- Check the top of the head for any feathers. Female turkeys have small feathers that cover the entire top of their heads.
- Look for the brightly colored feathers that male turkeys have. Male turkeys have brightly colored feathers, with feathers that have an iridescent red, green, copper, bronze, or gold sheen.
- Watch for the turkey to fan out its tail. Male turkeys frequently raise their tails up into the shape of a fan.
- Look for the presence of leg spurs to spot a male turkey. The legs of a male turkey will have spurs, which are small spike-shaped bumps near the foot.
- Listen for the distinctive call of male and female turkeys. Only male turkeys make the well-known "gobble" noise that is associated with turkeys.
- Look for a beard on the front of the turkey's chest. Adult male turkeys have a beard, which is a line of modified feathers running down their chest.
- Compare overall body size if viewing several turkeys. Adult male turkeys are larger than adult female turkeys.
How to tell the difference between male and female turkeys?
What are the differences between male and female turkeys?
- Size. Male turkeys tend to be larger than females. This is because the male tends to use its size and strength when it comes time for mating season.
- Body Features. Males and females have a number of different body features that can be used to distinguish which is which.
- Feeding. Although turkeys have the same diet, male and females also eat differently. ...
What do male turkeys do different from females?
Male turkeys have brightly colored heads with no feathers, while females have a few feathers and are dully colored and better camouflaged in the wild. All turkeys have a fleshy appendage called a snood or dew bill which hangs from the beak. A male's snood is much larger and plumper in appearance than a female's.
Are the turkeys we eat male or female?
We eat both hen (female) and tom (male) turkeys, but hens are more commonly found on dinner tables. If you need to feed a large family, a tom turkey is your best bet for a big bird. Winter’s Turkeys raises toms that weigh up to 15 kilograms. Wild turkeys can be found in southern Alberta, in Cypress Hills and Porcupine Hills.
How does a male Turkey impress a female Turkey?
Though repulsive to humans, the facial baggage on male turkeys (toms) can actually be alluring to their female counterparts (hens). According to some studies, the part atop a turkey’s beak, called a “snood,” helps hens determine which toms to mate with.
How to tell male and female turkeys?
How To Tell The Difference Between Male And Female Turkeys. Written by kathy mccune in Turkeys. Male and female turkeys are sold straight run, meaning the males and females are all together in the “as hatched” ratio. As they grow, turkeys have the same markings in both sexes, unlike other poultry where the older males seem to have ...
How to tell if a turkey is bigger than a hen?
This is the easiest way to tell the sexes apart at a glance, simply note the body size . When the poults are growing, this size difference by sex is noticeable, as well, it’s just easiest to see in adults.
Why are male birds bigger than females?
The reason this chart is significant is that it shows why the males are bigger than the females, they simply take in more feed per day so they gain more.
Do turkeys have snoods?
Male turkey poults will develop a snood sooner than the females. Male turkeys will weigh more, continue to grow faster than the females, have a more caruncled head and neck and, as adults, will develop a beard. Female turkeys look like less developed males, with less body size, less caruncled skin on the head and neck and do not have a beard.
Do turkeys have the same markings?
As they grow, turkeys have the same markings in both sexes, unlike other poultry where the older males seem to have a more bold color pattern. Since turkeys look very similar, no matter the age, how do you tell the male turkeys from the females? Male turkey poults will develop a snood sooner than the females.
Is a blue slate turkey a male or female?
The Blue Slate turkey pictured at the beginning of the article is a tom, if you look closely you can see the beard in the lower left hand corner. With him sitting like this it’s 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. Male turkeys will also end up showing ...
Do you need to pick a bigger bird for a female poult?
If you are just doing the selection by eye, you’ll need to pick the slightly bigger birds and keep a close look out for snood development to be more likely to get the males. If you are selecting for female poults, do just the opposite. You’ll want the smaller ones that have little to no snood development.
How to tell male and female turkeys?
With knowledge and experience, telling the difference between male and female turkeys can be simple. At a minimum, remember that males are always much larger, a fact that should help you tell which is which even from a distance. Whether you raise turkeys on a farm or hunt them in the wild, knowing the differences between toms and hens is critical for your success. Without that knowledge, you may find yourself facing a fine for taking aim at the wrong bird or wondering why you can’t seem to hatch any new baby turkeys!
Why is it important to know the difference between male and female wild turkeys?
