Tom. Male turkeys, also called toms, are large, round birds with powerful muscles and colorful plumage. They are most easily recognizable by their tail fans, the “beard” of thin feathers on their chest, and their bright facial wattles (including the distinctive snood).
How can you tell the difference between a tom and a jake?
As a general rule, jakes will have short beards (about 2 to 3 inches in length), while the tom turkey beard can be up to 10 inches or more (they don’t call them longbeards for nothing). Sometimes toms even get multiple beards, which can be another good sign of maturity.
How can you tell a tom from a hen?
On adult gobblers (called toms), the beard can be 7-9 inches or more in length, but on young gobblers (called jakes) the beard is <6 inches long. Typically, gobblers hang out away from hens during the summer since they take no part in raising young. Hens are more brown in coloration and smaller in size than gobblers.
What is the difference between a tom and hen turkey?
Hens are female turkeys and toms are males. Toms are, on average, larger, so if you’re going for a turkey over 18 pounds, you’ll likely end up with a tom, whereas if you’re looking for a turkey 14 pounds or under, you’re likely to buy a hen. Other than size, there isn’t a real difference.
Is a male turkey called a tom?
Adult male turkeys are called gobblers. Juvenile males are called jakes. Gobblers average around 18-22 pounds and can have a wingspan of 5 feet. Adult female turkeys are called hens.
How long does it take for a Jake to become a tom?
A baby male turkey, or a poult, becomes a jake at about one year of age. Once he reaches two years old, he is known as a tom turkey. Jake turkeys have a few key characteristics that can help you identify them.
At what age can you tell if a turkey is a tom?
Trying to determine the gender of your newly-hatched turkey poults can be difficult, but when they are around 3 weeks of age the males (jakes) may begin to strut. You will see them fan their tail feathers, drop their wings and hold out all of their contour feathers to make their bodies appear larger.
What is a chicken that is a tom?
Knowledge Article. The sex designation of “hen” (female) or “tom” (male) turkey is optional on the label, and is an indication of size. Toms are larger but both toms and hens should be equally tender.
How can you tell a male from a female turkey?
The easiest way to determine the turkey’s sex is by examining the feathers on the breast and sides of the turkey. On males, these feathers have black tips. The feather tips are brown on females.
What is the feather that hangs down on a turkey?
beard
That one long feather you see hanging down on the female turkey breasts is called a “beard.” It’s actually a bunch/bundle of long skinny feathers. Adult male turkeys and a small percentage of the females apparently have beards. Why do the females (or males) have these beards?
Is a male turkey called a Jake?
Hens are female turkeys and have characteristics like being small, having dark brown and dull hued feathers, short tail feathers, and short leg length. Jake and Tom are Male turkeys and are often very difficult to differentiate.
What do Native Americans call turkeys?
Here is the word for turkey in the languages of several eastern tribes: Powhatan (Virginia): monanow ; Delaware: tshikenum ; Algonkian (Long Island): nahiam ; Narragansett (southern New England): nahenan ; Natick and Wampanoag (Massachusetts): neyhom ; Abnaki (Maine): nahame ; Iroquois (upper New York): netachrochwa
What’s a baby turkey called?
poults
During the first 4 weeks of life, baby turkeys, called poults, are unable to fly and rely on their mother for protection.
How many turkey hens are in a Tom?
Turkeys are polygamous, and one tom can fertilize as many as 10 hens. This comes in handy when we talk about domesticated turkeys.
Can a jake turkey breed?
An abundance of jakes during breeding season indicates reproduction was good during the previous spring. An abundance of adult gobblers and an absence of jakes indicates reproductive success was down last year but better previously. Incidental surveys can also yield information on reproductive success.
Do tom turkeys lose their beards?
Unlike the rest of the body feathers which undergo 5 molts throughout an eastern’s lifetime, the beard does not molt. It becomes visible when the turkey is 6-7 months of age, and it continues to grow throughout their lifetime.
What is a Super Jake turkey?
Super Jake
His beard is now 6 or 7 inches long, his tail fan is full, and he’s nearly the two-year-old you’ll try to kill next spring. He’ll gobbler cluck, yelp, gobble on the roost, strut and work to your calls. Sometimes he runs with other super jakes and longbeards.
Do all toms have beards?
For as much mystery surrounds multi-bearded toms, there’s even less known about no-bearded toms. According to banding records from the National Wild Turkey Federation, only about two in 1,000 gobblers have no beard at all—. 002% of the population.
Do all turkeys have Gobblers?
If you’ve seen a male wild turkey, you likely noticed a shock of long, dark, fibrous bristles hanging from its breast plumage. That’s called a beard, and it’s made of modified feathers. Male turkeys, called gobblers – and some female turkeys, called hens – have beards.
Why is a turkey called a Jake?
Jake is a young male turkey. Jenny is a young female turkey.
At what age do turkeys start to gobble?
three weeks old
These poults are only three weeks old, and they’re already trying to gobble with the best of ’em. These poults are only three weeks old, and they’re already trying to gobble with the best of ’em.