Bronze Turkeys - male or female?

[ChickenMack]

Ummm, I think all three are toms. The hens will usually "display" their tales when they need to balance, but not when they are strolling around the yard and they are not this full. Also, hens don't have that large of carunculated skin at the base of the neck, nor will their faces be as blue. I don't think you should be expecting eggs from these three anytime.

 

[laurarose]

Ummm, I think all three are toms. The hens will usually "display" their tales when they need to balance, but not when they are strolling around the yard and they are not this full. Also, hens don't have that large of carunculated skin at the base of the neck, nor will their faces be as blue. I don't think you should be expecting eggs from these three anytime.

I completely agree with you. Pretty disappointed about no eggs but these turkeys were bought by my brothers gf on a whim as she had it in her head that she wanted to "save turkeys from being Christmas dinner" and since they didn't have space for them, we agreed to take them (she has since only visited them twice to take pictures)
Now my worry is them fighting each other and even fighting with my flock of chickens.

Anyway
Thank you!

 

[cwojbaker]

How do the bronze turkeys do with free ranging?

thanks!

Jerry

 

[laurarose]

How do the bronze turkeys do with free ranging?

thanks!

Jerry

Well we have 1 acre of garden and another 1/2 of paddock that they have free access too most of the day- they seem to enjoy it. We do shut them in one of our stables at night but they try to roost in the lower branches of the trees outside the house.
We live surrounded by pine forest and have foxes living in there so we worry that they may be attacked - so far so good.
They have scratched up certain areas of the garden but don't seem to eat much of the plants only grass - they seem to make less mess than our chickens.

It's nice to seem them roaming around!

 

[cwojbaker]

Thanks Laurarose!

We have similar problems here with coyotes!

Im going to need to acquire a donkey to protect my turkeys

Jerry

 

[chknoodles]

Your boys won't have any big fights unless there is a female around. They will have their normal pecking order skirmishes, but nothing too terrible. Perhaps you can place an add to trade two of your boys for hens.

 

[laurarose]

We lost two of them last night, one has definitely been had by a fox, other may still be around but with so much forest he could be anywhere!

Thanks for everyone's help, much appreciated

 

[cwojbaker]

Wow, so sorry!..we picked up our pair yesterday (tom and hen red bourbons), and they spent the night in an empty horse stall....I think Im going to wire that up so that they can just stay there at night...there are a lot of Coyotes here that would love an early thanksgiving,

 

[summit]

I have 20 turkey's and sometimes when I let my hens out they like 2 strut like my big boy toms so I think they can show dominance over the other hens I'm say they r all hens i have 4 royal tom hens that would strut sooo hard when they were 5 months old thought I had all toms all 4 royals are hens lol so like every one is saying no gobble no fat neck it be a hen also if there scared they would fluff up 2 to make them selves look bigger.