is my turkey a male or female

christian s · Nov 3, 2015

He just barely turned 7 months.his snood fell of bbecausemy parents said "put him in the small white coop" and the sides are sharp so I said "no, I might get hurt" and being parents they denied it and the next week it fell of because he kept sticking his head through the sides.
He/she acts like a male and it looks like his/her spurs are growing in and he/she try to use them.

oldhenlikesdogs · Nov 3, 2015

If it's seven months old it should be displaying like a Tom by now, Turkey hens can be more aggressive than toms, I think yours is a hen unless it's been gobbling and strutting.

Brandychick · Nov 10, 2015

I've got a similar question, I bought what I was told was a hen but once I got it home and the neighbors tom came over it started acting more like a tom... other then vent sexing is there a sure way to tell??

Brandychick · Nov 10, 2015

here's a picture, we named her GG but might have to change it up if its a boy, I havnt heard a gobble from her, but shes still young....

oldhenlikesdogs · Nov 10, 2015

The best indicator is the size of the snood, only toms can let them down past the beak, and of course gobbling only toms do, and filling the chest with air, hens may display but they don't do the rumbling and gobbling.

oldhenlikesdogs · Nov 10, 2015

It does look like a hen, but it can be hard to know for sure until after six months, I will sit and make various noises to try to bring out the toms, my fake gobbles and chicking noises will usually make any toms change head color and begin relaxing the snood and hen begin displaying. I always do this behind the fence so they don't get to exited and try to jump on me.

Brandychick · Nov 10, 2015

I'll have to set up my bench by the coop and do some turkey stalking on my day off... if it does turn out to be a boy should I try and get a trade for a hen, ask for refund,or just sock it up to experience and look for a hen elsewhere?

Getting turkeys wasnt exactly part of my whole chicken plan but they have won me over watching the tom grow up next door, he got too big for their coop so I offered to take him cause I thought the one I bought was a hen....*SIGH*

oldhenlikesdogs · Nov 10, 2015

I'm still thinking it's a hen, a single Tom will usually display young, the neighbors turkeys would check out any turkeys, two toms can get along, especially if there isn't any hens, I have multiple toms who mostly fight during spring, but two I don't think would fight as much. So I think it matters how many turkeys you want and what you want them for.

christian s · Nov 10, 2015

Well I have a few dogs and he raises his fan and puffs his feathers out when they get within 3 feet and.again his snood fell off

oldhenlikesdogs · Nov 10, 2015

I

christian s said:
Well I have a few dogs and he raises his fan and puffs his feathers out when they get within 3 feet and.again his snood fell off

I too have had fence walking hens rub off their snood, I think a Tom gets the extra snood skin from somewhere and would still have one just shorter, my hens will puff up and tail flair for dogs as well, if you are not seeing a full display with chest rumbling and gobbling than it's safe to say you probably have a hen.

is my turkey a male or female

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christian s

In the Brooder

oldhenlikesdogs

Hope Springs Eternal

Brandychick

In the Brooder

Brandychick

In the Brooder

oldhenlikesdogs

Hope Springs Eternal

oldhenlikesdogs

Hope Springs Eternal

Brandychick

In the Brooder

oldhenlikesdogs

Hope Springs Eternal

christian s

In the Brooder

oldhenlikesdogs

Hope Springs Eternal

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