# Turkey Gender



## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

At what age can I tell the gender of my Bronze Turkey's? What are the signs to look for?


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

not sure on the age as in number, but as they get bigger the males will start strutting at a young age and will have a lot less feathers on the head, more warty bits on the on the head and neck and larger feat, its harder to explain, something I am just used to looking at, if you had pics I could deciffer better lol


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## ODINSWORN (Jun 8, 2010)

Larger snoods on toms as well


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## goatlady (May 31, 2002)

I have never understood - if the hatcheries can sex day-old chicks why cannot they sex day-old turkey pouts? There cnanot be that much if any difference in the birds anatomy.


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

I will get picks this evening. Thx.


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## KOHL HAWKE (May 8, 2010)

as polts, i have always had a few hens i thought were toms. if they dont strut then time will tell....once feathered you can check to see if the beard is comming in. strutting is the only way for sure i have relied on untill older


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

#1
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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

#2
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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

how many do you have>? is it two or three? looks like two toms at this point,


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

I have two. #2 has what I believe what is called split wing and is quite a bit smaller. It thinks it is a duck half the time and wants to sleep in their house with them. #1 thinks it is a lap dog and wants to be carried to the barn every night. So far they are spoiled babies and have very calm personalities.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

both have the thick legs and feat, and full robust head, also a blocky shape, if they are not strutting they should soon,


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

KSALguy said:


> both have the thick legs and feat, and full robust head, also a blocky shape, if they are not strutting they should soon,


Will they be okay with out hens? Will not having hens keep them from fighting? Will #2 be okay with its wing issue? I think #1 is starting to strut. He also puffed up at a new rooster right after I brought it home. Now he is used to the new guy and doesn't pay him any attention. 

Thank you for the help. You have given me lots of info in the past and I appreciate it.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

two toms will likely strut in tandem, side by side around the yard, or in opposite directions, some fighting but not bad, turkey fighting isn't NORMALLY as bad as rooster fighting, I had two toms that would gang up on a game rooster and occasionally on the peacock tom but it was mostly big belly bullying nothing dangerous unless the rooster got stuck between them, toms will strut with or with out hens, hens wont make it any better or any worse, there is no rape in the turkey world, males compete by strutting and showing off, the hen decides who gets to mate, I had two toms and two hens for several breeding seasons, occasionally there would be an extra hen or two, or wild hens would stop by but there was never any fighting that would be worth mentioning


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

They are both hens. 

They both have white breast lacing, and Bronze toms have black breast lacing, hens have white. Also, they both have tiny feathers going up the back of their heads, and they look old enough that if they were toms, it would be gone by now. And neither of them show any carruncle development on the neck at all. #1 is definitely more feminine than #2, though, from the angle of the pictures, and there really isn't a good head picture of #2. Those are hens.


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## parrotman (Jan 27, 2008)

I don't want to comment on whether or not they are m/f as I'm not qualified to do so.
I will tell you this...I have an older BBB hen that NO ONE believes is a hen when they meet/see her. She looks like a tom and displays and fans like a tom. 
Trust me, she lays eggs every spring!
(If I did have to guess about your birds, they look like hens to me.)


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

Well now... I'm back where I started. I guess instead of naming them Tom and Jake they can be Thing 1 and Thing 2. LOL. They are Standard Bronze. 3months old. When it stops raining I will go check the lacing.


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

These are my girst turkeys. I see the white in the pictures. At what age do they lay or start gobbling. Do they only lay in the spring?


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## tbishop (Nov 24, 2004)

I'd name them Pat and Chris.


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

Does it make any difference that when #1 gets aggravated at anything its head turns bright blue and red.


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

Right now they are baby and sweetie. LOL. I'm the crazy one who has made pets out of them.


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## ODINSWORN (Jun 8, 2010)

K Epp said:


> Does it make any difference that when #1 gets aggravated at anything its head turns bright blue and red.


That's a tom for sure


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## Mulegirl (Oct 6, 2010)

I don't have any useful information, but wanted to say thank you for asking this question--it's one I needed answers to as well! Mine are Midget Whites and Bourbon Reds, and they're only 5 weeks old, but it will be nice to figure out sex sooner rather than later . . .


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