Emergency Supplemental Feeding

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sarahs Purple Martins Bluebird Trail"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Journal"><U><B>Site Journal</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id95.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Becoming A Martin Landlord"><U><B>Becoming A Martin Landlord</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id192.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="My Martin Colony"><U><B>My Martin Colony</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Purple Martin Pictures"><U><B>Purple Martin Pictures</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id96.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Purple MartinFest "><U><B>Purple MartinFest </B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Emergency Supplemental Feeding</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id329.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Project Purple Martin"><U><B>Project Purple Martin</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id330.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Purple Martin Links"><U><B>Purple Martin Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Predator Control"><U><B>Predator Control</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bluebird Trail"><U><B>Bluebird Trail</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tree Swallows "><U><B>Tree Swallows </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id286.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cliff Swallows"><U><B>Cliff Swallows</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id86.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Creative Innovations"><U><B>Creative Innovations</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id187.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Growing Gourds"><U><B>Growing Gourds</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Downloads"><U><B>Downloads</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id307.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Monarch Butterfly"><U><B>Monarch Butterfly</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id279.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Purple Martin Articles"><U><B>Purple Martin Articles</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#9999FF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="575" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 255 ><NOBR><bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="538" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 155 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="9b0673f0.gif" border=0 width="103" height="63" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="314"><div> <B><IMG SRC="9baaa3c0.gif" border=0 width="170" height="60" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bradley Hand ITC" ><B> SUPPLEMENTAL</B></FONT></div> <div> <B> FEEDING</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="100"><div> <B><IMG SRC="9b13c4b0.gif" border=0 width="60" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <B>FOR PURPLE MARTINS</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Click </B><A HREF="http://purplemartin.org/shop/product_info.php?cPath=32_58&products_id=266&osCsid=7435e48d01aa4388a5a80b3ce1476f4f" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://purplemartin.org/shop/product_inf"><U><B>HERE</B></U></A><B> For the PMCA's </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bell MT" ><B>*</B></FONT><B>NEW</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bell MT" ><B>*</B></FONT><B> "Emergency Feeding Video"</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 795 WIDTH="575"><bR> <div> <B>In general, wild birds can take care of themselves. They seem to know where to find food, water & shelter instinctively, their survival depends on it! Having said this, there still comes a time, every now and then, when even the strongest and smartest birds find themselves situation out of their control. This typically happens in the early spring when the migratory birds are just arriving back to their breeding grounds in unstable weather. Purple Martins rely solely on flying insects for nourishment, so w</B><B>ithout insects, these birds will die of starvation. The insect in which the Martins feed,  need relatively warm & dry conditions to fly around.  When extreme weather hits, the insects go temporarily dormant and don't fly around. When this happens, no insects, no food. After only a few days without food the Martins bodies start to deteriorate, much as the human body would, only much faster!  It is at this critical time when supplemental feeding can mean life or death. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Believe it or not, some people will dispute this cause. Some say you are doing a 'dis-service' to the birds by getting them used to being fed by humans, they will come to rely on us for food, etc. Although I respect this point of view, I do not agree with it and let me tell you why. Emergency supplemental feeding is just that, life or death food for starving Martins. By offering food when no food is available is not replacing a food source with another, without it, they would not eat at all and most likely die. When the weather improves, the Martins will go back to finding food on their own. I would argue that if you are in a position to help a rapidly declining species, but chose not to, this is just as bad as taking steps to help destroy it. Human intervention is sometimes necessary to help species survive, especially the lives of a rapidly declining species. Offering supplemental feeding in extreme situations will not only save the lives of starving birds in your own colony, but ultimately help the species as a whole.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The following information will help you be prepared in the event you ever have to offer supplemental feeding to your Martins.