Supplemental feeding…When to stop?

[brent]

Hi everyone. Well no need to say how satisfying it is to be able to flip crickets, mealworms, beetles and scrambled eggs to our beloved martins. In fact, I’m just getting in from doing that. I must have had 60+ martins! Definitely not all mine but I’m happy to feed them. Beautiful birds. My question, since I’m new to this, is when to stop? Tomorrow the temperatures will be mid 50s but I know, just like this morning, they’ll be looking for me. Should I just hold back and let them go out to feed? I sure don’t want them to become dependent on supplemental feeding. Let me know your thoughts. BTW, they all look great. Thanks, Brent.

[C.C.Martins]

Good fn question!!! Brent, think long term. Cement the success you and your birds have in their brain. Id feed them again until they show no intrest. They will be back, next year could be bad too, and many after that. Get them trained my friend.

Man, great success story!!!

[Martintown33]

Agree yall. The martins look very good. They fed all day since 1 pm. They Cleaned out the crickets in compartments before they left. I agree with Tom, Brent. I’d feed them again tomorrow and again, Sunday since it is going to be 49 degrees with rain all day, 100% chance. It’s going to start warming up for a good stretch, then another cold snap the week after.. they’ll probably be full on Monday with warming weather, and your guests may decide to move on. But it may be a good idea to throw a few up every 4 or 5 days , throughout the season, to keep it drilled in their brains, and ready for any weather event.. and also, fun for you.. I have had success feeding them on their porches during feeding time. They come out pick up a few, go in and feed. Repeat til their all gone.. great work! Congrats..
Rob

[Thomabear]

I agree with all the comments. The weather will be warming but I would definitely feed on bad weather days. I think the ultimate goal would be to get them started on platform feeders. At least thats my plan after giving my arm such a workout requiring a dose of advil.

[Dave Duit]

Thomabear is so spot on with getting them to learn about a platform feeder. Some will not take to a platform feeder, but ultimately it will save tons of time from flipping crickets. Some will not do the flipping crickets and others will take from their gourd porches. Basically, I'd offer a variety to methods to get them to eat. About 90% of my large colony are comfy with platform feeding.

[Martintown33]

Agree Thomabear and Dave. So true how some will eat from different methods. Mine are now very accustomed to eating from inside the front rooms of house compartments, house porches, and gourd porches. But they won’t go to the same crickets on the elevated platform feeder right in front of the racks, or take to flipping. I’m just glad they will at least eat at all, but platform feeding is ideal and easiest method for sure.
Rob

[brent]

I’m going to look into establishing a platform for feeding next year. Where do you set them up? Brent

[Martintown33]

Hi Brent ,good idea to try platters… i have my platter on an old tri tel telescoping pole, so it’s easily raised and lowered for reloading.. centered between my racks.. about 12 to 15 feet in front of them. The bluebirds and mockingbirds use it all the time. Wish the martins would..
Rob

[flyin-lowe]

I've never seen mine eat flipped food unless they were hungry. I am guessing after the next warm day where they can feed good they will let you know. The first day weather is supposed to be good I stop feeding. Wouldn't hurt to try and see if they take it.

[Thomabear]

Brent, I’m using one of those B&B platforms with the 4 trays. I’ve been using one tray for a pine straw rack made out of 4x4 wire, another tray for egg shells and another for food. They use the heck out of the pine straw rack and some of the egg shell tray but they haven’t used the food tray. Hoping that will change now that they’re food trained. I have it about 20 feet or so from their houses.

[Phil01]

I’ve been looking at the B&B and will most likely put one up for next season… I like your idea of putting the wire over the pine straw to keep it from blowing off Thomabear.

Do any of you have a method of getting them to transition from flipping to the platform? Or is it just put it up with food and they figure it out? Maybe flip right next to it?
Phil

[Thomabear]

I’ve been looking at the B&B and will most likely put one up for next season… I like your idea of putting the wire over the pine straw to keep it from blowing off Thomabear.

