PM egg question

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williamn
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:01 pm
Location: TN/Shelbyville

If PM moves an egg to the edge of the nest away from the other eggs does
it mean it is infertile. What should I do?
2014 1 pair,5 eggs,5 hatched & fledged
2015 9 pair, 43 eggs, 41 hatched & fledged
2016 Bad year 9 pair died after laying eggs
2017 rebuilding year, 15 nests with 53 hatched and fledged
2018 28 gourds,22 occupied,112 eggs
2020 28 gourds, 27 occupied, 87 eggs



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DebA
Posts: 1941
Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
Location: Pratt County/Kansas
Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.

When I have seen that I replace in the nest bowl. Yes the parents will remove a non viable egg. But it could have been by accident if they flushed out quickly or from a storm or a house sparrow or subbie messing with things. So I always replace. Sometimes I will find it out again with other eggs still in the nest. If they don't take it out of the cavity I leave it until about a week after all other eggs have hatched. Anyway, that's what I do.
Deb
PMCA MEMBER
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
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pmlover
Posts: 805
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:30 pm
Location: OH/New Concord

Debra is so right I have this happen to me many times and the eggs usually hatches and if it doesn't it wont hurt anything. It will just be there at the end of the season and when you clean the houses you can take it out then.
Dick
2015 69 pairs 418 eggs 396 fledged
2019 I have 148 openings now
2016 100 pairs 600 babies fledged added another t-14 and have 126 openings now
2015 Jun 24 360 babies and 58 eggs also found one that had died
2017 632 babies 11died and 20 were killed by hawks
2015 74 pairs and 9 eggs 5/14
2010 3pairss
]JOINED PMCA JUNE 6,2018
2018 651 babies 5 hawk kills 11 floater kills 25 died in houses and 610 fledged

2014 80 pairs 283 babies 282 fledged one died
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williamn
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:01 pm
Location: TN/Shelbyville

Thanks Deb & Dick for the info.
2014 1 pair,5 eggs,5 hatched & fledged
2015 9 pair, 43 eggs, 41 hatched & fledged
2016 Bad year 9 pair died after laying eggs
2017 rebuilding year, 15 nests with 53 hatched and fledged
2018 28 gourds,22 occupied,112 eggs
2020 28 gourds, 27 occupied, 87 eggs



PMCA Member
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wastrox
Posts: 69
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 10:16 am
Location: VA/Great Falls
Martin Colony History: A new purple martin wannabe landlord, I took over management of long neglected colonies at two public golf courses Spring of 2015. I had 20 nesting pairs at Algonkian Golf Course and 15 at Brambleton.

Good question. I checked a house at an unmonitored site for the first time this week and found an egg on the porch of a Trio house. There were two nests in the house but not near the egg. I just left it there. Wasn't sure what to do. Sounds like next time I should just find a nest to put it in?
2015 Obsessed Newbie - brand spankin' new 6 gourd Troyer system at home and only lookers
2015 took over management in late May of sites at two golf courses with active colonies
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