\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. If you have a domesticated turkey, it likely has completely white feathers. 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. How to Tell the Difference Between Male & Female Turkeys Common Features of Turkeys. 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Bird feeding Bird feedingrepresents the larger of the two groups. link to Is Raising Sheep Worth It? 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. I was wondering about this, too. Generally, the males have more brightly colored feathers than the females. For naming young males. Your email address will not be published. Male turkeys use these spurs to fend off attacks and guard hens in the same way roosters do. Males usually have longer, thicker wattles. Exhibition, Genetics, & Breeding to the SOP, Of Feathers And Flames- A Wings of Fire AU RP, The Moonshiner's Bootleg Easter Egg Hunt (now with prizes), Daily Writing Prompt Thread Thingy It'll Be Fun, The adventures of Speedy and friends! Can I determine the gender of a turkey by its wattle or snood size? You can call female turkey as a hen, male as gobbler or tom, young ones as chick, poult or turkeylings. There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Digital cameras, with a high degree of automation, can help almost anyone take excellent bird photographs. Hens do not strut or fan their tails. WebLets begin with the basics of distinguishing male wild turkeys (gobblers) from females (hens). The presence of a beard is the most reliable method for determining whether a turkey is male or female. Males often have a more angular, masculine-shaped head than females. As bird identification becomes more important, binoculars and a field guide become a valuable aid. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. As their alternate name suggests, males make gobble sounds, along with approximately 30 other calls. A lifelong writer, Dianne is also a content manager and science fiction and fantasy novelist. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Toms have quite elaborate, brightly colored plumage, which is quite common in many bird species. Best Tips for Determining Turkey Gender 1. Interestingly, their wingspan is quite similar, around 50-56 inches. Chicken wasn't roosting, found on coop floor in the morning. Thanks for the info. This is a precarious situation to be in. I haven't noticed a difference in snood sizes before 10 weeks. In this section of the site, well share information from Glenn Bartley, our staff photographer, and from other bird photographers. 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. Sooo does that work for ALL breeds of turkeys? Female turkeys also have smaller and shorter legs than their male counterparts. Males will often strut around with their feathers puffed out. Caruncles really start to develop after that on males also. Mark and Becci in the Congo with Dr. Jane Goodall Dr. Jane Goodall, the Republic of Congo, a place called Tchimpounga and orphan chimpanzees Mark and Becci Crowe just experienced it all. Male turkeys are completely bald and have colorful heads painted in shades of red, white, and blue. I haven't noticed a difference in snood sizes before 10 weeks. While hens can spread their tails to form the signature fan shape, they will rarely do so. When we had multiple hens, they would poof up for each other. Its tough to tell the males from the females as poults. Lifecycle of Female Turkeys. 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. 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! Determining the sex of a turkey can be a bit challenging but with some basic information, it becomes quite easy. Improvement Identifying the gender of baby turkeys, also known as poults, can be challenging as they look similar in their early stages. (Will your flock make money? Its Safe & Best 21 Tips, Can Dogs Eat Chicharrones? 3. Males also perform this act for attracting females or even when trying to scare off potential threats. The snood is a fleshy protuberance on the top of the turkeys beak. It requires extreme care and needs double-check also in some cases. Male domesticated turkeys weigh 30 to 80 Hens prefer toms with long snoods, as those indicate good health. Male domesticated turkeys weigh 30 to 80 pounds and are around forty-five inches long. While the females generally dont have such beard. Hope you will find answers of your questions or queries. Males tend to have a more streamlined, athletic shape, while females are more rounded. In addition, male poults tend to be more territorial and aggressive toward other birds and their companions than female poults. How Can You Tell the Difference? So, people call them a hen. Webvideo of wild turkey sounds. J. Dianne Dotson is a science writer with a degree in zoology/ecology and evolutionary biology. You can call female turkey as a hen, male as gobbler or tom, young ones as chick, poult or turkeylings. Several years ago our family moved back to a small homestead that's been in our family for many years. Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. WebMost North American kids learn turkey identification early, by tracing outlines of their hands to make Thanksgiving cards. The larger the diameter, the older the bird. Turkey are large birds of North American origin. Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. And the males wattles will be slightly larger, thicker, and wider spread. On the other hand, female turkeys, or hens, have more passive and nurturing behavior, spending much of their time searching looking after their young, but are aggressive when fending off predators to protect their offspring. Observe the color of the head. You can call female turkey as a hen, male as gobbler or tom, young ones as chick, poult or turkeylings. You want healthy poults only, never accept less. However, this task becomes easy in a mature bird of more than 16 weeks .Sex venting is a procedure to identify gender. 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. This is one of the reasons females tend to have a lower life expectancy. Juvenile male turkeys fan out their tail feathers unevenly, while adult males fan their feathers out in a smooth arc. Best 20 Tips, Can Dogs Eat Cheeto Puffs? WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Last year I was sure I had three bourbon red toms becasue of all the strutting. The males and females of both species, within the same breed or variety, look pretty much alike until they are nearly mature. } else { You'll have to wait until they're quite a bit older to figure out their gender. Both male and female poults have a vertical slit that is used for both elimination and reproduction. Snood is long and hanging down from the bill. 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