Poults

[CrossVolle]

And a gobbler breeding a hen in my yard in Claiborne this evening

All over the place.

 

[Boll Weevil]

We've had poults flying like Superman in the flesh for weeks…big as a banty hen.

 

[megalomaniac]

Ended up seeing around 30 hens total past 6 days, none had poults. Did bump 2 off nests while doing habitat work.

 

[Turkeychaser]

Two days saw a hen with 5 poults. Now all the rain...

 

[Gravey]

My former next door neighbor just posted a video on Facebook of a hen with 12 poults. This is right on the Wilson / Rutherford county line

 

[deerfever]

Just walked up on a hen with 6 poults walking around. Good sign!

 

[megalomaniac]

1st poults this morning! Hen has 6 two to three day olds, but its awfully wet out there with more rain incoming. At least the temps are mid 70s.

But all this rain is gonna be heck on the majority of the setting hens that are now soaking wet. Hopefully we dont have a bunch of new yoties move in next few weeks.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Cousin saw another hen with 4-5 poults over the weekend. And 9 jakes and gobblers on the farm

 

[tntrkkllr]

Been cracking down on predators for a while at our property, the neighbors property and my in-laws property and it sure has paid off, saw 5 hens today with 30+ poults I'd estimate around 2 weeks old. Awesome hatch, just praying most of them survive whatever Mother Nature throws at them! Love to see them thriving the last 5+ years in my area. Me and my buddy ( lives a mile away) have both been trying to keep the nest raiders and predators to a minimum, and have definitely have seen an incline in the population.

 

[gamehog]

we for sure needed the rain.but I'm afraid it came at a bad time for the poults,.close to 5 inches since Friday,southern Williamson

 

[megalomaniac]

Clutch #2 on the ground and away from nest this morn. 7 tiny bitties.

Unfortunately, clutch #1 is already down to 4 from 6 in 5 days.

The next 2 weeks is going to be gangbusters on my farms.... doubly so if all the hens that lost their nests mid May due to hay season actually renest and hatch out in July. Toms are still locked on those ladies and breeding.

 

[th88]

Cameras don't tell the whole story, but the broods we had showing up have seemingly disappeared the past two weeks. Coinciding with some torrential rain events. Hoping momma has just moved them on to safety. I know Mississippi had plenty of early May hatching, hopefully those poults were big enough to handle the unfavorable weather we've been having.

 

[megalomaniac]

Cameras don't tell the whole story, but the broods we had showing up have seemingly disappeared the past two weeks. Coinciding with some torrential rain events. Hoping momma has just moved them on to safety. I know Mississippi had plenty of early May hatching, hopefully those poults were big enough to handle the unfavorable weather we've been having.

In the above post, I was referring to my TN farms.

In south MS, we've had 11 inches rain in the past 10 days... but because our peak hatching is 1st week of May, those poults are feathered out enough to easily handle that rain, esp when nighttime temps arent dropping much below 70.

Now from west central to west north part of MS, this prolonged rain event could be a disaster based on amount received and timing of hatch

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I'm just seeing hens without poults in my area. Hoping they just aren't hatched yet.

 

[Creek bottoms]

I'm just seeing hens without poults in my area. Hoping they just aren't hatched yet.

Hawks......

 

[Gravey]

Saw a hen with 8-10 poults this afternoon in Brentwood walking down a fence row.

 

[TnKen]

I saw my first one today. It was only one with a hen and was pretty big already.

 

[megalomaniac]

2 more hens with 12 poults combined just showed up. It's looking like several of the hens who lost their first nest are giving it a go and starting another nest (single hens hanging around certain spots).... but also starting to see some hens bunching back up without poults which means they weren't successful with 1st nesting and aren't likely to renest this year.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Saw a group of 7 poults yesterday

 

[Jbird22]

Hawks......

Very possible, along with other avian predators. Sadly, hatching is just the beginning when it comes to their daily fight for survival.