First gobble.... it's like music to my ears!!!

[R.M. Hens]

I heard one (maybe 2) of my Royal Palms gobble for the first time this morning!!! It gobbled at me when I gobbled at it and when my rooster crowed (for the first time this morning as well) it gobbled back. It was a great morning hearing the babies find their voices. Do both male and female turkeys gobble or just the males?

I also saw one of the poults strutt this morning. Does this mean he is a Jake? The poults are 13ish weeks.

Thanks!!

 

[Lagerdogger]

I know the young hens will strut, but I don't recall noticing a hen gobble.

It is a good day when the turkeys sound off together

 

[mochicken]

I cant wait till my bronzes start gobbling

 

[R.M. Hens]

Thanks Lagerdogger!

Mochicken, I have waited soooo long to hear a gobble too. It was a very very cute gobble too!

 

[mochicken]

Are your little ones bald yet? do you have pics?

 

[R.M. Hens]

I will post some tomorrow. I took pictures the other day with my hubby's camera, but I had to wait for him to come home from offshore to use the program on his laptop to download them.

Do you mean bald on their heads? or all over? (Sorry if that's a silly question. This is my first time with turkeys.) Yes, they are bald on the heads and starting to change color, but no blue yet. I am starting to see the pale pink turn to darker sometimes.

Any pics of yours?

 

[mochicken]

Yes sorry just the heads, if they are all bald that might be bad huh lol

 

[sweeterdeeter42]

Quote:
My royal palm started gobbling a few weeks ago and I asked if hens do both and I was told on here by some people that seem to be big into turkeys (I dont remember who) that if it gobbles its a tom and hens strut but dont gobble. lol. So it seems unanimous.

 

[R.M. Hens]

WooHoo! Loving the unanimous vote sweeterdeeter! Thanks.

Mochicken- Yes! I think I would freak out if they all went bald!

 

[sweeterdeeter42]

Also, since you have Royal Palms as well, I was told that the males will start to get black edged feathers on their breast and the females will not. So if any of yours is getting black edged feathers on their breasts, that is another way to tell. Mine started gobbling at 6 1/2 weeks, and is now 8 1/2 weeks and does it a lot more now. I can also see some barnicles growing and he turns his neck red when he gobbles. He doesnt have any black breast feathers showing yet, but he just started getting his black markings last week.