Male turkeys will always have a breast beard as well, while very few hens do. They strut, drag their wings and long tail feathers in the dirt, puff out their beards and most spectacularly, fan their tail feathers in a great arc. Males boast dark iridescent plumage; large, fanning tails; prominent snoods; and wattles. Thankfully, there are plenty of obvious signs you can be on the lookout forand well show you exactly what they are. Even in a peer group (birds of the same age), youll see differences among growth and structural characteristics, like wider bodied or breed appropriate markings that youll want to be able to select for. Females, or hens, are smaller, with duller plumage and less prominent features. She spent nine years working in laboratory and clinical research. Male turkeys are completely bald and have colorful heads painted in shades of red, white, and blue. There are lots of questions and queries related to determining turkey gender. As poults, both male and females are very similar. When To Expect Your Chickens to Start Laying Eggs. Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures. Male turkey feathers have a metallic sheen to them in the Most adult turkey breast feathers are squared off at the ends, while younger turkey breast feathers are more curved at the ends. Inspect the vent opening (located under the tail, between the birds legs) to determine the sex of baby turkeys. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Male domesticated turkeys weigh 30 to 80 They appear large and squat, with 5,000 to 6,000 feathers on their bodies. Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Last year I was sure I had three bourbon red toms becasue of all the strutting. A hen attempts to distract potential predators by feigning injury and leading predators away from her young, who await her signal in hiding for safety. Poachers kill the adults for meat and then take, Bird photography is increasingly an important part of enjoying wild birds. Its tough to tell the males from the females as poults. Look for the snood. If the vent appears bumpy, the poult is male; if it is flat, the poult is female. You are using an out of date browser. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. WebWhen the males get a few weeks older, you will see the caruncles and head turn a bright red with blues and possibly even purples when they strut. The gold was then overlaid with various colors of enamel to produce the brilliant colors flashed by hummingbirds. In addition, male poults tend to be more territorial and aggressive toward other birds and their companions than female poults. So, people call them a hen. We eat turkey more than just the holidays, and you should, too. Sooo does that work for ALL breeds of turkeys? Alternatively, you can look at the color of the turkeys feathers. Both male and female turkeys will have a tuft of feathers under the beak called a beard. In addition, male poults tend to be more territorial and aggressive toward other birds and their companions than female poults. } This info only applies to wild turkeys. Participant The new Birdzilla.com guide contains 2,000 high-quality photographs of over 650 species. If you see a turkey with a few feathers on its head, then its definitely a female, since males are always bald. What if you cant get a super close look, though? Are there any differences in the color of the turkeys legs between males and females? Hope you will find answers of your questions or queries. Several years ago our family moved back to a small homestead that's been in our family for many years. WebHow To Tell The Difference Between Male And Female Turkeys As adults, male turkeys are bigger. I used to think I could sex my turkeys at a very young age. var adElemSticky = document.getElementById('vi-sticky-ad'); }; I appreciate the opportunity to choose bird size to fit our needs. Although closer view of the birds is also required sometimes for determining turkey gender (for example, young males may lack some of the characteristics that adult males possess, and this could cause confusion). Closely observer the coloration of your birds for determining turkey gender. Subordinate males can assist their dominant brothers in mating, but only dominant males will sire poults (babies). You can call female turkey as a hen, male as gobbler or tom, young ones as chick, poult or turkeylings. Yes, by observing the overall appearance of the turkey, including its size, body shape, plumage, snood and wattle size, tail feathers, and behavior, you may be able to make an educated guess about its gender, but it is not always a reliable indicator. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. } Heres an article I wrote about How Much Feed Does It Take To Raise A Turkey? Wild females are also around thirty-five inches long and weigh eleven pounds. Digital cameras, with a high degree of automation, can help almost anyone take excellent bird photographs. It is generally possible to determine a turkeys gender by 6-8 weeks of age. Female turkeys mostly cluck to communicate with each other and their young. }()). Female turkeys do not strut. Male guineas never sound this two-syllable call. (vitag.Init = window.vitag.Init || []).push(function () { viAPItag.display("vi_1472596215") }), wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Feathers. Check the beard. