It's driving me crazy! Is turkey a hen or tom?!

[aoxa]

I desperately want to know.. My two poults are not really even poults any more. They are 16 weeks old and are either going through puberty, or are both toms. I have been back and forth on this since I got them in June. They have yet to gobble, but both strut - but ONLY when they are trying to intimidate one of the chickens. I really don't care if they are both toms, but I'd like to know, so I can start to use the proper pronouns when directing my comments at Betty (or Mr. Betty). They are Eastern Wild Turkeys if that makes a difference.

Here is what they have been doing (strutting) a lot lately. They like to pick fights with the roosters and even the hens lately.

Here they are together. Betty is on the right. He/She is a little smaller than Bruce (left) - and more friendly to humans.

Betty.

Bruce. So what do you think.. Do I need to get these two some females? And when will they start to gobble?! I can't wait lol.

 

[chicken pickin]

I wouldnt consider that a strut its more of a nervous excited or indimidating stance i think, kinda like this(10week old BR)


This is a strut (Here he is same poult about 8weeks in this pic)


A tom will hold his strut for quite a while a hen will strut but her display will be very short

Do you have close ups of their faces? My guess, I wanna say you have hens.

 

[aoxa]

Yep, of Betty. Not of Bruce.

Here they are together again, Bruce on left, Betty on right. I haven't seen them do that before. All their behaviour is territorial it seems.

 

[chicken pickin]

My Guess is Betty is a Hen and Bruce looks henish but could do either way, but his head is more bald and the hanginy thing(caruncles?) is a little bigger. But you said their age is 16weeks, so Im still leaning hens. I hope someone else has input.

 

[wlandmon]

The turkeys are most likely going to be males. Wild turkey gobblers feathers are always outlined in black, where the hens are not. If you look close you can see a black outline on some of the feathers.

 

[aoxa]

The turkeys are most likely going to be males. Wild turkey gobblers feathers are always outlined in black, where the hens are not. If you look close you can see a black outline on some of the feathers.

 

I'm looking at this google image stuff and Betty looks like a hen by comparison, but I'd like to see some hens/toms of the same age.

Hen

ETA:

The first
peak of gobbling activity is associated with the beginning of
the breeding period when gobblers are searching for hens.
The second peak occurs a few weeks later, when most hens
begin incubation.

Maybe that's why I haven't heard any gobbling yet?

At age 14 weeks, male and female poults are distinguishable by body size and plumage. They have formed separate
pecking orders although still dominated by the hen until all
males have finally left the brood group to form their own
social units.

So what are they?! hahah

 

[aoxa]

I wouldnt consider that a strut its more of a nervous excited or indimidating stance i think, kinda like this(10week old BR)


This is a strut (Here he is same poult about 8weeks in this pic)


A tom will hold his strut for quite a while a hen will strut but her display will be very short

Do you have close ups of their faces? My guess, I wanna say you have hens.

By the way, I love your images! Don't you just adore turkeys!? I can't wait until mine truly strut. I want them to do it on command

 

[aoxa]

The turkeys are most likely going to be males. Wild turkey gobblers feathers are always outlined in black, where the hens are not. If you look close you can see a black outline on some of the feathers.

 

On and on the black tipping - it's supposed to be on the chest for males. Neither have that on their chest yet.

The plumage of males appears to change from rust to green to copper to bronze to gold depending on the brightness and angle of the sun. Also, the breast feathers on males are tipped with black. In comparison, the plumage of females appears dull and generally brown in color, and the breast feathers are tipped with light tan.

 

[chicken pickin]

By the way, I love your images! Don't you just adore turkeys!? I can't wait until mine truly strut. I want them to do it on command

Thanks! I love your pics too your turkeys coloring is fantastic they are beautiful.

Oh and my BBW Tom started to gobble at 12 weeks of age(he is 18weeks today) and he gobbles everyday it is so cool to hear him every morn and he gobbles at my kids school bus too lol.
And my BRs are almost 11weeks But one tom the one picured in my above images gobble once that Ive heard at 6 weeks old now that was cute.

 

[aoxa]

Thanks! I love your pics too your turkeys coloring is fantastic they are beautiful. Oh and my BBW Tom started to gobble at 12 weeks of age(he is 18weeks today) and he gobbles everyday it is so cool to hear him every morn and he gobbles at my kids school bus too lol. And my BRs are almost 11weeks But one tom the one picured in my above images gobble once that Ive heard at 6 weeks old now that was cute.

I would love more turkeys They are beautiful, but I don't want to use them for meat - and frankly they don't produce enough eggs to justify the feed cost. I may just get one or two more and call it a day. I think breeding them would be sad because I've heard that raising poults is difficult, and that they are not as thrifty as chickens. I hate losing them.. I definitely would love for them to brood naturally like wild turkeys are supposed to. They are not restricted by anything and go in the barn to roost at night on their own. They are a joy! Really a joy! Betty enjoying quality time