\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. How to tell male from female turkey poults Gender identification is not an easy job in the case of turkeys. While the males have spurs or small spike-shaped bumps that should be visible from a moderate distance. Listening to the call of your birds is also an option for determining turkey gender. Male domesticated turkeys weigh 30 to 80 It is a common observation that female turkeys look like a hen. Offspring and Auto Sex Question. if (window.innerWidth > 900) {
Its important to take time for proper training before using any new technique. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. The mother hen relocates her babies, called poults, to areas with plentiful insects for them to eat. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Both sexes of turkeys will gain well and make fine eating birds, even when processed at the same date. Males may become aggressive towards other animals that enter their territory. I prefer to follow BirdZilla on Facebook. It wont be much, but Id guess the difference would show up by a week or so. In some breeds, males have a redder head while females have a bluish-gray head. Webvideo of wild turkey sounds. % of people told us that this article helped them. I have 5 naragansett poults. We'll share videos on everything from caring for and raising animals, gardening, mistakes we've made and lessons learned, how-to tips, and what our day to day life is like. Raise Sheep. Black Australorp (Hen) bred with Blue Plymouth Rock (Rooster)? At first glance, it may seem that male and female turkeys are quite similar. I haven't noticed a difference in snood sizes before 10 weeks. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Caruncles really start to develop after that on males also. But there are a lot of differences between male and female turkeys that you can spot both in adult turkeys and even hatchlings! Iake is a specific term whereas for young females use the term, Jenny. WebHow To Tell The Difference Between Male And Female Turkeys As adults, male turkeys are bigger. Ecuador: A Nature Photography Odyssey Glenn previously spent several months of intense photographic work in Ecuador. There are even ways to tell the sex of a turkey that has been in an area without seeing the turkey itself. Two were hens. The female broods them at night for several weeks. Things happen and occasionally one of your birds will die or get snatched by a predator. Males legs will also get thicker. Males are larger and have longer tails and legs, a long and droopy snood on their bill, and make a distinctive gobbling sound. var adElemSticky = document.getElementById('vi-sticky-ad');
Since turkeys look very similar, no matter the age, how do you tell the male turkeys from the females? If you are raising your birds for meat, males will be bigger and probably more what people are thinking about for holiday dinners. On the other hand, male turkeys frequently raise their tails into the shape of a fan (actually fanning the tails is an act of dominance for the male turkeys). And thats todays news from the Cackle Coop. Its tough to tell the males from the females as poults. Male turkey feathers have a metallic sheen to them in the Six subspecies of wild turkeys exist, with at least one subspecies in every state of the United States except for Alaska. Toms possess a long beard on their chests, with long, hair-like feathers that stick out. Guinea keets are even more difficult to sex than turkey poults. So, people call them a hen. Feathers. Observe the color of the head. While female turkey feathers are a little bit shiny, they arent nearly as iridescent as a male turkeys are. Toms can also be identified by their spurs, which are claw-like protrusions on the sides of the ankle. Both males and females are 24 to 36 inches long with a wingspan of 26 to 30 inches. Both sexes have these growths, even though the snood of an adult male is usually somewhat larger than that of a female turkey. adElemSticky.style.height = rect.height + 'px';
If they are day old poults, Im not sure that you can, at least I dont know a definitive way to do it. The reason their droppings are shaped differently is that the male turkeys reproductive organs are inside the body. The males and females of both species, within the same breed or variety, look pretty much alike until they are nearly mature. Last Updated: March 13, 2023 Turkeys belong to the same family as partridges, pheasants and peafowl. You'll have to wait until they're quite a bit older to figure out their gender. WebLets begin with the basics of distinguishing male wild turkeys (gobblers) from females (hens). Its easier to sex turkeys as they mature and develop more distinct characteristics. The snood is a fleshy protuberance on the top of the turkeys beak. When To Expect Your Chickens to Start Laying Eggs. Their heads are either white or blue-gray, with small feathers on both head and neck. The males will be heavier after a few days of eating. Both of your poults will end up with snoods. Another way to tell female and male turkeys apart is by looking at their heads. They also swim and can run as fast as 25 miles per hour. WebTURKEY FACT #2: Turkey droppings tell a birds sex and age. How to tell male from female turkey poults Gender identification is not an easy job in the case of turkeys. Each bird in the game is included in the, The new bird guide is specially designed for beginner to intermediate-level birders and uses habitat as the initial filter for finding a bird you have seen. Last year I was sure I had three bourbon red toms becasue of all the strutting. I posted a photo on my. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. The snood can turn blue, red or white depending on the turkeys mood. In the meantime, you can visit his website for an incredible amount of information. Content for three very popular groups of birds is also included Purple Martins, Hummingbirds and Bluebirds. Both photographs by Alan Wilson. Throughout the breeding season, male turkeys often strut around while fanning out their tail feathers. As poults, both male and females are very similar. Depending on the breed, the males can have an iridescent red, green, bronze, copper or gold sheen. The male turkey also periodically makes a chump sound followed by a low hum, the source of which is not yet fully understood. }()). wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Wild female turkeys, or hens, weigh from 5 to 12 pounds and range from 30 to 37 inches long. Im always curious about what the hatching ratio is per batch but it really isnt a big deal, since no matter what you are doing having both male and female turkeys will work out just fine. Check for aggression towards other males, 24. Male turkeys are most easily distinguished from females by their impressive tails. Female vs Male Turkeys: How to Tell a Young