Question about Narragansett Turkey Chicks

[DeannaOR]

Rock Home Isle,

Will you take a look at my poult and tell me what you think. I've read a zillion articles on sexing..and the head theory has not cropped up in one of them.
I know I really just have to wait it out...but I really really need for Freebie to be a hen!





I guess I need to take some new pics, she has done some growing.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Sight Sexing turkeys is a method that involves a comparison between two poults as you hold them and compare them. While Sight Sexing the poults make sure that their eyes remain open. Look at the two directly head on; the tom will will have a slightly longer looking forehead making the top of the head appear longer and possessing a distinct oval shape. Once you've done Sight Sexing a few times with birds of known sex...then it is pretty easy to pick up a bird and accurately sex them by sight; over time your skill just gets better and more accurate to the point that when you pick up two of the same sex you will be able to tell the sex without having to sort through the poults to find the features that you need for the initial sexing.

If you want a great book on Turkeys....(Sight Sexing is covered on page 20 of the book) I strongly reccomend a wonderful book written by Cynthia Haynes, "Raising Turkeys Ducks Geese Pigeons and Guineas". It was published in 1987. This is an old publication, but the content is timeless. In my library on poultry, this text is one of the most complete resources on raising domestic Turkeys that I have ever read.



http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Turke...8036/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1338669842&sr=8-4

Mrs. Haynes wrote a separate book on raising chickens, but it is just not of the same calibre as this book.

 

[DeannaOR]

Thank you...I will look for it =)

 

[organicmom]

We are novice Naragansett owners. One of the hens hatched out an all-white poult. It's not albino because the eyes are not pink. Don't know if it's a tom or hen yet, my question is, does this happen often?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

We are novice Naragansett owners. One of the hens hatched out an all-white poult. It's not albino because the eyes are not pink. Don't know if it's a tom or hen yet, my question is, does this happen often?

I would say that its rare...but with the genetics of the various strains being mixed with this and that by various breeders....having a white poult would not come as a huge surprise.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Rock Home Isle,

Will you take a look at my poult and tell me what you think. I've read a zillion articles on sexing..and the head theory has not cropped up in one of them.
I know I really just have to wait it out...but I really really need for Freebie to be a hen!





I guess I need to take some new pics, she has done some growing.

Has your poult fully feathered yet....that is going to be when the strutting will start if its a "he".

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Any way of sexing at this age?

The funny thing is the third chick in the picture is a chicken that hatched with a problem leg. The leg has long since worked it's self out, but mother and daughter continue to baby it. The two Narrigansetts and Forrest Gump have formed their own flock.

.....Updates??

 

[wolfie115]

Super cute! I wouldn't say you could go by the strutting on the gender though. I've seen a fair share of hens strut here! We raised BBW turkeys last year and my friend said all of her would strut and she ended up with all hens so I wouldn't count on that being a tail tell sign of what you've got.

They are so much fun though...we have a hen who has a brood of four and 5 more that stay in the house. They can sure be obnoxious if you don't give them what they want but they really love people and are extremely comical.

 

[DeannaOR]

Has your poult fully feathered yet....that is going to be when the strutting will start if its a "he".

I'll post some new pictures when I get home tonight.

 

[DeannaOR]

Here are some updated pictures of Freebie. I shut the door keeping her in the run while everyone else was inside the coop.....she was not happy.







Freebie trying to fly back in!