Turkenstein25's Turkey Talk for 2015

[teria]

How can you tell what a young male turkey looks like? Do they have longer tails then females

I wasn't able to tell, but, when I got mine, the one that turned out to be a male was bigger than the other one that turned out to be female. I had thought perhaps he hatched a day or so before her and had a head start, but, he has remained larger, and as they entered maturity, the male has a bigger, more floppy wattle, a longer snood, and is more bossy than the female. They are both ten weeks old now, and I'm still figuring out if they are close to sexual maturity or if they have a ways to go, because the male, when he gets upset, angry, or worried (especially if he loses track of his girl), turns dark red on his head and wattle and bulbous areas show up on his caruncles. The female turns a bit red when excited, but, none of the other things happens.

 

[chicken pickin]

Ok. go to the forum what breed or gender is this, and start a new thread. ask the people there. they are good at what they do.

That forum in my opinion is good at sexing chicken chicks, not turkey poults. This is a turkey thread and a better place for the question.

@Jamesaustin88 post a few pics and give the age. If this thread cant help you could also try the the links I provided below

Turkey Talk for 2014 thread @ https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/838701/turkey-talk-for-2014 this thread is LOADED with information about turkeys.
You could also try A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100 @ https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/966414/a-century-of-turkey-talk-2000-2100

 

[Finnie]

I have had turkeys for one year now. I started with 4 poults that were to be raised for meat. I got quite taken with them and when I found out they were all boys I got 2 one year old hens from the original breeder. They are Narragansette. One of the hens must have been part Palm due to throwing a white offspring. I Kept one tom from the original bunch. I incubated eggs and got 7 poults in the spring. I sold all but 2, reserving two for this year's holiday meals .During all this time we went from a temporary dog kennel shelter to a dedicated turkey pen and housing. Once that was built gave the poults to the hens, who by then were sitting on a few more eggs. There were five eggs, all hatched but during a brutal heat wave and I only had three survive. So now I have three generations of turkeys in one very nice pen and run when I didn't even plan on buying the turkeys the day I went to the swap one year ago. I like the Narragansette and will keep this breed. They have a very lean dark tasty meat. I am thinking about selling a pair from the older set, the two teens will go to freezer camp and I am still waiting to sex the three little ones. I think they are very fun interesting birds.
We water using a 5 gallon bucket modified to have two turkey founts. We have a treadle feeder. I give them turkey pellets. they seldom get kitchen scraps because they are picky and most of that goes to the chickens who leave nothing behind. The pen is 180 sq feet. husband built a walk in shelter on the side of our barn. There is a door and you walk in a caged area. One half is solid, the other half is roofed and wire covered framed side. Dirt floor. The only nest is a 6 inch high 4x4 box. The adult hens are always in it. The younger birds are on roosts. I think the senior tom is too big and he seldom is off the ground. Once it stopped raining here in Oregon we keep the door open. I have a baby gate so the big birds can hop out but the 3 little ones stay in the shelter. The pen had 6 foot woven wire field fence, about 40 x 40 feet.

Nice turkey story! I wonder if mine will be similar to yours a year from now.

We started with just two poults for the purpose of deterring hawks from eating our chickens. But then we started thinking about selling eggs or poults next spring if we end up with a male and a female. Just to sell, of course, since we don't have room for keeping more turkeys. But we did buy a 6' high chain link dog kennel, and we plan to build a high roost in the middle of it and drape bird netting over the top to contain them inside of it. We found out that letting the turkeys (3 of them now...) free range meant them going over to visit the neighbors too often. So we have to lock them up. Original job of protecting the chickens is out the window, if they can't live amongst the chickens. I would love to try eating fresh grown turkey meat, but not from one of my babies. I gotta find someone else who processes theirs to buy from.

Your shelter set-up and pen sounds awesome.

 

[Finnie]

Quote:

At six months old, I'm still not sure on mine. One was bossier than the other, and we thought that one might be male, but none of the other signs are really any different on them, so we are thinking they must both be female. Wouldn't a male gobble and strut before six months?

We have a three month old that we also can't tell about. It puffs up in a threatening way more often than the older ones, but even then, the tail only goes up to half mast.

We're not sure how much longer we have to wait to be able to tell.

 

[Finnie]

At six months old, I'm still not sure on mine. One was bossier than the other, and we thought that one might be male, but none of the other signs are really any different on them, so we are thinking they must both be female. Wouldn't a male gobble and strut before six months?

We have a three month old that we also can't tell about. It puffs up in a threatening way more often than the older ones, but even then, the tail only goes up to half mast.

We're not sure how much longer we have to wait to be able to tell.

Cranberry is a girl!!



For comparison, left to right, lavender ameraucana pullet size egg, Cranberry's first egg, egg from a 3yo barred rock, which is my biggest egg usually.

This is so strange. She is only 6 months old, and I thought turkeys don't lay until the next spring after they hatch. It couldn't be a chicken egg, could it? None of mine are supposed to lay that color, although I have some Marans, so speckles are possible.

 

[Jamesaustin88]

I thought turkey hens arent sexaully active till 1 1/2 year and a half

 

[feedman77]

Cranberry is a girl!! For comparison, left to right, lavender ameraucana pullet size egg, Cranberry's first egg, egg from a 3yo barred rock, which is my biggest egg usually. This is so strange. She is only 6 months old, and I thought turkeys don't lay until the next spring after they hatch. It couldn't be a chicken egg, could it? None of mine are supposed to lay that color, although I have some Marans, so speckles are possible.

That's a turkey egg. Congratulations in cranberry being a hen. There are possibilities of hens laying the fall afterthey hatch. But most are the spring after.

 

[feedman77]

I thought turkey hens arent sexaully active till 1 1/2 year and a half

Hens and toms usually become sexually mature at about 9 minths old.

 

[Jamesaustin88]

How do you know the difference between a male Tom at that young of age compared to a female

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Gonna jump in here out of nowhere, and say toms are bigger, watch for snood development, toms can elongate theirs past the beak, both sexes will display, but I don't think hens can gobble or make the rumbling chest noise.