Is he a she?

[Lunadell]

Thanks everyone!

 

[R2elk]

I have a young pair of Sweetgrass turkeys. One has the typical lighter female markings and one has darker typically male markings. I assumed I had a male and female. Strangely I am finding 2 eggs a day in their run. They are housed with peafowl so I thought it might be an egg from my peahen but the two eggs have brown speckles. I thought peafowl eggs were all white? So I either have two female turkeys (with one that looks like a male) or I have a peahen laying speckled eggs, or I have one turkey laying 2 eggs a day!

Sweetgrass come in many different shades. There is no such thing as a female vs male coloring in them. Both hens and toms come in the lighter color variations and the darker color variations.

Both of your turkeys are hens.

 

[Lunadell]

Sweetgrass come in many different shades. There is no such thing as a female vs male coloring in them. Both hens and toms come in the lighter color variations and the darker color variations.

Both of your turkeys are hens.

Good to know. I was told otherwise by the breeder. Clearly you are correct and the breeder was misinformed. That being said, what is the easiest way to tell them apart when they are young (hopefully before they start laying)?

 

[R2elk]

Good to know. I was told otherwise by the breeder. Clearly you are correct and the breeder was misinformed. That being said, what is the easiest way to tell them apart when they are young (hopefully before they start laying)?

They typically won't start laying until spring of the year after they were hatched. At 6 months old, the main clues are toms have much bigger snoods that will hang down well below the end of their beak. The snood when retracted will form a cone shape shape. They will have bald heads with just a few hairs on it. They will stand taller and have heavier legs than the hens.

Hens will have feathers up the back of their neck that continue on to the top of their heads. Their snood will retain the horizontal "J" shape and will not extend past the end of their beaks when enlarged.

When first developing male traits, the young toms will grow a much bigger wattle earlier than the hens although over time the hen's wattle will also increase in size.

Young toms will grow much bigger caruncles than hens will.

 

[Lunadell]

They typically won't start laying until spring of the year after they were hatched. At 6 months old, the main clues are toms have much bigger snoods that will hang down well below the end of their beak. The snood when retracted will form a cone shape shape. They will have bald heads with just a few hairs on it. They will stand taller and have heavier legs than the hens.

Hens will have feathers up the back of their neck that continue on to the top of their heads. Their snood will retain the horizontal "J" shape and will not extend past the end of their beaks when enlarged.

When first developing male traits, the young toms will grow a much bigger wattle earlier than the hens although over time the hen's wattle will also increase in size.

Young toms will grow much bigger caruncles than hens will.

Awesome info! Thank you so much. Now I know the proper term for their “nose worms”