Determining the sex of a turkey is easy if you practice a lot. There are several characteristics that you can observe to identify a rooster and a hen, but some of these characteristics can only be recognized if you look closely at the chicken. In addition, young roosters sometimes do not have the characteristics of an adult rooster, which can be quite confusing to those who see them. That's why it's a good idea to estimate the turkey's age when trying to identify the sex.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Part One: Recognizing the Sex of a Chicken from afar
Step 1. Compare the sizes
The male turkey is larger than the female. If you look at a flock of turkeys, the roosters usually appear much larger than the surrounding females.
- Adult male turkeys usually weigh between 7 and 11 kg, while females weigh around 3.5 to 4.5 kg.
- The size of a turkey is difficult to predict from a distance, especially if the chicken is alone or in a flock with a group on uneven ground. If so, it's not a reliable way to guess the turkey's sex, but it can still be used to confirm your guess once other characteristics have been identified.
Step 2. Pay attention to the beard
Adult male turkeys have beards of feathers hanging from their chests, while female turkeys do not.
- A turkey beard may appear to be made of hair, but in reality it is made up of unique hairs that form clumps of stiff hair.
- It's important to note that 10 to 20 percent of hens also have beards. So, this method is not always accurate.
- Do not confuse beards with wattles or wattles. The wattle is the flesh that grows on top of the chicken's head, while the wattle is the flesh that hangs under the beak. All turkeys have both of these, although the wattle of the adult male is usually larger than that of the female.
Step 3. Check the top of the head
Female turkeys have small feathers that extend from the top of their heads, while most male turkeys are hairless.
- In addition, the head of a rooster will change color according to the level of stimulation, especially during the breeding season. Their heads can change color from red to blue, then to white. This can take just a few seconds.
- Note that female turkeys usually have bluish-gray flesh that is clearly visible on the underside of the small feathers on their heads.
Step 4. Notice the color of the turkey
Roosters have lighter-looking feathers. Meanwhile, the hen has paler feathers, and a less attractive appearance.
- Specifically, roosters generally have colorful plumage consisting of glossy red, green, copper-brown, bronze, or gold. Male turkeys use these colorful feathers to attract female turkeys in the breeding season. The more striking the coat color, the more successful the male attracts the female's attention.
- Female turkeys have a less noticeable gray or brown plumage. The job of finding a mate rests with the male turkey, so the females don't need the colorful feathers. In addition, the pale coat color allows the females to blend in with their surroundings so that they are safer when sitting protecting the nest.
Step 5. Observe the tail
Roosters often raise their tails in a fan-like pattern. Meanwhile, female turkeys always lower their tails and don't lift them up.
Developing the tail is done to show dominance. Roosters usually do this when trying to attract a female during breeding season or to scare off an approaching enemy
Step 6. Observe the presence of spurs on the turkey leg
Both legs of a rooster have sharp spurs or bumps that are visible from a distance. The female turkey has smooth legs and no spurs.
- The spurs are used to protect themselves and show dominance. Roosters use them to attack predators and rivals in the breeding season.
- Regardless of the presence or absence of spurs on the legs, the appearance of the legs of male and female turkeys looks the same. All turkeys have reddish-orange feet with four toes on each foot.
Step 7. Listen to the sound
Only the rooster made the crowing sound. Female turkeys make only a subtle clanking or barking sound, but in general, they do not crow.
Just like developing a tail, crowing is also an act to show dominance. The rooster crows to scare off predators and rivals in the breeding season
Part 2 of 3: Part Two: Determining the Sex of a Turkey Up Close
Step 1. Examine the chest hair
The feathers on the underside of an adult male turkey have black tips. Female turkeys have white, brown, or bronze breast feathers at the ends.
- When examining a turkey's chest hair, just look at the feathers on the lower 2/3 of the chest.
- It is important to understand that this method is only accurate for determining the sex of an adult turkey. All immature turkeys have a yellowish tip of the feathers so that the coat color of male and female turkeys looks the same.
Step 2. Measure the length of the legs
Besides being bigger, male turkeys also have longer legs than female turkeys.
Most male turkeys have legs that are 15 cm long, while female turkeys have legs that are about 11.5 cm long
Part 3 of 3: Part Three: Determining the Age of the Turkey
Step 1. Measure the length of the turkey's beard
The beard of an adult male turkey is longer than that of an immature male turkey. Usually, immature male turkeys have beards that are 15 cm long or shorter.
By two years of age, most turkeys have beards that are 23 to 25 cm long. Turkeys with beards longer than 25 cm are usually older than 3 years, but most turkeys do not grow more than 28 cm
Step 2. Look at the feathers on the wings
More specifically, look at the tips of the turkey wing feathers. The white stripe on each feather should extend all the way to the tip if the turkey is an adult male, while immature male turkeys do not have colored feather tips.
- The tip of the feather of an adult turkey is usually also circular in shape, while an immature turkey has a pointed tip.
- For best results, spread the wings out until they are in full bloom, then examine the outermost part of the feathers. The color and shape of the other wing feathers may vary. Therefore, the fur on the outside can give you the most accurate results.
Step 3. Check the tail feathers
Grow the turkey's tail feathers or wait for it to do it on its own. The feathers in the center of the immature male turkey's tail are noticeably longer than the rest of the feathers, while the adult male turkey has feathers of an even length.
- Both mature and young turkeys have markings on their tails. The color of these markings varies greatly, depending on the type of animal species, and cannot be used to predict the age difference.
- Note that the tail of an adult turkey is usually between 30 – 38 cm long, while the tail of a young turkey is usually shorter. The tail length of a young turkey varies greatly, depending on its age and growth rate.
Step 4. Look at the chest hair
All young turkeys have yellowish tips of feathers on the lower 2/3 of the chest, regardless of gender.
Note that the breast feathers of young turkeys tend to be more flattened with a slightly rounded tip, while mature turkeys have a square tip
Step 5. Check the spurs
Young, mature turkeys have spurs on their legs, but the spurs on young turkeys look like bumps because they are still growing.
- Immature male turkeys have spurs less than 1.25 cm long.
- At two years of age, turkey roosters have spurs 1.25 to 2.2 cm long. By the age of three, the spur will have grown to 2.2 to 2.5 cm. Roosters older than four years have spurs 2.5 cm or more in length.
Tips
- Formally, a male turkey is called a gobbler, while a female turkey is called a hen.
- In addition, flocks of turkeys are called rafters. This applies to all flocks of turkeys, regardless of whether the flock is single-sex or mixed-sex.
