Show off your eggshell feeding stations
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madattiver
- Posts: 263
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 8:44 pm
- Location: SK/Saskatoon
- Martin Colony History: 12 unit North Star + 4 gourds
2014 - 1 pair
2015 - 1 pair
2016 - 1 pair + 1 sub male (until my female died)
2017 - 6 pair
I am kind of curious as to what everyone is using as a feeding station for the egg shells. That is something I need to get up one of these days and was wanting some suggestions/help setting it up.
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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.
Matt,
Hello. I am no help with that. I pour mine on the ground. They seem to like it just fine.
Deb
Hello. I am no help with that. I pour mine on the ground. They seem to like it just fine.
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
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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ToyinPA
- Posts: 2227
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
- Location: PA/Avis
- Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.
My eggshell station is a plastic frisbee, with a 3-4 holes drilled in it for drainage. We placed it upside down on top of the clothline pole. It's held in place by 2 or 3 screws. It's been there for several years now.
The females will stand right in the middle of it eating shells, while the male sits on the clothesline or the edge of the frisbee, keeping guard.
My colony is small...7-12 pair, so I only go thru about a cup of crushed shells per year, if that.
I used to dump the shells on the ground, but my dogs kept eating them :(.
A pie pan will work, but over time it may rust. What ever you use make sure you drill a few holes for the rain to drain out.
Toy in PA
The females will stand right in the middle of it eating shells, while the male sits on the clothesline or the edge of the frisbee, keeping guard.
My colony is small...7-12 pair, so I only go thru about a cup of crushed shells per year, if that.
I used to dump the shells on the ground, but my dogs kept eating them :(.
A pie pan will work, but over time it may rust. What ever you use make sure you drill a few holes for the rain to drain out.
Toy in PA
PMCA Member
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4th Gen Martin Fan
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
- Location: TN/Collierville
- Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
Mine is the lid of a 5 gallon bucket. Got the bucket and lid for free from a bakery that frosts cakes. The frosting comes in big bucket.
You can eat the left over frosting and then wash the last remaining frosting out of the bucket.
Smells great even after you clean it out and you know that it had food safe item in it.
Mark.
You can eat the left over frosting and then wash the last remaining frosting out of the bucket.
Smells great even after you clean it out and you know that it had food safe item in it.
Mark.
Last edited by 4th Gen Martin Fan on Tue May 27, 2014 1:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
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John Miller
- Posts: 4863
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
I can go sticking up more stuff on poles in parks! (grin). I put some eggshells out on big flat rocks and martins and barn swallows find them. Also trying to put some eggshells on house roofs.
John
John
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JL Murray
Mine are mounted on a 8 foot landscape timber that is two foot in the ground so that puts the pans at 6 foot off the ground.
At the start of martin season, if needed i can remove the pans from the brackets on the landscape timber and place them in the brackets on any of my Gourd Racks to supplement feed at a much higher height.
I also place snake netting on the feeder pan pole as i do not want a snake to climb up and surprise a feeding Martin.
On this pole i also hang two round holed SuperGourds with Insert Traps on them to catch any Starlings that might come by.
This pole also is where i mounted a Solar Color changing lite orb, i don't know if this keeps Owls or anything else away at night, but i can say for certain that i have had this light up for over 5 years now and have seen no signs of an owl being around, But at the least it makes a nice decoration to watch it cycle through its seven different colors constantly each night. and only me around 15 dollars.
At the start of martin season, if needed i can remove the pans from the brackets on the landscape timber and place them in the brackets on any of my Gourd Racks to supplement feed at a much higher height.
I also place snake netting on the feeder pan pole as i do not want a snake to climb up and surprise a feeding Martin.
On this pole i also hang two round holed SuperGourds with Insert Traps on them to catch any Starlings that might come by.
This pole also is where i mounted a Solar Color changing lite orb, i don't know if this keeps Owls or anything else away at night, but i can say for certain that i have had this light up for over 5 years now and have seen no signs of an owl being around, But at the least it makes a nice decoration to watch it cycle through its seven different colors constantly each night. and only me around 15 dollars.
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threelilkids
- Posts: 386
- Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:11 pm
- Location: Denham Springs, La
- Martin Colony History: 2014 1 pair 3 hatched 3 fledged
2015 1 pair 5 hatched 5 fledged
2016 1 pair 5 hatched 4 fledged
2017 2 pair 8 hatched 8 fledged
2018 4 pair 15 hatched
My father in law made one out of 1 bys (square) with a screen bottom and mounted it on a basketball goal post. 
Seems like we all are making it up as we go but everybodys seems to work great. Love ya'll other ideas 
Seems like we all are making it up as we go but everybodys seems to work great. Love ya'll other ideas Matt! I put my egg shells in one corner of my garden. I think the Barn Swallows showed them were they where. I like this so I can laugh at them when they try to walk. Look like a bunch of drunken Sailors on liberty
I'm Air force so don't too mad The Males set on the tomato cages to guard but those darn subbies keep pestering
Dave
I'm Air force
so don't too mad The Males set on the tomato cages to guard but those darn subbies keep pestering Dave
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4th Gen Martin Fan
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
- Location: TN/Collierville
- Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
JL,
How far away from your martin colony is the Solar Powered Color Changing Light?
Mark.
How far away from your martin colony is the Solar Powered Color Changing Light?
Mark.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
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JL Murray
Mark in that picture it was about 20 feet away but I recently put it back to where I had it before which is ln the middle about 15 feet between 3 of the gourd racks. Here is a picture I took just a few min's ago.4th Gen Martin Fan wrote:JL,
How far away from your martin colony is the Solar Powered Color Changing Light?
Mark.
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jcassiday
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:38 am
- Location: Iowa/Grundy Center
- Martin Colony History: first house 2006, 2007 built and installed T-14 with wood pole, 2012 installed Troyer tunnels on 12 openings, 2014 installed new aluminum pole and four troyer horizontal gourds. 2015 first successful pair, 2016 four pair fledged 16. 2017 will install four more Troyer horizontal gourds a total 23 cavities.
I repurposed mu old T-14 wooden pole. Made my own hub and added brownie pans attached wil 1 inch al angle.
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- T-14 wooden pole repurposed
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Jim Beatson~SC
- Posts: 226
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 9:54 pm
- Location: Sumter, SC
- Martin Colony History: Started 2000
All natural gourds. Access ports and clinger SREH.
32 of 32 gourds occupied 2020
I put egg crushed egg shells and pullet-sized oyster shells on a sand pile in the corner of my garden spot which close to my gourd racks. The martins eat them during egg laying and feed them to their young.
Jim
Jim
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Craig Dyer
- Posts: 500
- Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 2:24 pm
- Location: Nevada, TX
- Martin Colony History: Area is rural. Offer 28 compartments...metal housing (Lonestar Goliad) & Supergourds all w/crescent entrance holes. Purple martins are abundant here and eager for quality, well maintained, safe housing. Expect near 100% occupancy this season.
I bought this oyster/egg shell feeder from the PMCA seven or eight years ago. I had to design my own pole. I used a couple of sections of galvanized fence poles in a ground socket. The pole is in two sections so one can easily remove & refill the feeder tray.
Craig Dyer
Hi all. I plan to put up a feeding station and was interested in what others had done. I read the posts and am most interested in JLMurray's post where the use of a solar powered color changing light is used. Anyone use these for owl deterrent? Where does one get one? Thanks, Brent
Brent