# Face color, snoods, and Turkey gender?



## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

So my two adorable broad breasted white turkeys, Ginger and Wasabi, are about 10 weeks old. I was really hoping I have a Male and female (I know they will probably never be able to mate...I just want one of each, hopefully) but I have no clue. One has a much redder neck and face and his or her snood is about twice the size of the other (though still tiny). Please ignore the slightly black look to their faces. The idiots who used to own my house poured used motor oil all over the ground. I thought I had it all basically gone but these monsters managed to dig some up. Here are pics of both. As you can see, Ginger is giving me a dirty look for interrupting her sleep. Lol I have never met an animal that valued bedtime more than these two silly babies.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Nice! Good luck with raising them!


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

ksalvagno said:


> Nice! Good luck with raising them!


Thank you. So far I am managing to keep them from gaining weight fast!


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

Oh! I have the same question! I have three 12 week old Blue Slate turkeys. I’m really hoping for two males and a female, one will be butchered for Thanksgiving, and I would love to have a breeding pair. They’re not posturing yet, but they make the trilling sound and two of them change the skin color on their head. It goes from normal pink to dark red to white. One has large fat pockets (maybe not a good description) on the bottom of his face, and obviously drops his snood. The other colorful one doesn’t do much besides change color. The third one is smaller and has a smaller head. I have a hard time telling them apart most of the time, but if I watch closely for a while I can recognize the two ‘maybe males’ from the ‘maybe female’.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Chelsey said:


> Oh! I have the same question! I have three 12 week old Blue Slate turkeys. I'm really hoping for two males and a female, one will be butchered for Thanksgiving, and I would love to have a breeding pair. They're not posturing yet, but they make the trilling sound and two of them change the skin color on their head. It goes from normal pink to dark red to white. One has large fat pockets (maybe not a good description) on the bottom of his face, and obviously drops his snood. The other colorful one doesn't do much besides change color. The third one is smaller and has a smaller head. I have a hard time telling them apart most of the time, but if I watch closely for a while I can recognize the two 'maybe males' from the 'maybe female'.


Hopefully someone knows? Or maybe we will just have to wait! *sigh* I need to learn that patience thing! Lol


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

Haha, I’d resigned myself to waiting, but every day I give my husband an update. He’s getting very confused. I think he’s given up with how many times those turkeys have apparently changed genders!


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Chelsey said:


> Haha, I'd resigned myself to waiting, but every day I give my husband an update. He's getting very confused. I think he's given up with how many times those turkeys have apparently changed genders!


Lol that's funny, I do my kids the same way. My oldest son is just in love with them and he'll pick one up and ask so is this Ginger or Wasabi today?


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

New-goat-mom said:


> So my two adorable broad breasted white turkeys, Ginger and Wasabi, are about 10 weeks old. I was really hoping I have a Male and female (I know they will probably never be able to mate...I just want one of each, hopefully) but I have no clue. One has a much redder neck and face and his or her snood is about twice the size of the other (though still tiny). Please ignore the slightly black look to their faces. The idiots who used to own my house poured used motor oil all over the ground. I thought I had it all basically gone but these monsters managed to dig some up. Here are pics of both. As you can see, Ginger is giving me a dirty look for interrupting her sleep. Lol I have never met an animal that valued bedtime more than these two silly babies.
> View attachment 160625
> View attachment 160627


Pics of whole head from up above them and their legs might be more helpful. But at this age is it a bit more hard to tell unless you are watching them move. but in your pic the top looks like a hen and the bottom a tom from the caruncle development. If they are the same age.... but that is not a for sure and certain thing. The bottom one also looks like it has a mohawk too which is a tom thing.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Chelsey said:


> Oh! I have the same question! I have three 12 week old Blue Slate turkeys. I'm really hoping for two males and a female, one will be butchered for Thanksgiving, and I would love to have a breeding pair. They're not posturing yet, but they make the trilling sound and two of them change the skin color on their head. It goes from normal pink to dark red to white. One has large fat pockets (maybe not a good description) on the bottom of his face, and obviously drops his snood. The other colorful one doesn't do much besides change color. The third one is smaller and has a smaller head. I have a hard time telling them apart most of the time, but if I watch closely for a while I can recognize the two 'maybe males' from the 'maybe female'.


