Demystifying Female Turkey Terminology: The Proper Names for Hens, Jennys, and More
While most people can easily identify a male turkey by its vibrant plumage and boisterous gobbling, the females of the species tend to be more mysterious. If you’ve ever wondered what to call a female turkey, you’re not alone. Let’s explore the proper terminology for these remarkable birds.
Adult Female Turkeys: Hens
The most common name for an adult female turkey is simply a hen This term can be used for domesticated turkeys and their wild brethren alike,
Some key traits of hen turkeys:
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Smaller size usually 8-15 lbs compared to over 20 lbs for male toms
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Duller overall coloration without the iridescent feathers of males
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No beard or snood projecting over the beak
-Make clucking and yelping vocalizations rather than gobbles
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Nest on the ground, hiding eggs in vegetation
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Raise poults after hatching by showing them how to find food
So if you see a smaller, plainly colored turkey, chances are it’s a mature female, aka a hen. The term hen is widely understood to denote an adult female turkey.
Young Female Turkeys: Jennys
Here’s where things get tricky – young female turkeys have their own special name. From the time they hatch until about 16 weeks of age, female turkeys are properly called jennys.
Identifying a jenny can be difficult as juvenile males (jakes) look nearly identical. Here are some tips:
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Focus on vocalizations – jennys yelp in higher pitches
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Look for slightly smaller feet and legs compared to juvenile males
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Examine the snood – jennys have a smaller, less developed one
The jenny designation is specifically for adolescent female turkeys. By about 16 weeks old, the jenny matures into a fully grown hen.
Male Turkey Terminology
For comparison, here’s how male turkeys are named:
Adult males – Tom or gobbler
Young males – Jake
So a female is a jenny until she’s old enough to be termed a hen. Male turkeys follow the same young to adult naming convention.
Baby Turkeys: Poults
No matter the sex, newly hatched baby turkeys are called poults. They retain this name until about 8-10 weeks of age when their adult feathers start to come in. Only then can male and female poults be identified as jakes and jennys, respectively.
Until juvenile characteristics emerge, you can refer to all young ones as poults or chicks. Listen for their signature high-pitched peeping to pick them out!
Groups of Turkeys
When multiple turkeys are together, here is the proper terminology:
- Hen and poults – a female adult with babies
- Brood – a group of poults plus a mature hen
- Gang – multiple male turkeys of various ages
- Flock – mixed grouping of male and female turkeys
So next time you spot turkeys out and about, you can accurately call out the hens, jakes, jennys or poults that catch your eye. Proper poultry terminology can be tricky, but is a sign of true familiarity with these remarkable birds.
Telling Males and Females Apart
Figuring out gender when turkeys are mature is straightforward based on size, plumage and vocalizations. But how can you differentiate young males and females? Here are some subtle clues:
- Females have slightly less vibrant head coloration
- Jennys show less pronounced snood development
- Jennys vocalize in higher-pitched yelps
Vent sexing can also determine gender at a very young age, but requires expertise. Once they reach 16 weeks old, gender differences become more apparent with adult characteristics emerging.
Why It Matters
Using accurate terminology is important for several reasons:
- Reduces confusion when communicating about turkeys
- Helps identify appropriate turkey mentors for young poults
- Allows tracking of male to female ratios in flocks
- Adheres to ethical hunting restrictions on hens in some areas
- Indicates professional knowledge and experience with turkeys
So empower yourself by learning the proper terms. You’ll talk turkey like an expert!
Common Turkey Communication Sounds
Just as important as naming turkeys is understanding what they say! Here are some key turkey sounds to listen for:
Hens:
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Clucks – for conversing with flockmates
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Yelps – loud calls to assemble poults
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Purring – indicates contentment
Toms:
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Gobbles – the iconic full-throated male vocalization
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Drumming – rhythmic wing beating to attract hens
Poults:
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Peeping – contact call for the hen who raised them
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Chirping – food beg directed at the mother hen
Learning their language allows you to interpret turkey talk. Next time you hear these sounds, you’ll know precisely who is communicating.
Fascinating Facts About Turkey Hens
Turkey hens are quite remarkable. Here are some amazing facts about these dedicated mothers and egg-layers:
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Hens incubate eggs for 28 days before they hatch. They carefully turn the eggs multiple times a day.
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A hen can lay between 7-10 eggs annually in the springtime, rarely skipping a day.
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She builds a nest on the ground and lines it with leaves, grasses and feathers plucked from her own breast.
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For the first 4 weeks after hatching, hens fiercely protect their poults and teach them vital survival skills.
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A maternal hen communicates with over 15 distinct vocalizations to guide her young.
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If danger threatens, the selfless hen will draw predators away by faking a broken wing to protect her poults.
Clearly the humble hen turkey is a paragon of nurturing devotion! Their quiet dignity commands immense respect.
Is Eating Male or Female Turkey Better?
When it comes to dining, both male and female turkeys have merits:
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Hens tend to be smaller at 8-15 lbs. Many prefer these portions for holiday meals.
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Toms grow much larger, up to 25 lbs. They yield more generous cuts like breast roasts.
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Hen meat is slightly more tender and mild flavored overall.
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Toms have bolder, more robust dark meat flavors in legs and thighs.
The choice often comes down to group size and appetite. For smaller gatherings, roast hens are convenient. Big families may prefer an elegant whole tom turkey with ample leftovers. Both are delicious holiday centerpieces with their own advantages.
Frequently Asked Questions about Turkey Terminology
Let’s recap the key themes about proper turkey naming and terminology:
What is a female turkey called?
