Turkey Talk for 2014

[GregClark38]

This is what my 7 week old poult looks like strutting, does yours look similar?

What type of Turkey is that? Any way to tell males from females and at what age can you tell?

 

[chicken pickin]

What type of Turkey is that? Any way to tell males from females and at what age can you tell?

This is a Bourbon Red.

There are many ways to tell male from female and most people including me will tell others that 12 weeks is a good age to start seeing the differences.

At 12+ weeks of age you will start to notice the following

Toms are balding on the head while females are keeping a Mohawk(strip of hair up the back of her head).

Toms snood (the fleshy bump above its beak) will start to grow and retract while females have a small snood that does not grow in size with her mood. Also males snoods are wider at the base and taper toward the tip(think unicorn horn) and females tend to have a small snood that is the same width from base to tip.

Also another tell tale sign for toms are gobbling which females do not do and also toms faces will start to change color pink/ red / blue / purple/ white. Females faces are pink and occasionally red.

Caruncles (the bumps on the neck) will be much larger and cover more area on neck of a Tom. Females have smaller and less area coverage of caruncles.

You cant really go by strutting or beards since both males and females can strut and grow beards.

I hope this helps.

 

[GregClark38]

This is a Bourbon Red.

There are many ways to tell male from female and most people including me will tell others that 12 weeks is a good age to start seeing the differences.

At 12+ weeks of age you will start to notice the following

Toms are balding on the head while females are keeping a Mohawk(strip of hair up the back of her head).

Toms snoods will start to grow and retract while females have a small snood that does not grow in size with her mood. I have also notices that males snoods are wider at the base and taper toward the tip(think unicorn horn) and females tend to have a small snood that is the same width from base to tip.

Also another tell tale sign for toms are gobbling which females do not do and also toms faces will start to change color pink/ red / blue / purple/ white. Females faces are pink and occasionally red.

Caruncles (the bumps on the neck) with be much larger and cover more area on neck of a Tom. Females have smaller and less area coverage of caruncles.

You cant really go by strutting or beards since both males and females can strut and grow beards.

I hope this helps.

Yes that helps a lot. I am new to Turkeys. I have 16 Bourbon Reds in the incubator. Thanks for the info.

 

[chicken pickin]

Yes that helps a lot. I am new to Turkeys. I have 16 Bourbon Reds in the incubator. Thanks for the info.

Your Welcome! Good Luck with your turkeys. Bourbons Reds are great, so pretty and people friendly.

 

[K Epp]

Well its not being exactly cooperative.

Don't tell the little guy in the middle he isn't a turkey. Its a D'anver bantam from my Easter hatch. He is one if the tutors for the May 5th turkey hatch. They're already out growing him so it should get interesting in a few months.

 

[chicken pickin]

Well its not being exactly cooperative.

Don't tell the little guy in the middle he isn't a turkey. Its a D'anver bantam from my Easter hatch. He is one if the tutors for the May 5th turkey hatch. They're already out growing him so it should get interesting in a few months.

Its a little hard to tell whats going on, but it doesn't look like its stutting.

Does it only do this when in the sun? It almost looks like he is just enjoying the rays.

 

[MamaKitty913]

Welcome to the Turkey talk thread cozadfarm and MamaKitty!

Thanks glad to be here learning

 

[K Epp]

Well when I got home today I did notice that my tom was standing that same way. I guess that's it. I really want this one to be a hen. If both are that would be wonderful.

 

[TattooedMama]

Any preference for White or Bronze Broad Breasted for a meat bird? I wanted to get one turkey for Thanksgiving for my family, who are very excited about the idea. My feed store currently has both WBB & BBB and I was wondering if there is any difference in the two colorations such as taste, weight , etc. I am not seeing any direct comparisons of the two. Thanks!

 

[Sueg4332]

my turkey is hatching. Question can you leave the tom in with her when she brings the babies off the shelve? She is a first time mom.
Someone said she would make a completely different sound when babies were hatched and she is. She had 6 eggs and I saw 3 babies.
she is a sweetgrass/ he is BB/gray slate cross.
Pictures soon...

she only hatched 3 so far all alive. Oops haven't been out there this morning. There such dumb birds. my blue splash marans hen loves them they listen to her better then the mama turkey. All babies are chipmonk colored no yellow ones.