The "fat pockets" are most likely carulcles... and if one is developing those this early most likely a male. also. It is so much better to at least have a trio of hens for one tom. He will most likely overmate and hurt just one hen. If he is around chickens... you will have flat chicken syndrome.....


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Sfgwife said:


> Pics of whole head from up above them and their legs might be more helpful. But at this age is it a bit more hard to tell unless you are watching them move. but in your pic the top looks like a hen and the bottom a tom from the caruncle development. If they are the same age.... but that is not a for sure and certain thing. The bottom one also looks like it has a mohawk too which is a tom thing.


I couldn't get top of head and barely got these because my phone was at 4% *grumble* but thought I would see if this helps any. The one with the more red and more carunkles has the slightly thicker legs. Every time I would take the pic he would turn to the side. Rotten baby! Lol I will get better ones tomorrow but thought I would see if you can tell anything with these? The color difference is the lighting. The sun was setting fast. Oh, and please ignore their toes (or lack thereof)...we will just say these were never intended to be someone's beloved pet.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Meat market grumble grumble grumble... anyhoo.... the color of the legs right now does not mean anything. When the tom gets mating mature his legs will be more red. Top pic has very thick legs all the way down. Bottom legs are much more petite. I think you have a hen and tom there. If! If the thick legs coincide with the mohawk, caruncles and larger wattled bird.

Yes a bb hen can lay eggs. But you need a heritage variety of bird to breed her. They actually make a nice sized bird good for breeding or the table. They have less leg problems and will move around like a heritage bird and are great foragers. This is just our experience with crossing a bb hen with a heritage tom. A bb hen will not go broody and sit eggs though usually. She may mother poults... as in watch over them and let them follow her round. But sitting eggs nope. And if you try she will crush the eggs and tinny poults.

The photo bomber is cute too.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Sfgwife said:


> Meat market grumble grumble grumble... anyhoo.... the color of the legs right now does not mean anything. When the tom gets mating mature his legs will be more red. Top pic has very thick legs all the way down. Bottom legs are much more petite. I think you have a hen and tom there. If! If the thick legs coincide with the mohawk, caruncles and larger wattled bird.
> 
> Yes a bb hen can lay eggs. But you need a heritage variety of bird to breed her. They actually make a nice sized bird good for breeding or the table. They have less leg problems and will move around like a heritage bird and are great foragers. This is just our experience with crossing a bb hen with a heritage tom. A bb hen will not go broody and sit eggs though usually. She may mother poults... as in watch over them and let them follow her round. But sitting eggs nope. And if you try she will crush the eggs and tinny poults.
> 
> The photo bomber is cute too.


Oh my goodness, yes, the thicker legs were the same one as the other male traits. I really hope they are Male and female. Really all I want them for is to be adorable...I figured I would eat the female's eggs. However, if I do decide I want to breed them (and knowing me that means when) I will get a heritage Tom. I am wondering if I could get one of my chickens to hatch the eggs. My poor chickies are broody maniacs! And yes, these came from a commercial Turkey house. Thankfully before they had gotten huge. My heart hurts every time I look at their precious feet. Their beaks, too, but thankfully those aren't that bad. It is amazing at the difference just taking them out and plopping them in a yard makes. They went from seeming like a mindless, not at all bright, animal to these amazing, curious, intelligent, and oh so sweet animals. My whole family has fallen in love with these two.

I didn't even notice my sweet Eliza had to get in the pic until you said that! Lol


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

@New-goat-mom, could I post a picture of my birds, or would you like me to get my own thread? I finally managed to get pictures of them!