</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="9bc26270.gif" border=0 width="550" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B><U> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="536" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 108 ><NOBR><div> <B><U><IMG SRC="101c70500.gif" border=0 width="112" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/downloads/Rehab.pdf" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/downloads/Re"><U><U>Tending To Sick Injured Or </U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/downloads/Rehab.pdf" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/downloads/Re"><U><U>Orphaned Purple Martins</U></U></A></div> <div> (PDF File)</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <B><U><IMG SRC="101c70500.gif" border=0 width="112" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></U></B></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 408 WIDTH="575"><bR> <div> <B>*WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE AN INJURED BIRD*</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Perhaps you have found a chick that has fallen out of it's nest in the past. Or maybe you will in the future. Do you know what you are supposed to do in such a situation?</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="543" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 175 WIDTH="262"><div> <A HREF="http://www.naturehouseinc.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=287" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.naturehouseinc.com/catalog/pr"><U><B><IMG SRC="149994a70.jpg" border=0 width="148" height="167" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="270"><div> <B><IMG SRC="89e395d0.gif" border=0 width="57" height="93" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact."><U><B>LOCATE A WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR</B></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="9bc26270.gif" border=0 width="550" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 6067 WIDTH="575"><bR> <div> <B><U>WHAT TO SUPPLEMENTAL FEED?</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Because Martins are insect eaters, Purple Martins can be trained to accept crickets, mealworms & even scrambled eggs. These insects are recommended because there are companies out there who raise and sell them for lizards, snakes, etc., and they can be bought in bulk. The size of your colony will determine how much of something, you should have on hand. </B></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>Crickets</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="200" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#C0DCC0 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 153 ><NOBR><div> <B>Nutritional Facts</B></div> <div> Serving Size: 1 Crunchy Cricket</div> <div> <U>Amount/serving                       % </U></div> <div> Moisture                               75% </div> <div> Ash                                         1% </div> <div> Protein                                  17% </div> <div> Fat                                           6% </div> <div> <U>Other                                       1%</U></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*Not a significant source of </B></div> <div> <B>Vitamin D3 or Calcium*</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="117" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#000000" BORDERCOLORDARK="#663300" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 87 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="14f569500.jpg" border=0 width="105" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Crickets come in a variety sizes. Most landlords use the </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>3/4"</B></FONT><B> or medium sized crickets. They can be offered alive or dead. If you are worried about them squirming all over and jumping around, (I admit, this makes me a bit uncomfortable) chilling them in the refrigerator for a few hours is the way to go. Cooling the crickets first, puts them in a dormant state and makes them easy to handle. Ideally, you want them alive & moving, but not so lively that they will get away from you. Another option is to freeze the crickets. Although this will kill them, it does allow you to store your crickets without any spoiling. Remember to thaw them to room temperature before offering any to your birds.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>Meal Worms</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="215" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#C0DCC0 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 154 WIDTH="203"><div> <B>Nutritional Facts</B></div> <div> Serving Size: 1 Munchy Mealworm <U>Amount/serving                             % </U><IMG SRC="156801010.png" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Moisture                                     61% </div> <div> Ash                                               1% </div> <div> Protein                                        20% </div> <div> Fat                                               14% </div> <div> <U>Other                                             4%</U> </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*Not a significant source of </B></div> <div> <B>Vitamin D3 or Calcium*</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="156" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#000000" BORDERCOLORDARK="#663300" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 82 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="14f7914b0.jpg" border=0 width="145" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Mealworms also come in a variety of sizes. Most landlords use the </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>1 1/2"</B></FONT><B> or giant kind. The mealworms can also be refrigerated or frozen, to keep them from crawling all over. The biggest difference is mealworms are typically offered in a platform feeder of some kind because they are more difficult to toss.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>Scrambled Eggs</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="138" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#000000" BORDERCOLORDARK="#663300" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 84 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="1557784d0.