A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[JRNash]

And since you have me figured out I will go ahead and admit I WILL be purchasing 15 of the BB strains. Whites and Bronzes.

 

[JRNash]

Go big or go home

 

[JRNash]

I'm wondering if I can get some of the other colors to breed true in midget form.

 

[JRNash]

A midget black or Bourbon red would be Beautiful

 

[JRNash]

I almost forgot!! Do the females snoodle grow and contract like the males?

 

[R2elk]

I almost forgot!! Do the females snoodle grow and contract like the males?

Both hens and toms can have their snoods grow and contract. However I have never seen a hen have her snood expand much farther than the tip of her beak. Toms can have their snoods grow 4" to 6" or more past the end of their beaks while also swelling so wide that the beak is completely hidden.

 

[JRNash]

Thanks R2elk. Now I'm wondering if I got any of the hens out of the pen by mistake. Snoodles,beards.... Turkeys are proving to be a challenge identifying male or female

 

[R2elk]

Thanks R2elk. Now I'm wondering if I got any of the hens out of the pen by mistake. Snoodles,beards.... Turkeys are proving to be a challenge identifying male or female

Simple, hens lay eggs and toms don't.

Adult hens with dark feathers will have a light colored lower edge on their breast feathers. Toms with dark feathers will have a dark colored lower edge on their breast feathers.

Adult hens will have a "mohawk". Their feathers will extend up the back of their necks and onto the top of their heads. Adult toms will have some hairs growing on their heads but there will not be any feathers on their head, especially not on the top of their heads.

Adult toms will have heavier legs, more pronounced caruncles and in the majority of cases when their snood retracts it will shrink into a cone shape and never shrinks into the sideways "J" shape that hens normally have.

Two year and older toms will have spurs while jakes will have nubs where the spurs will grow.

Hens that have beards will not grow beards that are as heavy as those of a tom.

 

[memphis]

Speaking of spurs....Annie has one. Sort of a big nub/small spur. I need to take a picture of it.

 

[R2elk]

Speaking of spurs....Annie has one. Sort of a big nub/small spur. I need to take a picture of it.

If you were to read that again, you will see that I didn't say anything at all about hens and spurs. I have also seen adult hens with spur bumps but never anything more than that and not on juvenile hens.