Turkey hen turning into Tom???

[Rcornerranch]

Pearl is about a year and a half. She’s laid maybe 60 eggs this year, and has hatched a few herself of the ones we chose not to incubate. She currently has one two week old poult. She’s been trying to drop and mate with me, but today she’s also acting like a Tom! I’ve noticed her head becoming a male-like blue the past few weeks. Her snood is elongating, neck bumps (don’t know what those are called) are plump like a Tom, and the extra skin under her heads appears Tom-like as well. She is displaying today as a Tom. Still raising her poult. She is small like a hen and still dainty compared to our Spanish Black Tom. Has ANYONE heard of this? Explainations?? Hormone imbalance possibly?

 

[Rcornerranch]

 

[Rcornerranch]

She strutted and then wanted me to mate with her!

 

[Rcornerranch]

 

[Molpet]

Mine strut when they are mad. I have some hens that have larger carbuncles

 

[Rcornerranch]

She has never acted like this before. I guess I’ll see in time. None of my hens have ever acted male before. This is a first for me. Is it common for their necks to look like toms when they strut?

 

[R2elk]

It is normal for a hen to display like a tom. All hens are capable of doing this.

The bumps you refer to are caruncles.

 

[R2elk]

She has never acted like this before. I guess I’ll see in time. None of my hens have ever acted male before. This is a first for me. Is it common for their necks to look like toms when they strut?

Yes.

 

[R2elk]

View attachment 2747336She strutted and then wanted me to mate with her!

I had one hen that would strut and pick a fight with the tom before she would let him breed her.

 

[Rcornerranch]

Okay! Then I’ll just attribute it to her hormones. Maybe she wants to show dominance to keep other birds away from Pablo. Caruncles. I knew there was a gross sounding word for them I’d forgotten.