bronze turkey

[ramirezframing]

do both male and female bronze get the beard, even if its lttle and you only see it if you move feathers?

 

[Lagerdogger]

Some hens can get small beards. To distinguish, the hens will be smaller, have more delicate legs and feet, smaller snoods and caruncles, may have a line of small feathers going up the backl of the neck, and have white egdes on the breast feathers.

 

[ramirezframing]

ok, I guess I need a pic.

I had two but one died a few weeks ago due to a slipped tendon that I couldnt get fixed. I thought that one was the hen as it was smaller and the snood stayed one size. The one living can make its snood so small that it stands up or long and hang over the beak. I would have bet money it was a boy but the huddy says he thinks its a hen. It has some white on some of the breast feathers.

 

[Lagerdogger]

Young toms can have a little white on the breast feathers, but it generally goes away by 4 months. If you can't see any more juvenle feathers on the back, then most of the white should be gone. Hens have obvious white trim on virtually all the breast feathers. I don't have a picture, but one was posted not too long ago. It had extra white trim, so may not be the best comparison. If the snood elongates over the bill, its probably a tom.

 

[crj]

Here is a bronze hen. If you notice the hen has white on the edge of her feathers. The hen will have white on the tips of her chest feathers as well and the tom will not. In this picture you can't see the white on the edge of the chest feathers.

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Here is a tom and if you notice he does not have white on the edge of his feathers. They are tan or brown.

Even though my hen is a year old in this picture and my tom is 3 the colors will still be the same in the young turkeys. I hope this helps.

 

[ramirezframing]

is it a girl? It wasn't happy being locked up due to bad weather

 

[crj]

Quote:
I can't tell anything from the head or neck but it does look like white on the edge of the feathers. If you notice the tom doesn't have any white at all on the chest feather or his body feathers. He has light brown on the tail feathers. I will try and get a better picture of my hens. They are camera shy......... shoot, they are shy period.

 

[ramirezframing]

Well it's a hen!

I read your post crj at night and couldn't see the tail feathers, but this morning I looked and the tail feathers are white. Thanks so much for all the help you two.

 

[crj]

Quote:
Congratulations! To be totally sure she should have white tips on her breast feathers. Enjoy her.

 

[turksinmaine]

i know and realize this is such a long ago post but am in hopes to revive this thread for a newer member and first year turkey owner. 3 of mine have this such white at tip of tail, they are 44 days old. would at this age constitute same feather print, as I may call it, on its tip of tail. If so, the oddest to me, it is on two of my larger birds, and one of my near smallest. Could at this age the hen be larger than the tom? I know these birds are same age but do not guarantee came from same hen as I got these from breeder 1 day old. they are standard bronze, not broad breasted.