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Turkey beards???
I was curious about why i have harvested old birds that have beards that apear to be burned off??
I have heard several theories. That mites eat them, or they wear down dragging the ground, other birds peck them off. So if anybody has any facts as to why i would apreciate it, Also is it genetics or health of the bird to grow big beards?? |
I believe it is a combo of diet, breaking off and freezing then breaking off but I am not an expert on it.
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Its called Beard Rot. Wareing of the beard is easly seen as most times it seems the cause an angle on the beard end. Rot tends to take the beards end right off and changes the color to a dark orange.
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Beard Rot
Originally Posted by gyro288
(Post 3574394)
I was curious about why i have harvested old birds that have beards that apear to be burned off??
I have heard several theories. That mites eat them, or they wear down dragging the ground, other birds peck them off. So if anybody has any facts as to why i would apreciate it, Also is it genetics or health of the bird to grow big beards?? Below is a pic from last year of a turkey I killed with some minor beard rot and partial loss of strands. I killed one that two years ago that was completely broken off. about 5 inches down from the breast.  Mouthcaller |
If u are in a colder climate the beard can also be effected by the snow and freezing rain which has also been a factor which has been known to do as much damage as making the beards fall off completly.
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What part of the country are you from :s4:
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I've seen several gobblers with beard rot in south Texas. I killed a 20 pound bird with a 2 inch beard due to beard rot a few years ago in Texas.
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Beard rot...
I shot a 4 bearded gobbler in Kentucky a few years back that had lost most of his primary ( longest) beard to beard rot.. I've also shot a number of NY birds that had it, including my first spring gobbler, which I shot in 1975.. |
The fungus info is interesting Thanks. I have seen breakage and color change on some of the gobbler beards I have taken, always seen it as some beard rot but nothing to bad.
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Thanks alor fellas for the info.
But has anyone heard of any kind of mites eating them off |
Originally Posted by Ridge Runner
(Post 3575814)
mites eat dead skin, not hair. It is a fungus of some kind, I've killed 2 longbeards with a burnt red paste substance in the beard about midways, which I assume if left long enough would cause the beard to break at the point where the substance was and leave those blonde tips. I've also killed gobblers that were 20+#'s and had a 2" beard with the blonde tips. We've always called this condition "Red Rot" have no idea what causes it.
RR I really dont think a turkey beard is concidered hair:poke: |
Definitive answer
My vet appears to have been mistaken.
Below are a couple of links where biologist answer the question definitively. Appears to be from a lack of pigment and/or a nutritional deficiency. Lovett Williams (biologist that has studied turkeys his whole life) says the discoleration is caused by a pigment deficiency. The like to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife states it is due to a nutritional deficiency and definitely not mites, fungus, or freezing weather. http://www.carellc.us/beardrot.asp http://www.mdwfp.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=45634 http://turkeyandturkeyhunting.coverl.../200902/?pg=48 http://www.gonewildoutdoors.com/tech3.html |
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