Newbie with update and question

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

So far, so good with my new colony. I kept the four pair of martins that were attracted to my house and all four pair have eggs. Egg laying started on May 2. To date, I have 16 eggs and I expect more since my last female to start laying is an adult female with only two eggs so far. My other three females are all SY and one of them, the first one to start laying, has six eggs. Her clutch should start hatching around the 24th.

Of the four pair I have, three of the males are ASY with one lone SY male. I was surprised the three ASY males let him stay since they chased off two other ASY males. The SY male found his mate in one day and took over the last of my two hanging gourds. My SY male is probably the most vigilant of all the males by staying around the house while his mate is incubating. All of the females really chowed down on the eggshells I prepared and put out on the feeding platform for them.

My question is concerning expansion. My house is a Coates Water's Edge eight compartment with each compartment consisting of two 6"x6" area's. Below the house, I have two Big Bo double compartment gourds. I have one pair on each side of the house and a pair in each of the two gourds. This leaves me three unoccupied compartments on each side of the house. The ASY males are still very territorial and will not let anyone on their respective side of the house. Should I not expand for next season since I have six unoccupied compartments? I am very limited on area to expand. About all I can do is put up a second house beside the one I currently have. It would be two houses side by side on one pole with possibly four gourds under them. I realize there would still be territorial issues with the two houses side by side but that is the only avenue I have for expansion. Since from all I have read, most hatchlings do not return to the house they were raised from, I am still a little confused as to how one expands their colony with each successful year. So, my question is, should I not expand and wait till the six unoccupied compartments fill up or should I go ahead and expand by putting up a second house beside the one I now have?
Any feedback will be appreciated.
Tim

[John Miller]

Hi Tim

Sounds like the start of a good-sized colony.

Re: your SY male. The ASY males chase these guys off until the young guy gets his own mate; then he's no longer a threat. ASY males competing among themselves earlier in the season are much the same.

Re expansion: You seldom get more than one or two pairs per house side with 6 x 6 compartments. Somehow it causes one male to defend the whole side more. Couple of options:

Consider adding porch dividers. I've seen some Trio 12 unit houses loaded with pairs after adding dividers. Personally because I must keep out starlings, I'd consider renovating that house to deeper side by side compartments, with a hole through the interior side wall. You can get new doors from Coates and these have crescent entry holes staggered left and right to help space martins out a little more. Then, consider getting a second Coates house, already the type I've described, and put both on a multi-purpose pole. Two houses on one pole makes a very nice-looking setup, and the multi-purpose pole is strong and durable.

John Miller

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

John, thanks for your input. My Coates Water's Edge house is the one with the side by side interior compartments with the hole to get to the nesting compartment.
Creative Universe Enterprises is coming out with a 3" tensile aluminum multi-purpose this Fall compared to the 2" one they now offer. If I do expand, this is the pole I am looking at which is like the one you suggested.
Tim