Wildlife Conservation

Bluebirds 

Over the last few decades, land has been cleared for housing developments, shopping malls, highways, and industry; many old trees (snags) have been cut down for firewood and wooden fence posts that once provided nesting cavities have been replaced with metal and fiberglass T-posts. The supply of natural nesting cavities, for bluebirds, have greatly declined.

Adding to the problem of habitat decline has been the introduction into North America of two imported species - the House Sparrow and the European Starling; both of which are cavity nesters, very aggressive and commonly chase away the more timid bluebird. Starlings can be barred from bluebird boxes by using the correct size entrance hole, although Starlings will out-compete bluebirds for natural cavities. like snags.

"Even though the bluebird population has greatly diminished over the years, the future can still be promising for them. The most important step we can take to help bring back the bluebird is to provide nesting sites by setting out a bluebird box" (NABS).

Davis Ranch has been building bluebird boxes, since 2001, to try to do our part in bringing back the Eastern Bluebird. Join us by building a few nest-boxes on your ranch, farm, or in your backyard. Not even the Georgia Sky is as blue as the Bluebird. Nestbox plans can be found on the NABS website above.

Wild Turkey 

The wild turkey restoration program ended in 1996 and since then, with adequate protection and biologically sound hunting seasons, wild turkey populations in Georgia have increased to over 400,000 birds.

Almost 80% of the poult’s diet in their first week of life is insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and true bugs.  Insects are high in protein, which is important for the fast-growing poults.  As the poults age, they include more plant material in their diet.  Quality wild turkey habitat is important to the poult’s survival and consists of weedy or grassy openings with knee-high vegetation and scattered trees or shrubs that cover approximately 50 percent of the ground.

Plant material makes up most of the adult turkey’s diet.  Adult turkeys eat a variety of nuts, berries, plants and insects.  Examples of foods eaten by wild turkeys include: acorns, beechnuts, pecans, pine seeds, blackberries, wild grapes, blueberries, poison ivy berries, grass seeds, snails and grasshoppers.  Turkeys have also been known to eat small frogs, lizards and crayfish. Wild turkeys need a mixture of forests and open areas to meet their seasonal habitat requirements. Quality turkey habitat consists of mature woodlands with open understories and well developed midstories, interspersed with grassy or weedy openings.

                     Davis Ranch Simmental/Simangus     John H. Davis Jr.   912.536.6898          

               5652 Lakeview Rd                                    Elynor Davis           912.536.6897

                     Statesboro, Ga 30461                              Andrew H. Davis    912.587.5216          

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