Turkeys Gender, Unlock staff-researched answers by supporting wikiHow, https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/twra/hunting/big-game/turkey/wild-turkey-identification-tutorial.html, https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/Turkey_curriculum_guide.pdf, https://www.mass.gov/service-details/identifying-female-and-male-turkeys-in-the-spring, https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/turkey/turkeyage.html, https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/-/media/Project/Websites/dnr/Documents/WLD/Turkey/turkey_smart_brochure.pdf, https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/hunting-trapping/wild%20turkey%20aging%20and%20sexing%20guide.pdf, https://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/2020/nov/nov24-wildturkey.php, https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9526, https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/my-life-as-a-turkey-wild-turkey-fact-sheet/7299/, https://chickenmag.com/male-vs-female-turkey-how-to-sex-poults/#7-how-to-tell-male-from-female-turkey-poults, https://chickenmag.com/male-vs-female-turkey-how-to-sex-poults/#2-tail-fanning, https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/wild-turkey-lifestyle-and-breeding, https://www.provincetown-ma.gov/926/Wild-Turkey-Information, https://www.fws.gov/story/wild-facts-about-wild-turkeys, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwZuBiD-srs&t=4s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwZuBiD-srs&t=6s, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/nothing-to-gobble-at-social-cognition-in-turkeys/, https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/All-About-the-WildTurkey.pdf, https://www.nwtf.org/hunt/wild-turkey-basics/turkey-sounds, . And this change can happen within seconds. We just can't get ourselves to tear down anything if it has potential to be fixed up. Offspring and Auto Sex Question. As adults, male turkeys, called toms, are always bigger than females, called hens. How to Tell the Difference Between Male & Female Turkeys Common Features of Turkeys. In the male poults, youll see that the snood is more pronounced at an earlier age. Trying to determine the gender of your newly-hatched turkey poults can be difficult, but when they are around 3 weeks of age the males (jakes) may begin to strut. In combination, over 50 million Americans watch and feed birds, expending over $20 billion each year in the process. The easiest way to tell whether a turkey is male, or female is its size. WebHow To Tell the Difference - YouTube 0:00 / 1:50 Tom or Hen Turkey Poult? Female turkeys keep their tail down. Look for the snood. Interestingly, their wingspan is quite similar, around 50-56 inches. Best 23 Feeding Tips, Can Dogs Eat Skippy Peanut Butter? wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This is one of the reasons females tend to have a lower life expectancy. Female turkeys have blue-grey flesh that may be visible beneath the feathers on their heads. Look for a snood that hangs down over the beak. When we had multiple hens, they would poof up for each other. Those that participate in the hobby arebirders. If you have a domesticated turkey, it likely has completely white feathers. Males and females can strut. This article has been viewed 408,655 times. Is Raising Sheep Worth It? Male turkeys, also known as toms, are known for their dominant behavior and aggressive mating displays. Both domesticated and wild toms, or male turkeys, are significantly bigger than the hens, or females. Tn. 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. Females can lay from nine to 13 eggs, which they incubate for around 28 days. Mexico boasts the ocellated turkey. In addition to gobbling, toms make elaborate displays to attract females. Yes! Check the beard. Turkeys roost safely in trees or dense vegetation at night, preferring woodlands, grasslands, savannas and even swamps. For more tips, like how to tell how old a turkey is, scroll down! Just like a hen, female turkey is less colorful. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. 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! wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). How to Clean and Prepare Eggs for Incubation. Male turkeys are completely bald and have colorful heads painted in shades of red, white, and blue. adElem.style.position = 'fixed'; Her goal is to share the most interesting and useful facts about them. Males, called toms or gobblers, are much larger than females. As we build our homestead, we're trying to fix up and use as much as we can from what my grandparents and great grandparents built. Thankfully, there are plenty of obvious signs you can be on the lookout forand well show you exactly what they are. WebHow do you tell male from female turkey poults? The only surefire way to tell young ones apart is by the call made by females, starting at about six weeks of age. In this section, well be featuring some of the top bird artisits in the country. Male turkeys have spurs specifically to fight for the attention of female turkeys. Can turkeys change feather colors as they age? Youll enjoy her comments and the photographs of her beautiful yard. The hen forms a loose nest and lays up to 13 cream-colored eggs. There are those that feed and watch birds in their backyard. window.onscroll = function () {
Why Do You Cull Sheep? Download here. In general, male turkeys are larger than female turkeys, but size alone is not a reliable indicator of gender. Can I determine the gender of a turkey by its behavior? Turkeys belong to the same family as partridges, pheasants and peafowl. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); National What will this chick look like when it grows us? Each card is a PDF document. Birdbaths are easy additions that attract a larger diversity of species than just feeding birds. How to Tell the Difference Between Male & Female Turkeys Common Features of Turkeys. Baby turkeys look very similar when theyre young, which is why they can be difficult to sex at a young age. Check the beard. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Turkey Beards. Determining turkey gender will be relatively easy for if you are raising turkeys for a long period. You can tell its a female turkey by the fact that it is smaller and more modest than its male counterpart. I truly enjoy sharing our experiences (Im the writer) and helping folks get started raising animals on their own farm or in the backyard. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n<\/p>

\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/fb\/Sex-Turkeys-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Sex-Turkeys-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fb\/Sex-Turkeys-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Sex-Turkeys-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"