IF _/™ 
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY 
Production Indices 
Brood counts were made on 55 water areas and pothole transect 
routes in the period of May 23 to July 2. The brood counts were made 
in all parts of the State. The most notable feature of the counts was the 
scarcity of broods in all parts of the State. A total of 137 broods were 
seen in all. 
Thirty of the brood count areas had been censused both in 1952 
and 1953. On these areas, only 60 broods were recorded this year 
compared with 132 in 1953 and 231 in 1952. This year's data are not 
strictly comparable with the 1952 and 1953 counts since some of the 
counts were made as much as ten days earlier than in these years. 
However, the figures illustrate the relative scarcity of broods. An 
unusually large number of paired adults were recorded on the counts, 
The number was 235 on the 30 areas. 
Most of the broods (62. 8%) were of Class I age. It is probable 
that the counts were made while the main hatch of the spring was coming 
off, 
Average brood sizes were quite large. The over-all average 
brood size was 7.5 compared with 7.2 in 1953 and 7.4 in 1952. Brood 
sizes ran large for mallards, blue-winged teal and ringnecks which 
are the principal breeding ducks of the State. Most mallard broods 
were in the Class I and Class Il age group. The absence of mallards 
and other ducks in the Class II I groups indicates that early nests may 
have been destroyed by the snowstorm in May. Nearly ail blue-winged 
teal and ringneck broods were Class I, indicating that hatching was in 
progress for these species when the counts were made. On the other 
hand, broods observed during an intensive survey in the Chippewa 
National Forest between June 24 and July 12 were predominately 
Class III with only a few Class I's. The adult-Juvenile ratio was 
1:2.9, which is considerably better than 1953, and is 8.2 percent 
better than the average for the period 1937 through 1953. 
Conclusions - 
Breeding pair studies indicated that Minnesota started out with 
at least a normal breeding waterfowl population. 
Weather conditions (a snowstorm) in May were such as would 
delay nesting and would cause some loss of early nests. 
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