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="77" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="286" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#C0DCC0 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 502 WIDTH="274"><div> <B>Nutritional Facts</B></div> <div> Serving Size: One Large Egg (whole, raw, fresh)</div> <div> <U>Nutrient                                                </U><U>Whole Egg</U>                </div> <div> Calories                                                              74</div> <div> Protein (g)                                                         6.3</div> <div> Carbohydrate (g)                                              0.4 </div> <div> Total Fat (g)                                                          5 </div> <div> Polyunsaturated Fat (g)                                   0.7 </div> <div> Monounsaturated Fat (g)                                 1.9</div> <div> Saturated Fat (g)                                              1.5</div> <div> Trans Fat (g)                                                   0.05*</div> <div> Cholesterol (mg)                                              212</div> <div> Choline (mg)                                                     125</div> <div> Lutein & Zeaxanthin (mcg)                             166</div> <div> Vitamin A (IU)                                                   244</div> <div> Vitamin D (IU)                                                     18</div> <div> Vitamin E (mg)                                                  0.5</div> <div> Vitamin B6 (mg)                                              0.07</div> <div> Vitamin B12 (mcg)                                         0.64</div> <div> Folate (mcg)                                                       24</div> <div> Thiamin (mg)                                                 0.035</div> <div> Riboflavin (mg)                                                0.24</div> <div> Calcium (mg)                                                     27</div> <div> Sodium (mg)                                                      70</div> <div> Potassium (mg)                                                 67</div> <div> Phosphorus (mg)                                              96</div> <div> Magnesiu<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Myriad-Tilt" >m (mg)                                      6              </FONT></div> <div> Iron (mg)<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Myriad-Tilt" >                                                        0.9</FONT></div> <div> <U>Zinc (mg)                                                           0.6</U></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>*Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page* </I><A HREF="http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/"><U><I>http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp</I></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>To equal the calories in 3 dozen eggs you would need 7,200 large mealworms or 3,300 large crickets. It would be very expensive to feed worms or crickets daily in these quantities, especially if you have a large colony. The problem is, the Martins don't recognize the eggs as a food source, so they are typically introduced </B><I><B>after</B></I><B> your birds are readily accepting crickets and/or mealworms. Once they are accepted however, eggs are the best nutritional supplement for your Martins and the best cost effective way for us to provide it.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>One method of preparing eggs is to make egg cubes. Begin by beating 3 eggs with a whisk and pour into an 8" anti-stick frying pan. Stir with a plastic spatula scraping the cooked egg off the pan and spreading it equally over the pan until it’s mostly cooked. Turn it over and press down hard with a pancake turner which forms a pancake of uniform thickness. Slice into ¼ inch strips and crosswise into ¼ inch cubes. Put the cubes in sandwich bags and refrigerate until needed (discard if not used in 36 hours). Don't reuse the bags.</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="138" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#000000" BORDERCOLORDARK="#663300" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 85 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="1558784d0.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="77" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Egg Shells</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Once nesting begins, it is a good idea to offer cleaned and sanitized egg shells. Not only will your Martins benefit from this, but other song birds will too. The high protein diet of the Martin, and other birds, does not allow for a significant amount of calcium. By offering your birds egg shells, you are essentially providing two things. The first is grit, to help digest their food. Many birds swallow small pebbles and rocks to help aid in grinding up their food. Surely you have seen birds hanging out on the side of the road and walking around gravely spots. This is part of that reason.... Just in case you are wondering, another reason for this behavior is to warm up from the radiant heat absorbed by the pavement as well as the salt deposited by the plow trucks from the winter. *IMPORTANT* Please make sure you </B><A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/Eggshells.html" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/Eggsh"><U><B>remove all traces of bacteria</B></U></A><B> from the shells before offering them. If not, the salmonella can prove fatal. </B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD SOURCES</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Bell MT" ><B>*</B></FONT><B> </B><A HREF="http://www.qualitycrickets.com" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.qualitycrickets.com"><U><B>www.qualitycrickets.com</B></U></A><B> </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Bell MT" ><B>*</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reptilefood.com/reptilefood/default.asp" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.reptilefood.com/reptilefood/d"><U><B>www.reptilefood.com</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.flukerfarms.com/" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.flukerfarms.com/"><U><B>www.flukerfarms.com</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>WHEN TO SUPPLEMENTAL FEED?</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>When weather temperatures consistently stay below 50 degrees, there is a steady rain, strong winds, or dense fog lasting more than a few days, some Martins will start dying. </B><B>An average Martin weighs about 55 grams (two ounces) and will lose 4-5 grams per day witho</B><B>ut any food. Once a martin drops below about 75% of its body weight, it begins to break down and digest its primary flight muscles, and soon dies. Therefore, since the average martin will survive for only about four to five days without food, it is best to try offering an emergency cricket feeding after only two days of insect-less weather. Much of the Martins stamina depends on their condition before the extreme weather conditions. Because most extreme weather occurs in the early spring, when the Martins are already weakened by migration, don't wait till they are so weak that they cannot fly before trying to supplemental feed. Once they learn how, they will take your offerings easily as well as teach any new birds in the process. Keeping a good supply of Frozen crickets is recommended for when bad weather hits, so you won't have to wait for a cricket shipment. </B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>HOW TO SUPPLEMENTAL FEED?