Gobble noises--hen? tom? both

[Midwest Lizabeth]

Last month we got two heritage turkeys (unsexed) when we picked up our day old chicks. We're raising the turkeys with the chicks on non-medicated game bird grower-starter and all are doing great. These are our first turkeys. I believe one is a royal palm and the other a bourbon.

One of the two turkeys gobbles at us quite frequently and the other one does not gobble. Is there a difference in the noises that young turkeys make? Does one gender make more noise or a different noise? For example, female ducks are believed to "talk" more/earlier than the drakes according to comments on this website.

I know it's a silly question, but I just don' know and I'm curious. This website helped me so much when we got our first batch of chicks. I'm hoping those of you that know about turkeys can help me out in regards to turkeys.

Thank you for your assistance. Have a nice day!

 

[TV]

If it gobbles, it's a tom. Hen's don't gobble.

 

[vickichicki]

My tom gobbles none stop, think he is trying to take on the world... wind blows... gobble gobble... walk to the pen.. gobble gobble...Geese fly over... gobble gobble

She on the other hand... Soft trilling... really quite.

Noisy gobbling... boy time

 

[Midwest Lizabeth]

TV/Vicki:

Thank you both for answering. It's weird. . .we've got a lot of turkey hunters in the family and none of them could answer the question.

So far it's just been the one making the gobbling sounds. We're optimistic that we have one male and one female. The one that's making so much noise is the one that is supposed to be a Royal Palm. So far, he doesn't have much black on him. They are six weeks old. They were so cute on chick day that I just had to get a couple of turkeys.

The turkeys have been easy to raise. We were worried that they wouldn't make it as we were led to believe that turkeys are difficult to raise. After we got them, then I read about the size difference in the Royal Palms and the Bourbons.

We've had chickens for several years. This year we got six ducks and two turkeys to try something new. So far, the turkeys have been great and are quite friendly. I hope they don't become too much of a pest or pose issues for our chicken flock as they grow up. If these birds pose problems, I'm thinking turduckin. But, I imagine they will become more like pets.

Thanks again for anwering my silly question! Have a nice day!

Liz

 

[rkendrick]

I never heard that. Thanks for the information. But now that I think about it, the White Palm is just more masculine...and gobbles and displays. The bronze is just more feminine somehow...and never gobbles or displays. That is so cool!

 

[Celie]

TV/Vicki:

Thank you both for answering. It's weird. . .we've got a lot of turkey hunters in the family and none of them could answer the question.

So far it's just been the one making the gobbling sounds. We're optimistic that we have one male and one female. The one that's making so much noise is the one that is supposed to be a Royal Palm. So far, he doesn't have much black on him. They are six weeks old. They were so cute on chick day that I just had to get a couple of turkeys.

The turkeys have been easy to raise. We were worried that they wouldn't make it as we were led to believe that turkeys are difficult to raise. After we got them, then I read about the size difference in the Royal Palms and the Bourbons.

We've had chickens for several years. This year we got six ducks and two turkeys to try something new. So far, the turkeys have been great and are quite friendly. I hope they don't become too much of a pest or pose issues for our chicken flock as they grow up. If these birds pose problems, I'm thinking turduckin. But, I imagine they will become more like pets.

Thanks again for anwering my silly question! Have a nice day!

Liz

I am very surprised turkey hunters would not know, because I thought it was illegal to shoot a female and if they didn't know, how could they call just the gobbler(Jake)? Both sexes trill as poults, only males gobble and females urt (kind of a bark) as adults. Both will display when young and puff up as adults, but only the males will dance, to impress a female. The female, when she is ready to mate, will lay on the ground in front of the male with her wings out slightly for balance, presenting herself to the male. Hope you have the combination you want. There should not be a big enough difference in size between a Royal Palm and a Bourbon Red to restrict them from mating naturally, if you have a pair. Good Luck and if you post pictures in a couple of months, we might be able to help sexing them. The easiest way to tell, for me anyway with white bird breeds, is the feathers up the back of the head is always a female and the male is bald ! This should be apparent around the 3 month mark.

 

[itsjustme]

I have 3 royal palm toms. Bought 4 last year straight run all turned out to be boys. They gobble alot! Some times they can't even control it. Loud noises will cause it air planes car horns. My kids yelling even the peacocks honk cause gobbles lol. I think its called shock gobble? I have 6 babies in the brooder hoping for some hens! They are only about a week or so. No struts and only peeps and idk what you call the other little noise they make lol also.it is possible to get a palm that doesn't get its black. I have one that's solid white.

 

[Midwest Lizabeth]

They both started gobbling.

Celie--We have a lot of wild turkeys. . .a gown hen/tom do not look alike. . .toms have a beard and the tom's wattles are big/Long. We hear wild turkeys regularly, but can't always see what who making the noises. Young wild turkeys all look the same to me. Several years ago, we had 38 wild turkeys in the pasture (35 hens and 3 toms dancing). We don't have as many wild turkeys anymore due to coyotes and severe cold, weird, wet weather. We don't hunt the wild turkeys, but they make a great stew. . . .our friends only keep the breast meat. . . what a waste. . .I stew the legs, thighs, etc. for hours. .and the stew is dark, tasty. I think it would also make a great gumbo (I see that you're in La).

We lost our Royal Palm. The bourbon boy misses his buddy. I forgot to close the hatch on their expanded metal pen a couple of nights ago and we found the royal palm dead in the yard the next morning with our lovely lab sitting in the pen--the royal palm was my favorite. One of our chicks got plucked (thankfully a roo and not a hen) and the rest of them flew away and escaped. . .they came home by the next afternoon. We always lock all the poultry up at night--to keep the lab and predators away from the poultry. . . .grrrr. . . .so mad at myself for forgetting to close the hatch after changing their water.

Itsjustme---I hope you get some hens. . . .it would be neat to be able to raise some heritage turkeys.

I don't get on this website too often as there are just not enough hours in a day. Thanks to all the great folks that help out to answer questions! Have a nice day!