What is the difference between a male and female Turkey?
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?
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.
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.
What do you call a male Turkey and female Turkey?
They include the following:
- Eastern Wild Turkeys, found in the Eastern United States.
- Florida Turkeys, found in and near Florida.
- Gould Wild Turkeys, found in Mexico and in the United States near the boarder.
- Merriam Wild Turkeys, found near the Rocky Mountains.
- Ocellated Wild Turkeys, found primarily in Mexico.
- Rio Grande Wild Turkeys, found in the Western United States.
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 ...
Do turkeys strut?
Female turkeys do not 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.
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.
What does a female turkey sound like?
This is another excellent option of determining turkey gender. The female turkeys have a soft cluck or yelp while the male turkey makes a gobbling noise that is highly known.
How do you tell a female turkey from a tom?
Female turkeys have a small number of feathers on the top of the head, and this what makes it easy to differentiate from toms. During mating seasons, the color of tom’s head tends to change in color, and the change usually happens in seconds. The heads change from red to blue to white.
Why do male turkeys fan their tails?
Tail fanning is a common practice among male turkeys since it is a sign of dominance. The male turkeys use this method to attract female turkeys for mating.
What is the color of a turkey feather?
The general feminine turkey feather colors are gray or brown, and it lacks iridescent. However, this method of identifying the sex of turkeys has been removed due to c ommercial turkey farming business which has facilitated the crossbreeding process.
What are the spurs on a turkey's legs?
Male turkeys have small spike-like bumps on the legs that can easily be spotted from a distance while female turkeys are spur free (meaning they have smooth legs). The spurs on the legs of the male turkeys are typically used for dominance and also defense.
Do turkeys have bright feathers?
The method can work, but you need to pay a lot of attention. The toms are known to have brightly colored feathers than jakes. The female turkeys have duller coloration and drabber appearance. Turkey feather colors vary depending on the breed.
Do turkeys have beards?
Male turkeys are also known as Toms, and they tend to have beards. The beards on toms are modified feathers running down the chest. However, the female turkeys do not have this modification of feathers.
How many eggs do hens lay?
Approximately 10 percent of hens possess a “beard,” or elongated chest feathers. Hens do not strut or fan their tails. Females can lay from nine to 13 eggs, which they incubate for around 28 days. Well-nourished females in good physical condition nest earlier than females in poor condition.
What color are hens?
Hens bear less colorful feathers than males, with rusty brown, white or gray-tipped breast feathers. Their heads are either white or blue-gray, with small feathers on both head and neck. Their wattles, snoods, caruncles and spurs are small. Hens make vocalizations such as yelps, clucks and cuts.
How big do turkeys get?
A pecking order or hierarchy exists among flocks. Turkey Hens. Wild female turkeys, or hens, weigh from 5 to 12 pounds and range from 30 to 37 inches long.
What are the characteristics of a turkey?
Males boast dark iridescent plumage; large, fanning tails; prominent snoods; and wattles. They make gobbles and other mating calls. Females, or hens, are smaller, with duller plumage and less prominent features. Common Features of Turkeys. Turkeys belong to the same family as partridges, pheasants and peafowl.
How fast can a turkey run?
Wild turkeys, unlike their domesticated cousins, fly well, from 40 to 55 miles per hour. They also swim and can run as fast as 25 miles per hour. Turkeys roost safely in trees or dense vegetation at night, preferring woodlands, grasslands, savannas and even swamps.
What is a turkey?
Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) represent an iconic North American bird species. The typical domestic variety on farms originated from wild turkeys. Six subspecies of wild turkeys exist, with at least one subspecies in every state of the United States except for Alaska. Mexico boasts the ocellated turkey.
Why do hens not mature?
A hen attempts to distract potential predators by fe igning injury and leading predators away from her young, who await her signal in hiding for safety.
How to tell if a turkey is male or female?
2. 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. Females, on the other hand, have a duller, drabber appearance, with brown or gray feathers that lack iridescence.
How many female turkeys have beards?
Turkey beards look as though they're made of hair, but in actuality, the beards consist of unique feathers that form a stiff bristle. Note that 10 to 20 percent of female turkeys also grow beards, so this method of sexing is not always accurate when used as the only identifier.
Why do turkeys gobble?
Males gobble to scare predators and potential rivals . There are also a variety of other sounds that both male and female turkeys make, such as a soft purring, calls when they are perched in trees, and alarm calls when predators are detected. ...
How long are turkey legs?
Use a measuring tape to measure from the body to the feet. Most adult males have legs roughly 6 inches (15 cm) long, but female legs are usually only 4.5 inches (11.5 cm).
How much does a turkey weigh?
Wild adult males usually weigh between 16 and 24 pounds (7.2 and 10.8 kg) and wild adult females usually weigh between 8 and 10 pounds (3.6 and 4.5 kg). However, domesticated turkeys tend to be much larger. [7] Tip: The size of a turkey can be difficult to judge from a distance.
How big are turkey spurs?
They range from less than 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) in male turkeys that are less than a year old up to 2 inches (5.1 cm) in turkeys over 4 years old. On older turkeys they should be visible from a distance. On the other hand, female turkeys have smooth, spur-free legs. Spurs are used by male turkeys of defense and dominance.
Do turkeys have spurs?
On the other hand , female turkeys have smooth, spur-free legs. Spurs are used by male turkeys of defense and dominance. They will use them to attack predators and rivals during mating season. Aside from the presence and absence of leg spurs, the appearance of the female and male turkey leg is the same.
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.
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 ...
Can you keep turkeys as adults?
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, that’s not a good idea. Your breeders should be your best stock, to know that you need to have other turkeys to compare them too and pick the best from the group.
Do you have to raise more poults for breeding stock?
For breeding stock, you’ll want to raise more poults than you plan to keep. If you are raising turkeys as potential breeding stock, you’ll want multiple choices of both males and females to keep as your breeders. This means getting more poults than the number of adult turkeys you plan to keep.
Do Toms fluffing hens?
The toms do this tons more often than the hens. 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!
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.
Where is the snood on a poult?
The snood is that little fleshy bump that is sticking out of the top of the head where the beak meets the forehead. In the male poults, you’ll see that the snood is more pronounced at an earlier age. The gals will catch up a bit in snood development, but never to the extent of the males.
