Female with broken wing
I have a adult female with a broken wing. I took it to wildlife center. It was in my yard and I have a colony of Martins. Most have laid eggs. Would the male set on the eggs? Once the Martin is ready to release I am going back to get her and release her in my yard.
Female with Broken Wing
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Mary Dawnsong
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:17 pm
- Location: Michigan, Livingston County
Hi,
Good luck to your injured female. Unfortunately her clutch cannot hatch.
A male cannot incubate eggs. He does not have a brood patch, thus cannot warm them sufficiently. A brood patch is an area on the belly without feathers; it allows skin to come in direct contact with eggs.
My best, mary
Good luck to your injured female. Unfortunately her clutch cannot hatch.
A male cannot incubate eggs. He does not have a brood patch, thus cannot warm them sufficiently. A brood patch is an area on the belly without feathers; it allows skin to come in direct contact with eggs.
My best, mary
Click here to see my colony
"In Michigan every martin matters"
"In Michigan every martin matters"
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Guest
Mary,
I am afraid that too much time has probably passed, but if not, do you think that there would be any chance the eggs could be distributed to other nests where the female is setting? Do you think that this could be potentially too disruptive to take the chance?
Jeff
I am afraid that too much time has probably passed, but if not, do you think that there would be any chance the eggs could be distributed to other nests where the female is setting? Do you think that this could be potentially too disruptive to take the chance?
Jeff
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Mary Dawnsong
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:17 pm
- Location: Michigan, Livingston County
Hi Jeff,
Each landlord has his/her own policy on this, but I don't mess with eggs or broods. I will return a fallout to its nest, but otherwise I let nature take its course in this area.
I am not saying more involvement is good or bad, but it is a slippery slope. Where do you stop? In a large colony during a difficult season there are literally dozens of eggs/chicks that could be "shuffled" to an ideal configuration. I just plain don't do it. But... I'm not saying its wrong. Look at what's being done to save the Whooping Crane!
My best, Mary
Each landlord has his/her own policy on this, but I don't mess with eggs or broods. I will return a fallout to its nest, but otherwise I let nature take its course in this area.
I am not saying more involvement is good or bad, but it is a slippery slope. Where do you stop? In a large colony during a difficult season there are literally dozens of eggs/chicks that could be "shuffled" to an ideal configuration. I just plain don't do it. But... I'm not saying its wrong. Look at what's being done to save the Whooping Crane!
My best, Mary
Click here to see my colony
"In Michigan every martin matters"
"In Michigan every martin matters"
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Guest
Mary,
Exactly the wise answer I expected from you - good advice.
Hope this cold and damp Michigan weather goes away soon or it looks like you'll be cooking and serving scrambled eggs all weekend for your colony, eh?
Jeff
Exactly the wise answer I expected from you - good advice.
Hope this cold and damp Michigan weather goes away soon or it looks like you'll be cooking and serving scrambled eggs all weekend for your colony, eh?
Jeff
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Mary Dawnsong
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:17 pm
- Location: Michigan, Livingston County
My advice is pragmatic, don't know that it's wise.
This is a bad, bad spell of weather we're in for.
I started feeding yesterday afternoon. Looks like they've finished their breakfast of 6 scrambled eggs and are ready for a mid-morning snack.
My Bluebirds have built a new nest in a different box, but not started laying thank gosh. I've got Tree Swallows on eggs and they just might lose their clutches. I'll be putting dead crickets in the TRES gourds/boxes -just push them through the entry hole - but not all TRES will eat them.
This is a bad, bad spell of weather we're in for.
I started feeding yesterday afternoon. Looks like they've finished their breakfast of 6 scrambled eggs and are ready for a mid-morning snack.
My Bluebirds have built a new nest in a different box, but not started laying thank gosh. I've got Tree Swallows on eggs and they just might lose their clutches. I'll be putting dead crickets in the TRES gourds/boxes -just push them through the entry hole - but not all TRES will eat them.
Click here to see my colony
"In Michigan every martin matters"
"In Michigan every martin matters"
-
Guest
Geez Mary,
Your breakfast sounds good. I think we'll be over in the morning. Tell the martins to save some for us!
I have had success offering meal worms on a toothpick to a female chickadee sitting on her nest in a nesting box located on our deck. I don't know if a tree swallow would ever behave similarly but I doubt it. It would make it easier if they would. Frankly, I think the adult tree swallows represent an even bigger challenge than the martins when it comes to getting them to eat supplemental food. I have had success with the babies as you know.
Bluebirds are easy for us since they are trained to come to our deck feeder twice a day for meal worms. Many of them winter over on our property and they come to the feeder year-round. I think if they can get out, get adequate food, and get right back to the nest they can keep the eggs and young through a cold and wet spell like this.
I have over 150 paw paw seedlings that I started this spring to protect somehow. If it threatens to get any colder I am going to have to construct some sort of temporary shelter for them. I don't think I have lost the blossoms on our fruit trees yet as happened in a late freeze last spring, but I'll be watching the thermometer closely!
Good luck!
Jeff
Your breakfast sounds good. I think we'll be over in the morning. Tell the martins to save some for us!
I have had success offering meal worms on a toothpick to a female chickadee sitting on her nest in a nesting box located on our deck. I don't know if a tree swallow would ever behave similarly but I doubt it. It would make it easier if they would. Frankly, I think the adult tree swallows represent an even bigger challenge than the martins when it comes to getting them to eat supplemental food. I have had success with the babies as you know.
Bluebirds are easy for us since they are trained to come to our deck feeder twice a day for meal worms. Many of them winter over on our property and they come to the feeder year-round. I think if they can get out, get adequate food, and get right back to the nest they can keep the eggs and young through a cold and wet spell like this.
I have over 150 paw paw seedlings that I started this spring to protect somehow. If it threatens to get any colder I am going to have to construct some sort of temporary shelter for them. I don't think I have lost the blossoms on our fruit trees yet as happened in a late freeze last spring, but I'll be watching the thermometer closely!
Good luck!
Jeff