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

New-goat-mom said:


> Oh my goodness, yes, the thicker legs were the same one as the other male traits. I really hope they are Male and female. Really all I want them for is to be adorable...I figured I would eat the female's eggs. However, if I do decide I want to breed them (and knowing me that means when) I will get a heritage Tom. I am wondering if I could get one of my chickens to hatch the eggs. My poor chickies are broody maniacs! And yes, these came from a commercial Turkey house. Thankfully before they had gotten huge. My heart hurts every time I look at their precious feet. Their beaks, too, but thankfully those aren't that bad. It is amazing at the difference just taking them out and plopping them in a yard makes. They went from seeming like a mindless, not at all bright, animal to these amazing, curious, intelligent, and oh so sweet animals. My whole family has fallen in love with these two.
> 
> I didn't even notice my sweet Eliza had to get in the pic until you said that! Lol


You just need make sure to have at least three more hens for a tom. Single tom and single hen is usually not good for the hen.... tom will overmate them. And if this bb one turns out a hen she will not be able get away from him quite as easily.

Yes a chicken will sit turk eggs. A bird will sit any egg if they are truly broody. They do not care what they hatch so long as the end result is the same.... bein a mama. Nefore you put chickens and turks together you need find out if blackhead is prevalent in your area. Chickens carry it and are fine but it kills turks and quickly.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Chelsey said:


> @New-goat-mom, could I post a picture of my birds, or would you like me to get my own thread? I finally managed to get pictures of them!


Oh, I am sorry, I actually meant to tell you that you are welcome to! Sorry, I am scatter brained lately!


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Sfgwife said:


> You just need make sure to have at least three more hens for a tom. Single tom and single hen is usually not good for the hen.... tom will overmate them. And if this bb one turns out a hen she will not be able get away from him quite as easily.
> 
> Yes a chicken will sit turk eggs. A bird will sit any egg if they are truly broody. They do not care what they hatch so long as the end result is the same.... bein a mama. Nefore you put chickens and turks together you need find out if blackhead is prevalent in your area. Chickens carry it and are fine but it kills turks and quickly.


Do you think he will try to even mate them at all since he is a BB white? I have heard the males are too heavy to try to mate? If so I will get him some more ladies. As for blackhead disease, I need to do more research because I am just not sure. I wasn't really sure I was getting these guys so it was not as well prepared for as I would have hoped. I haven't heard of anyone in my area having an issue though and have friends with both together. Thanks for the heads up.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

New-goat-mom said:


> Do you think he will try to even mate them at all since he is a BB white? I have heard the males are too heavy to try to mate? If so I will get him some more ladies. As for blackhead disease, I need to do more research because I am just not sure. I wasn't really sure I was getting these guys so it was not as well prepared for as I would have hoped. I haven't heard of anyone in my area having an issue though and have friends with both together. Thanks for the heads up.


He is a boy... he might.... boys are dumb. Lol. We had a bb tom. He tried and tore up hens back because he could not get in the right position. You will have less chance of skin bein ripped because of his no toes.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

@New-goat-mom 
I think you have a male and a female, in the first post the top picture looks female and the bottom looks male. I can never tell by their feet so I wouldn't know about the other pictures.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Sfgwife said:


> He is a boy... he might.... boys are dumb. Lol. We had a bb tom. He tried and tore up hens back because he could not get in the right position. You will have less chance of skin bein ripped because of his no toes.


As much as I hate what was done to their precious feet, it may be a benefit, then. I will look into getting a few more females. Males of every species do seem to be singularly driven. Lol


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

mariella said:


> @New-goat-mom
> I think you have a male and a female, in the first post the top picture looks female and the bottom looks male. I can never tell by their feet so I wouldn't know about the other pictures.


That is awesome, thank you! So for now every sign points to me having one of each!


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

Here are two of my three. I didn't get a good enough picture of the first 'male'. He looks like the red head in the picture with the two.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Chelsey said:


> View attachment 160817
> View attachment 160819
> 
> Here are two of my three. I didn't get a good enough picture of the first 'male'. He looks like the red head in the picture with the two.


