How do rehabbers feed adult martins

[teridickinson]

Thinking about all these cold downed martins. If the rehabbers force feed them until they are a little stronger but not yet ready to release, will the martins eat live crickets on their own in a cage if they are not trained to eat dead one from the ground. Seems like it would a tremendous amount of work to have to feed them all but martins seem to have a really hard time figuring out to eat from a tray unless they are desperate. Just curious how it all works in rehab.

[Louise Chambers]

They usually have to force feed them - with nestlings, I have seen them fed a more liquid food straight into the crop with a tube, so they can get multiple 'feedings' done at once.

Penny Halstead, the rehabber who is so helpful to martin landlords, has said she gets a few martins who learn to pick up food items on their own, but most have to be fed by hand.

Anyone who is feeding their martins, please see sticky posts above, the one from TX Rehabber has very good info, and PMCA sticky has info on where to buy insects, how to feed, etc.

[teridickinson]

Thanks Louise.

Any idea how many times a day they have to feed the adults?

Makes me want to quit my job and go down and help.

[Louise Chambers]

No, I just know they work really hard to care for all the birds and animals in their care. They'd probably welcome volunteers, would require training first.

[KathyF]

Teri - read the thread by TX Rehabber that I just bumped and Louise made a sticky:

http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19872