While walking I saw 5 hens turkeys. As I got closer I noticed one was significantly smaller than the other four. This small birds was about 2/3 the size of the others. It seemed big for this springs hatch as the ones that are seem at this time are usually smaller than an adult pheasant. Wondering if there was an exceptionally early hatch. Thoughts?
Best guess is a real late last year's hatch. Timeframe just doesn't work for this year. Or just a smaller bird.
I've seen poults while in Nebraska on May 31st!
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NCL, here's a topic that I started last spring http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,83411.msg808421.html#msg808421
I have found, though some research, that most states plan their hunting seasons to start after most of the hens have been bred. This means that poults are normally hatched at the end of most of our seasons or shortly after the season ends unless the hens clutch of eggs has been compromised.
Turkeys are like other living creatures. They come in different sizes. I doubt it is an early hatch poult that big. I'd guess it's either just a small hen or a really late hatch from last year. I've seen gobblers I know that are at least three years old but be 30% smaller than the average two year old. One of the meanest scrappiest gobblers I ever saw weighed 12 to 14 pounds. He'd chase and whip a bird almost twice his size.
Opening day I had a hen walk by me that was so small I thought it was a duck until I saw it's markings.
Here in Georgia we had poults reported the end of March. We are seeing a very wide range of ages and sizes as we go into summer. Staggered nesting.
All the poults I've seen this week on my route are about the size of a big quail. Probably 2-3 weeks old. Central MS.
Thanks. Usually when I see poults this time of year they are about the size Cottonmouth mentioned. At first I thought it was just a very small hen but she did look juvenile. We had a cold wet Spring so it seem s very counter intuitive that it was an early hatch nut in past years I have seem gobblers strutting as early as late January.
A good look at the wing speculum would identify a juvenile/jenny bird. Turkeys go through three molts with four distinct plumages in their first year. After that they molt once a year. Turkeys have an extra molt than most birds due to their body size. If the bird was adult 'color', it was last year's bird, possibly just a late in the year hatch from an older hen. Again, the time frame just doesn't work for this year's hatch.
Tal.
Thanks, great information. I have not seen her since that day. I am sure they are around here somewhere.