It's interesting, I see the same differences with yours as mine! I hope we both have both! Lol they are beautiful!


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

I would love that! I’ll have to figure out something for the breeding pair though. I can’t get more chicks from the hatchery until the beginning of next summer and no one around here has blue slate turkeys I can buy hens from, if I went with another breed I’d be paying $40 for an adult hen and I think my husband would pass out at that, we had such a hard time getting these, and paid so much for them. I am glad you have a pair too!


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Chelsey said:


> I would love that! I'll have to figure out something for the breeding pair though. I can't get more chicks from the hatchery until the beginning of next summer and no one around here has blue slate turkeys I can buy hens from, if I went with another breed I'd be paying $40 for an adult hen and I think my husband would pass out at that, we had such a hard time getting these, and paid so much for them. I am glad you have a pair too!


Ugh...yeah, I will probably need to get some more hens somehow, myself. I made the mistake of showing your turkeys to my oldest son. He is now insisting I HAVE to get some of that kind! Lol


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

New-goat-mom said:


> He is now insisting I HAVE to get some of that kind! Lol


 I saw a picture of the breed and fell in love, I don't even like turkeys, but they're so beautiful, great foragers, and I love being able to raise my own food!


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Chelsey said:


> I saw a picture of the breed and fell in love, I don't even like turkeys, but they're so beautiful, great foragers, and I love being able to raise my own food!


All very good reasons!


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

Sfgwife said:


> Meat market grumble grumble grumble...


I am curious what you meant by this? Were the Broad Breasteds originally intended for meat? I mean, I know that why the breed was created in the first place, but these particular two? How did you know that?


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Chelsey said:


> I am curious what you meant by this? Were the Broad Breasteds originally intended for meat? I mean, I know that why the breed was created in the first place, but these particular two? How did you know that?


She knows because of their toes. ☹ they cut them off when they are going to commercial Turkey houses.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Chelsey said:


> I am curious what you meant by this? Were the Broad Breasteds originally intended for meat? I mean, I know that why the breed was created in the first place, but these particular two? How did you know that?


I was just fussin cause at meat bird farms a lot of times they cut beaks nearly off and toes are sometimes and sometimes not. I think it barbaric and horrible! They do it necause too many birds in a close space to keep down fighting. But bb birds are only grown for a short amount of time. So why do it in the first place... other than they fight for food. It jus makes me crazy mad is all really.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Chelsey said:


> I saw a picture of the breed and fell in love, I don't even like turkeys, but they're so beautiful, great foragers, and I love being able to raise my own food!


In turkeys.... turkey is always the breed.... then there is what variety of the turkey breed you have. . Jus a bit of trivia for you tonight.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Chelsey said:


> View attachment 160817
> View attachment 160819
> 
> Here are two of my three. I didn't get a good enough picture of the first 'male'. He looks like the red head in the picture with the two.


See how different the wattles are on these two? The rear bird is much larger and more red... tom traits. Hens in their adult feathers.... will have light edges on the breast feathers. The front bird could be a later maturing tom but maybe not. I see a slight mohawk on the fore bird. Mohawks are tom things when they are young like this. The rear bird does not seem to have one from this angle but the larger red wattle says tom to me.

For both of you wonderin the sex of your birds.... find a youtube video of a tom turk gobblin and play it over and over again at your birds. See what happens. . Hens will give a horizontal tail fan while toms are vertical. Toms even ones this age their noggins will turn brightly colors red and blue. Hens will usually be more blue but still a bit of red just not like a toms. Toms will usually also try to gobble as well. It is too cute! And the struttin is adorable!


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Sfgwife said:


> I was just fussin cause at meat bird farms a lot of times they cut beaks nearly off and toes are sometimes and sometimes not. I think it barbaric and horrible! They do it necause too many birds in a close space to keep down fighting. But bb birds are only grown for a short amount of time. So why do it in the first place... other than they fight for food. It jus makes me crazy mad is all really.


