I killed a gobbler about 5 or 6 years ago, that has scaly legs and feet. No swelling or visible sores or oozing, or anything. Looked healthy but, just scaly. Heard about another gobbler killed not far from e that had no beard. Said it looked like it had been cut off to about 1/2". I have heard that mites will chew on beards. Also some gobblers get what they call beard rot. Who knows?
Ever saw strange things on wild turkeys?
- Thread starter ROVERBOY
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BamaHudson
Well-Known Member
I have also heard the same on the mites and beard rot.
Sounds like your Turkey just didn't use enough moisturizer
Sounds like your Turkey just didn't use enough moisturizer
Killed one a couple years ago with beard rot. Let him walk by initially because I though it was a jake but he later fanned out and I realized he wasn't a jake. Was able to call him back and killed him.
GOODWIN
Well-Known Member
Beard rot on a few. One with no spurs and another with only one spur
Stlbaseball1
Well-Known Member
Killed one tom with no spurs (literally slick legs, no nubs or anything) and one with a Mohawk!
I passed one several years back. He gobbled. Strutted on. Had full fan. Just about 3 inch stubby beard. I actually passed him 2 different times. My buddy killed him a few days later. He weight 20 lb and had 1 1/4 spurs. That was my first introduction to beard rot. Lol
Bell3wv
Well-Known Member
Beard rot "fungus" and mites aren't a thing. It's poor nutrition. Put it under a microscope. There's no creepy crawlies.
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Wrong, have seen plenty of gobblers with beard "mites" or turkey lice whichever you want to call it, they dont make the beards short or rot, but they definitely have them!
Bell3wv
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megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Almost all turkeys have lice or mites. Neither of which cause beard rot.
Beard rot is caused by a major stressor diverting protein/vitamin stores into the animal itself to recover from, which subsequently causes a weakening of the birds feathers. Same thing happens in poultry. When I raised show orpingtons, I had to be VERY careful they wouldn't get heat stressed as juveniles in south MS, as they could develop stress barring of their feathers and wouldn't be showable as juveniles. Those stress barred feathers would molt out and be replaced with normal feathers after their first fall.
A lot of birds with beard rot have been shot the season before or sustained some type of major injury in the past... think whitails who were injured and the following year grew an abnormal rack.
Wrangler95
Well-Known Member
Killed a gobbler once on a cattle farm when I went to collect him I noticed he had green legs and my first thought was algae and then it dawned on me he had been flipping cow patties!lol
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Yes sir those pasture birds have another kind of stink when you throw one over your shoulder
Huntaholic
Well-Known Member
Killed one once that had a fist sized hole and a stick broke off between his wingbut and breast. Killed one once when it was male turkeys that had ZERO beard nor a sign of where one ever was. Killed one once with NO spurs, slick legs. Killed one once with double spurs on each leg, the 2nd set was just bumps like a jake. Killed several double beards and 2 birds with 3 beards.
MickThompson
Well-Known Member
Not strange but all these injuries made me think of this. Seems like at least 1/3 birds I kill are toting someone else's shot in them. I'd imagine that isn't helping their numbers one bit.
I cut these out of my bird from this year. The copper plated is my #6.
I cut these out of my bird from this year. The copper plated is my #6.
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JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
A buddy of mine killed one on our place years ago. It was discolored in the head and legs. Looked nasty and didn't even want to touch it. Called GW and they took it. Not sure if we ever followed up about it, but wish we had. I know they pulled some type of worm or leach out of his throat