</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>There are a number of different ways to offer emergency food to your Martins. I recommend starting in the following order...</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>Tossing Crickets</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>If you have never feed your Martins in emergency situations before and do not have your Martins used to a platform feeder, tossing crickets is where you should start. The Martins have to be "taught" to do this, as they not used to accepting food from people. You may have to toss several in the air before the Martins realize that they are supposed to catch them.  If at first you don't succeed... try and try again!! Just because your Martins don't readily accept the offerings, doesn't mean they won't. You will have to be patient, the hungrier the Martins are the faster they will catch on. Some people have success with just a few tosses, others take more time. It personally took me several attempts before my Martins caught on. Remember, all it takes is ONE Martin to go after and catch a cricket, and the rest will follow suit. Once they learn how to do this, the rest is fairly easy.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>There are many ways in which to propel your cricket sacrifices, use your imagination. You can use spoons, sling shots, some people have even devised small air compressed PVC cannons in which to propel their crickets. Do whatever works for you. I recommend tossing the crickets at least 15' to 25' in the air, close to where your Martins are perched, but not directly at them. I made this mistake my first few tries and only succeeded in scaring my birds away. So, don't feel bad if you accidentally buzz one of them with a misguided cricket, they will forgive you. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The general idea is to fling the crickets high and close enough to the so the Martins, so they not only see them, but have a chance to react and hopefully catch one before it hits the ground. Stand close, but not right on top of your housing, giving yourself room to propel the offerings. If it is windy, stand with the wind to your back and use that to your advantage. When facing your housing, try aiming about 10 or 20' to the left or right, but not directly at them. Try and fling the crickets at least the height of the housing, the higher the better.</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="558" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 118 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="14f346410.gif" border=0 width="70" height="65" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <B>EMERGENCY FEEDING</B></div> <div> <B>VIDEO</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="14f346410.gif" border=0 width="70" height="65" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The following video clips are of my first successful supplemental feeding experience. On this day, I had about 12 to 15 of my resident Martins home when the weather turned bad. When it was all said and done, I had tossed well over 800 crickets and half a dozen eggs on and off for almost 3 hours.  </B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="566" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#339933" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#A6CAF0 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 45 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%20Feeding%20I.wmv" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%2"><U><B>Supplemental Feeding I</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>7.27 MB</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%20Feeding%20I%20Small.wmv" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%2"><U><B>Supplemental Feeding I (small)</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>1.97 MB</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I had been tossing crickets with a sling shot, in different locations, for about 20 minutes with no luck. This clip starts right before my first ASY male finally caught on and went after his first cricket. To my left, out of view, is my T-14 where other Martins were residing.  The first male to chase a cricket was from my gourd rack on the right. Notice when he finally does, two other males from the T-14 also chase after him!</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="566" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#339933" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#A6CAF0 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 45 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%20Feeding%20II%20.wmv" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%2"><U><B>Supplemental Feeding II</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>7.86 MB</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%20Feeding%20II%20Small.wmv" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%2"><U><B>Supplemental Feeding II (small)</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>2.12 MB</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>By now I had been flinging crickets for quite some time and my hands were numb. More and more birds were joining in the feeding and some even started to almost hover in front of my in anticipation. Because there were several birds chasing one  cricket at a time, I attempted to fling more than one cricket using the sling shot with mixed results. I felt bad as a few Martins even started fighting over the crickets. Even more touching was a male who was catching crickets and bringing them inside a gourd to his mate.</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="566" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#339933" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#A6CAF0 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 45 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%20Feeding%20III.wmv" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%2"><U><B>Supplemental Feeding III</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>7.31 MB</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%20Feeding%20III%20Small.wmv" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.martinsetc.com/Supplemental%2"><U><B>Supplemental Feeding III (small)</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>1.98 MB</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>After going inside to warm up a bit I decided to try scrambling some eggs and recruiting two of my children to help in the effort. My daughter preferred tossing scrambled eggs with a long iced tea spoon while I stuck with the sling shot. My sons job was to try and retrieve any dropped crickets, paying a price of a quarter a piece. To my surprise and delight, the Martins were accepting the eggs too!