If you've ever seen a hen with tiny poults in mid-summer, chances are she lost her first nesting attempt. Turkeys must evade predators during nesting season, but they also have to contend with harsh spring weather. Heavy rainfall, in particular, can impact nesting success in several ways.
Nest flooding
Excess rain and poor drainage can flood nests, damaging eggs by lowering their temperature or even pushing them out entirely. Flooding can also kill young poults, which are unable to fly or move quickly to safety.
Temperature control
Heavy rain can quickly saturate feathers. Young poults rely on their mother for warmth, but wet feathers don’t retain heat well. This can lead to hypothermia and increased mortality — even among older poults.
Limited food availability
During prolonged wet conditions, the high-protein insects poults depend on become less available. This added stress can hinder development and increase mortality rates.
Re-nesting challenges
If a hen loses her first nest, she will often attempt to re-nest later in the season. However, late broods may struggle if colder weather arrives early.
If you pay attention to rainfall patterns and turkey behavior, you may start to notice a trend. After particularly wet springs, it’s common to see more hens without poults in early summer—potentially leading to fewer toms in the woods a couple of seasons later.