Sexing Turkeys?

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

Attentive people who know what they are looking for can often identify the sex of their poults at a very early age. Some of the clues are physical and some are behavioral.

What I tell people is that sex ID from photos requires that the poults be at least 3 months old and even better if they are 6 months old. Identifying their sex from photos is not the same as watching them in person, especially if you have both sexes to compare against.each other, it is possible at much younger ages.

Last year we had 2 Naragannset turkeys. We sold them at around 3-4mos. But I was pretty sure they were male & female due to their actions, sizes, etc... I could have been wrong but there were differences in them.

A brief tell is that at 2 months old the males will grow their wattle. The hens will follow soon and catch up so it is only a brief determiner.

Both toms and hens can and do strut.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-century-of-turkey-talk-2000-2100.966414/post-16580628

Fighting at a young age is often more about pecking order position than it is about sex. Both toms and hens will fight over their position and they will even fight each other.

I have read claims of hens gobbling but have never heard any of my hens gobbling. Last year was the first I ever heard one of my poults attempt to gobble at 2 months old. I have read of people claiming that much younger poults have gobbled for them. I am skeptical of those claims and wonder if they know what a gobble sounds like.

Ok so I do know what a gobble is. Grandparent's had a pet turkey for years. He'd gobble frequently.
My turkeys last year never gobbled. But this white one distinctly gobbled just like 2wks ago, but it was like he scared himself because just as soon as he did it, he was running from himself to safety! ROFL Has not done it since either.
But I can get them to respond to my Primo turkey call. They will strut & chest bump each other. lol Hence why I tend to think that at least the bronze are males. But ehh if females do that too, idk. lol

Toms and hens have different shaped heads right from the time they are hatched. I have correctly sexed my own poults when I take them out of the hatcher. I can't do this sexing them from photos.

I read the knobs on their head were able to tell. Seemed to work for me last year as the one with the taller knob always strutted & looked to be a male by the time we sold him. The smaller knob was the one we assumed was female.

 

[R2elk]

I read the knobs on their head were able to tell. Seemed to work for me last year as the one with the taller knob always strutted & looked to be a male by the time we sold him. The smaller knob was the one we assumed was female.

If you are talking about the snood, toms will develop a snood that can swell and extend several inches below the end of the beak. Not all varieties will develop at the same rate.

The Sweetgrass that I raise will not get their snood development until 4 to 6 months old.

Other varieties can develop at a much younger age.

When I say the different sexes have different shaped heads, I am not referring to the snood but to the actual shape of the head which is different right from the time they are hatched.

 

[casportpony]

Have you all seen this video?

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

If you are talking about the snood, toms will develop a snood that can swell and extend several inches below the end of the beak. Not all varieties will develop at the same rate.

The Sweetgrass that I raise will not get their snood development until 4 to 6 months old.

Other varieties can develop at a much younger age.

When I say the different sexes have different shaped heads, I am not referring to the snood but to the actual shape of the head which is different right from the time they are hatched.

Yes, that's the term I forgot. lol A snood.

I understood that. Some say though the snood is smaller on a female at hatch than the males. It is what I went off of last year, and it seemed accurate.

Have you heard of sexing them via their poop? I read about that yesterday. Males poop bigger different size than females.

 

[R2elk]

Yes, that's the term I forgot. lol A snood.

I understood that. Some say though the snood is smaller on a female at hatch than the males. It is what I went off of last year, and it seemed accurate.

Have you heard of sexing them via their poop? I read about that yesterday. Males poop bigger different size than females.

I have seen no evidence that snood size at hatch means anything.

There is credible evidence that male turkeys can make straight line or J shaped droppings while hens make piles instead.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Have you all seen this video?

That's adorable! I've heard baby gobbling before just very few and far between

 

[Tennessee Great Granny]

Littlespragueoutdoors on tic toc has two ways of sexing baby turkeys and it seems to work out correctly so far.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7223813381562715434

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7223813381562715434

 

[R2elk]

Littlespragueoutdoors on tic toc has two ways of sexing baby turkeys and it seems to work out correctly so far.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7223813381562715434

His first method is a total crock and does not work. In addition some people get the false impression that the poult is dangled by the neck which can cause severe injury.

I have never done the second method and will not comment on the accuracy of that method.

 

[Molpet]

Littlespragueoutdoors on tic toc has two ways of sexing baby turkeys and it seems to work out correctly so far.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7223813381562715434

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7223813381562715434

First 4 poults I bought were sexed the first way. Supposed to be 2 pairs... they were all jakes

 

[Tennessee Great Granny]

First 4 poults I bought were sexed the first way. Supposed to be 2 pairs... they were all jakes

good to know. I bought so dog gone many eggs and the male to female ratio was way out of proportion. But The best way from feed back from others is to look between the legs I think. I'm working at teaching myself.I got my first egg. There was only one female in the first (and biggest) of three batches I hatched. This is her egg. I'm going to collect and incubate and try to sex them. But I'm thinking I'm going to try selling them when they are two weeks old. Of course I'm counting my chickens before they've hatched and I only have one egg to speak of LOL.