Multiple beards....Non-typicals Tom/Hen

[yelp]

How many of you have shot a tom/hen with multiple beards...lets see them..

To my name I have shot the following...

1998  Merriam -   2 beards - 15.375 inches total length  - Ferry
1997 Rio Grande - 3 beards - 17.5 inches total length   - Lincoln
2000 Rio Grande - 2 beards - 17.25 inches total length - Lincoln

[Gobble]

My brother shot a 5 beard Non-typ this past spring near Spokane, its at the Taxi now and we will weigh and record the beard lengths when the taxi thaws it out, it will definately be in the top 5 for Wa.

[Turkeyman]

1994 Merriam- 2 beards- 16.5 inches- Klick
2001 Rio- 2 beards- 17 inches- Columbia

[yelp]

Nice birds guys....wow.  Gobble that 5 bearded bird must have been easy to track...all of them sweeping marks on the ground..lol 

[DOUBLELUNG]

1991 - Merriam's - double 8" beards

[Intruder]

I shot a triple beard back in like 02.  Weird thing about it, all the beards were literally broken off at about 1".  Just 3 little nubs.  The ends were discolored almost like his beards had gotten something caustic on em and just fell off.  Based on spurs he looked to be a 3 year old... one us just a gnats ass under an inch the other was almost 1 1/8".   

Anyone ever heard of anything like that before?   

[yelp]

Actually two thing happen with turkey beards.  One thing is many of our turkeys in winter will build up ice balls on the beards from dragging them in the snow.  Sometimes they will break off from the weight or when the turkey steps on it. 

The other reason is that beards contain melanin and some turkeys that have a melanin deficiency you can see by a grey band (color) on the beard and at that point the beard will become weakened and will break.  The look is that of a stubby cigar bristled ends maybe a burnt orange color also.  Some scientists say their maybe some fungal infections that cause this too.

I have seen this a lot in Washington.  The ice ball scenario can pull the beard right out. 

[strutnrut1984]

ive killed 2 with multiple beards in pennsylvania, 1995 5 beards from 3to101/2 inches. and in 2000 2 beards 10 and 4 inches

[OneHorn]

fishunt247's first bird had 3 beards. I think he was about 9 years old when he killed it

[yelp]

wow right on guys...

[strutnrut1984]

i got one in 92 that has a blonde beard will try and get a pic of it . its on my beard board 9 1/2 in

[fishunt247]

Actually I was 10, so in 1997. Merriam, 3 beards, 19 1/2" of beard length. It was a 2 year old. No digital pics, sorry.

[Wacenturion]

Nice birds everyone!

[Turkeyman]

Nice birds Strutnrut

[Intruder]

The other reason is that beards contain melanin and some turkeys that have a melanin deficiency you can see by a grey band (color) on the beard and at that point the beard will become weakened and will break.  The look is that of a stubby cigar bristled ends maybe a burnt orange color also.  Some scientists say their maybe some fungal infections that cause this too.

These beards had that discoloration (orange) that you mentioned.  It was weird that whatever it was, it happened in the same spot on all 3.  Just my luck