feeding tray

[jeff gregory]

I've. Got a 4 by 4 about 6 ft above the ground. Is this high enough to put a feeder tray omit? Will the martins eat out of it?

[wyatt]

It depends on what you are feeding. They will certainly eat crushed oyster shells out of it, and they would pick up nesting material/pine straw out of it if it doesn't blow away. My feeding tray is down low next to a bench and they use it for oyster shells / pinestraw, but they feel protected because it is out on a dock. I would say it has more to do with how safe they feel than how high it is.

If you are trying to feed crickets or meal worms it is probably unlikely unless you have trained them gradually by flinging the crickets. But it can't hurt to try.

[jeff gregory]

How do you fix oyster shells?

[wyatt]

I buy a bag of 'pullet' sized (small) crushed oyster shells at the local feed / hardware store. It's very cheap. I think they use it to help grind up their food as well as for needed nutrients for egg production. There is no need to prepare these like you would have to do for egg shells.

[jeff gregory]

how do they eat the shells? do they eat the whole shell or do they pick at it till they get the meat insde of the shell. thanks for your help. still learning

jeff gregory

[wyatt]

They eat the crushed shells (picture very small white sandy gravel). There is no meat at this point. It's just the crushed shells.