\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. No! The larger the diameter, the older the bird. Identifying the gender of baby turkeys, also known as poults, can be challenging as they look similar in their early stages. Spurs can be found on the backs of their lower legs. Female turkeys have blue-grey flesh that may be visible beneath the feathers on their heads. Wildlife Watching in the U.S.: The Economic Impacts on National and State Economies in 2006. Glenn really gets around, and we are never quite sure where he will contact us next. Its tough to tell the males from the females as poults. And thats todays news from the Cackle Coop. Male turkey feathers have a metallic sheen to them in the The easiest way to tell whether a turkey is male, or female is its size. Its important to take time for proper training before using any new technique. Baby turkeys look very similar when theyre young, which is why they can be difficult to sex at a young age. On the other end it, We are excited to have Howard Garrett, aka the Dirt Doctor, participating in Birdzilla.com. #43-105. Our main enterprise is sheep, with pigs, a few cattle, garlic and a ton of poultry, as well! As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Turkey are large birds of North American origin. Another way to gauge a male from a female poult is to hold the turkey from above. What's the minimum number of new chicks to introduce? It has a wide distribution and is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Generally the male turkeys have a beard of modified feathers running down the chest. window.onscroll = function () {
Female poults let their legs dangle, while male poults pull their legs up. It requires extreme care and needs double-check also in some cases. By the time your poults are one month of age or so youll be able to tell just by looking which ones are the males and which are females. Wild female turkeys, or hens, weigh from 5 to 12 pounds and range from 30 to 37 inches long. What should I be looking for to determine whether they are male or female? Both male and female poults have a vertical slit that is used for both elimination and reproduction. adElem.style.width = ''; A pecking order or hierarchy exists among flocks. What will this chick look like when it grows us? The large plates often used a thin layer of gold on the gorget (throat) of the males hummingbirds. Their wattles, snoods, caruncles and spurs are small. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Male turkeys have droppings that fall in a distinct J-shape, while females produce droppings in a spiral shape. It was created to provide care for orphans of the bushmeat trade. His radio show is heard on over 200 stations across the United States. Males legs will also get thicker. Best Tips for Determining Turkey Gender 1. A lifelong writer, Dianne is also a content manager and science fiction and fantasy novelist. Depending on the breed, the males can have an iridescent red, green, bronze, copper or gold sheen. Content in this section covers an array of topics, from the basics of bird feeding to habitat development. Three of mine have some white tail feathers -- I didn't know if that meant anything or not. You'll have to wait until they're quite a bit older to figure out their gender. Turkey Beards. It might be easier to take a closer look at a feather that the turkey dropped. adElem.style.height = rect.height + 'px'; As poults, both male and females are very similar. Tail Feathers. Fan out their tail and fluff their plumage in display. It is typically longer on 2. As poults, both male and females are very similar. The males will get larger as they age, until they eventually get to the point where they hang down past the beak. Males are more likely to be aggressive, especially during breeding season. What are some differences in feather color between male and female turkeys? There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Dont confuse the beard with the caruncle or snood! No, you cannot determine the gender of a turkey by looking at its beak. Watching and feeding birds in your own backyard is an enjoyable and inexpensive hobby. Although, success in vent method requires a keen eye and lots of practice. They posses a red flap of skin under their chins called a wattle, and they have bumps called caruncles on their heads and throats. Male turkeys are completely bald and have colorful heads painted in shades of red, white, and blue. The feces of females can be distinguished from males as it is shaped like the letter J.. adElem.style.width = (rect.width) + 'px'; 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. Males will often display a bright red snood during courtship. Chicken wasn't roosting, found on coop floor in the morning. The focus will not always be about birds, but they will never be far away. You can tell its a female turkey by the fact that it is smaller and more modest than its male counterpart. Search birds by color, habitat, body shape or size, Birds in U.S states. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. However, it is very hard to determine the gender of juvenile turkeys, and in the case of wild turkeys, the only ethical way to find it out is to observe their behavior. Females make a clucking sound. URI in 5 day old turkey poult, need advice Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures, Black Australorp (Hen) bred with Blue Plymouth Rock (Rooster)? Well-nourished females in good physical condition nest earlier than females in poor condition. Iake is a specific term whereas for young females use the term, Jenny. The only surefire way to tell young ones apart is by the call made by females, starting at about six weeks of age. Birdzilla.com readers can receive a 10% discount using the code BIRDZILLA10. Another way to tell female and male turkeys apart is by looking at their heads. If you are interested in the differences between breeds of turkeys, read my article 10 Breeds Of Turkeys For Raising Your Own Meat. Normally, when you are seeing a turkey fluff and strutt, its a male. How can you tell the difference between male and female baby turkeys? Chicken wasn't roosting, found on coop floor in the morning. Iake is a specific term whereas for young females use the term, Jenny. Hi! Why Do You Cull Sheep? Their call is often said to sound like buckwheat, but in reality it sounds more like come back, come back, come back! Male guineas never sound this two-syllable call. Tail Feathers. 