Cold rain

B

Birdybird

New member
It’s 39 and raining in north central SD. Any thoughts on how this will impact nesting? My understanding is most hens will be on their nests about now. Maybe it is early enough not to be too big a deal? Hopeful. Delusional?
 
I wouldn’t think a day of cool and wet would negatively effect much at this point but purely just my off the cuff opinion. My gut says the benefit of some rain for good bug hatch more of a positive overall.
 
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I don't think a day or two of cold, wet weather will have any significant impact on nesting or new hatches. Certainly better than hot and dry during nesting and the hatch.
 
If there are chicks, that’s one thing...but even then, a bit of rain isn’t a huge deal, though not ideal. Last year on 6/9 my area had about 5” of rain in about 30 hours, winds in the 30 mph range and highs in the 50’s...on top of a good amount of rain earlier that week...☹️
 
Chicks will hang out under mama unless forced off the nest...good news is that hens lose much of their natural scent while on the nest. I believe peak hatch is around 6/5-6/10...good to have warm weather then, and dry...chicks can’t regulate their body temps for the first week or two...
 
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Banger is right ,peak hatch is app. June 9th give or take. So hens could abandon if rain torrential. But would renest . Hatched out nests , hens won’t renest. This moisture generally is a plus for chick food(bugs) and farmers germination!
 
Here in NW Iowa I don’t think the hens are setting yet, still in the laying stage. If any are they have just started, I see a lot of hens in the fields.
 
What a change in a week since this thread started. From cold and raining to hot and dry. Temps across SD yesterday were in the triple digits and today might be hotter. I saw the high in International Falls, MN yesterday was 96 or 97. Way to hot for this time of year. I remember a June some years back that was extremely hot and dry and it really had an adverse effect on the hatch and young chicks. Looks like these high temps are going to continue for the next couple of weeks.
 
Yes Zeb there has not been any dew the last several days. It is hard to be encouraged But we are one day closer to our next good rain.
 
Been in Chamberlain the the last four days. Only one day did we have dew on the ground. Not a good sign. Grass and hills look very dry. Forecast doesn't look promising at all either.
 
Talked to the gal where I stay shooting prairie dogs, they just had up to 10 inches in that NW area of SD, was expecting another round yesterday. We are very dry in NW IA, but we have some coming on the radar now.

Update: Well, .2" not enough to change anything in my area. Shaping up to be a dry summer here.
 
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We got about .35" here in Watertown this morning and it's still sprinkling lightly. We could have used more but this is better than nothing. No rain in sight for the next 10 days with temps in the upper 80's and lower 90's.
 
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