is my turkey a male or female

[Brandychick]

they are getting along a bit better eafh day... I'm gonna just wait it out and hope to have a pair, I was hoping to get lil turkeys in the spring. So far this morning I've not heard a gobble from her and she's not been chasing so aggressively. Unfortunately there is snow today but I will just have to bundle up and get out there and get the few things done I can while spying on my lil flock..... they so different when I'm out there vs. watching from the window.

 

[Brandychick]

Sadly I just heard her... him now gobble, a few times :'( dang.... now I have to think of a new name for him.... or keep GG and name him George instead of Gloria

 

[BOrion]

Earlier in the summer I had what I thought were 3 males and two hens wild rio Grandes. I saw three strut. One male went for thanksgiving dinner. I have only seen one strut in the last couple of months and am now wondering if my remaining male is a female. Would a male just stop strutting if the other male is very dominant? I have never seen fighting. I want to raise little ones In The spring so don't want a female butchered. My females have some hair on their heads, the questionable one does not. Any advice?

 

[R2elk]

Earlier in the summer I had what I thought were 3 males and two hens wild rio Grandes. I saw three strut. One male went for thanksgiving dinner. I have only seen one strut in the last couple of months and am now wondering if my remaining male is a female. Would a male just stop strutting if the other male is very dominant? I have never seen fighting. I want to raise little ones In The spring so don't want a female butchered. My females have some hair on their heads, the questionable one does not. Any advice?

Your turkeys are old enough now to use the breast feather test. The ones whose breast feathers have a light colored lower edge are hens. The ones whose breast feathers do not have a light colored edge are toms.

Yes in a pair of two toms one that is not dominant may not strut at all.

Good luck.

 

[FaerieChicken]

This is my Hen, of course a broad breasted white, but she was about 7-8 months old in this pic and she was definitely an aggressive or at least dominant bird and would display a lot, quite majestic when she did though. I had 2, the other hen, same age/breed, is so much more docile. This girl in the picture made it to the dinner table much quicker! The docile girl hasn't much displayed that I have seen, her name is Sweetie Pie, named by our 2 daughters, go figure, no she will take much longer to get to the dinner table, although I have been hearing chatter of Christmas dinner.....

 

[FaerieChicken]

""Originally Posted by Brandychick


they are getting along a bit better eafh day... I'm gonna just wait it out and hope to have a pair, I was hoping to get lil turkeys in the spring. So far this morning I've not heard a gobble from her and she's not been chasing so aggressively. Unfortunately there is snow today but I will just have to bundle up and get out there and get the few things done I can while spying on my lil flock..... they so different when I'm out there vs. watching from the window.""

OH MY GOSH, I want a Royal Palm Turkey..... I keep telling my Husband that this spring I want to get another pair of Turkeys, but I want heritage, and possibly a couple for food, but definitely some lawn ornaments! ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL

 

[Brandychick]

So, it is a tom.... his beard started growing in. They get along fine but the neighbors will be eating Tonto now that he wont be a dad, I at least saved him from Thanksgiving for now. I'll be sellin my tom, I'd be interested in what a royal palm tom goes for, hes nice and gets along with chickens great. I'm gonna be looking for burbon reds maybe chocolate turkeys instead. RP are too flighty for me.

 

[FaerieChicken]

So, it is a tom.... his beard started growing in. They get along fine but the neighbors will be eating Tonto now that he wont be a dad, I at least saved him from Thanksgiving for now. I'll be sellin my tom, I'd be interested in what a royal palm tom goes for, hes nice and gets along with chickens great. I'm gonna be looking for burbon reds maybe chocolate turkeys instead. RP are too flighty for me.

What is a "beard" on a turkey? That is so interesting! We have lots of wild turkeys that roam onto and through our property. Our Sweetie Pie often takes off with them, although she is unable to keep up with them for very long, she has traveled quite a distance. And she has spent the night with them before. But just recently some young Toms have been coming in with the hens, as where it use to be just flocks of hens stopping by for water and some left over scratch and tidbits. Also a large mature Tom has also been seen a couple of times, and the hens have been sparing, at least I think they are hens, perhaps they are young toms? There are a couple of different flocks, and they were on the property at the same time making a lot of fuss so we ran out to see what the comotion was all about, that is when we saw the displayed toms or hens jumping up at each other, there had to have been like 50 - 60 birds!

It was awesome.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The beard on a turkey is the black funky feather growing out of the center of the chest, both sexes can have them, but mostly toms do.

 

[Brandychick]

What is a "beard" on a turkey?  That is so interesting! We have lots of wild turkeys that roam onto and through our property. Our Sweetie Pie often takes off with them, although she is unable to keep up with them for very long, she has traveled quite a distance. And she has spent the night with them before. But just recently some young Toms have been coming in with the hens, as where it use to be just flocks of hens stopping by for water and some left over scratch and tidbits. Also a large mature Tom has also been seen a couple of times, and the hens have been sparing, at least I think they are hens, perhaps they are young toms? There are a couple of different flocks, and they were on the property at the same time making a lot of fuss so we ran out to see what the comotion was all about, that is when we saw the displayed toms or hens jumping up at each other, there had to have been like 50 - 60 birds! 

It was awesome.

that would be so fun!! I saw wild ones as a kid but never that many