Turkey Beards

DTC · 03-16-2008, 05:33 PM

Hey everyone I have a question. I am getting pictures of a tom that has an inch plus spurs but he'llbe lucky tohave a 5 inch beard. What's up with that? It looks like my barber took the scissors to him and gave him a trim. Thanks for any info.

strutnbuck · 03-16-2008, 05:40 PM

Well I've seen the same thing and also the opposite (long beard and knubs for spurs). Mytes will eat a turkeys beard or it's also possible that he may have burned it on embers going thru an area that had burned. Turkeys love a fresh burn and sometimes their beard gets burned.

DTC · 03-16-2008, 05:43 PM

Thanks stutnbuck.

TEmbry · 03-16-2008, 05:44 PM

Also some times during a period of malnutrition, the beard will grow a very brittle spot, and the beardcan breaks off at this point.

DTC · 03-16-2008, 06:04 PM

It shouldn't be that, he has been eating all the corn he wants.

JW · 03-16-2008, 06:21 PM

Do you have cold wetehr and ice - beards can ice up and break off.

JW

Arjuna · 03-16-2008, 06:42 PM

Corn is not nutritious...just caloric. See how healthy you get if all you eat is starchy food.

I agree with the mites and malnutrition theory. I never thought about the burn theory...possible I guess.

Also, if you live where it ices up, it could have broken off if it got iced up.

DTC · 03-16-2008, 06:43 PM

We did get alot of ice this winter. I just don't want it to be genetics. There is no doubt he is atleast a 3 yr old turkey and could very well be 4.

Born 2 Bow Hunt · 03-16-2008, 07:03 PM

Crusty snow and ice will cause the long beards to wear.....

Ky Turkey Hunter91 · 03-17-2008, 05:26 AM

i once seen a tom that had a beard like a pencil and about an inch long,that was two years ago,then last year i killed a bird in the same spot the had an 11 in beard but had beard rot, i belive it was the same bird