The world of turkeys is filled with fascinating facts and intriguing behaviors and understanding the different members of this avian family is key to appreciating their unique characteristics. In this comprehensive guide we delve into the world of the female turkey, exploring her various names, roles, and contributions to the turkey population.
Unveiling the Hen: The Matriarch of the Turkey Flock
The most common name for a female turkey is a hen. This term is widely used and readily understood by both poultry enthusiasts and the general public. Hens play a crucial role in the turkey life cycle serving as the primary egg-layers and mothers of the next generation.
Beyond the Hen: Exploring Other Names for Female Turkeys
While “hen” is the most prevalent name, there are other terms used to describe female turkeys depending on their age and context. Here’s a breakdown of these alternative names:
- Jenny: This term is typically used for young female turkeys, particularly those under a year old.
- Poult: This term refers to a baby turkey, regardless of gender. However, it can also be used specifically for young female turkeys.
- Chick: Similar to “poult,” “chick” is a general term for young turkeys, including females.
The Hen’s Vital Role in the Turkey Life Cycle
Hens are the backbone of turkey reproduction, responsible for laying and incubating eggs that will hatch into the next generation of turkeys. Here’s a closer look at their crucial contributions:
- Egg-laying: Hens lay clutches of eggs, typically ranging from 8 to 16 eggs per clutch. These eggs are incubated for about 28 days before hatching.
- Incubation: Hens play a vital role in keeping the eggs warm and protected during the incubation period. They diligently sit on the eggs, ensuring optimal temperature and humidity for proper development.
- Mothering: After hatching, the hen takes on the role of a devoted mother, guiding and protecting her chicks. She leads them to food sources, teaches them survival skills, and keeps them safe from predators.
Beyond Reproduction: Other Interesting Facts About Hens
Hens are not just essential for reproduction; they also possess unique characteristics and behaviors that make them fascinating creatures. Here are some interesting facts about hens:
- Social Creatures: Hens are highly social animals and thrive in the company of other turkeys, including males and females. They often form close bonds with their flock mates and engage in various social interactions.
- Excellent Communicators: Hens communicate through a variety of vocalizations, including clucking, gobbling, and purring. These sounds convey information about food sources, potential threats, and their overall well-being.
- Intelligent Beings: Hens exhibit surprising intelligence, demonstrating problem-solving abilities and the capacity to learn and adapt to new situations.
The female turkey, whether known as a hen, jenny, poult, or chick, plays an indispensable role in the turkey life cycle. From egg-laying and incubation to mothering and social interactions, hens are the driving force behind the continuation and prosperity of turkey populations. Their unique characteristics and behaviors make them fascinating creatures worthy of appreciation and understanding.
Keywords: female turkey, hen, jenny, poult, chick, reproduction, egg-laying, incubation, mothering, social behavior, intelligence
Turkey Basics-Gobblers and Hens
First, let’s review the fundamentals of telling male wild turkeys (gobblers) from females (hens).
Larger-framed birds with darker plumage—sometimes nearly black—are gobblers. Their feathers glisten with a metallic or bronze iridescence in the full sun. Gobblers have a red, featherless head that can occasionally be colored blue and white. They also have noticeable wattles and red, fleshy growths on their necks called caruncles. Moreover, a tuft of black, hair-like strands that protrudes from their chest is called a “beard” for them.
The beard on mature gobblers, also known as toms, can grow to be 7-9 inches long or longer, but on juvenile gobblers, also known as jakes, the beard is Gobblers usually spend the summertime apart from hens because they don’t assist in raising the young.
Compared to gobblers, hens are smaller and have a more brown coloring. Their heads have a more blue-gray appearance, and the feathers frequently extend up the back of the head.
Though it is typically kinked and thinner than that of gobblers, hens will occasionally sport beards. Feather iridescence is also possible in hens, though not as much as in gobblers.
In this image, how many hens and gobblers do you see?
Two of the gobblers were jakes; observe the larger size, less feathered red heads, and tiny stubble of a beard sticking out of the right jake’s chest. Four of the hens were hens; one was mostly concealed behind a jake, but the typical hen turkey’s head was still clearly visible. One unknown Given what we can see in this photo, it’s best to just call this partially obstructed bird an unknown. If we were here in person, the birds would move around and we could probably determine that the unknown is another jake.
Because they have to grow quickly to avoid being eaten, pouts experience rapid changes in body size, appearance, and feather types as they get older. It is possible to determine the age of poults based on these features. For simplicity, we divide poults into three age classes.
1 week old or younger. Puppies that are no older than a week or so are tiny and still covered in downy feathers. They resemble tiny puff balls the size of a fist.
Turkey Poult Class 1
2-5 weeks old. Although the wing feathers on this class of poults have grown longer, they still have downy feathers covering most of their bodies and no long tail feathers. They resemble a blue jay in size, standing between 6 and 10 inches tall. They appear to be entirely wingless, which is advantageous since it allows them to fly into low trees to avoid being eaten by ground predators. The older chicks in this age group will still have short tail feathers but will have begun to grow some juvenile plumage on their bodies.
Hen with class 2 age group poults
Hen with older class 2 age-group poult (borderline class 3)
Hen with class 2 age group poults
6-8 weeks or older. Early in this stage, the neck and head of the poults still have some down feathers, but the rest of their body is covered in juvenile-type contour feathers. They are about 10 to 12 inches tall, about the size of a crow or chicken, and they are starting to show off their tail feathers and black-and-white barred wing feathers. By the time they are 8 weeks old, poults have mixed juvenile and adult feathers on their bodies and are starting to grow new, “adult”-looking body feathers. They are currently about half the size of the hen and will grow until the end of the summer to nearly equal the hen’s size. Turkey Poults.
Late in the summer, because they are so similar in size, it can be very difficult to distinguish between a flock of hens without poults and a hen and her older age class brood. If you’re unsure, it’s best to mark them as unknowns.
Best Wild Turkey Hen Calling and Yelping 2
FAQ
What do you call female turkey?
What is a female turkey hen?
Can a turkey be a hen?
What term is used for female chicken or turkey?
What is the difference between a male hen and a female Turkey?
Hens are typically smaller than male turkeys, with a lighter coloration and fewer feathers on their heads. Unlike males, hens do not have the fleshy protuberances on their heads called caruncles, which are used as a display during mating season. One of the most interesting aspects of the female turkey is her reproductive system.
How do you call a female Turkey a hen?
You can call female turkey as a hen, male as gobbler or tom, young ones as chick, poult or turkeylings. For naming young males. Iake is a specific term whereas for young females use the term, Jenny. It is a common observation that female turkeys look like a hen. So, people call them a hen.
What is a male Turkey called?
Similarly, adult male turkey is Tom or gobbler while the young male turkey is Jake. Young ones of both male or female are named as chick or poult. Hen turkeys are smaller in size. In the turkey family, hens do important tasks of laying eggs and taking care of young ones.
What does it mean if a Turkey is a female?
When you call a female of birds as a hen, it means you know well about its sex. A young female turkey is called Jenny. In the American dictionary, Jenny is used for the feminine. This term not only describes females of some birds but also animals like females of donkey or ass. Jenny is not specific for turkeys only.