Tom and hen question

[solarquail]

well i have 6 turkeys i have a pair of slates and pair of chocolates and a naragansett (thought was a tom) and a black spanish (i think is a tom)

well they were free ranging and i walked out to feed up and the chocolate tom was mounted on the naragasett (suppose to be tom)( he has a beard)
and well they mated. and then later on the blue slate mounted on the chocolate hen.. she has a beard but mated... ...so can hens have beards? my blue slate and chocoalate hens have small beards but they got the fuzzy head and have been mated by the toms. theyre still younge id say theyre about 10 or 11 months old. should i be already to tell if its a tom or hen?

 

[pdpatch]

At 10 to 11 month, the sex characteristic are developed enough to tell, But yes females can have a beard but it's does not get as big a males.
Females sometimes will mimic the tom's strutting, but not nearly as long.

The snood is usually the most obvious way to tell,

Generally females have a dainty snood the same size top to bottom when retracted, and they usually have more small feathers on the top of there heads.
The Karnuckles are less pronounced then the males.

Male snood can be retracted as in this picture, when it is is much thicker at the base, or extended.

Here is three males, two blue slates and one red bourbon. The furthest blue is down on the pecking order and he usually didn't extend his snood much.


At 10 to 11 month old if you have a male next to a female of the same variety then it easy because of the size difference. If you have a Spanish Black tom he should be as big or bigger then the Blue slate tom.

Not having raised Naragansett 's I am not sure about there size.

Most of the turkeys in these Photo's are 3 to 4 months old.

Tom

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Can you post some pics solarquail?

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

Post some pics of them!

 

[solarquail]

ill have to do it tommorrow i lost this thread and i really need to find out. lol ill get them posted tommorrow!

 

[solarquail]

this is the blue slate hen she has a snood like the turkey in that first picture pd patch but its developing a real small beard.

the last is a thumbnail probobaly cant see it

i found these on my computer theyre alittle old ill get updated ones tommorrow

 

[pdpatch]

Females can also have beards, with the strip of small feather up the back of the heck, the front of the neck that i can see it's looks more female.

Tom

 

[chickenannie]

I have 2 hens that have tiny beards.

 

[solarquail]

left my camera in the truck and thats not hear lol but anywho the ones in question all have the fluffy head like the first pic pdpatch


none of them are strutting except the two i know forsure are toms.