Brad, I did another nest check today and found no dead chicks. All were small hatchlings and begging for food. In my last post on this I removed 3 large dead chicks and left one from same nest that was still warm and moving but appeared in bad shape. I left it thinking maybe parents could revive it. Well today it was gone so parents removed it. I have electric pole guard like yours so I know it was no snake. I found nothing on the ground but there is feral cats around and I have seen a crow carry off a dead ASY male .
I haven't been doing regular nest checks because I am having trouble with the cable sticking either in the brake winch or inside the MPP hub. I can raise it but not lower all the way down. I know it has more than 50 LBS . I have to have my wife turn the handle while I pull on the rack and I know this dangerous. I'm going to take it all apart but I'll need to lower the pole , so I hope to get through the season using a 8 ft step latter. I'm getting to old for this.
Lewis
Southern landlords, check your nests ASAP!
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Brad Biddle
- Posts: 523
- Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2016 6:22 pm
- Location: Marshall County AL
Lewis, maybe they’ll all renest. I’ve been thinking about putting an electric winch of some kind on mine. Maybe an ATV winch. I am only 49 but both of my shoulders are shot. Those new racks that I built, even though they are built from aluminum, when loaded with 30 plastic gourds, are all I want to handle.
Martin landlord since 2003. Currently offering 162 plastic gourds with tunnels, all with Conley II entrances with the Lewis modification. I have 24 Supergourds and the rest are Troyer Horizontals.
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Brad Biddle
- Posts: 523
- Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2016 6:22 pm
- Location: Marshall County AL
Dead nestling update...
Renesting is underway. I checked the gourd rack that had the most dead nestlings this afternoon and many of the 24 gourds had new eggs in them. There are 3 nests with nestlings. Two with one each and one with 4. Three out of 24 and all 24 would have nestlings by now if not for that 2 day cool snap. Some of the females have not started laying again but all the nests look primed and ready with green leaves. A couple of gourds had one egg and at least 2 had 5. I will check again next week but it appears that at least 90% or more of the pairs that lost eggs or nestlings will be raising another brood. I’m relieved to know that.
Renesting is underway. I checked the gourd rack that had the most dead nestlings this afternoon and many of the 24 gourds had new eggs in them. There are 3 nests with nestlings. Two with one each and one with 4. Three out of 24 and all 24 would have nestlings by now if not for that 2 day cool snap. Some of the females have not started laying again but all the nests look primed and ready with green leaves. A couple of gourds had one egg and at least 2 had 5. I will check again next week but it appears that at least 90% or more of the pairs that lost eggs or nestlings will be raising another brood. I’m relieved to know that.
Martin landlord since 2003. Currently offering 162 plastic gourds with tunnels, all with Conley II entrances with the Lewis modification. I have 24 Supergourds and the rest are Troyer Horizontals.