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.

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.

A Veternarian I know well, who is a turkey hunter, told me last year that beart rot was the result of a localized fungal infection.

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.

What part of the country are you from

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.

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.

Thanks alor fellas for the info.
But has anyone heard of any kind of mites eating them off