Turkey reproduction in your area?

Just wondering what you folks are seeing for poult numbers in your area. I'm at the northern boundary of 75 and 60, just north of Fenelon Falls. As per the past six years, I'm seeing an almost total reproduction failure again this year. Sex ratio now is totally skewed to males. I'd estimate we only have 25-30% hens now. Our winter flock of 20 - 40 birds is almost solid males now, compared to a 50:50 mix in years past. I haven't seen a single brood of poults yet this summer in our local area. Intead I'm seeing mature hens that are completely barren, and even pairing up with other mature hens. Wondering if the LPD virus is worse that we thought and it's halting reproduction like it has down in the upper States. I submitted two diseased birds to Guelph a few years back.
Is anyone else seeing the same in their hunting WMU?

In 66a....I saw lots of poults after the hatch. 5-6 hens in the flock had what looked like 8-10 each. But as the weeks went on the numbers dropped fast. The last time I saw some of them, there was 1 hen with 2 poults and another with only one. Obviously I missed some, but the per hen losses seeemed to be pretty high.

Last year I only saw maybe 4 Jakes in that flock that survived the winter.

Still not a bad sized flock that seems to be getting bigger each year, slowly but surely. :)

55a, 55b and 58. Seeing large numbers of lone hens or paired hens. I have only seen one when with poults and that in and of itself was very strange as she had well over 20 with her. I watched this group for several hours on and off while working and no other hens were around.

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Spent the last week driving daily back and for from Fenelon Falls to The Dirty Shawa (4 trips). Seen now six or 7 lone adult hens with no poults (Blackstock, Hampton, Pontypool, Mossport). Still have not seen a single hen with young. Something definately ain't right. Every one of these hens would have had a crop of poults beside them less than 10 years ago. LPD? Looks like West Nile has almost exterpated the Ruffed Grouse in the area I live but according to the available literature, young turkey are supposed to be less susecptible. Look up LPD in the US for more info.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11195649/. West Nile paper

https://reeis.usda.gov/web/crisproje...ork-state.html

Unfortunately last falls samples are still waiting to be processed at a lab in Georgia due to the pandemic. Kind of put a halt to WNV research here.

Not sure about pullets, but I did see Turkey a whole field up near River Valley in June. River Valley is kinda north of Sturgeon Falls about 50 km's

I saw half dozen little ones a week ago in in Beaverton.

Maybe it was too hot and cooked the eggs? We did see temps shattering old records for a longest period of heat. It's been a scorching season so far . Who knows the heat may or may not have played a roll just a thought.

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See hens moving slow in hay field. Clovers too tall to see little ones now

These two just walked past the house. Nice fall birds

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5d3953ff64.jpg

If I hadn't seen it with my owns eyes,...

I saw a hen on the side of the road yesterday and as she turned to go into the ditch, she was followed by a handful of what looked like week old poults..

I've never heard of a hatch this late in the year, we're mid summer now !!!

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Originally Posted by MikePal

If I hadn't seen it with my owns eyes,...

I saw a hen on the side of the road yesterday and as she turned to go into the ditch, she was followed by a handful of what looked like week old poults..

I've never heard of a hatch this late in the year, we're mid summer now !!!

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I have seen them with young poults around here, well into September. Makes you wonder how they handle the winter.....

Been seeing quite a few family groups the last 2 weeks, in the Buck Lake to the Rideau area, some poults the size of pigeons and some as big as mallards. Most groups were anywhere from 4 to 8 younguns, but might have been more in the tall grass unseen.
Also seeing some good sized fawns out and about.
John

Went for a drive Monday morning to put in a tree stand and check-in with a couple farmers in WMU 75. Saw quite a few hens and poults.

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Haven't seen any poults in 72 or 73 this summer.

Yup - still haven't seen a single brood in 75 and south part of 60. All the hens are completely barren. Now seeing more groups of 2-3 adult hens together. I wonder if I'll see birds with LPD lesions on them when the winter flock starts to frequent our feeder in December. Didn't see any last winter at our house but euthanized and submitted two infected birds to MNR the previous winter. Call MNR if you see an infected bird in your area (can't miss it - looks exactly like avian pox. The entire head is covered in sores, crusts, and tumour-like bumps, looks like a really bad case of demodex mange.).

I have hens with 4” tall little ones and hens with 6” tall little one and some size of chickens

I don’t think lil guys will make through winter they better eat lots get some size

I'm in the Smiths Falls area and I am seeing hens on trail camera without any poults. This would be the 2nd year this happened. I saw no jakes at all this spring, so the next few years could be very quiet in the turkey woods.

I have more big toms right now than I’ve ever had. Hens with lots of poults chicken size

Late season poults here it seems for the second year now. I’m in the Perth / Westport area.

73 there are lots of poults. Late start due to very cold spring. I believe hens abandoned first clutch.
Some broods were really big!

Looks like it is going to be another amazing year!

https://i.imgur.com/zcyCrOO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vGldIs6.jpg

About a week ago I went out to get my mail. 4:00 50 birds in the field at first I thought they were geese. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...82a85ee4ee.jpg

Down here in 94, theyre all over the place moving into the towns n city