An adult female turkey is called a hen, while a young female under 4 months old is called a jenny.
What do you call a male turkey?
A male turkey is called either a tom or a gobbler once fully grown. Young males are referred to as jakes.
What’s a baby turkey called?
A newly hatched baby turkey of either sex is called a poult or chick during the first weeks of life.
What do you call a group of turkeys?
Collective nouns for turkeys include a flock, rafter, or gang.
Do female turkeys gobble?
No – only male turkeys gobble. Hens make subtler clucking, yelping and purring sounds.
How do you tell a male from female poult?
It’s challenging until about 4 months old. Look for slightly larger feet on jakes and listen for higher-pitched peeping from jennys.
There you have it – a complete guide to turkey terminology to make you fluent in talking turkey! With the proper names for every age and gender, you can accurately discuss these grand birds. Next time you spot wild turkeys, show off your mastery by identifying toms, hens, and jakes. Understanding turkey vocabulary is a mark of a true bird enthusiast.
Turkey Basics-Gobblers and Hens
Let’s begin with the basics of distinguishing male wild turkeys (gobblers) from females (hens).
Gobblers are larger-bodied birds, with a darker coloration, at times appearing almost black. In bright sunlight, their feathers cast a brilliant bronze or metallic iridescence. Gobblers have a featherless, red head (sometimes with blue and white coloring, too) with prominent wattle and fleshy, red growths (called caruncles) on their neck. They also have a “beard”—a tuft of black, hair-like strands—protruding from their chest.
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. They have a head that is more blue-gray in appearance, often with feathers continuing up the back of the head.
Occasionally hens will have a beard, but it is thinner than on gobblers and is quite often kinked. Hens can also have some feather iridescence, but not to the same extent as gobblers.
How many gobblers and hens do you see in this picture?
2 gobblers (both jakes, note the larger size, less-feathered red heads, and tiny stubble of a beard protruding from the chest of the jake on the right), 4 hens (one mostly hidden behind a jake, but you still can clearly see the typical head of a hen turkey poking out), 1 unknown. If we were here in person live, the birds would move about and we could probably determine that the unknown is another jake, but given what we can see in this photo, it’s best to just call this partially obstructed bird an unknown.
Poults develop very quickly (they must in order not to be eaten!) and feather types, appearance, and body size change rapidly as they age. Based on these characteristics, we can estimate the age of poults. For simplicity, we divide poults into three age classes.
1 week old or younger. Poults that are no more than about a week old are still covered with downy feathers and are very small (<5-6 inches tall). They look like little puff balls about the size of your fist.
Turkey Poult Class 1
2-5 weeks old. Poults in this class have grown longer wing feathers, but still are mostly covered with downy feathers on their body and still lack long tail feathers. They are about 6-10 inches tall, similar in size to a Blue Jay. In appearance, they look to be all wings (which is good because it means now they can fly into low trees to escape ground predators). Poults on the older end of this age class will have started to grow some juvenile plumage on their bodies, but still have short tail feathers.
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. Poults early in this stage still have some down feathers occurring on the neck and head, but their body is covered with juvenile type contour feathers. They have visible tail feathers now, black-and-white barred wing feathers are emerging, and they stand about 10-12 inches tall, similar in size to a crow or a chicken. By about 8 weeks of age, poults are beginning to grow new “adult” looking body feathers and will have a mixture of juvenile feathers and adult feathers on their body. They are about half the size of the hen and will continue to grow to almost the same size as the hen by the end of the summer. Turkey Poults
Because they are very similar in size, late in the summer it can be very challenging to determine if a group of similar-sized turkeys is a flock of hens without poults or a hen and her older-age-class brood. If you’re unsure, it’s best to mark them as unknowns.
What Are Female Turkeys Called? – PickHunting.com
FAQ
What do you call a female and male turkey?
A male turkey is called a tom or a gobbler, a female turkey a hen, and a baby turkey a poult or chick. A young male turkey is called a jake and a young female is called a jenny. A group of wild turkeys is called a flock, a group of domesticated turkeys is commonly referred to as a rafter.
Is a female turkey called a tom?
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.
Is a female turkey called a jenny?
Wild turkeys are found throughout North America. A young male is called a “jake,” while a young female is a “jenny.” Young wild turkeys are pursued by many predators, including bobcats, foxes and eagles.
What is the slang for a male turkey?
Gobbler – This is the adult male of the turkey species. This bird can weigh upwards of 25 plus pounds and has a beard that grows out of his chest along with spurs on his lower legs. The spur length signifies his age.
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 the difference between male and female turkeys?
Feathers: During mating season, the difference between male and female turkeys becomes even more apparent. Male turkeys display brilliant plumage with iridescent feathers, whereas female turkeys have a more subdued coloration. 3.
What are alternative names for turkeys?
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.
What are the different types of female turkeys?
There are several breeds of female turkeys, each with distinct characteristics in terms of size, plumage color, and egg-laying capabilities. Some popular breeds of hens include the Bourbon Red, Narragansett, and Royal Palm, each with its unique traits and suitability for various purposes.
How do you know if a baby turkey is male or female?
To determine the gender of a baby turkey, examine its vent, which is located beneath its tail and between its legs. If the vent appears bumpy, the poult is male; if it is flat, the poult is female. You can also determine its gender by picking it up and observing whether the chick pulls its legs up or leaves them dangling.
What is the correct name for a baby turkey?
The correct name of a baby turkey depends on which kind of turkey you’re talking about. There are only two wild species of turkey in the world, the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is the one Americans are likely to find walking through their yard and is found in every U.S. state except Alaska.