Hens and their poults
Hens and their poults
Traveled to Western Montana a couple weeks ago and saw two hens with young birds.
The first hen had done really well and had 8 half grown birds behind her on the side of the road. I got a couple photos through my windshield but had a car coming behind me so had to move on. I was yelling at the other car while looking in my rear view mirror as they blew by the birds with no concern.....idiot could have killed them all. The second hen, only 5 or 6 miles down the road, had several poults that darted into the grass. I couldnt get a count or photos due to the car behind me. However, her poults were a lot younger than the first. Id guess that they werent much past flying into trees so maybe 4 weeks. They still had the speckled brown coloring. Made me wonder how late she was bred and if it was a second try at nesting after losing the first.
Regardless, it looked promising for this years hatch and seasons to come..
The first hen had done really well and had 8 half grown birds behind her on the side of the road. I got a couple photos through my windshield but had a car coming behind me so had to move on. I was yelling at the other car while looking in my rear view mirror as they blew by the birds with no concern.....idiot could have killed them all. The second hen, only 5 or 6 miles down the road, had several poults that darted into the grass. I couldnt get a count or photos due to the car behind me. However, her poults were a lot younger than the first. Id guess that they werent much past flying into trees so maybe 4 weeks. They still had the speckled brown coloring. Made me wonder how late she was bred and if it was a second try at nesting after losing the first.
Regardless, it looked promising for this years hatch and seasons to come..
- soiltester
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Re: Hens and their poults
These finally showed back up at my place after last pic. in late May
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
- Hoobilly
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Re: Hens and their poults
Seen these yesterday
- soiltester
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Re: Hens and their poults
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
Re: Hens and their poults
Hoobilly those are approximately the same age as those in my photos, and they actually look like turkeys. The second set of poults could have been mistaken for any young upland bird. I know they grow fast, so hoping they'll be big enough to endure winter.
- soiltester
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Re: Hens and their poults
Ya' confused me, which doesn't take much .. what second set of poults??, as I saw all turkeys in the pics,??
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
- Hoobilly
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Re: Hens and their poults
3 weeks ago I seen some down the road a mile that were the size of quail. I don't know how long it takes them to look like the ones in these pictures, but I am worried about them lol ones if we have any serious winter weather.
- soiltester
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Re: Hens and their poults
If they are that small what else would you have on the side of the roads around there, that act would like that?? Pheasants do, I know.
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
- Hoobilly
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Re: Hens and their poults
We do have quail n pheasants. But the lilbones I seen were with Moma hens. And when I drove by real slow they gave me the stank eyesoiltester wrote: ↑August 17th, 2017, 2:19 pmIf they are that small what else would you have on the side of the roads around there, that act would like that?? Pheasants do, I know.
Re: Hens and their poults
The young ones I saw were clearly turkeys, at least to a turkey hunter, since they were with a hen turkey. Someone else may mistake them for a half grown pheasant or one of the many grouse that we have. Thats probably not likely in this part of Montana by anyone that psys attention to birds because there are no pheasants or sharptails and I think the mountain grouse chicks (spruce, blues, and ruff) would be more mature if thst size and already have darker feathers at that size.
Re: Hens and their poults
When I opened the door to go to work Monday. We had a bearded hen nest out back of the house. Finally saw her. She had three poults.
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- soiltester
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Re: Hens and their poults
Appears they havn't made it too far from the nest yet
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
- hookedspur
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Re: Hens and their poults
Not seeing a lot around me ,and we had a great hatch last year..