</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>Placing Food On Or In Housing</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>You may get to the point to where you are sick of trying to toss crickets, the Martins aren't taking to them or you simply don't want to toss crickets... but you know your Martins are hungry. This is where placing some crickets or mealworms on the porches and/or inside the compartments will be beneficial. Even if your Martins are accepting tossed crickets, they may need something extra to tide them over between feedings. Also, depending on the condition of your Martins, some birds may be too weak to chase after tossed crickets.  This is where this type of feeding can really be a life saver, especially to those to weak to fly. It is not recommended, however, to place scrambled eggs inside compartments</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="167" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#000000" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 107 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="155b97640.jpg" border=0 width="151" height="100" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Using A Platform Feeder</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Platform feeders are very effective and can save you time and money. Not only are they beneficial for providing a stationary food source for starving Martins, they can also be used throughout the season to provide nesting material, </B><A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/Eggshells.html" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/Eggsh"><U><B>egg shells</B></U></A><B>, etc. You can either make your own platform feeder, or buy one, such as the PMCA's </B><A HREF="http://purplemartin.org/shop/product_info.php?cPath=32_58&products_id=264&osCsid=2c875fe45e887164e3eb1fede714dbb8" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://purplemartin.org/shop/product_inf"><U><B>Bed & Breakfast Feeder.</B></U></A><B>  If you don't have a platform feeder, people have reported success tossing one, if not all three food types onto the top of a nearby roof. Just make sure the pitch isn't so steep that the food rolls right off and/or falls into any gutter system.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Once you get your Martins used to chasing crickets, you can train them to feed from a platform feeder. Try placing some supplements on the feeder and then tossing some crickets over the feeder. In the long run, this type of feeding is best for both landlord & Martin. First, because the birds expend less energy feeding from a stationary platform, this can help them save valuable energy that they can't afford to expel during critical times, especially the extremely weak birds. Second, the landlord benefits here too because he/she can save time that would have been spent tossing crickets, as well as a peace of mind knowing your birds are eating. Because of these reasons, training the Martins to accept offerings such as nesting material, in a non-emergency situation, from a platform feeder is ideal.  </B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>HOW OFTEN DO I OFFER SUPPLEMENTS?</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>This question really depends on the individual, you feed them when you can make the time. Ideally, you should feed the Martins every few hours as you don't know which Martins were fed at the last feeding and which ones missed out. The weaker ones may get a better chance the second time around because the ones who were fed earlier may not be as aggressive. But, being that most of us have jobs and other things to attend to, this isn't reasonable. This is where getting the Martins used to the platform feeder is really handy for everyone.  You should try to make an effort to feed during this time, as much as your Martins will accept. If they stop taking tossed crickets, and they were earlier, then they are probably full for the time being. Once the weather warms up enough, you will notice the birds off on their own feeding again. At this point, you can stop the supplemental feeding and breath a sigh of relief as well as give yourself a big pat on the back. You may not be able to save all of your birds, some may die, but the ones that make it through, will thank you for it. I promise you. </B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="9be26270.gif" border=0 width="550" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 371 ><NOBR><bR> <div> <B><U>Supplemental Feeding Articles</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchives/archive/CricketTossing.htm" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchive"><U><B>40 Starving Martins Eat 900+ Hand-Tossed Crickets</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/OfferFood.html" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/Offer"><U><B>Emergency Foul-weather Feeding of Martins</B></U></A><B> </B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/9(4)crickettoss.html" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/9(4)c"><U><B>Cricket Tossing</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/12(3)NJSupFeed.pdf#xml=http://purplemartin.org.master.com/texis/master/search/mysite.txt?q=crickets&order=r&id=28012260505462b6&cmd=xml" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/12(3)"><U><B>Saving A New Jersey Purple Martin Colony Using </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/12(3)NJSupFeed.pdf#xml=http://purplemartin.org.master.com/texis/master/search/mysite.txt?q=crickets&order=r&id=28012260505462b6&cmd=xml" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/update/12(3)"><U><B>Supplemental Feeding *Purple Martin Update 200*</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchives/archive/CricketFeed2001.htm" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchive"><U><B>Cricket Feeding at PMCA Headquarters</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="9be26270.gif" border=0 width="550" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1461 WIDTH="575"><bR> <div> <B>Feeding Purple Martins Crickets and Eggs!