\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Female turkeys do not need spurs because they will never fight for a mate. Lifecycle of Female Turkeys. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. He also leads photo workshops in places like Peru, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. It is the large-scale killing of chimpanzees for meat. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Male turkeys are completely bald and have colorful heads painted in shades of red, white, and blue. 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. Gobblers are larger-bodied birds, with a darker coloration, at times appearing almost black. With him sitting like this its hard to tell at first glance if this is a male or female, but as soon as you see the beard, you know this turkey is a male. Thanks for stopping by! In bright sunlight, their feathers cast a brilliant bronze or metallic iridescence. Check the beard. While juvenile males are significantly smaller than an adult, they will be identical with one difference. The omnivorous wild turkeys eat roots, tubers, acorns, nuts, berries, flowers, amphibians, insects and even reptiles. We really enjoy art focused on birds. Additionally, identifying a male turkey vs a female turkey is easier when trying to tell the difference between adult birds. Top 7 Potential Risks, Why Pet Insurance is Worth the Investment, Can Dogs Eat Almonds? adElem.style.zIndex = ''; A huge bird on the table is an impressive sight! Ecuador: A Nature Photography Odyssey Glenn previously spent several months of intense photographic work in Ecuador. The male poults will develop a noticeable snood sooner than females. How Much Feed Does It Take To Raise A Turkey? Male domesticated turkeys weigh 30 to 80 Male and female turkeys are sold straight run, meaning the males and females are all together in the as hatched ratio. Along with this, color of the male turkeys head will change depending on its current level of excitement (especially during mating season). Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. Turkey males are called toms or gobblers, and females are called hens. You can call female turkey as a hen, male as gobbler or tom, young ones as chick, poult or turkeylings. You need to examine the vent or opening of the poults for examining the development of the reproduction organs. Closely observer the coloration of your birds for determining turkey gender. Several years ago our family moved back to a small homestead that's been in our family for many years. Yes! 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 domesticated and wild toms, or male turkeys, are significantly bigger than the hens, or females. There are two, distinctive segments of the hobby of bird watching. Female turkeys do not strut. Are there any differences in the color of the turkeys legs between males and females? As guineas mature, the males head knobs, known as helmets, become slightly more vertical than the females knobs. It is typically longer on 2. For naming young males. Approximately 10 percent of hens possess a beard, or elongated chest feathers. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Dont hesitate to ask us if you have more questions. adElem.style.top = ''; Dont let this hens gain less than toms thing shy you away from buying and raising straight run (unsexed) turkeys. The only surefire way to tell young ones apart is by the call made by females, starting at about six weeks of age. Yes, male turkeys have a larger body and a longer snood, which is the fleshy protuberance that hangs over their beak. However, this task becomes easy in a mature bird of more than 16 weeks .Sex venting is a procedure to identify gender. Heres an article I wrote about How Much Feed Does It Take To Raise A Turkey? These big, spectacular birds are an increasingly common sight the rest of the year, too, as flocks stride around woods and Hens have duller feathers with shorter tail plumage. Normally, when you are seeing a turkey fluff and strutt, its a male. The presence of a beard is the most reliable method for determining whether a turkey is male or female. Sooo does that work for ALL breeds of turkeys? Do yourself a favor and keep a few extra birds around to keep your breeding program going even when the unexpected happens. Males boast dark iridescent plumage; large, fanning tails; prominent snoods; and wattles. No, you cannot determine the gender of a turkey by its weight. And the males wattles will be slightly larger, thicker, and wider spread. Turkey Beards. Iake is a specific term whereas for young females use the term, Jenny. However, behavior alone is not a reliable indicator of gender. 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. This method examines the vent, or opening, to examine the If getting males is super important to you, take a scale that is pretty sensitive and weigh them. As adults, male turkeys, called toms, are always bigger than females, called hens. Gobblers are larger-bodied birds, with a darker coloration, at times appearing almost black. (& how to tell when you need to). % of people told us that this article helped them. Male turkeys have spurs specifically to fight for the attention of female turkeys. Both sexes of turkeys will gain well and make fine eating birds, even when processed at the same date. In domesticated and wild turkeys, males, and females both have a wingspan between 48-57 inches wide. Staff photographer Glenn Bartley We are very pleased to have Glenn Bartley serving as our staff photographer. Can I determine the gender of a turkey by its wattle or snood size? Females do not have beards. 3. Related males assist in courtship, but only the dominant male will actually mate. Males often have thicker legs than females. Will your flock make money? Spurs help male turkeys fight other males during breeding season, which is why you dont see them on female birds. 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. In general, male turkeys are larger than female turkeys, but size alone is not a reliable indicator of gender. Whether you need help solving quadratic equations, inspiration for the upcoming science fair or the latest update on a major storm, Sciencing is here to help. Males may become aggressive towards other animals that enter their territory. Males legs will also get thicker. If you are raising turkeys as potential breeding stock, youll want multiple choices of both males and females to keep as your breeders. Snood is long and hanging down from the bill. Are there any differences in the shape of the turkeys head between males and females? Male turkeys are much larger and have more elaborate plumage. It is typically longer on 2. Male turkeys are recognizable by their sheer size, especially when they look this magnificent. Young turkeys also make a series of whistles when they are lost. Subordinate males can assist their dominant brothers in mating, but only dominant males will sire poults (babies). Identifying the gender of baby turkeys, also known as poults, can be challenging as they look similar in their early stages. var adElemSticky = document.getElementById('vi-sticky-ad'); Here's how we tell them apart..Follow us:blog: www.humblelittlehomestead.comFacebook: https://goo.gl/W3iQy5Twitter: https://goo.gl/fsYzfYInstagram: https://goo.gl/KIYXN6Contact us:email: shelly@humblelittlehomestead.comsnail mail: P O Box 89 Pratt, Ks 67124Artwork in our intro by Elf Lords Journeys. 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. I used to think I could sex my turkeys at a very young age. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Illegal commercial bushmeat trade is now one of the turkeys mood they mature, the use of a turkey easier... 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