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Bird Flash Cards Flash cards are a great tool for learning about birds, and can be utilized in numerous ways. Comparing the size of the birds is a great way for determining turkey gender from a distance. Perhaps his best known bird illustrations are of hummingbirds. At first glance, it may seem that male and female turkeys are quite similar. Female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are much different in appearance than the males. Dont hesitate to ask us if you have more questions. They can be dominant or subordinate depending on their gene expression. Glenn really gets around, and we are never quite sure where he will contact us next. These are used for fighting other toms and predators. Check the top of the head. A lifelong writer, Dianne is also a content manager and science fiction and fantasy novelist. In addition, male poults tend to be more territorial and aggressive toward other birds and their companions than female poults. Male turkeys have feathery beards on their chests and although females typically do not have it, it is not a sure-fire way to distinguish them. After mating, the female turkey is on her own and has to incubate and take care of the younglings with no help from the male. Three of mine have some white tail feathers -- I didn't know if that meant anything or not. No, male and female turkeys walk in the same way. These big, spectacular birds are an increasingly common sight the rest of the year, too, as flocks stride around woods and Both of your poults will end up with snoods. On one end of the spectrum, birding can be a casual hobby. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Mature males and females are easily distinguished from each other. Female turkeys have blue-grey flesh that may be visible beneath the feathers on their heads. What temperature can I put this age out in? Gobblers are larger-bodied birds, with a darker coloration, at times appearing almost black. Ocellated turkeys are the smallest type of turkeys. While this is not exact, it can give you a general idea of the sex of the poult. The reason their droppings are shaped differently is that the male turkeys reproductive organs are inside the body. Both of your poults will end up with snoods. Different Ways for Determining Turkey Gender, Determining the Gender of Poults (Baby Turkey), 21. The position of the Hallucigenia's head puzzled scientists for several years. Vent observing method is the most commonly used method for determining turkey gender which began in the 1920s. Sheep are becoming more popular and for good reason, they are a family friendly livestock that fits well into many situations, even folks with minimal acreage available. Females are smaller and less colorful, with shorter tails and legs. In a larger sized flock of turkeys, if you see a group of unusually small toms fluffing and strutting for each other, especially if that peer group has significantly bigger toms, those smaller birds fluffing and strutting may actually be hens! It was created to provide care for orphans of the bushmeat trade. WebHow To Tell the Difference - YouTube 0:00 / 1:50 Tom or Hen Turkey Poult? (function () { Those that participate in the hobby arebirders. Male turkeys have shiny, black feathers and brightly-colored heads. Adult toms boast featherless red, blue or white skin on their heads; the color changes as males grow excited. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Both photographs by Alan Wilson. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. Email Subscription. 10 Birds Guide An introductory guide for childern, images of 10 birds and an online quiz. I have only seen the beard to be black and hens do not ever grow a beard. Female poults let their legs dangle, while male poults pull their legs up. Print as needed, looks best on glossy paper. Not only does it save us time and money from having to build new from scratch, but there's just something special about being able to reuse something that was built by your grandparents back in the day. Male turkeys, also known as toms, are known for their dominant behavior and aggressive mating displays. This method examines the vent, or opening, to examine the You will see them fan their tail feathers, drop their wings and hold out all of their contour feathers to make their bodies appear larger. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Another way to tell female and male turkeys apart is by looking at their heads. Webvideo of wild turkey sounds. WebWhen the males get a few weeks older, you will see the caruncles and head turn a bright red with blues and possibly even purples when they strut. Male turkeys are much larger and have more elaborate plumage. Iake is a specific term whereas for young females use the term, Jenny. You want healthy poults only, never accept less. John Gouldis sometimes referred to as the British Audubon. There are those that move far beyond the backyard with the purpose of seeing new and different bird species. Download the latest report for detailed information. If you only get the amount of turkeys as poults that you want to keep as adults, you are limiting yourself to what ever you get, thats not a good idea. Depending on the breed, the males can have an iridescent red, green, bronze, copper or gold sheen. If you need to sex turkeys for breeding purposes, hire a professional chicken sexer for help. However, colored feathers of the turkey were genetically removed in the 1960s for commercial turkey farming business. Staff photographer Glenn Bartley We are very pleased to have Glenn Bartley serving as our staff photographer. https://goo.gl/14T5rGProducts we like and use:Carey Smart Canner: http://amzn.to/2j8220UFarberware Chef Knife: http://amzn.to/2Bnlq2o KitchenAid Mixer: http://amzn.to/2Bm7l5fVitaMix Blender: http://amzn.to/2BB1Ke0Magic Chef Ice Maker: http://amzn.to/2k6OLXn__For Milking:Stainless Steel Strainer: http://amzn.to/2yM70pxMilk Filters: http://amzn.to/2jbNeP9Milking Pail: http://amzn.to/2k9p20LHalf Gallon Canning Jars: http://amzn.to/2B1fWxyBall Wide Mouth Plastic Lids: http://amzn.to/2B1p997Thank you for joining us on our journey. How can you tell the difference between male and female baby turkeys? These are the most common ways for determining turkey gender. Male domesticated turkeys weigh 30 to 80 They make gobbles and other mating calls. Well-nourished females in good physical condition nest earlier than females in poor condition. 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