</B></div> <div> <B>Article By Dan Bacak</B></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <B>I am not an expert at this or claim this is the only way of getting your birds to eat supplemental foods. This is my experience with my birds and how I got them started to eat crickets and then scrambled egg. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I tried to get my Purple Martins to eat crickets last year in 2002 and all I did was scare them every time I tried and they flew away. I tried when it was real nasty and cold with no luck. Every time I would raise my arms to use a slingshot or any movement that was a lot they got scared and flew away. All through the winter I thought to my self what could I do different that wouldn't scare them when I tried to feed them. I was bound and determined to get them to eat crickets this spring in 2003. What I did in 2003 was when I tried to feed them at first they flew and was scared very easily with any large movements of my body especially when I raised my hands above my head. I was using a sling shot and then I got to wondering how I could minimize my movement. I started walking to the housing very slowly and kneeling to one knee when I was close enough to get the crickets were I wanted them to go. </B></div> <div> <B>I found out that they were not as scared when I got down on one knee and I used a plastic spoon to flip the crickets 8 to 10 feet above and in front of them. I made sure when I used the plastic spoon that I didn't raise my arms above my head to fling the cricket. I kept my arms down and close to my body to minimize any movement. Watch for the Martins that watch the cricket fly by them and fall to the ground these are the birds that will more than likely go after the cricket. Persistence is the key, keep flinging crickets until one goes after it and the rest will follow the lead. The best time to try is when it is nasty out and your Martins have been sitting around all day and have not gone out for a feed. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>After you get one to take the cricket all the others will follow. I found the plastic spoon to be more useful and faster until the wind was blowing very hard then I started using the slingshot so I could get them higher with the wind. I fed my Martins a few crickets everyday to build there trust and slowly started to stand up through the feedings and move around some. Even on the sunny warm days that I knew they were getting a good feed I tried to feed then a small amount of crickets, only to build there trust. When I would feed on these days it would only be around 20 crickets just enough that they would get to see me and build there trust. I fed them 2000 crickets like this and I knew they would go after just about anything I would fling in the air. When I get my crickets I would put the whole box in the freezer to kill them so when I opened the box they wasn't jumping every where and this made it very simple. After they were frozen I putt a hand full in zip lock bags and would keep them like that until I needed them. I would make sure they were thawed before I fed them. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I made some eggs and cooked them until they were real firm and flat then I cut them into small strips and squares. I would fling a couple crickets and then a couple eggs all they did was grab the egg and fly away and drop it or just look at it and keep on flying. It got real nasty for a couple days and I was feeding them crickets everyday and decided to try the egg again. When I came home from work I pulled into the garage and got out of the car and walked outside and was mobbed by my Martins wanting to be fed. I figured this would be a good time to try egg again. This time I scrambled them to a fluffy stage with no brown to them at all. I went outside it was blowing about 40 MPH and raining so I Stated to fling it with a plastic spoon and they went after it but just dropped it at first. Persistence is the key I kept trying and finally one grabbed it and ate it and the rest followed. Before long they all were eating scrambled eggs just like crickets. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I would fling a piece of egg about the size of half of an adult cricket and then after awhile I started flinging a little larger pieces. I do the same now as with the crickets I feed a little every day to build their trust and keep it. On the days I know they are getting a good feed I only feed one or two eggs and on the bad days it is nothing to go trough a half dozen eggs to a dozen. Know I have built the trust with my Martins that they will fly to me when they want fed and I just toss it with my hand to them. It is nothing for them to get within 4 to 5 feet of me when I toss them egg know. I am in the process of teaching them how to eat off the bread and breakfast now and will post at a later date of what happens. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Good luck to all that try !!</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="281f4230.gif" border=0 width="500" height="35" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 287 ><NOBR><bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="550" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#339933" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#A6CAF0 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 194 ><NOBR><bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="14f82b280.gif" border=0 width="43" height="40" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </B></FONT><A HREF="http://martinsetc.com/feeding_martins_egg.MOV" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://martinsetc.com/feeding_martins_eg"><U><B>Click Here</B></U></A><B> for a video of Dan feeding his Martins.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#663366" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>The file size is 3.32 MB.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>You MUST have QuickTime installed on your computer to view this clip.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>If you do not have QuickTime, you can install a "free" player </B><A HREF="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qt/" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/"><U><B>here</B></U></A><B>.</B></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="281f4230.gif" border=0 width="500" height="35" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>