Raising turkeys can be a fun and rewarding experience However, when your poults hatch it can be tricky to determine their gender While there are some subtle differences between male and female poults, it’s not always easy for the untrained eye to spot them. Fortunately, there are a few techniques you can use to accurately sex your newborn turkeys.
Look at the Vent
One of the most reliable ways to sex poults is to examine their vent. The vent is the opening under the tail where the turkey passes urine and feces. To get a good look, you’ll need to gently pick up and cradle the poult in your hands. Male poults will have a noticeable bump or protuberance around the edge of the vent. Female vents are flat with no protrusion.
When checking the vent, be very gentle and careful not to squeeze the poult at all. They are quite fragile at this stage. Make sure to support their body fully as you lift them up.
Watch How They Sit
Another handy trick for sexing poults is to observe how they sit when you pick them up Lift a poult carefully with two hands cradling their body, Watch what happens with their legs
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Female poults will allow their legs to dangle straight down as they’re lifted.
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Male poults will draw their legs up into a tucked position against their belly.
Perform this gentle lift test a couple times with each poult to determine any differences. The leg position method is most accurate when poults are under 4 weeks old.
Check for Early Wattle Development
Some minor physical differences can clue you in to a poult’s gender even in the first few days after hatching. Focus on their head region, especially the fleshy area above the beak known as the wattle or snood.
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Male poults tend to have a slightly more pronounced wattle early on. It may protrude a little more than females of the same age.
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Female wattles stay quite small and flat at first.
However, this is a very subtle difference. All poults have small wattles initially. But a slightly larger wattle can hint that you’re looking at a male.
Observe Behavioral Differences
Male and female poults exhibit some contrasting behaviors, even as young chicks. You can use these behavior cues to make an educated guess on their gender.
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Male poults tend to be more aggressive and dominant. They may chase, peck, or challenge other chicks.
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Females are usually more docile and mellow in their interactions with siblings.
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Males are also louder vocally, making more robust chirps and calls.
So if you notice a particularly boisterous and pushy poult, chances are it’s a young male establishing his dominance.
Wait and See
While the techniques above can provide clues about a poult’s gender, nothing is 100% certain at this early stage. The only way to know for sure is to wait for more mature sex characteristics to develop.
By 8-12 weeks of age, male poults will start growing distinctive physical traits like:
- Longer legs
- Larger feet
- Prominent breast spurs
- Long beard feature on breast
- Bright red, white, and blue head coloring
You’ll also notice behavior changes as they reach sexual maturity. Male turkeys are very vocal and regularly make “gobbling” sounds when aroused. They strut about with tail fanned trying to attract mates.
So if you need definitive proof of gender, be patient and keep a close eye for these male features. Raising your poults together allows comparison between their size, appearance, and actions over time.
Other Gender Differences in Mature Birds
Once your turkeys are adults, telling males and females apart is much simpler. Here are some of the most noticeable differences:
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Size – Adult male turkeys are much larger than females, often 33-50% bigger.
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Legs – Males have thicker, longer legs averaging 6 inches vs 4.5 inches on females.
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Spurs – Males develop sharp pointed spurs on their legs that females lack.
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Feathers – Male feathers have an iridescent, metallic sheen while female feathers are duller brown.
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Fans – Male turkeys have large tail fans they spread to attract mates. Females do not.
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Head – Males have bright red/white/blue heads, females just blue-grey heads.
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Beard – Long beard feature protruding from breast on males. Most females do not grow beards.
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Snood – Fleshy snood over beak is larger on males.
So when those defining male characteristics emerge, you can definitively identify your young toms. Patience is key with accurately sexing poults. While you can make educated guesses early on, clear-cut gender differences take time to develop.
Tips for Sexing Poults
Follow these handy tips when trying to determine the sex of your newborn turkey chicks:
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Handle poults very gently, supporting the body fully when lifting.
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Check vent area for bumps or protrusions indicating males.
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Watch leg position when cradling poults. Males will draw legs in, females dangle them.
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Note any early wattle development which may signal males.
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Observe behavior for aggression and vocalizations typical of males.
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Wait until 8-12 weeks for male-specific features to fully emerge.
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Compare poults together as they grow to spot size and appearance differences.
