2nd Gourd Rack

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LDCLSU
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: Louisiana/Meaux

Replaced a S&K barn with a second gourd rack. Used the S&K pole for a feeder tray an nesting material tray.
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In my back yard
In my back yard
Back yard.jpg (79.06 KiB) Viewed 6273 times
2010- 8 pair
2011- 24 pair- 112 eggs- 103 fledge
2012- 40 pair- 147 eggs so far
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Dave Reynolds
Posts: 2441
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged

Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged

LDCLSU --

Great Photo. The houses look good, hope you have a great year. :lol:

Dave -- in Little Hocking, Ohio
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Little Hocking, Ohio
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M.Stephens
Posts: 1130
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Texas/Texarkana

Hello LDCLSU , Welcome to the forum!
Good looking site!
Looks like a downpour just left your place. : )
Malcolm
2015 (110 nesting pair)
2014 (92 nesting pair)
2013 (75 nesting pair)
2012 (35 nesting pair)
2011 (20 pair)
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tonyg
Posts: 1520
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:16 pm
Location: Olpe, KS
Martin Colony History: 22 year landlord, 14 at current residence..offering 9 racks and a homemade T-8 for 166 total cavities. 160 Pair in 2018 Racks consist of a Deluxe 12, AAA 16, Starburst 16, 2 K-18 Series, Super 24, 2 Gemini, Multi-purpose/two trio’s/4gourds and a T-8..Great hobby to be involved in..

Are those homemade racks? What are the Bo 11 gourds hanging from? Send that rain to Kansas...
22 year landlord..9 Rack Systems for 2018 and my home built T-8 for a total of 166 cavities..160 pair in 2018 ..SUPER COLONY!!! Love You Bev... Fan of those St. Louis Cardinals!!!!!
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dsonyay
Posts: 1677
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:10 pm
Location: Louisiana/Broussard
Martin Colony History: 2010-2014 located in Slidell LA. Gourd rack with 16 gourds. Max of 2 pairs during this short period in Slidell. Plenty of fledglings.

2014-present.. moved to Broussard LA. Same Gourd Rack but added a 6 room house (modified from a 12 room)

2020: after a long drought of nothing, 4 pairs and 4 nests, 23 eggs total.
6 fledges.

2021: 9 pair, 47 eggs
36 hatchlings
30 fledged

2022: about 12 pairs.. many eggs, all fledged.. only had one hatchling die.. probably because of our schnauzer. :(

2023: 16 pairs. So far about 60 chicks with about a dozen eggs to go.

2024: 13 pair. About 60 eggs
2025: 14 pairs .. 69 eggs.

That's a nice site you have. Are you using oilfield/drilling pipe for your poles?

Any house sparrow or starling problems?
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Stretch
Posts: 192
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 2:25 pm
Location: White House, TN

Great looking equipment! Perfect location!
2011 19 Pair, 108 eggs, 74 fledged
2010 9 Pair, 44 eggs, 30 fledged
Mast 1: western cedar T18 + 4 SREH tunneled gourds - 3"x3"x24' alum. custom fab mast
Mast 2: 11 Horizontal Gourds with custom Jack Petty entrances +6 SREH tunneled supergourd - 2in deluxe 18.
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parkerdes
Posts: 417
Joined: Sun Apr 30, 2006 5:41 pm
Location: TEXAS/Weatherford

Great setup & site!!!
I did notice one thing...you have predator guards on all your poles but is the rope tied up under them?
I was warned that predators...especially snakes...could climb up it & get into my gourds & housing. I had speaker wire from the ground to a speaker on my rack when I was so desperately trying to attract my first pair. All my rope is tied up above the predator guards.
Just a warning!!!
Good luck & you have lots of room to grow your colony!!
Take Care!!
Lila

2009--1 ASY & 1 SY Pair
2010--6 Pairs
2011--11 Successful Pairs + 1 Late Pair that lost their brood to heat!
2012--18 ASY Pairs & 1 SY Pair---104 eggs so far! 1 SY nest lost to infanticide! :o(
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LDCLSU
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: Louisiana/Meaux

Thanks everyone

TonyG- There are homemade racks. I built them myself. I tried hanging the guards with electrical wire but with the tunnels on them they leaned foward to much. I bought cooling caps and hard mounted the caps then connected the gourds to the cooling caps with wire.

Dsonyay- I went to the ship yard and bought 1 1/2 sch 80 galvanized pipe.

Parkerdes- Thanks for the warning-My ropes are tied under the guards but I have a cap on the top of the guard. My ropes pass through the guard and I drilled a hole in the cap that fits snug around the rope.
2010- 8 pair
2011- 24 pair- 112 eggs- 103 fledge
2012- 40 pair- 147 eggs so far
PMAC Member
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Linda Reynolds
Posts: 1308
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 8:33 pm
Location: Adamsville, TN

LDCLSU, your site looks wonderful and your housing great. Good luck to you this season.

Those homemade racks apprear to be or close to the Abare racks. We own and use one, and it has served us and our martins very well for many, many years. The rack is pretty, functional, and easy to build.
Ever-Grateful,
Linda
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LDCLSU
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: Louisiana/Meaux

Linda- I got my plans from Abare
2010- 8 pair
2011- 24 pair- 112 eggs- 103 fledge
2012- 40 pair- 147 eggs so far
PMAC Member
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dsonyay
Posts: 1677
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:10 pm
Location: Louisiana/Broussard
Martin Colony History: 2010-2014 located in Slidell LA. Gourd rack with 16 gourds. Max of 2 pairs during this short period in Slidell. Plenty of fledglings.

2014-present.. moved to Broussard LA. Same Gourd Rack but added a 6 room house (modified from a 12 room)

2020: after a long drought of nothing, 4 pairs and 4 nests, 23 eggs total.
6 fledges.

2021: 9 pair, 47 eggs
36 hatchlings
30 fledged

2022: about 12 pairs.. many eggs, all fledged.. only had one hatchling die.. probably because of our schnauzer. :(

2023: 16 pairs. So far about 60 chicks with about a dozen eggs to go.

2024: 13 pair. About 60 eggs
2025: 14 pairs .. 69 eggs.

What kind of pole guards? Homemade?
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LDCLSU
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: Louisiana/Meaux

Dsonyay- the are 6" PVC home made with hinges. They are easily removed for nest checks
2010- 8 pair
2011- 24 pair- 112 eggs- 103 fledge
2012- 40 pair- 147 eggs so far
PMAC Member
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M.Stephens
Posts: 1130
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Texas/Texarkana

Those are the same that I use but mine look to be a ft. or 2 longer than yours.

I built 6 of them and added snake netting to the top of mine.

They are made from Abare's site.

I love them!!!
Malcolm
2015 (110 nesting pair)
2014 (92 nesting pair)
2013 (75 nesting pair)
2012 (35 nesting pair)
2011 (20 pair)
____________
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LDCLSU
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: Louisiana/Meaux

Yes very easy to make and I havent had any problems with them.
2010- 8 pair
2011- 24 pair- 112 eggs- 103 fledge
2012- 40 pair- 147 eggs so far
PMAC Member
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