Drought

A

Alaskan swamp collies

Well-known member
Lots of ND and a good portion of SD and MT in exceptional drought according to the drought monitor. Is it as bad as they say? Weren't that long ago that production was way down because of drought. Drought seems to be really hammering the southwest even more so.
 
Interesting how things are different in different areas. In Iowa dry weather spells good nesting conditions. Wet is much less favorable for nesting and young survival.

Of course dry for us may not be dry for others.

Yes, it is dry.
 
It seems like in SD, dry is good for nesting. But afterward, if drought is bad & stays bad, that's when birds start feeling the stress. Then they enter winter in sub-optimum shape & things can go downhill in a hurry if winter is tough. And I'd rather not hunt when it's really dry. Tougher scenting conditions. Usually warmer. Dust all over everyone & everything. More deep gun cleaning required.
 
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Dry is good, drought is bad. Need relatively dry and warmer nights so that the chicks do not die of hypothermia. Only so many can squeeze under momma.

As the chicks start to grow, they need insect protein to build weight and grow ... they have just 12 - 16 weeks to grow up. Moisture is key for bug hatches.

Occasional rain is good, prolong cool rain (when you see that wrap around ... rain, cool temps, and north winds that lasts for days and days) that is what drops the brood count down rather quick.

If a hen looses 'em all she renests and often keeps trying into July if not early August. We all have seen those birds in October that can barely fly and all say those have no chance for winter survival.
 
BRITTMAN said:
Dry is good, drought is bad. Need relatively dry and warmer nights so that the chicks do not die of hypothermia. Only so many can squeeze under momma.

As the chicks start to grow, they need insect protein to build weight and grow ... they have just 12 - 16 weeks to grow up. Moisture is key for bug hatches.

Occasional rain is good, prolong cool rain (when you see that wrap around ... rain, cool temps, and north winds that lasts for days and days) that is what drops the brood count down rather quick.

If a hen looses 'em all she renests and often keeps trying into July if not early August. We all have seen those birds in October that can barely fly and all say those have no chance for winter survival.
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You hit it on the head. Dry is a relative term, a little dry is OK but a drought can be devastating. I remember my dad finding a dead hen sitting on a best in 1988, the worst drought of my lifetime.
 
Planting corn next to a CRP piece today. About 7:00 pm at least four harems of hens came out and started feeding, along with their roosters. About 6-8 hens in each group. You could see the roosters a 1/4 mile away, they looked nearly fluorescent, the hens you could hardly make out. More hens than I’ve ever seen here.

Then there were a couple groups of roosters that evidently lost out, feeding by themselves.

There’s still snow geese and lesser Canada geese here. No barn swallows so I don’t know why I’m planting, my grandad would question me.
 
Saw a documentary that said from the Arkansas/Oklahoma border onto the West coast there is a unique type of drought taken place. Supposed to happen every 1200 years. Scientist call it a mega drought. Last for about 20 years.

Say that it's affects are being felt by farmers that rely on irrigation to farm. Lake Mead in Airzona water level is like 29 feet below normal because of it.

Cause weather patterns to change from their normal seadonal type patterns. Causing the rain fall amounts to change.
 
McFarmer said:
Planting corn next to a CRP piece today. About 7:00 pm at least four harems of hens came out and started feeding, along with their roosters. About 6-8 hens in each group. You could see the roosters a 1/4 mile away, they looked nearly fluorescent, the hens you could hardly make out. More hens than I’ve ever seen here.

Then there were a couple groups of roosters that evidently lost out, feeding by themselves.

There’s still snow geese and lesser Canada geese here. No barn swallows so I don’t know why I’m planting, my grandad would question me.
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You plant alot of corn ?
 
Drought is nothing new for the west or southwest. California is in the midst of a 20 year "mega drought." Take a look at the water levels in Lake Mead this spring. They are at the lowest they've been in a long time and that reservoir/river provides water for most of the southwest.

As for the drought in the Dakotas, yes, its dry. According to the drought monitor, most of ND is in stage 3 drought and a portion of SD is in stage 3 drought, with the rest in stage 1 or 2 drought. I don't think a monsoon of rain at one time is the answer, its just a sustained period of steady rain.
 
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