When can I sex my turkey? *PICS*

[ticks]

My lone turkey hatched out in mid/late May, since day one he has een acting tomish. Pecking, chirping, and strutting. He struts and hisses at me. That's why I call it a him, but when will I really no if it's a male or a female? I'm sure all turkeys regardless of sex strut like that a young age?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

On the Bourbon Reds you can tell by the feathers. The Toms will have black edging and the hens will have white. It shows up on the breast first it will be faint line on the end of the feathers.

Steve

 

[ticks]

Steve at what age can I use this technique? "It" has feathers right now.

 

[lotzahenz]

I also have a lone turkey, a Royal Palm. It is about 4 weeks old. When can you tell?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

As soon as you can see the edging start to show, I never really noted at what age they were.

On the palms you just have to wait, the toms will have a longer snood, and once they loose the fuzz and start growing feathers they will have none of very little on their head.

Steve

 

[Marion]

Steve... do the females gobble and strut when they are young, I have two BRs and one has been strutting since it was a couple of weeks old, the other didn't, now at 8 weeks I have the one that struts a lot and gobbles, the other one has been seen strutting once and although it normally makes some other sounds I have heard a little gobble from it too. I was hoping that I had one of each gender... so, is strutting and gobbling any sort of indicator at the age of 2 months?

 

[scbatz33]

My bourbon red is about 1 month old and you can clearly see the white tips on her feathers.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
They can both strut but the hens can't hold it as long. Only the toms will gobble, the hens will yelp and chirp.

Steve

 

[dbone]

I think mine or 7 weeks, and i have no clue what in the heck they are. i dont think i really care either any more. doesnt matter in my case, they are dinner any way.

 

[BeccaOH]

Raising turkey is new to me too.

My BR is 14 weeks. I've been going by the red flush on his head to say it is a boy. I guess I need to look closer at his feathering.

My 2 BS are 15 weeks. I'm not sure about them. Their heads will get some red to them under stress, but not quite like my BR. I was hoping they would be a boy and girl for mating.

ETA: Does anyone have pictures of the BR boys in teenage stage with the black feathering? Thanks!