When breeding, the hen lays down flat and the tom will stand on her back, and tread in place on her until he works up the semen to the point necessary to breed. (I watched a tom do this for between 5 and ten minutes last spring). I understand jakes don't take near as long as the older gobblers do, though I've never personally seen a jake breed. Once worked up sufficiently, he then merely touches his cloaca (sp?) to hers for a couple seconds or so and fertilizes her. Anyway, his breast most likely never comes into contact with the hen at all except perhaps for a very short instant. Thus, the absence or abundance of breast feathers on his breast is no indication of his breeding activity.

Hal