Turkey mohawk

[GhostGirlShannon]

It may well be a late developing male. If it is a male, eventually the mohawk will go away and it will become bald.

I hope so!!! Praying for a boy

 

[Noellereagan]

It may well be a late developing male. If it is a male, eventually the mohawk will go away and it will become bald.

I’m glad you chimed in. You’re my go-to on here. Am I correct in thinking that ONLY males will turn red, display and gobble (with a spit and drum too)? I know hens can display, especially when they’re young poults right? But hens can’t/ don’t exhibit all of the other male traits/ behaviors mentioned, do they?

 

[Noellereagan]

I’m going to start a separate thread too with gender talk. I think many others wonder the same from what I see.

 

[R2elk]

I’m glad you chimed in. You’re my go-to on here. Am I correct in thinking that ONLY males will turn red, display and gobble (with a spit and drum too)? I know hens can display, especially when they’re young poults right? But hens can’t/ don’t exhibit all of the other male traits/ behaviors mentioned, do they?

Hens can and do turn red and display. I have never had a hen gobble although some claim it is possible.

Hens will have a mohawk. Toms will go bald although not all do so as early as others. I have seen toms that seemed to have a mohawk but it was just the skin pigmentation and no actual feathers.

Toms will get heavier and bigger caruncles than hens but hens can get larger caruncles when they are more mature.

Toms will grow spurs while most hens won't.

Toms will grow a beard. Hens can also grow a beard but it won't get as heavy and thick as a tom's beard.

Mature hens will do a horizontal tail fan. I have never seen a mature tom do a horizontal tail fan. Both can and will do the vertical tail fan.

The snood on a tom will swell and shrink with his mood. A tom's snood will extend far past the end of his beak. When it is retracted it will form a cone. A hen can also swell and shrink her snood but it is unlikely to ever swell past the end of her beak. In most cases when her snood is retracted, it will return to a horizontal J shape.

Mature hens that are dark colored will have a light colored lower edge on their breast feathers. Mature toms that are dark colored will have a dark colored lower edge on their breast feathers.

Toms will grow bigger than hens. Toms will develop heavier legs than hens.

 

[Noellereagan]

Hens can and do turn red and display. I have never had a hen gobble although some claim it is possible.

Hens will have a mohawk. Toms will go bald although not all do so as early as others. I have seen toms that seemed to have a mohawk but it was just the skin pigmentation and no actual feathers.

Toms will get heavier and bigger caruncles than hens but hens can get larger caruncles when they are more mature.

Toms will grow spurs while most hens won't.

Toms will grow a beard. Hens can also grow a beard but it won't get as heavy and thick as a tom's beard.

Mature hens will do a horizontal tail fan. I have never seen a mature tom do a horizontal tail fan. Both can and will do the vertical tail fan.

The snood on a tom will swell and shrink with his mood. A tom's snood will extend far past the end of his beak. When it is retracted it will form a cone. A hen can also swell and shrink her snood but it is unlikely to ever swell past the end of her beak. In most cases when her snood is retracted, it will return to a horizontal J shape.

Mature hens that are dark colored will have a light colored lower edge on their breast feathers. Mature toms that are dark colored will have a dark colored lower edge on their breast feathers.

Toms will grow bigger than hens. Toms will develop heavier legs than hens.

Would you mind coping this to my new thread.

 

[Noellereagan]

My boys gobbling. You can see the Mohawk on one. And they spit and drum too. And have snoods that hang as discussed.

 

[TurkeyTimes]

A gender thread could be a good idea. That is absolutely 110% the single most asked question. You would think people would read around before asking it themselves, oh well.

 

[GhostGirlShannon]

My boys gobbling. You can see the Mohawk on one. And they spit and drum too. And have snoods that hang as discussed.

Definitely boys. How old are they? They look nothing like my turkey

 

[GhostGirlShannon]

A gender thread could be a good idea. That is absolutely 110% the single most asked question. You would think people would read around before asking it themselves, oh well.

I searched for many terms about Tom turkeys and I couldn't find a single thread like my question

 

[TurkeyTimes]

Not singling anyone out. Just stating that gender identification is the single most asked question.