Soon after the soft downs are dry, the chicks leave the nest. They are unable to fly and so follow their mother on foot. When the chicks are about two weeks old they are able to fly onto trees. They remain with their mothers throughout the winter. Commercially, turkeys have been selectively bred to have shorter legs and enormous breasts, to the extent that natural mating is impossible for some of the heavy breeds.
All breeding is therefore by artificial insemination which increases the overall rate of fertility.
The hen turkey lays an average of 100 eggs in one breeding season, which lasts for about five months. After hatching, the young poults are kept in a brooder with artificial heat until they are hardy enough to cope, usually at four to five weeks old. In the wild, turkeys find almost all their food on the ground. They eat wild berries, a variety of nuts, and even cactus fruits. If they are near tilled soil, they will eat wheat, corn and oats.