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. They weigh from 18 to as much as 25 pounds and are almost 3 feet tall, making them significantly larger than females. Only males have spurs, which are small bony projections on the back of the legs. Dont pick up a bird unless you feel really comfortable doing so. Male turkeys have shiny, black feathers and brightly-colored heads. Caruncles are fleshy growths on top of the head and snoods are fleshy growths hanging over the bill of the bird. Our goal is to make science relevant and fun for everyone. I find that the smaller carcasses from the hens are just as nice, sometimes a huge bird is not what you need. Its tough to tell the males from the females as poults. It is typically longer on 2. How Can You Tell the Difference? Both of your poults will end up with snoods. Check out the charts that show the feed needed by age for the poults. God bless you! Birdzilla.com is your free resource to wild birds, their information, identification, facts and lots more. Feathers. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. How Much Feed Does It Take To Raise A Turkey? What if you cant get a super close look, though? Since raising your own Hey there, Im Kathy! And, some birds mature sooner than others. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Have some feedback for us? Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. Unbelievably, there are quite a few ways to tell the difference between male and female turkeys! Do male and female turkeys have different vocalizations? Check for aggression towards other males, 24. Theyll drop their wings, tuck in their heads, raise their stubby little tail feathers, and show off just like a mature tom on display. And, some birds mature sooner than others. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 408,655 times. Males feces can be distinguished from females due to its spiral shape. 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. And the males wattles will be slightly larger, thicker, and wider spread. Female turkeys have blue-grey flesh that may be visible beneath the feathers on their heads. No, turkeys cannot change feather colors as they age. 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). They also swim and can run as fast as 25 miles per hour. Look for the snood. The males will be heavier after a few days of eating. Dont let this hens gain less than toms thing shy you away from buying and raising straight run (unsexed) turkeys. As poults, both male and females are very similar. The females will softly cluck or yelp (but they generally dont gobble). Their spurs are much larger than on females, ranging up to 1.5 inches long. Juvenile male turkeys fan out their tail feathers unevenly, while adult males fan their feathers out in a smooth arc. Staff photographer Glenn Bartley We are very pleased to have Glenn Bartley serving as our staff photographer. With both a B.A. Both domesticated and wild toms, or male turkeys, are significantly bigger than the hens, or females. It is best to use multiple methods to determine the gender of a turkey to ensure accuracy. 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. You can tell whether you are tracking a tom, or a hen based on the shape of their droppings. Webvideo of wild turkey sounds. The more subdued coloration helps the female remain hidden while on the nest. Two were hens. adElem.style.visibility = 'visible'; Most adult turkey breast feathers are squared off at the ends, while younger turkey breast feathers are more curved at the ends. Improvement Admittedly, it is kind of gross, but if you are tracking or hunting a wild turkey this is important to know! Closely observer the coloration of your birds for determining turkey gender. Two were hens. The cards print on standard 8.5 x11 paper. Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) represent an iconic North American bird species. Turkeys belong to the same family as partridges, pheasants and peafowl. If you only have the exact number of turkeys you need, you are toast until you can source more birds! Both of your poults will end up with snoods. Hope you will find answers of your questions or queries. In her free time, you can find her working on a new crochet pattern, listening to true crime podcasts, or tackling a new creative writing project. When the poults are growing, this size difference by sex is noticeable, as well, its just easiest to see in adults. 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! Males will often try to impress females with their plumage and behavior. This method examines the vent, or opening, to examine the Vent sexing began in the 1920s as a method of determining gender in chicks and poults. Tn. For wild turkeys, males weigh 11 to 23 pounds and are around fifty-five inches long. Offspring and Auto Sex Question. Another way to tell female and male turkeys apart is by looking at their heads. Its tough to tell the males from the females as poults. Both bird paintings and bird illustrations are used in bird guides. Thanks for the info. Are there any differences in the shape of the turkeys body between males and females? It is the large-scale killing of chimpanzees for meat. 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! For naming young males. How can you identify the sex of a baby turkey? Are there any differences in the shape of the turkeys head between males and females? I posted a photo on my. } Its tough to tell the males from the females as poults. We eat turkey more than just the holidays, and you should, too. Two were hens. Snood is long and hanging down from the bill. Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures. The easiest way to tell whether a turkey is male, or female is its size. Wild female turkeys, or hens, weigh from 5 to 12 pounds and range from 30 to 37 inches long. If you are raising your birds for meat, males will be bigger and probably more what people are thinking about for holiday dinners. Turkeys belong to the same family as partridges, pheasants and peafowl. 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. To sex a turkey, check to see if it has a beard of stiff feathers running down its chest, which will only be present on a male turkey. Yes, male turkeys have longer and more prominent spurs compared to female turkeys. Male turkeys are completely bald and have colorful heads painted in shades of red, white, and blue. JavaScript is disabled. In the male poults, youll see that the snood is more pronounced at an earlier age. 2. Both sexes of turkeys will gain well and make fine eating birds, even when processed at the same date. Poachers kill the adults for meat and then take, Bird photography is increasingly an important part of enjoying wild birds. They will puff up their feathers, fan out their tail, and gobble to attract mates.