Turkey head half color

[CascadeQUAIL]

Yesterday my broad breasted black tom was fine at about 530, I went inside and when I came back out for evening chores at 730 he was acting listless and "sleepy." We were just about ready to start nursing him back, then he just snapped out of it.

After he "woke up" his neck was a bit cocked, and I couldn't move it when I gently tried.

Now his neck is fine and he has full motion of his head. He is acting perfectly normal, his attitude is fine, he's eating and drinking and gobbling at everything that moves. His head is still half colored, and has been since.

He's been known to wipe out trying to mate with the hen, and she seemed very displeased with him when I came out. There were a few feathers around, and he has some broken feathers, but I can't imagine anything attacked him in the middle of the yard given my current security setup, and the fact that he probably weighs 50 lbs.

He's also a broad breasted nearing 2 years old, so I'm suspicious it's just him "getting old."

Pic is when I first discovered him.

Thanks for reading

 

[Eggcessive]

That is something new to me to see. I know very little about turkeys, so I will tag @R2elk and @casportpony for more help. Have you also posted on the turkey forum? Here it is:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/turkeys.20/

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My male has similar (though not as vibrant) coloring, bit he's had a lot of health problems too. Mine is in his 3rd summer and is a BBW, so it might be something to do with their size?

 

[casportpony]

Wow, I've never seen anything like that!

 

[Eggcessive]

Some articles about color changes:
https://hayfarmguy.com/can-turkeys-change-color/

https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editorial/how-to-read-a-turkeys-body-language/193075

 

[R2elk]

Yesterday my broad breasted black tom was fine at about 530, I went inside and when I came back out for evening chores at 730 he was acting listless and "sleepy." We were just about ready to start nursing him back, then he just snapped out of it.

After he "woke up" his neck was a bit cocked, and I couldn't move it when I gently tried.

Now his neck is fine and he has full motion of his head. He is acting perfectly normal, his attitude is fine, he's eating and drinking and gobbling at everything that moves. His head is still half colored, and has been since.

He's been known to wipe out trying to mate with the hen, and she seemed very displeased with him when I came out. There were a few feathers around, and he has some broken feathers, but I can't imagine anything attacked him in the middle of the yard given my current security setup, and the fact that he probably weighs 50 lbs.

He's also a broad breasted nearing 2 years old, so I'm suspicious it's just him "getting old."

Pic is when I first discovered him.

Thanks for reading

It wouldn't surprise me if your tom had a minor stroke.

I had a heritage hen that had one side of her head one color and the other side another color. Hers was genetic from birth.


Self Blue hen

 

[CascadeQUAIL]

I

It wouldn't surprise me if your tom had a minor stroke.

I had a heritage hen that had one side of her head one color and the other side another color. Hers was genetic from birth.


Self Blue hen

I think this is the answer, it looks like that hen has a sort of lazy eye like he has now too. Shame, but like I mentioned before we knew he would have health problems. He's totally fine running around being a puffball if anyone is concerned. I was out with him all day. Still half colored.

Thank you much for all the help everyone.

 

[R2elk]

I

I think this is the answer, it looks like that hen has a sort of lazy eye like he has now too. Shame, but like I mentioned before we knew he would have health problems. He's totally fine running around being a puffball if anyone is concerned. I was out with him all day. Still half colored.

Thank you much for all the help everyone.

She was a Self Blue aka Lavender which have a tendency to small eye syndrome which is entirely separate from her dual colored head. It was just one more reason she was not given the opportunity to become a breeder.