Landlords in Iowa
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Guest
It's really cold here today 42 for a high. I've seen a total of 4 martins at my neighbors houses this year. I have 11 pairs that nested last year but have yet to see one. I don't know of anyone around here that feeds them but from what I read on the forum it sounds like a good idea. From all the talk down south I don't know why the martins come up here but I'm glad they do. good luck from over in NE
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Bob Flam
Xkper2000, I live down here in the S.E. corner and mine came back the 1st...started to. Its a touch warmer, but I haven't fed mine anything yet and had no need to. They be getting plenty of food. Couple days it rained they hung around, but still even got out between the rains to eat some on those days.
I do feed them though and will yet. Just buy my crickets by the 1,000 in a box, when they arrive I throw it the freezer...box and all. Once frozen I open it and throw out the egg holder and piece of food they put in...usually a pc. of poTATo
You can pre-seperate them into feeding portions or throw the whole thing back in the freezer.
When I feed them I take out a hundred, or more, crickets and spread them out on a couple paper towels to thaw em out. Then take em out and put in the Bed-N-Breakfast. My birds will even sit on it when they want some.
Been feeding mine now 7 years...maybe 8
Go through a 1,000 a year, one year went through 4,000 crickets. Lost 5 birds last year even with feeding. No losses this year though...its been a nice week.
You should start training them to eat crickets. My colony is older and I've expaned most years, so I have birds coming late into the spring. Even if some early arrivals all died, I'd have more coming. But, If you have only one house and it's been full 5 years or a while. All those birds would be back early because they know competition for rooms is tough with one house. They all die, your site may be history.
I do feed them though and will yet. Just buy my crickets by the 1,000 in a box, when they arrive I throw it the freezer...box and all. Once frozen I open it and throw out the egg holder and piece of food they put in...usually a pc. of poTATo
You can pre-seperate them into feeding portions or throw the whole thing back in the freezer. When I feed them I take out a hundred, or more, crickets and spread them out on a couple paper towels to thaw em out. Then take em out and put in the Bed-N-Breakfast. My birds will even sit on it when they want some.
Been feeding mine now 7 years...maybe 8
Go through a 1,000 a year, one year went through 4,000 crickets. Lost 5 birds last year even with feeding. No losses this year though...its been a nice week. You should start training them to eat crickets. My colony is older and I've expaned most years, so I have birds coming late into the spring. Even if some early arrivals all died, I'd have more coming. But, If you have only one house and it's been full 5 years or a while. All those birds would be back early because they know competition for rooms is tough with one house. They all die, your site may be history.