Now, turkeys are often seen in fields and woodlands scratching for seeds, acorns and invertebrates. One tom may mate with several hens. The hens then nest on the ground in a nest that is barely recognizable - often looking like a depressed area in the grass. A single hen may lay as many as 15 eggs in a nest but sometimes a single nest will be shared by 2 or more hens. The young hatch after about 30 days.
Turkeys are precocial, meaning they can feed themselves when they are born.
They still need their moms for protection and warmth when they are young. Chicks often stay with the hens for 16 weeks or more. The young will learn to fly within 3-4 weeks. Toms can sometimes be heard calling at night often answering to the most unlikely of sounds, such as car doors slamming or Barred Owls calling.