How do you tell the sex of a baby turkey?

Answer 1

Chicken & Turkey

Some methods for sexing baby chicks that are reasonably accurate.Modern genetics and the proper breeding scheme,allow day old baby chicks to be sexed based upon their color. This is possible when using what is called sex-linked color traits. Mating barred hens (black and white striped feathers) with non-barred males results in barred males and nonbarred female chicks. Also birds carrying specific genes for silver and gold color patterns in the roosters and hens (silver males bred with gold females results in silver pullets and gold cockerels). With the exception of mutations, this method is always accurate.

Vent sexing baby chicks is another method popularized in the 1936 by a Japanese professor, Kiyoshi Masui. Individuals well trained at chick sexing schools can consistently and easily attain greater than 95% accuracy. This method involves holding the day old chick upside down in one hand and while visually examining the vent area for the presence or absence of a rudimentary male sex organ. There are 15 different shapes and variants of each.

This method sounds much easier than it really is. After being taught the basics of this technique from non-professionals, most people would be doing well to obtain 50% accuracy. However, if interested, information on this technique can be obtained from the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas. Most commercial hatcheries that offer chicks for sale as either pullets or cockerels utilize this method and the poultrymen who do this well are in high demand.

The best way to sex chickens in the backyard flock is to watch them grow. As they grow, changes will become obvious as the males will begin to act manly and their voices will change from the chirp of young chicks to attempted crows. In nearly all breeds of chickens The young males' feathers will also change from the round oval-shaped feathers common to hens and young birds to the shiny, more narrow and pointed feathers found on their necks and at the base of their tails.The combs of the young roosters will begin to develop at an earlier age than they will in females. While this may vary from breed to breed and, in some breeds, might even be difficult to detect a difference; in most breeds of chickens with large combs, this is a very obvious distinction between young roosters and hens as they are maturing. This is definitely the most enjoyable method when establishing a backyard flock.

Note that this works for chicken or turkey chicks.

Answer 2

The simplest way to tell is vocalization. The females make a two toned call whereas the boys only make a one tone call. The males are usually larger and have a larger helmet. The females can make all the same sounds as the male, but the male cannot make the 'buck-wheat"sound that the female makes.