65 day old BR sex?

[crealbilly]

Those all still have their juvenile feathers. They have to have their mature feathers for the light bottom edges on the breast feathers will be able to distinguish between hens and toms. Hen - light lower edges on breast feathers. Tom - No light lower edges on breast feathers. Right click on the images and select open in new tab to view pictures at full size.

Do you about how many days or weeks you should be able to tell the difference with the breast feathers? It's not like I can change their sex but I would like to know anyways

 

[R2elk]

Do you about how many days or weeks you should be able to tell the difference with the breast feathers? It's not like I can change their sex but I would like to know anyways

I do pretty good guessing sex at a very young age but for proof positive, I just wait until they have their mature feathers and manners which starts occurring between 3 to 6 months.

 

[crealbilly]

Do hens also display (fan tail feathers, drop wings and puff up feathers)?

 

[feedman77]

Yes they do.

They usually don't hold as long as a tom.

Usually they display for being agitated
Danger or dominence toward another hen.

 

[crealbilly]

I found this picture of a young jake and hen - now i understand why its so hard to sex a young turkey by feathers alone. Looking at just the feathers they look just about identical.

 

[R2elk]

I found this picture of a young jake and hen - now i understand why its so hard to sex a young turkey by feathers alone. Looking at just the feathers they look just about identical.

You wouldn't be able to tell anything about feather sexing from this image since it is only the breast feathers that can be used for an indication. As you noted the rest of the feathers do look the same.

 

[crealbilly]

I found this... now I turkey hunt and I learned this a long time ago but for some odd reason - I totally forgot about this... so poop in the shape of a J or L = Jake / Tom. Poop in a pile like a snail shell = Hen. So i examained the turkey yard and sure enough there are snail shaped piles and J and L's

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I don't know, my quite obvious gobbler pooped in piles.

 

[crealbilly]

73 days old now. I think it's becoming more apparent that I have 1 hen now. 1 of the 5 is so much smaller than the other 4. But I'm still not sure of the other 4.

 

[R2elk]

73 days old now. I think it's becoming more apparent that I have 1 hen now. 1 of the 5 is so much smaller than the other 4. But I'm still not sure of the other 4.

They are starting to get their adult feathers. Because the focus is on the fence instead of on the turkeys it is hard to tell but i suspect that the three on the left are all hens.