\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Males boast dark iridescent plumage; large, fanning tails; prominent snoods; and wattles. Determining turkey gender will be relatively easy for if you are raising turkeys for a long period. This method actually takes time and lots of practice. Webvideo of wild turkey sounds. Both of your poults will end up with snoods. Thanks for the info. Wild female turkeys, or hens, weigh from 5 to 12 pounds and range from 30 to 37 inches long. However, as they mature, they develop distinct characteristics that make gender identification easier. Toms have quite elaborate, brightly colored plumage, which is quite common in many bird species. Did you know you can get answers researched by wikiHow Staff? The Best Nest Boxes Birds Will Actually Use, See a Gator Bite an Electric Eel With 860 Volts, The 15 Deepest Lakes in the United States, Watch a Great White Shark Stalk a Child on a Boogie Board, Bird Quiz - 18,267 People Couldn't Ace This Quiz, Watch a Bald Eagle Harass and Dive Bomb an Adult Grizzly, Tiny Crab Nearly Drowns a Large Bald Eagle in Impressive Fight, Meet One of the Smartest (and Naughtiest) Birds On Earth, Discover a Massive Eagle Thats 3X the Size of a Bald Eagle, Male VS Female Turkeys: Spotting The Difference. Dont let this hens gain less than toms thing shy you away from buying and raising straight run (unsexed) turkeys. var width = window.innerWidth; Generally, the males have more brightly colored feathers than the females. Never pick a poor doer or an unhealthy looking poult. It is a common observation that female turkeys look like a hen. If you are selecting for female poults, do just the opposite. Webvideo of wild turkey sounds. For naming young males. Males often have more iridescent feathers, especially on their breast and tail. Note that these tips are not foolproof, and it can still be difficult to determine the gender of a turkey with complete accuracy. Fan out their tail and fluff their plumage in display. Bird Bingo Everyone enjoys a rousing game of bingo, especially when birds are used instead of numbers. By using our site, you agree to our. Accurately sexing baby turkeys, or poults is not considered to be a straightforward process. Can turkeys change feather colors as they age? A pecking order or hierarchy exists among flocks. The hens will be smaller of course, but sometimes that is just what you are looking for. Smithsonian.com: 14 Fun Facts About Turkeys, Phys.org: The Secret of Male Beauty (In Turkeys), PBS: My Life as a Turkey: Wild Turkey Fact Sheet, Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Identifying Female and Male Turkeys in the Spring, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: Wild Turkey. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Special Offer on the first-of-its-kind Natural Organic Certification Course Howard Garrett has developed on online course leading to certification for those who successfully complete the 15 chapter course. Feathers. Six subspecies of wild turkeys exist, with at least one subspecies in every state of the United States except for Alaska. Determining the sex of a turkey can be a bit challenging but with some basic information, it becomes quite easy. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Hens also have feathers on their heads, whereas toms do not. Male turkeys, also known as toms, are known for their dominant behavior and aggressive mating displays. unlocking this staff-researched answer. In addition to gobbling, toms make elaborate displays to attract females. The larger the diameter, the older the bird. The exact coloration depends on the species, though non-domesticated males usually have striped wing feathers. And the males wattles will be slightly larger, thicker, and wider spread. } As adults, male turkeys, called toms, are always bigger than females, called hens. This is a precarious situation to be in. In bright sunlight, their feathers cast a brilliant bronze or metallic iridescence. Determining the gender of poults can be challenging, and it depends on the breed. No, male and female turkeys walk in the same way. 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. There are even ways to tell the sex of a turkey that has been in an area without seeing the turkey itself. Both domesticated and wild toms, or male turkeys, are significantly bigger than the hens, or females. Ecuador: A Nature Photography Odyssey Glenn previously spent several months of intense photographic work in Ecuador. Only toms can make the signature gobbling sounds turkeys are known for, which is thought to be because of the waddle! Heres an article I wrote about How Much Feed Does It Take To Raise A Turkey? However, the snoods and wattles are different depending on the sex. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. If you notice that some of the poults dont look so great, skip buying from this group. Feathers. Iake is a specific term whereas for young females use the term, Jenny. This is where the gross part comes in. As interest in the hobby grows, a variety of feeders and feed can be added to attract more species. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. A small percentage of female turkeys also have beards, so they arent a conclusive way to sex your birds. This means getting more poults than the number of adult turkeys you plan to keep. Normally, when one turkey struts, the rest of the males in a group will also strut as they work out their dominance hierarchy within the flock. Have a group of turkey poults on your hands? Whether youre prepping for a hunting trip or breeding turkeys of your own, knowing how to sex turkeys on the fly is a helpful skill to have under your belt. adElem.style.height = rect.height + 'px'; adElem.style.visibility = 'visible'; In this guide, well go over some of the key differences between male and female turkeys and give you tips on how to tell them apart. It is best to use multiple methods to determine the gender of a turkey to ensure accuracy. 