Do any of you have a method of getting them to transition from flipping to the platform? Or is it just put it up with food and they figure it out? Maybe flip right next to it?
Phil

Phil, Not sure on transitioning them from the air feeding to the platform. My thinking is just like you said, flipping toward the platform. Hopefully our Northern friends will chime in on a strategy that worked for them. I'm thinking it will take the same persistence we used to get them to take flipped insects. Once done it will be a major win to have them eating at will. Here's a photo of the B&B pine straw rack that I previously posted. It's simply 4x4 wire you can see when zooming in. Two squares wide by 3 squares high. Keeps everything in place on windy days. They love it and I found that it makes for a great nest when they have pine straw access. Much neater and easier for egg counting than sifting through oak tree leaves. I don't pack it too tight but fill it pretty good. Makes it easy for them to pull the straw.

Pine Straw Rack.jpg

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[Thomabear]

Well, I posted too soon and now I'm as excited as all get out. With all the rain going on I had a choice to feed in the rain or try the B&B feeder. (wanted to try the feeder today regardless while they were liking the crickets) I decided not to throw crickets all morning so they would be very hungry and placed a handful of crickets in the feeder. I moved it closer to their houses. I went inside and started watching them on the camera. It took about 10 minutes for the first one to land on the feeder perch rods. As soon as he saw the crickets he hopped down and ate one, then two, then more. A second bird landed and did the same. Within a couple minutes the feeder was emptied by a few martins. I refilled the feeder with crickets in one pan and rehydrated meal worms in another. As soon as I raised the feeder I barely walked away, and the feeder was already loaded with hungry martins. Took them a while to take to the meal worms since I had been throwing crickets exclusively but after they tried a few they quickly took to them. Even though it's raining it's been a great day... Pic attached

Platform Feeder.jpg

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[Thomas Maddox]

T-Bear that's awesome to see. Thank you for your efforts! Where did you get the feeder platform from?

[Thomabear]

Got it at Troyer’s, but man their price went up. Still nice to have a light aluminum set up that can be raised and lowered. Building one from scratch with the same features would probably be just as expensive. Good investment but darn… One weakness I found with them is the birds crap a ton in the trays when eating heavily. I decided to mount the perch rods below the trays when weather permits. That should help to keep everything clean. Troyer, you listening???

[Thomas Maddox]

Did you cement it in?
Yeah Troyer when you fix this issue, I'll highly consider getting one!

[brent]

Nice. I’ll have to get one. It’s the one that’s 209, right? Is it the same as the one sold by PMCA? Flipped dried hydrated meal worms this morning but the rain has gotten worse. Had to come in. I know they’re hungry. If they can hold out until tomorrow. Better days ahead. Brent

[Phil01]

Thomabear, thanks for the great pics and info of your setup for the pine straw. Very innovative and holds a bunch! I’ll definitely be making that when I put it up. Much safer for them to get pine straw from there! I’ve been putting piles of pine straw on the ground about 50 ft from the housing during nesting season and it always makes me nervous when they go to the ground with the hawks around here.

Congrats on getting them to eat from the platform! Great news and very cool to see! That was easy! lol Your flipping arm will thank you!

Question,… You said you moved the B&B closer. Is your B&B cemented in? I was looking at the B&B on bird paradise and reading the installation instructions and they say to cement it in. I’ll do that if necessary but it would be nice not to. How do you have your ground stake in the ground to make it moveable? Thanks in advance.
Phil

[Thomabear]

Thomas/Phil, I didn't use any cement. All I did was sledgehammer in a galvanized pipe for a socket leaving enough out the ground to work it back and forth for pulling. It's plenty solid and you don't need to go too far. Phil, my arm is definately thanking me. No flipping today and no Advil tonight. LOL
Brent, yes that's the same B&B feeder sold by both Troyer and the PMCA.

[C.C.Martins]

Thomabear,
That is great!!! Wow, well they did it. It looks nice and neat, what a relief im sure. No more advil for you!
Well, it will be a good spot to put egg shells?