Bearded hen question?

[RutnNStrutn]

So I've been living on my retirement property in Tennessee for 2-1/2 years now. Turkeys are doing very well, in terms of population around here.
Turkeys visit my place daily and I have noticed that there is a large amount of bearded hens. Probably 20% of my hens have beards.
I assume this is due to genetics, but was wondering if this is normal? What do you guys think?
And if it is genetics, would this be a good thing for gobblers beard wise?
Your thoughts?

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[zelmo1]

I also have noticed concentrations of bearded hens in my area, I agree and think it is genetics. I never thought about how the situation affects gobblers. But, there must be some effect on all turkeys, if not then there wouldnt be so many bearded hens. Great question. I will pay attention to the beard lenghts in these areas vs other areas. Z

[jhoward11]

I honestly believe it's just hens representing as male birds. They probably had some bad up-bringing that caused the issue. But getting back to the question...I hunt an area in Missouri that have a number of bearded hens just on this one piece of property, say 1000 acres. Almost all had thin 6-8 inch beards. Other land close to it I hunt, I have not seen any. So I'm going with genetics...maybe...heck, I don't know. I just know I shot one.

[guesswho]

It's been my experience (as limited as it is), that if an area has a higher than normal bearded hen ratio, then the ratio of multibearded gobblers will also be higher.   What's normal?   I'm not sure.  But if you notice multiple bearded hens I'd say it's higher than normal.   I hunt one area where it seems about a third of the hens have beards and about 25% of the gobblers have more than one beard.    I've been trying for years to kill out that gene but have been unsuccessful so far.   But I'll keep trying.

[Greg Massey]

I agree with y'all on the genetics and most of the ones I've seen have a beard around 5 - 6 inches. It's like why do some of the hens strut and act like a gobbler. I can't really recollect seeing a bearded hen strut and fan out like a gobbler. But i have seen several hens without beards act like gobblers. It's the same with seeing the white / brown color turkey, I've seen this in a hen but not a gobbler of this color.  In my area occasionally you will see more than one gobbler with multiple beards, I see these more in the fall than in the spring.

[Tom007]

I have also been seeing more bearded hens my last few years in the field. They are definitely getting more numerous on the properties I hunt.

[RutnNStrutn]

I haven't noticed but 2 multi-bearded gobblers since I've lived here, and those were both double beards. That's why I asked, at least here at my place there seems to be no correlation in 20% bearded hens and multi-bearded gobblers.

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[Greg Massey]

It's like the super Jake, i can remember one time, i called and worked and chased this Super Jake, for half a morning thinking this long beard is the king of the woods to finally lay eyes on him and he was a Jake .... I don't know which one of us was the most disappointed in him or me... But i was exhausted .... LOL... I'm a firm believer that mother nature has a way of taking care of itself ... Jakes, bearded hens and multiple bearded gobblers in the area... Just part of the life cycle of turkeys. 

Yes, I let the Jake walk that day ....

[Dougas]

When i see a bearded hen, there is usually at least one more with a beard in the group.  In the 12 years that I have hunted turkeys, I have seen nine bearded hens and only twice they were the lone bearded hen in the flock they were in

[WV Flopper]

 Well Sir, I think you have a large amount of Tranny's that have moved into your area! Hard to tell what will happen next, don't just pull the trigger on a strutting Tom with a Long Beard. He may be a she...

Just kidding, That's a large number. Most areas I hunt consistently have only one or two out of a hundred. This spring in a lull I seen two bearded hens out of three turkeys. The third was a hen as well. In 12 years on this property I have seen a total of four bearded hens.

Other properties I hunt regularly don't show anything other than an abnormality of one in a hundred at most.

So.... Reading my own dumbness, I must say it probably is genetics. Just as multiple bearded turkeys.

[YoungGobbler]

I guess turkeys are now part of this transgender trend 

[Cut N Run]

I've got  25% bearded hens around my place.  I can't tell any impact it has on gobblers, as the only gobblers I've seen here are single bearded birds.  I've never killed a multi-bearded bird in my life & have only called in two double bearded gobblers for friends to kill in over 30 years.  There was a big 5 bearded gobbler killed a few miles up the road the year before last, but that's the only other one I've heard of from right around here.

Interesting question that I've wondered about myself.  Seems like there has to be a genetic link between the two.

Jim

[Hook hanger]

It's been my experience (as limited as it is), that if an area has a higher than normal bearded hen ratio, then the ratio of multibearded gobblers will also be higher.   What's normal?   I'm not sure.  But if you notice multiple bearded hens I'd say it's higher than normal.   I hunt one area where it seems about a third of the hens have beards and about 25% of the gobblers have more than one beard.    I've been trying for years to kill out that gene but have been unsuccessful so far.   But I'll keep trying.

This is also my experience with areas with abnormally more bearded hens.

[RutnNStrutn]

Well Sir, I think you have a large amount of Tranny's that have moved into your area!

I guess turkeys are now part of this transgender trend 

Funny you guys should say that. The wife and I call our bearded hens "transgender hens".

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[RutnNStrutn]

I've got  25% bearded hens around my place.  I can't tell any impact it has on gobblers, as the only gobblers I've seen here are single bearded birds.  I've never killed a multi-bearded bird in my life & have only called in two double bearded gobblers for friends to kill in over 30 years.  There was a big 5 bearded gobbler killed a few miles up the road the year before last, but that's the only other one I've heard of from right around here.

Interesting question that I've wondered about myself.  Seems like there has to be a genetic link between the two.

Jim

Agreed. There would seem to be a correlation, yet I haven't seen it. I too have yet to harvest a multi-bearded gobbler. Still it would seem that the genetics would produce them.

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