Turkey Talk for 2014

[Sydney Acres]

Hello all! May I ask you for some info?
Long story short: turkeys were hand raised and abandoned and literally showed up on my door step. Never had turkeys and am getting a crash course.

So, I thought I had 3 males and a female. Now I am not so sure. 2 are most definitely boys, and are acting up like wildfire! Their heads turn red, white, and blue every time I go see them, and they are puffing up. The other two seemed intimidated. So, i separated them into another pen. I know or sure one is a female, but the fourth one I am not sure. Has a beard, but isn't puffing up, or acting like the boys, and tonight while the boys were gobbling away, this one didn't. Here's some pics, What do you guys think? Male or female?





THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The caruncles, snood, and beard all look a little too developed for a female, so I suspect male. However, I have seen some pretty masculine-looking females (of all species), so I'd want to see other angles to be sure. Have you ever seen the snood (the bump on the top of its head) elongate and droop to one side of the face? Or have you ever seen the snood move? Females tend to have thinner snoods that look like a miniature finger, remain the same size and don't move. Males, on the other hand, have snoods that can elongate quite a bit (depending on age, but up to 6 inches in an older tom) and flaccidly droop to one side of the face, or contract back up to the top of the head and look like an up-side-down cone when drawn up the tightest. In the second picture the snood seems to have a broad base and narrower top, typical of my toms when fully contracted up. Frequently the snood will be held at about 1 inch long, short enough that it is not flaccid, and the tom can move it around at will. How does this bird's snood compare to your known hen, and your known toms?

 

[AUNT KAT]

It could just be that the other two are more dominant or maybe they are older then he is. Im not sure.

OK. Maybe he is just a late bloomer. The other two are definitely bigger than he is. I will never know if they are older. A whole big bunch showed up - literally" on my doorstep one night. Game commission feared the coyotes would get them, and I wanted to help them, so he told me to pen them and keep them. But I think I will keep him with the girl because he seems calmer. I am going to see how the other two play out. If they dont get nasty, i will keep them in a different pen. If they do get nasty, I guess I have no choice but to butcher them.

 

[AUNT KAT]

The caruncles, snood, and beard all look a little too developed for a female, so I suspect male. However, I have seen some pretty masculine-looking females (of all species), so I'd want to see other angles to be sure. Have you ever seen the snood (the bump on the top of its head) elongate and droop to one side of the face? Or have you ever seen the snood move? Females tend to have thinner snoods that look like a miniature finger, remain the same size and don't move. Males, on the other hand, have snoods that can elongate quite a bit (depending on age, but up to 6 inches in an older tom) and flaccidly droop to one side of the face, or contract back up to the top of the head and look like an up-side-down cone when drawn up the tightest. In the second picture the snood seems to have a broad base and narrower top, typical of my toms when fully contracted up. Frequently the snood will be held at about 1 inch long, short enough that it is not flaccid, and the tom can move it around at will. How does this bird's snood compare to your known hen, and your known toms?

I have never seen this one drop its snood. I do have a video I took. let me see if I can post it. Maybe that will help.

 

[chicken pickin]

I'll try to weigh them sometime. Your BRs look gorgeous, I might have to try those sometime too! And I am as shocked as anyone to be getting any eggs right now. I know we're having a January thaw, but I can't imagine why any turkey would choose to lay eggs after that last cold snap we had, haha!

How's Ziggy doing?

She is great and so is Cochin. They are great additions I couldn't be happier that Kevin brought home the both of them. They both went broody twice each over the summer and have hatched some cute chicks.

 

[AUNT KAT]

The caruncles, snood, and beard all look a little too developed for a female, so I suspect male. However, I have seen some pretty masculine-looking females (of all species), so I'd want to see other angles to be sure. Have you ever seen the snood (the bump on the top of its head) elongate and droop to one side of the face? Or have you ever seen the snood move? Females tend to have thinner snoods that look like a miniature finger, remain the same size and don't move. Males, on the other hand, have snoods that can elongate quite a bit (depending on age, but up to 6 inches in an older tom) and flaccidly droop to one side of the face, or contract back up to the top of the head and look like an up-side-down cone when drawn up the tightest. In the second picture the snood seems to have a broad base and narrower top, typical of my toms when fully contracted up. Frequently the snood will be held at about 1 inch long, short enough that it is not flaccid, and the tom can move it around at will. How does this bird's snood compare to your known hen, and your known toms?

Cannot post a video. Tried from my facebook, but it didn't work. Here are more pics from today. The other boys are really dropping theirs, and have much longer ones.

(known female in the back)




And these are the other two known Toms he came in with

 

[chicken pickin]

He is definitely a tom just not as mature as the others. If you look at his cheek in pic 2 you can see a tiny spot where he is showing faint blue. He will mature soon my guess is a little faster now that the other 2 toms are separate from him.

Do you have an individual pic of the hen?

 

[DraigAthar]

She is great and so is Cochin. They are great additions I couldn't be happier that Kevin brought home the both of them. They both went broody twice each over the summer and have hatched some cute chicks.

Awwww, aren't they both just the best looking mommas? Glad you are enjoying them, they found a good home with you.

 

[AUNT KAT]

He is definitely a tom just not as mature as the others. If you look at his cheek in pic 2 you can see a tiny spot where he is showing faint blue. He will mature soon my guess is a little faster now that the other 2 toms are separate from him.

Do you have an individual pic of the hen?

Yes, here is my little girl.

 

[chicken pickin]

Awwww, aren't they both just the best looking mommas? Glad you are enjoying them, they found a good home with you.

 

[chicken pickin]

Yes, here is my little girl.

She is sweet looking! Are the dark spots on her face fuzz or scabs? Do you think a local neighbor raised these turkeys are they friendly?