I am in 100 % agreement with your feelings on this. I may not be able to save the world but these two precious, intelligent little creatures will be loved and spoiled rotten for as long as they are alive.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

These are actually our five week old turks... the two in the first part are lil jakes. Hahahahaha! One of them was done with his showin off by the time i got the camera out. I LOVE watchin poults this age! They are just too funny.


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## Chelsey (Dec 7, 2018)

Sfgwife said:


> I was just fussin cause at meat bird farms a lot of times they cut beaks nearly off and toes are sometimes and sometimes not.


 Oh my goodness! That's horrible! How are they still allowed to do that here in the United States?! That's one of the biggest reasons we've chosen to raise our own food. 
I played a video for the Turkeys, I'll have to get a good video of them tomorrow and post it here, it's too funny. They got all confused at first, but started immediately changing color, one almost strutted, but it was getting too dark so I stopped it.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Sfgwife said:


> See how different the wattles are on these two? The rear bird is much larger and more red... tom traits. Hens in their adult feathers.... will have light edges on the breast feathers. The front bird could be a later maturing tom but maybe not. I see a slight mohawk on the fore bird. Mohawks are tom things when they are young like this. The rear bird does not seem to have one from this angle but the larger red wattle says tom to me.
> 
> For both of you wonderin the sex of your birds.... find a youtube video of a tom turk gobblin and play it over and over again at your birds. See what happens. . Hens will give a horizontal tail fan while toms are vertical. Toms even ones this age their noggins will turn brightly colors red and blue. Hens will usually be more blue but still a bit of red just not like a toms. Toms will usually also try to gobble as well. It is too cute! And the struttin is adorable!


Alright, so I am a terrible turkey momma. I just now saw the part about playing a video for them. And yeah, it's the middle of the night and they are asleep. But I thought what can it hurt to try. So I did. Here are pics of both.
Ginger basically ignored it. She opened her eyes then closed them and snuggled back into Wasabi for her beauty sleep. Wasabi didn't react quite the same. He wasn't willing to get out of bed but oh my I have never seen him so red and I only played it a couple of times. So, how accurate is this? Because I am grinning from ear to ear right now! I will try in the daytime tomorrow.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Chelsey said:


> Oh my goodness! That's horrible! How are they still allowed to do that here in the United States?! That's one of the biggest reasons we've chosen to raise our own food.
> I played a video for the Turkeys, I'll have to get a good video of them tomorrow and post it here, it's too funny. They got all confused at first, but started immediately changing color, one almost strutted, but it was getting too dark so I stopped it.


The big one in the video.... she is a hen.... strutting. Hens do srtut and get beards too. But their noggin color is very different when strutting. Dependin on how mad a tom is his head, snood and wattle can be red, blue, white. The snood will grown much longer than a hen as well.

And yep... you have do the sound many times when they are young. It takes time for them to realize what the call is esp if they are not around another tom. They are lookin and listenin for danger with the gobble.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

New-goat-mom said:


> Alright, so I am a terrible turkey momma. I just now saw the part about playing a video for them. And yeah, it's the middle of the night and they are asleep. But I thought what can it hurt to try. So I did. Here are pics of both.
> Ginger basically ignored it. She opened her eyes then closed them and snuggled back into Wasabi for her beauty sleep. Wasabi didn't react quite the same. He wasn't willing to get out of bed but oh my I have never seen him so red and I only played it a couple of times. So, how accurate is this? Because I am grinning from ear to ear right now! I will try in the daytime tomorrow.
> View attachment 160847
> View attachment 160849


Do it again when they are wake. It is pretty accurate with him changin his noggin color that fast to that red. Hens do not get super red. They get more blue.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Ok. The first two birds are five or six weeks old..... see the caruncles (bumps on the neck) on the top pic then not so much on the second? Notice the noggin colors... very red and very blue. Now look at legs... how the first is nice and thick and the second quite petite? See the eenie snoods... top is longer while the second is tucked up close.

In the last pic... see how my toms head is lossa color. He was quite mad cause the dog was runnin zoomies outside the pen.

These were from this mornin.


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