How to tell a turkey from a turkey

Almost all novice turkey farmers ask themselves the question: how to distinguish a turkey from a turkey? The answer to it is extremely important, since the conditions of keeping and feeding turkeys differ depending on sexual characteristics.

There are several methods for determining the gender of turkeys. Each method has its own pros and cons. The main negative point is that none of the methods under consideration gives a 100% guarantee of the accuracy of sex determination. It is possible to accurately determine the sex only by laboratory methods and in adult turkeys.

Differences by which you can determine the gender of a turkey

On the genital tubercle

This method is called Japanese (Ventsexing) - by the name of the country, the poultry farmers of which have determined the method of revealing the sex of newborn chicks by the size and shape of the genital tubercle.

Advice! Detection time: most ideal - 6-16 hours from birth.

If the procedure is carried out later, it will be more difficult to determine the sex, since the signs by which males differ from females begin to smooth out over time.

Advantage of the method: allows you to determine the sex immediately after hatching (all other methods - after 2 months)

Minuses:

the possibility of injury to the turkey;
the possibility of infecting the chick with bacteria from its intestines;
a certain skill is required.

How to determine the gender of a turkey by the cloaca

Promote the emptying of the chick's intestines.
Holding the turkey over the cuvette with one hand, lightly squeeze its abdomen and sides with the middle, thumb and forefinger of the same hand. The remains of droppings must be removed with a cotton or gauze swab.
Hold the turkey correctly when viewed. It should be held with one hand: with the left, if the person conducting the inspection is right-handed, with the right - if left-handed. The chick should be upside down (the head is between the little finger and the ring finger). The paws need to be clamped between the middle and index fingers, that is, the turkey needs to be expanded a little (see photo). It is important not to squeeze the chick too much.
Correctly open the cloaca. The genital tubercle of males is located in the lower part inside the cloaca, you can see it when it sticks out. To do this, you need to properly open the cloaca. This should be done with the thumb and forefinger of the hand, free from holding the turkey. The fingers should be positioned along the edges of the anus. Stretch the cloaca slightly, then push inward and squeeze your fingers slightly. The thumb of the holding hand can help the process.
Determine gender. Males will have two genital tubercles, turkeys - one, not very pronounced.

Advice! After identifying the gender, do not forget to place the males and females in separate cages or somehow mark the turkeys of a particular gender, otherwise you will have to start all over again.

Along the length of the feathers in the wings

Determination time: from the first day of life

In males, all feathers of the extreme row of wings are of the same length, in females, they are different, but they level out as they grow. That is why this sex detection method only works at an early age in turkeys.

Along the ridge

Definition time: from 2 weeks

In turkeys, the crest is bright, shiny, well pronounced when warm. In turkeys, the crest is small and faded.

Method accuracy: 70%

By behavior

Determination time: from 1 month

Turkeys have a proud posture.They take a special pose and spread their tail like a fan. When the male is excited or angry, his corals turn red, and the process above the beak tenses. Females are more sociable, huddle in flocks. They often behave more aggressively than turkeys.

By spurs

Determination time: from 2 months

Males are characterized by the presence of horny processes on their paws - spurs. Turkeys need them for fighting. Spurs are sometimes found in embryonic form in females.

In the photo - a spur over the male's finger

By "corals"

Determination time: from 2 months

Males have “corals” on their heads and necks - growths that can grow in size due to the presence of a large number of capillaries in them. "Corals" are secondary sex characteristics, they are absent in females.

The photo shows the difference between the male and the female in the presence of "corals":

By the tassel on the chest

Determination time: from 13 weeks

Males have a stiff brush of feathers on the chest (between the sternum and the goiter). The plumage itself on the chest of turkeys is rough and thick. In females, the tassel is also found, but much less often. The plumage on the chest in turkeys is softer and not as dense as in males.

Look at the photo of what the tassel looks like on the chest of a turkey:

Attention! According to the observations of farmers, the tassel on the chest is most often found in females of the breed. white broad-breasted.

Along the "earring" above the beak

Determination time: from 13 weeks

Turkeys of both sexes have outgrowths above the beak. In turkeys, this fleshy process is large, at moments of excitement it can increase in length (up to 15 cm) and width. Turkeys have a barely noticeable rudiment above the beak.

Attention! This process above the beak is involved in the heat regulation of the brain.

By the gland around the neck

Determination time: from 5 months

The method is considered unscientific, but valid. The gland is found only in turkeys, it is determined by palpation (it looks like a hairy wart to the touch).

Turkey size

Male turkeys look larger and stronger than turkeys. Adult turkeys are much larger and heavier than turkeys.

On the legs

Turkeys have longer legs than females, and legs are larger.

By chest width

Males have broader breasts than turkeys.

By the feathers on the tail

Turkeys have beautiful tails: with smooth, dense feathers. In females, the tail is much simpler.

By litter volume

The method was proposed by American farmers. According to their observations, females 'droppings are more abundant than turkeys' droppings. In males, the litter is denser, it lays down in the form of the English letter "J".

By the feathers on my head

Turkeys have a bald, red head, turkeys have fluff. Females have smaller heads than turkeys.

By the feathers on the neck

The naked part of the neck of males is longer than that of females.

In the photo: black - male, light - female. It can be seen that the neck of the turkey is more naked than that of the turkey.

By voice

Males, unlike females, “bubble”. There is also a popular way of identifying a male by giving a voice: to whistle loudly, if he answers, then it is a male.

Conclusion

Knowing the main features inherent in a particular sex of turkeys, it is quite easy to identify the sex of even a newborn chick.

Ways to tell a turkey from a turkey + photo