Better storage of my gourds

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jpp77
Posts: 175
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:21 pm
Location: Lawrence, KS area
Martin Colony History: 2015 - 1 pair, not successful (Sparrows)
2016 - 1 pair, 4 young
2017 - 5 pair, 23 young
2018 - 8 pair, 40 young, two deaths most likely due to heat.
2019 - 18 pair, 74 eggs, 1 nest abandoned, all the rest successful.
2020 - 32 nests, unknown exact egg numbers, 1 death.

Needed a better way to store my gourds in the off-season, so built this in my shop. Nothing fancy, but it's definitely a space saver. Room for another row below if I decide to expend by one more gourd rack.
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Martingourd.png
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Martingourd.png
Martingourd.png (344.66 KiB) Viewed 7843 times
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Dale D
Posts: 329
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:11 am
Location: Orlando, Fl
Martin Colony History: Landlord since 2004

Very organized! Nice job!
Orlando, FL Landlord since 2004
Offer 42 Cavities Total
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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

..jpp.. Great look,,, nice and neat... Good job

Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
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jpp77
Posts: 175
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:21 pm
Location: Lawrence, KS area
Martin Colony History: 2015 - 1 pair, not successful (Sparrows)
2016 - 1 pair, 4 young
2017 - 5 pair, 23 young
2018 - 8 pair, 40 young, two deaths most likely due to heat.
2019 - 18 pair, 74 eggs, 1 nest abandoned, all the rest successful.
2020 - 32 nests, unknown exact egg numbers, 1 death.

Thanks! I'm not here to push housing on people, but man my Bo11+ (gourd within a gourd with vent caps) worked like gangbusters this year. Had many days with babies in 105 degree temps with heat indices over 110 and I didn't lose a single baby to heat. I was just sure I would. Can't hang as many on a rack as they are slightly heavier. Maybe I got lucky with wind, etc.. Who knows. Think I may expand to one more Gemini rack. Have 16 gourds on each for a total of 32 and call it good. We shall see.
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sugarcreek
Posts: 252
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2016 10:43 am
Location: Sugarcreek, Ohio
Martin Colony History: 2016 First Yr.

Very impressive
16 - 14 Cavities 4 Act. Ne 9 fledged, 2.25 Fl. per Act. Ne
17 - 36 Cavities 18 Act. Ne 65 Fledged, 3.61 Fl. per Act. Ne
18 - 54 Cavities 43 Act. Ne 169 Fledged, 3.93 Fl. per Act. Ne
19 - 108 Cavities 67 Act. Ne 209 Fledged, 3.12 Fl. per Act. Ne
20 - 108 Cavities 72 Act. Ne 243 Fledged, 3.38 Fl. per Act. Ne
21 - 112 Cavities 91 Act. Ne 313 Fledged, 3.44 Fl. per Act. Ne
22 - 114 Cavities 101 Act Ne 355 Fledged, 3.51 Fl. per Act. Ne
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MartinMama
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2017 9:00 pm
Location: Riverside, IA
Martin Colony History: 2017 Two (and a lone SY male) SY pairs, 5 & 4 eggs. Hatching began on 6/27
2016 Three SY Martins interested in gourds, but never nested.

I also manage 48 gourds in the town where I live through the Songbird Project. Was off to a very slow start this year, but many more came back last week in May, phew!

Nice! I store mine in mesh ball bags, the ones used for soccer balls. Then I can hang the whole bunch of them on a hook on the wall or from the ceiling.
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Rodger Drye
Posts: 671
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:07 am
Location: NC/Mt. Pleasant
Martin Colony History: Have been hosting and providing a sanactuary for Purple Martins for 30 years.

You got it looking good.
I built a 3’ x 3’ x 8’ box that mounts on the front forks of my tractor. Then I simply transport them to my metal shop. Used to transport them in several trips in my UTV. This new way really saves time. Plus only have to handle them 1 time instead of 4.

Rodger
PMCA Member
Have been Hosting and Protecting Martin's for 30 years.
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Dave Duit
Posts: 2145
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
Location: Iowa / Nevada
Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.

Looks great. I hang all 60 of my THGs in the loft of my wood working building on suspended metal rods that thread through the gourd holes. the rods are themselves threaded on the ends and screw into a turnbuckle and then into a eye bolt on one end and a hook bolt on the other end. The eye bolt and hook bolt then connect to each end of my shed. I like to hear about everyone new ideas on storage of gourds.
ImageMite control, heat venting, predator protection and additional feeding during bad weather add up to success.
ImageIPMO LOGO1.jpg
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jpp77
Posts: 175
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:21 pm
Location: Lawrence, KS area
Martin Colony History: 2015 - 1 pair, not successful (Sparrows)
2016 - 1 pair, 4 young
2017 - 5 pair, 23 young
2018 - 8 pair, 40 young, two deaths most likely due to heat.
2019 - 18 pair, 74 eggs, 1 nest abandoned, all the rest successful.
2020 - 32 nests, unknown exact egg numbers, 1 death.

Sounds nice!
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