Mortally rate

[Badger]

What is a acceptable mortally percentage for baby Martins? I cleaned out my gourds and had about 25 dead young. I have 32 gourds and have been averaging about 140 young the past 2 years. This is before i subtract the dead. So I figure I lost around 18%. This year i'm installing 3/4" pvc elbow vents in the back and upper part of the gourds in case heat is a problem. It does get hot here in the central Shenandoah Valley in the summer. Also does anybody have 100% occupancy? Any thoughts or input are welcome... Thanks

[RAMSMARTINS]

I use the 100/90/80 rule...Out of 100 eggs laid, you hope 90 hatch and 80 fledge. Or, if you have 100 hatch, you shoot for 90 fledge. I feel this is an above average outcome for a season.

[Archer]

That number does seem a little high, but not terrible. If you are doing regular nest checks, it should help you figure out what is happening. I realize its hard to do when you get near fledging. What age were the nestlings when the died? Size?

[rrmartins]

Were the nest wet? I had some drain holes clog one year and it killed three clutches in gourds.

[Badger]

I check them weekly untill they get bigger. The dead looked as if heat got to them or something happened to the parents and they starved. I would guess that most were within a week or 2 from fledgling. I guess it could be any number of things. But if my numbers are not out of line then I'm not going to be overly concerned unless the percentage starts to goes up. I think I'll finish venting my gourds anyway maybe thus will make them more comfortable. This will be my 4th year as landlord and I still have a lot to learn. Thanks for y'alls input.

[Spiderman]

I have Troyer Horizontals but your gourds are similar. I added two 3/4 ells to the back of each of the gourds. I cover the vents with duct tape until the weather gets warm.

I did find the vents helped with wet nests and heat. If I see some of the nests are wet from moisture I will uncover the vents earlier.

I didn't have any Fledglings die from heat the last two years. It is common to have 100 degree days here before they are big enough to fledge.

[Dave Reynolds]

.... Your numbers don’t seem to bad... The two years that I have had Martins so far, my hatch rate was in the middle 70’s but my fledge rate was well in the upper 90’s. I just had a lot of eggs that didn’t hatch. But for the ones that did hatch, I had a high fledge rate... I didn’t think I had bad numbers.. Enjoy your upcoming season..

Dave

[C.C.Martins]

The mortality rate is high after they fledge...60% or something like that. Id definitely vent your gourds, good plan. In fact keeping the vents open all the time isnt bad, just ensure they are oriented down to keep out water. Iv vented the gourd caps too, not entirely necessary...those i keep plugged until we experience very high heat.

[Badger]

My vents are pointing down. Again I'm using 3/4" elbows. If I thought it needed more I would install 1" elbows instead of 2 vents. After I install all of them I'll go back and put a little cauk around them to water proof them. I want to get this done before I put nesting material in the gourds. Thanks for y'alls input.