I dont know my turkey as much as I know my ducks.
But was wondering if hen turkey will renest if their first clutch gets destroyed?
Frequently.
I have seen nests in hay fields in July in Arkansas. Probably second or third attempt?
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Almost universally down to almost never... all depends on when the nest was lost.
During egglaying, they will almost always renest. During first week of incubation, they are more likely than not going to renest. But once you get into the last week of incubation, they almost never renest, and in fact, the hen herself is usually killed as she is much less likely to even flush off the nest during the last week of incubation when confronted with a nest predator.
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They can re-nest three or four times if they have to and don't have to go get bred again to do it. I watched a hen last year make three nests before she ever got a clutch off. Was a bearded hen by the house so she was easily recognizable. Don't know what got to them first two nests, just that she lost them. Was amazed how much she moved between sites (makes sense I guess). Wound up with six poults and got two raised up. Tough life.
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An amazing testimony to Mother Nature that any survivors are found !
All the information I have seen from Wildlife agencies and other interested parties have always suggested the vast majority of hens losing nest do not. I used to take this as gospel, but I have changed my thinking. I too have watched known hens on my property and known them to renest. At one time wee were told even bumping a hen off the nest was a lost nest. I had one old hen who nested in the same spot along our main woods road. I would try and keep people away and activity away from her, but it was impossible. One year I know she got bumped 4 times and she still hatched a clutch. She hatched 9 poults and 5 made it to fall sub-adults, when we quit seeing them. That is extraordinary.
Quote from: eggshell on April 21, 2022, 08:37:46 AM
All the information I have seen from Wildlife agencies and other interested parties have always suggested the vast majority of hens losing nest do not. I used to take this as gospel, but I have changed my thinking. I too have watched known hens on my property and known them to renest. At one time wee were told even bumping a hen off the nest was a lost nest. I had one old hen who nested in the same spot along our main woods road. I would try and keep people away and activity away from her, but it was impossible. One year I know she got bumped 4 times and she still hatched a clutch. She hatched 9 poults and 5 made it to fall sub-adults, when we quit seeing them. That is extraordinary.
Wonder if the fact that she was used to seeing human activity in the area making her less wary of being bumped by humans and returned to the nest.
I can double check, but I recall Lovett Williams writing that they would re-nest.
I do think that made a difference Paul. She actually hung around the house and our property with the brood most of the summer. Then her circle got bigger and bigger until we never saw them come early winter. I used to have a few pictures of them as they grew, but I never downloaded them off an old phone.