Do turkey hens ever display?

[thndrdancr]

This is my first year with turkeys. I hatched Coranchers eggs, and couldnt resist keeping one of them.

I thought this one was a hen, as it never EVER displayed at all when the others were around. They are now two and half months old, all are gone except my chocolate, who looks like a Spanish black. Do you even HAVE spanish blacks, Anne?
I was afraid to have her go to a farm becuz she gets SO involved in hunting thru the grass, that she is an easy target for anything, umm, I guess you could say she is "focused". Or just dumb. Anyhow, two nights ago...
she did THIS! This looks tomish to me, unless hens display. S/he was doing it for my black sandals!

So, opinions from the experts, please...

Thanks bunches
Jill

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Pretty Turkey! I've never seen a female display like that, but I'm no expert either. Does she have a large snood?

 

[thndrdancr]

No, not yet, she doesnt have a snood at ALL. And ALL of her hatchmates do.
Thats why I am confused, sheesh, silly bird.
I have two hens crowing now, maybe all my birds are gender confused!

 

[Omniskies]

Yes, turkey hens will puff up and display just like a tom. What's more, I have a Royal Palm hen that decided she hated one of our roosters enough to mimic his displaying.

He was a mean Australorp that decided she was good looking enough to join his flock, so he started doing his wooing dance around her: dropping one wing to the ground and shimmying in a circle around his lady-to-be.

She wasn't impressed. At all. We'd catch her dropping her wing and making huffing noises around this extremely confused rooster before lunging at him and chasing him around the yard.

We still have her and she doesn't do it to any of the other roosters, but if we get anyone new she will pace the cage and try to find a way inside to teach him a lesson.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Guess she's just a big ole' "tom boy" instead of being a sweet little girly girl.

 

[thndrdancr]

Well that stands to reason, Chickngurl, I am too.

Its funny she is in love with my foot and shoe. It has to be the BLACK shoes tho, white just doesnt "do it" for her!

She is also herding around Dash the showgirl, and my little mottled cochin. Dash just walks off when she does it.

I would think it has to be a girl then, as no snood and she was the runt, very healthy, just smallish...all the others I had were bigger than her, and I just got some pics from the farm they went to, and they are now about 1/2 again her size!

 

[Cuban Longtails]

She's adorable!

I loved having turkeys around, each one had their own little personality. I'd like to raise up some more but I don't have a pen built for it yet. Still have a bunch of chickens I need to sort through first.

Maybe next year!

 

[corancher]

Well, it looks like a girl to me. I have had some of my females strut also.

I don't have any black spanish birds. Looks like one of the bronze mixed with ?????. Sure does look Chocolate. I got some of my stock from porters turkeys and I have a few surprise colors pop out. I am not sure if I am getting some throw back since the Porters have a lot of turkeys and have been developing some really lovely colors.

Enjoy your girl?.

 

[thndrdancr]

I love her to pieces, Corancher. She was even more adorable when little. I didnt think you had any spanish black at all. She has a lot of red laced thruout her chocolate color and white wing tips, she will be quite pretty.

She must be a throwback. All of them are just beautiful, the blue slates are gorgeous but I chose to keep her cuz she is just to goofy to give up.

 

[pdpatch]

She looks more female then male,

She has the strip of small feathers down the back of her head and neck. Most males don't have anything but a bald head. but that can have some.

small Snood that does droop when displaying. Usually a female

carnuckles are very large and smother. Although we have two males how's are that massive either.

The Tail fans is not that wide, but that may be a breed specific thing.

Does she have a beard? it should be a few inches below where her feathers start on her neck.

Has she gobbled, you can usually get a male to gobble with the right sound. Females don't gobble that I have seen or heard. I you have a cell phone try playing all the ring tones.

Of course the final thing is when she lays eggs