That distinct tuft of hair-like feathers protruding from a turkey’s chest is known as its beard. This unique feature has long fascinated outdoor enthusiasts and scientists alike. In this article, we’ll explore everything there is to know about the turkey beard – from its structure and purpose to how long it grows.
What Exactly is a Turkey’s Beard?
The beard is a cluster of specialized feathers that resembles coarse hair or wire bristles, It emerges as a single thick plume from the center of the breast,
Structurally, turkey beards consist of long, hair-like filaments. However, they lack a central shaft and are actually modified feathers called mesofiloplumes. They are made of the same proteins as regular feathers but are continuously growing.
In adult male turkeys, called toms, beards average around 6 inches long Some exceptional toms may grow beards over a foot long! Hens can also develop thin, short beards up to 8 inches long.
When Do Turkey Beards Appear?
Turkey poults begin developing a beard a few weeks after hatching. At around 5 months old, young males have beards 2-4 inches long
Beard growth accelerates as a turkey matures. A one year old tom’s beard may measure up to 5 inches. By three years old, a mature tom’s beard could exceed 10 inches.
The beard continues growing longer each year. The longest on record was over 2 feet long! However, beards over 12 inches are rare since they break off easily.
Why Do Turkeys Have Beards?
Experts theorize that beards play a role in mating displays. The beard’s length signals a tom’s age, health and dominance to attract hens.
A long, thick beard indicates an older, virile tom who has survived many years in the wild. Thus, he likely has robust genetics to pass down.
Hens lack flashy feathers, so a beard may help a few females stand out. But its purpose is less clear for hens, since most don’t have one.
Turkey Beard Facts:
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10% of hens may grow thin beards under 8 inches long. Some populations have more bearded hens due to past restocking efforts.
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Occasionally, a tom turkey can develop multiple beards numbering up to 13! But most only have a single dominant beard.
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The beard starts out black, then turns brownish as a turkey matures. Older toms have paler beards.
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Harsh winters can cause icicles on long beards to make them droop, break or fall out.
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Turkeys with beards dragging on rocky ground tend to have shorter beards than those in open terrain.
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Hunters prize turkey beards as trophies. Long beards over 10 inches are especially impressive.
Why Do Long Turkey Beards Break?
There are several reasons why older turkeys lose their lengthy beards:
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Foraging along the ground can fray and wear down feathers.
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The weight of beards over 12 inches causes some to snap off.
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Snow, ice and mud accumulation during winter adds stress on long beards.
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Vitamin deficiencies or illness may weaken beard fibers causing breakage.
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As toms age, their beard growth rate slows, so newer segments are thinner and snap easier.
Caring for Your Turkey Beard Trophy
Hunters like to display their impressive turkey beards. Follow these tips for preservation:
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Carefully cut the beard close to the skin using scissors. Leave some skin attached.
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Coat the beard in borax powder to absorb moisture and prevent rotting.
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Let the beard fully dry stretched out on a board. Avoid folding or crimping it.
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Store in a dry location away from direct sunlight, dust, bugs and rodents.
Turkey Basics-Gobblers and Hens
Let’s begin with the basics of distinguishing male wild turkeys (gobblers) from females (hens).
Gobblers are larger-bodied birds, with a darker coloration, at times appearing almost black. In bright sunlight, their feathers cast a brilliant bronze or metallic iridescence. Gobblers have a featherless, red head (sometimes with blue and white coloring, too) with prominent wattle and fleshy, red growths (called caruncles) on their neck. They also have a “beard”—a tuft of black, hair-like strands—protruding from their chest.
On adult gobblers (called toms), the beard can be 7-9 inches or more in length, but on young gobblers (called jakes) the beard is <6 inches long. Typically, gobblers hang out away from hens during the summer since they take no part in raising young.
Hens are more brown in coloration and smaller in size than gobblers. They have a head that is more blue-gray in appearance, often with feathers continuing up the back of the head.
Occasionally hens will have a beard, but it is thinner than on gobblers and is quite often kinked. Hens can also have some feather iridescence, but not to the same extent as gobblers.
How many gobblers and hens do you see in this picture?
2 gobblers (both jakes, note the larger size, less-feathered red heads, and tiny stubble of a beard protruding from the chest of the jake on the right), 4 hens (one mostly hidden behind a jake, but you still can clearly see the typical head of a hen turkey poking out), 1 unknown. If we were here in person live, the birds would move about and we could probably determine that the unknown is another jake, but given what we can see in this photo, it’s best to just call this partially obstructed bird an unknown.
Poults develop very quickly (they must in order not to be eaten!) and feather types, appearance, and body size change rapidly as they age. Based on these characteristics, we can estimate the age of poults. For simplicity, we divide poults into three age classes.
1 week old or younger. Poults that are no more than about a week old are still covered with downy feathers and are very small (<5-6 inches tall). They look like little puff balls about the size of your fist.
Turkey Poult Class 1
2-5 weeks old. Poults in this class have grown longer wing feathers, but still are mostly covered with downy feathers on their body and still lack long tail feathers. They are about 6-10 inches tall, similar in size to a Blue Jay. In appearance, they look to be all wings (which is good because it means now they can fly into low trees to escape ground predators). Poults on the older end of this age class will have started to grow some juvenile plumage on their bodies, but still have short tail feathers.
Hen with class 2 age group poults
Hen with older class 2 age-group poult (borderline class 3)
Hen with class 2 age group poults
6-8 weeks or older. Poults early in this stage still have some down feathers occurring on the neck and head, but their body is covered with juvenile type contour feathers. They have visible tail feathers now, black-and-white barred wing feathers are emerging, and they stand about 10-12 inches tall, similar in size to a crow or a chicken. By about 8 weeks of age, poults are beginning to grow new “adult” looking body feathers and will have a mixture of juvenile feathers and adult feathers on their body. They are about half the size of the hen and will continue to grow to almost the same size as the hen by the end of the summer. Turkey Poults
Because they are very similar in size, late in the summer it can be very challenging to determine if a group of similar-sized turkeys is a flock of hens without poults or a hen and her older-age-class brood. If you’re unsure, it’s best to mark them as unknowns.
Multi Bearded Turkey & Turkey Beard Fun Facts
FAQ
What is the purpose of a beard on a turkey?
The beard of a make turkey has a texture similar to a thick monofilament fishing line, and is used to attract hens.May 10, 2022
What is a turkey’s beard called?
The wild turkey’s beard is neither hair nor feather; it’s actually comprised of keratinous filaments known to biologists as mesofiloplumes, which grow from a raised oval of skin called the papilla. On occasion gobblers have more than one papilla that result in multiple beards.
Can female turkeys have a beard?
A small proportion of female turkeys may have a beard and therefore can be legally harvested. However, their loss reduces the reproductive potential of the turkey population. To avoid misidentification, use the following features below to accurately determine the turkey’s sex.
What makes a turkey grow multiple beards?
Beards grow from a papilla—an oval-shaped, raised part of the skin on a turkey’s breast. Most male turkeys have just one papilla. For every papilla a turkey grows, an additional beard develops. And, although hen turkeys also have papilla, they just don’t usually express it.