Raccoons are the opposite of picky eaters. These animals will happily eat whatever foods are available in their environment.
They will not only eat these foods, but they will also thrive off of these foods, regardless of what is available. Is this the case with turkey eggs? Do raccoons eat turkey eggs? This article looks into it.
Raccoons do eat turkey eggs, these eggs are a delicious and nutrient-rich meal that is easy for raccoons to find and eat. A mother turkey may try to defend herself and her eggs against a raccoon attack but the raccoon will overpower her
Table of Contents
Do raccoons eat turkey eggs?
Raccoons eat a variety of foods, these animals regularly eat bugs, birds, amphibians, rodents, worms, slugs, plants, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, turkeys, and even turkey eggs.
Raccoons are able to eat such a wide variety of foods because they are both opportunistic feeders and omnivores
Health benefits of raccoons eating turkey eggs:
Turkey eggs are a great meal option for raccoons. These eggs are large and incredibly nutrient-rich. Turkey eggs can deliver good amounts of iron, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, selenium, choline, folic acid, and phosphorus.
This food also contains good amounts of protein, protein is an essential nutrient that all animals need. Protein from eggs of all types are superior to plant proteins as plant proteins lack amino acids.
Meat also offers superior proteins when compared to plants, however, meat can be harder to get ahold of than eggs, this is a reason why eggs are preferred by raccoons
Once a raccoon gets its hands on a turkey egg, it will use its teeth to crack the egg open. Once opened, the raccoon will eat the contents of the egg and discard the eggshell. If the raccoon is very hungry it will also eat the eggshell
Do raccoons raid turkey nests?
Raccoons will definitely raid turkey nests. These mammals have the most success raiding the nests of mother turkeys who are incubating eggs. During this time, the turkey mother cannot leave her nest and eggs alone and unprotected.
Turkeys will usually fly away from raccoons for safety but in this case, she will try to defend herself. This seldom goes well for the bird. The raccoon will use its claws and teeth to kill the bird. After this, the raccoon will eat the eggs.
Even if the newly hatched poults do manage to hatch unharmed, they are only able to fly 10 days after hatching. During this time, they are vulnerable to raccoon attacks, as well as attacks from other predators,
Raccoons eating turkey eggs puts a huge toll on the turkey population. Raccoons eating turkey eggs means that there will be fewer turkeys being born and thus fewer turkeys in a population
If you’re raising turkeys and have raccoons in your area, it’s best to keep the birds protected at all times. If a raccoon realizes that there are turkeys in the area it will attack and devastate your flock, killing the adult birds and eating the eggs
Will raccoons kill turkeys?
In addition to eating turkey eggs, raccoons will also eat turkeys. These animals are major predators to turkeys. Raccoons easily track down turkeys, these furry animals have a keen sense of smell, they can smell turkeys easily.
If turkeys get rained on and wet, raccoons will be able to smell them even better. Even humans will be able to smell them
The only defense that turkeys have against raccoons is their flight, turkeys can fly and reach speeds of 55 mph. If the bird notices the raccoon early enough, it will fly off to safety. If the bird acts too slowly or doesn’t see the raccoon, it will become a raccoon meal
Wild turkeys are also quite cautious, this level of cautiousness is what has enabled them to survive long enough to reproduce over the ages. This makes them a challenge for raccoons, other predators, and humans to pursue
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes, raccoons do eat turkey eggs. Turkey eggs are well-loved by raccoons because they are easy to acquire and delicious. These eggs also offer a variety of vitamins and minerals to the raccoon’s body.
Raccoons will happily kill the mother bird incubating her eggs, eat her, and eat her eggs as well.
Raccoons are major turkey egg predators and can easily devastate your turkey population
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other raccoon related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Do raccoons eat iguanas?, What time do raccoons eat? , Do raccoons eat roadkill?
