Poults Not Seen!

[DeerCamp]

I'm beginning to think maybe the over-population of predators is the problem.

This is a compounding problem as well, because as Turkey's decrease in population, a higher % of remaining turkeys will be killed by predation.

There is something major happening right now, and I have some suspicions that its at least partially related to use of pesticides in agriculture and its impact on available insect food sources for all game birds.

 

[megalomaniac]

We had a decent hatch, but have lost most of our poults already to hawks

The successful hens are down to 2 or 3 poults already.

 

[Wrangler95]

There is sure more going on than what the Wildlife experts know,Im sure its many things combined.Two things I know for sure is nest predators and hawks and owls.These two things are bad enough but maybe other things people have already mentioned!Chicken litter and pesticides are another possibilty!

 

[Bgoodman30]

I am hoping that the counties with cicadas see better results.

 

[trkhunter]

We had a decent hatch, but have lost most of our poults already to hawks

The successful hens are down to 2 or 3 poults already.

still setting in southern Wayne!! hay cutter spotted and went around them 2 days ago

 

[megalomaniac]

still setting in southern Wayne!! hay cutter spotted and went around them 2 days ago

No doubt! Half of the hens are still setting. Hoping the hawks are full by the time little ones pop out in the next few weeks.

For whatever reason, it seems like the earliest poults to hatch and the latest poults to hatch have the best success. One would think those in the middle would have the best success due to prey saturation, but it doesn't seem to work that way on my farms.

 

[MickThompson]

I am hoping that the counties with cicadas see better results.

I had that same hope but the cicadas were gone before the poults really showed up

 

[knightrider]

Crows and black headed buzzards got the five nest i knew of

 

[Wrangler95]

Crows and black headed buzzards got the five nest i knew of

Turkey's dont have much of a chance!

 

[knightrider]

Turkey's dont have much of a chance!

Not at all

 

[megalomaniac]

Buddy saw 2 new hens with 11 poults a little larger than adult quail this afternoon on my place, that helps

 

[Wooden Arrow]

seeing hens nearly every day in different areas going to/from work. not seen a poult yet. i AM seeing gobblers still strutting with the hens...

 

[Rockhound]

Sounds like some of you could use some trigger time

 

[kevin mays]

I watched 5 hens Sunday
1 appears to have poults but the grass was high and I couldnt see them .
The other 4 hens definitely were with out
Several more hens on cams w no poults

This is an area there isn't a working farm for 30 miles
So it's not herbicides, pesticides , or chicken litter .

I think it was the rain

 

[jwp1964]

Was up fly fishing Bald River in Cherokee National Forest on Wednesday and saw a Hen with a couple poults in the middle of no where. They were very small so must have been fairly recent hatch up there,

 

[TheLBLman]

I think it's still a bit early to write things off based on our collective anecdotal observations. The most recently hatched are the least seen, and there are still hens sitting on nests.

As is usual, some areas will have a poor hatch, others not so poor.

Also think wherever now there is a good hatch, raptor predation has become a primary driver of poor poult survival.

 

['borohunter]

Saw my 1st hen with poults yesterday in Rutherford county. Was surprised to see 8 and all very active. Time will tell...

 

[deerfever]

Sounds like based on this thread the hatch is going based on weather and predators just like it always has . Hopefully now that we are in a dry spell more will hatch and survive.

 

[Savage]

I haven't seen a poult this year either.

 

[Bgoodman30]

I think it's still a bit early to write things off based on our collective anecdotal observations. The most recently hatched are the least seen, and there are still hens sitting on nests.

As is usual, some areas will have a poor hatch, others not so poor.

Also think wherever now there is a good hatch, raptor predation has become a primary driver of poor poult survival.

Yep!