicker intestinal contents.
What’s in Turkey Poop?
Turkey droppings provide clues about what the bird has eaten recently. Wild turkeys are omnivores, eating a varied diet of:
- Seeds and nuts (especially acorns)
- Fruits and berries
- Tubers, greens, and other vegetation
- Insects
- Small invertebrates like snails and worms
- Occasionally small vertebrates such as frogs and lizards
Their scat often contains visible pieces of nuts, seeds, or insect parts. The exact composition varies seasonally based on food availability.
Where to Find Turkey Droppings
Turkeys frequent wooded areas, fields, and rural backyards. Look for their scat in these locations:
-
Under roosting trees or utility poles. Turkeys perch up high to sleep at night.
-
Along well-used trails. Turkeys walk the same routes routinely.
-
In open dirt patches. Turkeys dust bathe to clean themselves and control parasites.
-
Around favored food sources like oak trees, berry bushes, or bird feeders.
-
In and around shelters like brush piles, evergreens, or sheds. These provide cover for turkeys.
Distinguishing Turkey Droppings
The unique shape and size of turkey poop makes it easy to differentiate from other wildlife scat:
-
Deer scat is round, pellet-like and piles up in clumps. Individual pellets are 0.5 inches or less in diameter.
-
Raccoon droppings are tubular like turkey’s, but longer (2-3 inches) and grayish rather than brown.
-
Owl pellets are compact, brown, and contain entire skeletons or indigestible fur/feathers.
-
Goose and duck poop is green, loose, and semi-liquid with white uric acid coating it.
Getting to know turkey scat takes you a step closer to understanding these fascinating birds. Tracking wildlife through the signs they leave is a fun way to connect with nature in your own backyard.
Familiarize Yourself With “Normal”
In order to identify signs of concern, it’s helpful to first consider how a healthy turkey typically looks and acts. While all turkeys are unique individuals, there are some general characteristics that most healthy turkeys will present. While it’s important to familiarize yourself with how a healthy turkey typically looks and acts, of equal importance is getting to know the individuals in your care so that you can learn what is normal for each resident. It’s also important to keep in mind that turkeys, particularly males, can change certain aspects of their appearance (such as the color of the skin on their head and neck and the length of their snood). Males (and sometimes even females) can also puff themselves up, changing the appearance of the shape and size of their body. Therefore, there may be a few different versions of “normal” for each turkey resident in your care.
Recognizing that every turkey is an individual, in general, a healthy turkey should:
- Be bright and alert
- Have clear, bright eyes
- Have smooth, flat feathers (unless they are molting or strutting)
- Walk with an even gait
- Have clean feathers on their bum and should preen their feathers regularly
- Have a healthy appetite. Please note that large breed turkeys should be very excited to eat.
In addition to knowing what a healthy turkey looks like, it’s also important to know what healthy turkey droppings look like. Many people are surprised to learn that there is an incredibly wide range of normal when it comes to turkey poop. Therefore, it’s important to familiarize yourself with what is normal for the turkeys in your care so you can notice if something seems unusual.
Turkeys do not urinate like mammals do. They produce urates, which mix with the waste produced by the digestive tract in the cloaca. Therefore, most turkey droppings will be a combination of digestive and urinary waste. The white portions of a turkey poop are the urates, with the rest being the feces.
The color and consistency of turkey poop can be a great indication of the overall health of the turkey. The most common colors of turkey poop are some shade of brown, gray, or green, but the color of fecal matter can be affected by diet. For example, turkeys eating red fruits may have some red-tinged poop, which may be confused with blood. Turkey droppings are typically soft but formed. However, turkeys who are eating lots of water-dense foods or are drinking more than usual, which is common when temperatures are hot, may have loose stool.
As part of the digestive process, food matter is fermented by bacteria in the ceca. The ceca empty their contents a few times per day, and cecal poop looks (and smells) different from other turkey droppings. Cecal poop is often a dark shade of brown and has a pudding-like consistency. It also has a distinct odor.
A broody turkey may spend the majority of the day nesting. Because of her dedication to nesting and her desire to keep her nest clean, she will often “hold it” rather than pooping frequently throughout the day and may only leave her nest a couple of times to relieve herself. Because of this “backup” of waste materials, it is not uncommon for a broody turkey to produce surprisingly large, pungent droppings.
Identifying Scat
FAQ
How do you identify turkey poop?
What is the difference between a gobbler and a hen poop?
Is wild turkey poop toxic?
How to tell a male wild turkey?