How Long Does It Take To Tell A Female Turkey From A Male?

[SandyC]

I got some Royal Palm turkeys as chicks this spring in June and I still am not sure if I have males or females. There is nothing hanging from their heads yet and I have heard no gobbling, so I think that I may have 3 females, but I am not sure. Anyone with this breed have a clue?

 

[sandspoultry]

The Palms are slow to mature. You can compare the thickness of the legs, the hens will have narrower legs. Also the toms will have less feathers on the head.
The best way is to vent sex them which once you know what you are looking for is close to 100% accurate. You need to be very gentle and careful as it's easy to injure the bird.

I'm right handed so this is how I do it. Hold the bird with my right arm against my side, head under my elbow. with the right hand lift the tail feathers and using thumb and forfinger gently lift the top of the vent towards the tail. (you may get poo'd on at this point- it's just the turkey saying thank you for probing me)

With your left hand, I use thumb and forfinger again. VERY GENTLY pull the bottom of the vent down. On the toms you will see 2 small round balls, these are the sperm ducts on the hens you will see 2 flaps of skin.

If you have a couple to compare it's real easy to see the difference from male to female.

Like I said before go real easy as you can injure the bird.

Steve in NC

 

[deerman]

My Royal Palms also were hatched in June, I can tell males from females. Will take pics and post later. The toms are taller, heads are darker red. Have 6 and 2 of those are toms.
My 2 toms strut when they here my older tom gobble.

Will be a day or two but will post pics of each.

 

[Struttn1]

You also should be able to feel the beard bump between the bottom of the waddles and the notch at the top of the breast. If you find the bump it is more than likely a gobbler but occasionally a hen will have a beard so this method is not 100% but it usually is pretty accurate.

My young Royal Palms are 4 months old and the gobbler has a beard that is just about to start showing outside the breast feathers.

 

[pdpatch]

The right tone or sound they may decide to gobble. When ours were about 10 weeks old our daughter happened to get a text message on her cell phone and a bunch gobbled. She then tried each of the ring tones on her phone for some tones they would gobble but for most they did not.

We had two slower maturing males Slates and Bourbons that didn't gobble for about another month.

Tom

 

[2manyhats]

Am I wrong in my thinking, only toms fan their tails and strut, right? My Palm and Blue Slate juveniles hatched in June, both fan tails and strut when annoyed with each other. Toms, right?

 

[SandyC]

Well, on further examination, I THINK that I have 2 Toms and one hen. I still don't know for sure. I'll look forward to seeing those pictures!

 

[MissPrissy]

Toms also have a large snood. They can release and retract it.

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
The hens can strut also but they can't hold it as long as a tom

Steve in NC

 

[2manyhats]

Quote:
The hens can strut also but they can't hold it as long as a tom

Steve in NC

Oh, I guess I'll have to check out the legs and such, too. Thanks.