With patience and a few simple poult examinations, you’ll soon be able to sort your young turkeys by gender. This knowledge will help you manage your flock and prepare the best possible rearing environment as they mature.
Things You Should Know
- Male turkeys have shinier feathers than female birds. They also have feathery “beards” on their chest, which females typically don’t have.
- Inspect the vent opening (located under the tail, between the birds legs) to determine the sex of baby turkeys.
- Pick up a young turkey (or “poult”) and see if its legs lift up or dangle down. Female poults let their legs dangle, while male poults pull their legs up.
Community Q&ASearch
- Question At what age can a baby turkey fly?
Janice Tieperman Community Answer Baby turkeys grow really quickly and are able to fly when theyre as young as 8 to 10 days old. - Question What does a male wild turkey look like?
wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Wild male turkeys are typically smaller and slimmer than domestic ones, but they share many of the same characteristics. For example, wild males have large tail fans, iridescent plumage, and the distinctive chest “beard” and snood on their faces. - Question Do female turkeys puff up? wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer While this behavior is usually associated with male turkeys, many people who keep turkeys report that females will also puff up. They’re especially inclined to do this if there are no males around, possibly as a way of establishing dominance in a group of hens.
- Young turkeys can be difficult to sex if you don’t have a lot of experience. If you need to sex turkeys for breeding purposes, hire a professional chicken sexer for help.[28] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
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Tom or Hen Turkey Poult? How To Tell the Difference
FAQ
How to tell if baby turkey is male or female?
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Vent check:The most accurate way to sex a young turkey is by examining the vent area between the legs; males will have a raised bump, females will have a flat vent.
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Difficult at young age:Baby turkeys often look very similar, making it challenging to determine their sex early on.
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Mature characteristics:As turkeys mature, males will develop larger snoods (fleshy growth on the beak), wattles (skin flaps on the neck), and black-tipped breast feathers, making them easier to identify as males.
How to tell the visual difference between male and female turkeys?
The body coloration of a gobbler is distinctly dark, almost black. In contrast, hens have a smaller, bluish-gray head, lack spurs and prominent wattles, and are brownish in appearance. Finally, gobblers strut, fan their tails and gobble; hens do not. The sex of a turkey “in hand” is readily determined.
How can you tell if a turkey is a tom or hen?
Toms are larger, heavier, have more red in their heads, larger, darker chronicles, a different sound, and Bald. Hens have a row of feathers up the back of their heads. If they are not white, feather color should also be different! Can you post pictures? With a mix breed it might be difficult with feathering!
Do female turkey poults strut?
Other biologists note that turkey poults will strut as soon as one day after hatching, and both sexes can strut.
How do you know if a Turkey Poult is male or female?
Dangling legs indicate a female poult, while pulled-up legs signify a male poult. Male turkey poults are more territorial than female poults. If you’re having trouble identifying a poult by its vent or leg movements, pay a little extra attention to its behavior, instead.
Are male turkey poults more territorial?
Male turkey poults are more territorial than female poults. If you’re having trouble identifying a poult by its vent or leg movements, pay a little extra attention to its behavior, instead. Generally speaking, male poults tend to be more brash and aggressive toward other birds, especially as they get older.
How do you tell if a Turkey is dangling?
Baby male turkeys tuck in their legs whenever you pick them up. Gently lift up the bird, using one hand to keep the poult’s wings down. As you lift the bird, look at its legs—are they still dangling down or tucked into its chest? Dangling legs indicate a female poult, while pulled-up legs signify a male poult.
How to determine Turkey gender?
Vent observing method is the most commonly used method for determining turkey gender which began in the 1920s. Although, success in vent method requires a keen eye and lots of practice. You need to examine the vent or opening of the poults for examining the development of the reproduction organs.
What does a male Turkey look like?
Wild male turkeys are typically smaller and slimmer than domestic ones, but they share many of the same characteristics. For example, wild males have large tail fans, iridescent plumage, and the distinctive chest “beard” and snood on their faces. Do female turkeys puff up?
Do turkey poults Tuck in their legs?
Male poults tend to tuck in their legs when picked up, while female poults keep their legs dangling. In addition, male poults tend to be more territorial and aggressive toward other birds and their companions than female poults. Wild turkeys breed once per year and have 4-17 eggs in a clutch.