Supplemental feeding

[h2y]

Expecting some arrivals soon, in this cold snap, so looking for any & all successful ways to accomplish this. It will be a life or death situation for these poor PMs after their long journey back to these bleak current conditions (sub-freezing, freezing rain). I have dried crickets, dried mealworms and laying chickens on hand. We normally fight the heat, not the cold, here so I'm ignorant so please do not spare any detail, such as what type of spoon to flip with, flipping techniques, house feeding, outdoor feeding, etc. Would like to minimize the outside time in these conditions but will do whatever it takes. Have researched a little on this forum, including the pinned topic, specifically the 2014 article. Trying to minimize what not to do. Saw a lot of familiar names while researching, so thank you for your generosity.

[C.C.Martins]

Good morning!
Good post, spot on right now. Ill get down to it.
If they have never accepted flipped food before it can take a while. Persistance is key, yes you will be cold but so are they. All it takes is one bird to go after just one cricket, so think of it that way, rest will learn quick.
Try the crickets, dried meal worms won't get far. Be interested to know if flipped laying chickens work! Haha, sorry couldn't resist.
Soak the crickets
Don't flip at them or over them. Near them and across their line of sight.
Any plastic spoon will work, even if it breaks it still works.
If they don't accept, dont give up. Sometimes they carry us, sometimes we carry them. Dress warm.
Take a break, flip a while, go inside, go back out. They will be on porches, puffed up freezing cold yet no takers...you are after just one bird to take and you win!
May need to get lots more crickets.
Day 3 is when its hard on them and you will find more success.
If they are huddled in one room of the house and dont come out at all, and you suspect you know where they are, can put crickets on the porch with a long pole and cup. Had success with that. At our public site, had no clue where they were huddled at so put food on the porches of the southern facing porches.
Keep doing that, but be sneaky dont bang the house haha.
Try throwing crickets on your roof or a platform, shed roof etc. The rolling motion may trigger them.

Hope more chime in, lots of landlords had great success last season with supplemental food. I live in south texas, yet when they get here its terrible weather...today cold wet, ice in the forcast, yet one report in our town yesterday. Then its dry as a bone and hot in summer so I feed them the whole season. They now prefer superworms.

Truly hope this helps,
Tom

[h2y]

Morning Tom, thanks for the great info provided and for replying promptly as time is of the essence. Hopefully, they won't be back for awhile especially since I lost all my earlybirds last year. You are right, our sacrifice is nothing compared to what they endure. Interesting about continuing feeding throughout the season but surely pays dividends the next year. I've noticed you help many people via replies, thanks!

[Thomabear]

Tom pretty much said it in a nutshell. My personal experience was a year of non success because I was not consistent. Last year I was determined to make it happen so I purchased a couple 1000ct boxes of large cricket accepting the fact that many would be wasted in the process. I went outside several times a day flipping, flipping, flipping. Like Tom said all it takes is one hungry enough to eat one. After that they will progressively eat more and more until they basically catch everything. They will be buzzing your head, lol. Just keep in mind that they will need to be hungry in order to take the 1st cricket so don’t let the first unsuccessful day of flipping get you down. Stay persistent! Once you have them eating, transition them to a platform feeder so they can eat at will. This part happens fast. Be prepared to top off the platform feeder often. They will empty it fast. Good luck!

[C.C.Martins]

Very welcome! Agree 100%, time is crucial. Sorry about your losses last year, hope this year you won't go through that.

Have you tried some of the pet stores for live crickets? Freeze them and they are ready.

Even if you don't get the need for feeding and they are doing fine, at some point its going to be hot and dry. They will have chicks or just hungry, consider feeding them alot. It gets food into them and trains them that it is fine to take it. That way when they do come early all you have to do is step out and they will come. Its amazing, the whole colony comes.

Here at my place I tried a platrom, it was a disaster. Sea gulls found it, and the martins did not appriciate it one bit, counter productive to say the least. So I flip. The platform is used for egg shells now. I used the roof last year, they loved that.

Crickets is a wonderful start, looks familiar. You may get to the point superworms are an option, larger the better.

I go and collect June bugs, thousands of them in May. There are some martins now that turn away from a June bug, want nothing to do with them, not all, but say 3 out of 5 are passed up. Superworms are a hit.

[h2y]

Thanks fellows, I've had mixed feelings about their return this year: excited, of course; mixed with dread, of deja vu. Now, after reading your informative replies, I am almost relishing the chance to sustain them, if it weren't so critical. At least now, I feel like I have a fighting chance but would rather it be in a non-critical situation like continuous feeding.

[Hanover Bill]

Wendy's black plastic spoons are the best. Just the right amount of flex. You'll break one occasionally, but after trying lots of different spoons. Wendy's work best for me. Plus it's a good excuse to go for a burger. LOL.

Good Luck.

[Unk Bond]

Hello
Caussion
II bought a pole and 4 tray feeder And was feeding crickets, and dried mealworms [ Waist of money [ All i had eating fom the trays Was a mocking bird Later Unk

[brent]

Hi. Like so many said persistence will pay off. Last year was the first time I had luck and as mentioned earlier it happened when the birds came to my house roof. It was unbelievable. Using a clear plastic spoon I was able to feed my birds and many others that were either passing by or came from neighboring houses. Any rate, one thing I want to mention is to wear gloves on the hand that you use to pull the spoon back. The finger or thumb will become raw otherwise. Good luck and if your house roof is facing the birds try to whistle and flip. It worked for me and they remembered because just a few days ago when it was cold they came to the roof. I whistled, flipped and they ate!!! Good luck!!

[h2y]

Thanks for all the latest, informative suggestions. Fortunately, the weather has improved substantially with a few lows in the 30s but otherwise 60 to 80s highs so they aren't hungry. Already seeing grasshoppers, wasps and an assortment of other bugs, thankfully. Just need rain bad: my normally 12 acre stock tank has shrunk to about 6 acres wet.