The age of a wild turkey can be determined by looking at its wing and tail feathers. WING FEATHERS Place the wing in a fanned position and find the outermost wing feather. If the tip is broadly rounded and barred with white to the outermost tip of the feather, the bird is an adult.
How old is a turkey with a 10 inch beard?
Beard Length
Beards begin growing when turkeys are about 5 months old, and keep growing 4 to 5 inches annually. According to Turkey & Turkey Hunting magazine, a 2-year-old gobbler’s beard usually measures 8 to 10 inches. When it’s 3 years old, a gobbler’s beard will have grown about 14 inches.
What is the life expectancy of a wild turkey?
Wild turkeys can fly at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour and run at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. The natural lifespan of the turkey is up to 10 years, but on factory farms they are slaughtered when they’re just 5 months old.
How old is a turkey with 1 inch spurs?
The photo below shows the typical spur characteristics of some different aged gobblers. Jakes (1 yr olds) have spurs which are usually 1/2″ or less and are generally very rounded.
…
| Spur Length | Age |
|---|---|
| 0″ to 1/2″ | 1 year or a jake |
| 1/2″ to 7/8″ | 2 years |
| 7/8′ to 1″ | 3 years |
| 1″ and above | 4 plus years |
How can you tell how old a turkey is by their beard?
Others say that a 9-inch beard is a sure sign that your turkey is at least 4 years old. Still others claim that a sharp spur 3/4-inch long indicates a three-year-old bird. What’s the truth? To differentiate juvenile and adult birds from a distance, look at the tail fan while the bird is strutting.
What is the most beards on a turkey?
At just 11 years of age, Mumpower killed a gobbler on April 22 that will live in the record books for years to come. Mumpower’s bird carried 13 beards, the most ever registered in the NWTF Wild Turkey Records, and it met its demise just days before Mumpower turned 12.
Do female turkeys puff up?
Female turkeys do not have the habit of puffing up their feathers as they do not perform mating dances or rituals like the males. However, it is not unusual to see some female turkeys puffing up. This usually happens when there are no males in the flock.
Why do we not eat turkey eggs?
Turkeys lay eggs at a far slower rate than your average chicken. We’re talking one or two eggs a week versus a standard hen’s one-per-day. The entire turkey egg-laying process costs way more in factories, since the birds require much larger amounts of food and living space than their hen counterparts.
Do turkeys recognize humans?
They enjoy the company of other creatures, including humans. Turkeys can recognize each other by their voices, and more than 20 unique vocalizations have been identified in wild turkeys. … Turkeys are gentle creatures who enjoy socializing with human companions and protecting other turkeys with whom they’ve bonded.
Do turkeys like humans?
They create long-lasting social bonds with each other and with humans. Turkeys love to be stroked, petted and cuddled. They will remember your face and if they like you, they will come up to you to greet you. Turkeys also love music and will cluck along with the songs.
What is a female turkey called?
Adult female turkeys are called hens.
How do you tell the difference between a male and female turkey?
Male turkeys have brightly colored heads with no feathers, while females have a few feathers and are dully colored and better camouflaged in the wild. All turkeys have a fleshy appendage called a snood or dew bill which hangs from the beak. A male’s snood is much larger and plumper in appearance than a female’s.
Why do turkeys have beards?
Like the fleshy head appendages, turkey beards are believed to be an aesthetic feature intended to attract mates; beards become more erect when a tom is aroused. The longer the beard, the older the turkey – they can eventually grow to about 12 inches in length.
Do Jakes have beards?
As a general rule, jakes will have short beards (about 2 to 3 inches in length), while the tom turkey beard can be up to 10 inches or more (they don’t call them longbeards for nothing).
Should you age Wild Turkey?
I recommend aging a turkey for three to six days before cooking. Unlike domestic animals, wild ones have that rich, variable flavor, because they are often older at death, exercise freely and enjoy a mixed diet.
Do Only tom turkeys have beards?
A turkey’s beard can be long enough to touch the ground. Beards grow on all male turkeys or gobblers and grow on some hens.