Turkens - hens or roosters?

[Shianne]

Can anyone help me with our Turkens? I'm pretty sure 2 are hens but who knows. Never owned these before, any help would be very much appreciated. They are 3 months old.

 

[my sunwolf]

Wow, neat birds. First is a hen, second is a roo, and third is looking like a hen but I am unfamiliar with the breed.

 

[Shianne]

Thank you, and that is exactly what I thought about them. Which is good because the black one is my sisters favorite chicken and the bottom one is my favorite Turken. =) Now to find a nice home for the rooster..

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Wow, neat birds. First is a hen, second is a roo, and third is looking like a hen but I am unfamiliar with the breed.

I agree

 

[featherz]

At 12 weeks, don't count out #2 yet. Some of my straight combed lady turkens reddened up very early and my boys had huge red combs at 4-5 weeks. So it could still be a boy, but that one could also turn out a girl so keep it a little longer.

 

[Shianne]

Thank you guys. We will go ahead and keep him/her for awhile, and who knows maybe either way it'll end up staying. I know the middle one was sorta mean to me a few weeks back and I grab it by the neck and told it to calm down and be nice, since then it's been better, lol. and compared to the other two it has alot of loose skin, bigger comb and alot redder. and what is with it having a puff of feathers on it's neck and not the others? is that just what some have?

 

[featherz]

Thank you guys. We will go ahead and keep him/her for awhile, and who knows maybe either way it'll end up staying. I know the middle one was sorta mean to me a few weeks back and I grab it by the neck and told it to calm down and be nice, since then it's been better, lol. and compared to the other two it has alot of loose skin, bigger comb and alot redder. and what is with it having a puff of feathers on it's neck and not the others? is that just what some have?

Yes, that's called a 'bowtie'. With my last batch of NN, I had one that had a red neck and face rather early, but the straight comb stayed small and pink. It turned out to be a girl. I can't say for sure on yours, but I'd wait a bit. Any saddle feathers coming in yet? Your #2 looks very much like some of my girls but of course they are older. I can't see how red the comb is - just pink or is it red?

IMO my straight combed NN's show gender very early but the pea combs take a while. Have one now at about 14 weeks that's just now looking male.

You might want to post over in the naked neck thread. If it's a roo, easier to make more NN babies!! =)

Girl:


This one was red in the neck and a bit in the comb here at 8 weeks but turned out to be a girl:

 

[Shianne]

Aww, your chickies are lovely. Thank you, I'll have to check out that thread.

Here are some more pics of them. I really don't know what saddle feathers are... I've heard people talk about them but I'm clueless there.

 

[featherz]

Saddle feathers are long stringy feathers that go out over the 'tush' area. They generally start coming in at 13+ weeks. In a rooster they will be shiny and pointy. I have several NN cockerels in my pen now, and none have saddles yet, but here's my big rooster leo - those yellow pointy feathers are his saddle feathers.



I still don't say for sure that your NN is a roo at that age. The comb is a little larger than I'd like, but not as red. I'd wait a few more weeks before rehoming juuust in case. I'll get a pic of my NN roo when I go out. If yours is a roo, just think of all those NN babies you can make! He does have bigger legs than the other in those new pics, so that could also mean boy.

Ok, here's a NN roo at just about 8 weeks - he's been red since week 1:



Here's a 12 week old roo- very red, different colors coming in on the wings.

 

[Shianne]

Lovely chickens, they are all gorgeous. I see what you mean, I'll look at it's feathers when I go out later, and our other roosters. We are going to keep it whether it's a hen or roo we have decided. =) As you said, we can breed our own NN's, I'm really enjoying the breed.