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I wonder if you all could help me out. There is some discussion here at work as to whether this is a Jake or a bearded hen. For the record I've seen it gobble and strut if that matters.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240619/9fbf2bf05157b97156bd18019bb18f41.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240619/f7ee8137419b19520f15bf337adf124c.jpg)

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Bearded hen and believe it or not they can strut and gobble, there was a large discussion about it here either earlier this year or last last year.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwrLqn2zu2A&t=29s

My vote is for bearded hen. Legs have zero "bumps" where spurs should be, at least it looks that way in pics?

I say hen. I once had a hen come to my calling in full strut and gobbling, although the gobble was a little off. Also common to see bearded hens in my part of Ontario

I'm going with a Jake because of the black tipped feathers. What he lacks in spurs nubs he makes up for with his beard.

I thought it had black tipped breast feathers at first glance on my phone. But appears to be a hen after closer look

Looks like a bearded hen to me all day long. I have witnessed a hen rio strut before but never gobble. I have a friend who sent me a video 3 years ago he took of one that was doing both, she was an eastern.

If I had to bet my life on it, I would bet on "bearded hen", but I would be sweating it out.  ;D  :D
That decision would be based on the head appearance alone.  Whether it be a jake or mature gobbler, I have never seen a male turkey without more coloration in the head, especially at least some hints of red.

For me, the beard length itself is not a determining factor in that I have seen a number of hens over the years with beards like that. The thinness of the beard also says "hen turkey" to me. I have seen gobblers with beards that long...but never that thin.

I do agree that the dark body coloration looks more like a male turkey, but when putting all the "considerations" together, I would still go with it being a hen...and hope that bolt of lightning isn't on its way...  ;D  :angel9:

Sure looks henny in the head.


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Hen

I've seen a Hen gobble and strut before.  It was a terrible gobble but she was trying,  :TooFunny:
I'd say Hen.

A little more info. It just showed up at the mine where I work in the middle of turkey season. It never showed any fear of the equipment or really even people so we assumed it was hatched and raised on a farm somewhere nearby. When it first showed up it would shock gobble at the back up alarm and horn on my front end loader. For a day or two it had a Jake with it but it disappeared. This thing is still hanging around and it follows me around like it's my dog. Strangest thing

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Whatever it is, it's interesting. Thanks for sharing!

LOL, you'll have a hen and poults following you around in a bit.

That's a hen.

It's a hen. A jake would have a more pronounced snood. I have usually 1 to 3 bearded hens in my yard most days. I have hens here in my yard with black tipped feathers with no trace of hen plumage. There is no doubt in my mind that it is a hen.

The hens in may yard strut, gobble and push each other around like a male might do.

Non binary turkey that can produce poults.  :OGturkeyhead:  Z

 :TooFunny:

I vote bearded hen.

It's a turkeyyyyyy.... :lol:

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on June 19, 2024, 04:42:32 PMSure looks henny in the head.


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X10 here, head looks very "Henny"

Yep like most everyone else my vote is HEN!!

It's a hen ( mostly). Plumage tells it. Gobblers really shine in the sun/ hens not so much. This bird has little shine. Whatever it really is I feel strongly enough to stand by hen and not consider aiming.....

I appreciate the input fellas. My guess was bearded hen I'd just never seen one strut before

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You know what they say, If it looks like a hen, walks like a hen, Its a hen.

Definitely a bearded hen. I see them fairly often in my neighborhood in Wisconsin

You know this could all be figured out if you would just check under the tail feathers.

I would have said, at first glance, bearded hen. However, there are some black tipped breast feathers, at least my phone looks that way. Big footed rascal too. Head looks way larger to me than a hen also. Overall body and tail makes me think jake. The pencil thin beard makes me hen however. Tough call. I have witness a hen strut and gobble though. Up close and personal..... I think I would go with my hen thought tho....just to be safe.

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Also, the thin beard indicates a hen

Mature hen. They make great mothers. Perhaps it is a testosterone imbalance. They are generally more aggressive than the other hens. I once harvested a strutting,  gobbling bearded hen with pearl colored spurs.

I'd post the pic, but haven't figured out how to with the new format.

I have a hen that I can make strutt by aggressively purring at her. She will instantly go into strutt and loudly purr. Follows me around purring as if she will attack. She knows better though.

Looks like a bearded hen to me. The darker coloring some are mentioning could be a result of the very light background and lighting in the photograph.

Like I said before, I have a dark colored hen or two in my yard all the time with black tipped breast and back feathers. The snood, head color, thin beard and lack of spur buttons clearly show that it is a hen.

It looks like a bearded hen to me.  There's a pair of bearded hens around here that have that same slender beard.   I'd think spur bumps would show if it already had that much beard on a jake.

Jim