Got a question

[Daryl]

Does a bearded hen have something in her genes that she passes on to her offspring that would give her hen poults a better chance of having a beard? Just a curious question.

[Shadetree Callers]

It is a recessive gene that all turkeys carry in their dna . It just becomes a dominant trait in a few birds . Kind of like the non-typical gene that all whitetails carry . That one also only becomes a dominant gene in a select few animals . Preston Pittman told me that he thinks that bearded hens are responsible for gobblers with multiple beards .

[Porter]

It is a recessive gene that all turkeys carry in their dna . It just becomes a dominant trait in a few birds . Kind of like the non-typical gene that all whitetails carry . That one also only becomes a dominant gene in a select few animals . Preston Pittman told me that he thinks that bearded hens are responsible for gobblers with multiple beards .

I've heard the multiple beards for toms before too. 

I thought maybe Darlin had nested around a bearded hen too much once before ... way before his current wife that is (Darlin I hope she doesn't look at the site but if so... way before you met her )