Sexing young turkey poult?

[CreedSjel]

I have a young turkey (I got him at a fair as a trade) Anyways.....he is across between a bourbon red and a black Spanish. I say he, I actually have no clue. I was wondering if anyone else could help me.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You will have to wait until it's 3-4 months of age unless it starts displaying sooner which would mean a male.

 

[CreedSjel]

I am totally new to owning a turkey. Can anyone explain what “displaying” is and give me tips for when it gets a little older. Aka what should I look for?

 

[R2elk]

I am totally new to owning a turkey. Can anyone explain what “displaying” is and give me tips for when it gets a little older. Aka what should I look for?

Your poult is a Rusty Black.

Displaying is what toms do when they are showing off for the hens or trying to intimidate something approaching its flock.

Both toms and hens can display.

Tom on left, hen on right

Unless you are just raising the poult for food, I strongly recommend getting more turkeys to keep it company. Turkeys are very social and need the companionship of other turkeys.

 

[Hobbits Mommie]

So, if they can both "display", how do you tell if you have a Tom or a hen? I've read that hens usually have a strip of feathers down the back of their neck. Their feet and legs will be smaller, but when you only have two the same age...it's hard to see the difference. I have a white one that is considerably bigger than the brown one, but both seem to have the stripe down the neck. The white one has started to "display" and I haven't seen the brown one do that. They are being raised from hatch-lings with chickens. I'd say they are about to reach the 3 month or more mark.

 

[Hobbits Mommie]

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some of my adult hens display, but I've never seen a poult hen display. So if one younger than 6 months displays it is a Tom in my experiences.

 

[R2elk]

So, if they can both "display", how do you tell if you have a Tom or a hen? I've read that hens usually have a strip of feathers down the back of their neck. Their feet and legs will be smaller, but when you only have two the same age...it's hard to see the difference. I have a white one that is considerably bigger than the brown one, but both seem to have the stripe down the neck. The white one has started to "display" and I haven't seen the brown one do that. They are being raised from hatch-lings with chickens. I'd say they are about to reach the 3 month or more mark.

Except in the case of slow developing toms most poults can be sexed at 3 months and normally for positive by 6 months.

Tom traits
Bigger caruncles
Bigger snood that can expand far past the end of the beak. Can retract into a cone shape.
Bald head
Heavier legs
Beginning of spurs
Bigger over all
When adult feathers are the breast feathers of dark colored turkeys will have a dark colored lower edge.

Hen traits
Small caruncles
Snood cannot expand past the end of the beak. When retracted will retain the horizontal J shape.
"Mohawk" strip of feathers up the back of the neck and onto the top of the head. Some hens can have a very fine thin strip of feathers on top of the head while it can be very pronounced on others.
Thinner legs
No spurs starting except in rare cases where spur nubs may develop.
When adult breast feathers are present the lower edge will be light or white colored.

The breast feather tell only works on adult feathers in dark colored turkeys. All of their juvenile breast feathers will have the light colored lower edge.

 

[R2elk]

View attachment 1549471

Those appear to be closer to 2 months old than 3 months. It is really hard to tell anything looking through the wire. For best chance of identification from pictures, individual photos, one full photo from the side, one directly from the front and one looking down from the back showing the back of the neck and top of the head. Photos should be in focus with no obstructions present.

 

[R2elk]

Some of my adult hens display, but I've never seen a poult hen display. So if one younger than 6 months displays it is a Tom in my experiences.

Personally I have only had toms strut at a very early age such as the first week but I know of people that have had hens strut that young. I have definitely had hens display by 3 months old.