The dynatomic modular curves parametrize polynomial maps together with a point of period $n$. It is known that the dynatomic curves $Y1(n)$ are smooth and irreducible in characteristic 0 for families of polynomial maps of the form $fc(z)=zm+c$ where $m\ge 2$. In the present paper, we build on the work of Morton to partially characterize the primes $p$ for which the reduction modulo $p$ of $Y1(n)$ remains smooth and/or irreducible. As an application, we give new examples of good reduction of $Y1(n)$ for several primes dividing the ramification discriminant when $n=7,8,11$. The proofs involve arithmetic and complex dynamics, reduction theory for curves, ramification theory, and the combinatorics of the Mandelbrot set.