10 Birds Guide An introductory guide for childern, images of 10 birds and an online quiz. If you have a domesticated turkey, it likely has completely white feathers. ), link to 6 Reasons Why People (Just Like You!) WebHow do you tell male from female turkey poults? I was wondering about this, too. We eat turkey more than just the holidays, and you should, too. No SPAM! } They appear large Turkey Hens. Turkeys also have snoods, caruncles, and wattles. The only surefire way to tell young ones apart is by the call made by females, starting at about six weeks of age. You can also check out his website for more of his great photographs and products. However, this task becomes easy in a mature bird of more than 16 weeks .Sex venting is a procedure to identify gender. Males and females also have a fleshy growth on the top of the beak called a snood. Males tend to have a more streamlined, athletic shape, while females are more rounded. What will this chick look like when it grows us? if ((_footer && _footer.getBoundingClientRect().top < 500)) { How old does a turkey need to be before its gender can be reliably determined? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. WebLets begin with the basics of distinguishing male wild turkeys (gobblers) from females (hens). 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. Many people think of backyard birds and gardens in relation to insects, the filet mignon of the bird world, which the birds readily eat and feed to their young., Welcome to Birdzilla Adventures BEYOND THE BIRD! In conclusion, although male and female turkeys look similar at first glance, they have many differences in their behavior, appearance, sounds, and other characteristics. Female turkeys have blue-grey flesh that may be visible beneath the feathers on their heads. His radio show is heard on over 200 stations across the United States. Turkeys belong to the same family as partridges, pheasants and peafowl. 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. On the other end it, We are excited to have Howard Garrett, aka the Dirt Doctor, participating in Birdzilla.com. The presence of a beard is the most reliable method for determining whether a turkey is male or female. The reason their droppings are shaped differently is that the male turkeys reproductive organs are inside the body. It may not display this or other websites correctly. And, some birds mature sooner than others. Male turkey poults will develop a snood sooner than the females. The feces of females can be distinguished from males as it is shaped like the letter J.. Are there any differences in the shape of the turkeys body between males and females? Birding The second segment is now known asbirding. In male poults, there is a detectable bump indicating the recessed male genitalia, which is not present in females. Blast from the past The photograph below is one example of his excellent work. if (width <= 900) { Top 5 Potential Risks. Yes! Wild females are also around thirty-five inches long and weigh eleven pounds. Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. What if you cant get a super close look, though? Admittedly, it is kind of gross, but if you are tracking or hunting a wild turkey this is important to know! Male turkey feathers have a metallic sheen to them in the Poultry What temperature can I put this age out in? adElem.style.top = ''; WebTURKEY FACT #2: Turkey droppings tell a birds sex and age. Turkeys belong to the same family as partridges, pheasants and peafowl. Females do not have beards. They also swim and can run as fast as 25 miles per hour. Two were hens. In combination, over 50 million Americans watch and feed birds, expending over $20 billion each year in the process. Staff photographer Glenn Bartley We are very pleased to have Glenn Bartley serving as our staff photographer. Tn. Download Bird Bingo here. Both of your poults will end up with snoods. They reach independence in 4-10 months. No, the color of the turkeys legs is the same for both males and females. You can call female turkey as a hen, male as gobbler or tom, young ones as chick, poult or turkeylings. There are many behavioral and physical characteristics that you can observe for identifying males and females. Can I determine the gender of a turkey by its comb or snood color? All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Both male and female turkeys will have a tuft of feathers under the beak called a beard. We hope you'll enjoy following our journey as we work towards building our little homestead. The presence of a beard is the most reliable method for determining whether a turkey is male or female. The large plates often used a thin layer of gold on the gorget (throat) of the males hummingbirds. For more tips, like how to tell how old a turkey is, scroll down! Males often have a more angular, masculine-shaped head than females. adElem.style.display = 'none'; 391. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 408,655 times. Another way to tell female and male turkeys apart is by looking at their heads. Wondering if you have a male or female turkey poult? Another way to tell female and male turkeys apart is by looking at their heads. Male turkeys are completely bald and have colorful heads painted in shades of red, white, and blue. These big, spectacular birds are an increasingly common sight the rest of the year, too, as flocks stride around woods and After 28 days of incubation, the eggs hatch. The gals will catch up a bit in snood development, but never to the extent of the males. 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. Both bird paintings and bird illustrations are used in bird guides. Females are duller, have shorter tails and legs, and have some feathers on their heads. In some breeds, males have a redder head while females have a bluish-gray head. Dont hesitate to ask us if you have more questions. window.onscroll = function () {
Both male and female poults have a vertical slit that is used for both elimination and reproduction. 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. Thanks! (function () { You can tell whether you are tracking a tom, or a hen based on the shape of their droppings. As bird identification becomes more important, binoculars and a field guide become a valuable aid. var adElemSticky = document.getElementById('vi-sticky-ad');
Juvenile male turkeys fan out their tail feathers unevenly, while adult males fan their feathers out in a smooth arc. Once the poults have age to them, even a few weeks, you should start to see some growth differences between them. Thanks for stopping by! Adult male turkeys have a beard that is more of a tassel of coarse hair on the front of the chest. 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. Like sexing chickens, verifying a male vs a female turkey poult causes some pain to the bird and can cause damage if not done right. Help broody mama left her nest overnight after 28 days, should I try incubating eggs?!