As we discussed, it’s important to be able to tell the difference between male and female wild turkeys because of hunting rules and regulations. But why might you need to know whether your domestic turkeys are toms or hens?
What are domestic turkeys raised for?
The many different breeds of domestic turkey were all developed from wild turkeys. Domestic turkeys are generally raised for meat, as breeders, or kept as pets. Unlike wild turkeys, male and female domestic turkeys generally have very similar coloring, especially when they are babies.
What color are wild turkeys?
Tom turkeys also have a long beard from the center of their chest that can grow as long as 10 inches. Their heads are a mix of red, white, and blue coloring. Male turkeys also grow large, sharp spurs on the back of their legs, just above their feet.
When do turkeys strut?
Male domestic turkeys strut and fan their feathers starting at an early age.
Do turkeys have beards?
A few female turkeys do grow beards but they’re usually a lot shorter than the males. If they grow spurs, these also will be smaller and less visible than those of tom turkeys.
Is a male turkey bigger than a female turkey?
Like wild turkeys, male domestic turkeys are significantly larger than females. This size difference begins to be obvious even when the baby turkeys are only a few weeks old. Male turkeys also start to develop a snood, a flap of skin that hangs over their beak, earlier than females. Their snoods are generally longer even as adults.
What is the difference between a female and male turkey?
Female turkeys (hens) have brown or gray feathers, while male turkeys (gobblers) have brightly colored feathers. If one can only see the head of a turkey, they should see a nearly featherless head on the male and a slightly feathered head on the female. The appearance of a female turkey is based on this bird's need to be camouflaged.
Why do turkeys have red tails?
Males, in contrast, have red, green, and gold feathers so that they can be noticed by the females for mating. Both female and male turkeys have tails that are 12 to 15 inches long, but only male turkeys fan their tails. They also do this while trying to attract a mate.
How long is a turkey's beard?
Regardless of whether the turkey is male or female, the beard can be up to 18 inches long with an average length of nine inches. ADVERTISEMENT.
Do turkeys have spurs?
Both sexes have reddish-orange legs and feet, but male turkeys have spurs near the base of their legs. Used to establish their dominance, spurs can be up to 2 inches long. If one sees a beard on a turkey, it indicates that the turkey is probably a male — about 10 to 20 percent of female turkeys also grow beards.
How old are turkey poults when they hatch?
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. 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. They also will hold their heads upright and ...
Why do turkeys strut?
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. It is possible, however, that the weaker males will not strut in the presence of the stronger male for fear of aggression. Try separating them from the group one by one, separate but still within view of the other males. You may find that the smaller males will then strut. Once they know they are separate, if they are male, they will feel more comfortable expressing themselves and will start showing off. They will start strutting, fanning the feathers and the head coloring will change.
Do male squiggly bears strut?
You may find that the smaller males will then strut. Once they know they are separate, if they are male, they will feel more comfortable expressing themselves and will start showing off. They will start strutting, fanning the feathers and the head coloring will change.
How to tell if a turkey is male or female?
Compare the Size of the Birds. Comparing the size of the birds is a great way for determining turkey gender from a distance. Generally, the males are larger in size and overall appearance than the females. If you observe a group of turkey, any adult male turkey should appear notably larger than any nearby females.
How to tell the gender of a turkey?
Generally, the males have more brightly colored feathers than the females. While the females have much duller coloration and drabber appearance. Depending on the breed, the males can have an iridescent red, green, bronze, copper or gold sheen.
Why were the feathers of a turkey removed?
This was done for avoiding the black pigment left behind when feathers were plucked.
When did coloration in turkeys become genetically removed?
Coloration in the turkeys were genetically removed in the 1960s when commercial turkey production gained popularity.
What color is a male turkey's head?
Along with this, color of the male turkey’s head will change depending on it’s current level of excitement (especially during mating season). Head of the male turkey can switch from red to blue to white. And this change can happen within seconds.
Do turkeys fan their tails?
Observe the Tail. Female turkeys keep their tail down. 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). Males also perform this act for attracting females or even when trying to scare off potential threats.
Do turkeys have spurs?
Female turkeys generally have smooth, spur-free legs. While the males have spurs or small spike-shaped bumps that should be visible from a moderate distance. Male turkey generally use this spurs for the purposes of dominance and defense. They use them for attacking predators and rivals during mating season.