The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and its domesticated counterpart are among North America’s most recognizable birds. The specific and widely recognized name for a baby turkey, from the moment it hatches, is a poult. This term applies to the young of both wild and domestic turkeys during their earliest, most vulnerable stages of life.
The Official Name and Early Life
The term “poult” describes the young turkey from hatching until it develops a full coat of juvenile feathers, a period lasting approximately four to six weeks. Poults are considered precocial, meaning they are active almost immediately after hatching. Within 24 hours, poults are capable of running and begin following the hen, who provides warmth and guidance.
This immediate mobility is a survival mechanism, as wild turkeys nest on the ground, making the young vulnerable to predators. During these first few weeks, the poult is dependent on the hen for protection and guidance. The hen leads the poults on foraging expeditions where they initially feed almost exclusively on insects. Survival rates increase significantly once they develop the ability to escape immediate threats.
Physical Development and Appearance
Upon hatching, a poult is covered in a soft, downy coat that provides initial insulation. The first sign of flight capability appears early, as primary wing feathers begin to grow rapidly, sometimes visible at just one week old. By two weeks of age, secondary wing feathers emerge, granting them the ability to make short, upward flights.
This early feather growth is important for survival, allowing the poults to fly up to low branches to roost with the hen at night, protecting them from ground-level predators. Between three and four weeks, the downy covering recedes, remaining mainly on the head and neck, while contour feathers become obvious across the body. It is also around this time that the poult’s diet begins to diversify, shifting from a near-exclusive insect menu to incorporating seeds, grasses, and berries.
Poults are considered fully feathered by six to eight weeks, and juvenile feathers may begin to molt as early as five weeks. As males mature, they may start to exhibit strutting behavior, fanning their tails and dropping their wings, signaling a transition out of the poult stage. Around five to six weeks, some young turkeys also start to show a faint blue coloration on the head, marking their gradual transformation into a juvenile bird.
Extended Turkey Terminology
Once young turkeys progress past the poult stage, they transition into new classifications based on their sex and age. An adult male turkey is referred to as a Tom, or more commonly, a Gobbler, a name derived from its distinct vocalization. The adult female is simply called a Hen.
Juvenile males that have not yet reached full maturity are known as Jakes, while juvenile females are sometimes called Jennies. These terms apply to birds typically in their second year of life before they attain adult characteristics. When discussing a group of these birds, the common collective noun is a flock, particularly for wild turkeys. A more technical or historical term, often used for domestic turkeys, is a rafter.