tom or hen

[maxsgoldens]

I know I have one tom but not sure of the other. They are six or seven month old now

Not the guinea fowl. Sometimes this bird does a half strut

 

[Twistedfeather]

I think it's a tom.

 

[maxsgoldens]

How come you think that?
Just so I know for the future.

 

[Twistedfeather]

Toms tend to have a deeper red face and the carbuncles that are starting to develop on the lower neck. It's been known that young tom turkey poults strut around making it unusual for a female to do it. When he develops more you can feel a beard on his breast area another thing a hen would be unusual for having. Since it's a heritage turkey it will also take longer to tell for sure.

 

[maxsgoldens]

He already has a little beard. Its funny tho because the other has a huge beard, more caruncles and already does full struts and is quite a bit bigger than this one. I read somewhere that hens tend to be flightier than males and this larger one is not nearly as flighty as this one.

Big Bird is the one on the right( I am 99% sure he is a tom)

 

[Twistedfeather]

I'm only guessing the other ones the tom and it's still possible it's a hen. I would wait and see if you get any turkey eggs from them, then you'll know.

 

[maxsgoldens]

Currently I'm 50/50 . I obviously hope its a hen but with you saying that im doubting it. Will two toms live happily together without hens?

 

[Twistedfeather]

All my toms got along but they each had a female, when one of my toms died it was the females who were at each others throat not the toms but I have seen toms duke it out occasionally. But I'm not sure if it was because of a female thing or a boy thing.

 

[maxsgoldens]

I know with most birds males are fine so long as there are no females so I hope they will be OK.

 

[jmorgan71587]

Tom