Turkeys and acorns?

[sits in trees]

can someone explain to me exactly how the hell turkeys eat acorns? do they swallow them whole? i can't imagine their beeks are strong enough to crack em, and we all know the have no arms??

[burmjohn]

Maybe they eat the cracked ones, or the crumbs left over from the deer / bear.

[Geno C]

i dont think ive ever seen or heard of them eating a whole acorn. maybe just some leavings from other game... or small ones perhaps?

[Fantail]

Well, they eart whole hard shell corn all the time - you'll see them in and out of corn feilds, and places where manure is spread. They also swallow pebbles. One way to help break up substance. I don't think acorns would be to much of a challege for them.

[Buckstopshere]

A lot of birds, chickens and pigeons and from grouse to turkeys have a crop where they ingest pebbles and stones to grind up the hard mast like acorns and beechnuts. They swallow them whole and then grind them up.

[CNYlungbuster]

The gizzard is actually where the grinding takes place the crop is more of a storage compartment used to drop small portions of food into the stomach while the bird is roosting/resting (not feeding).  While some grinding may occur here the majority of it occurs in the gizzard.  This helps them maintain homeostasis (sp) since birds have such a fast metobolic rate. 

[Buckstopshere]

Right you are. I stand corrected.

[burmjohn]

Neat, I never knew that.