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Review on 🐚 Premium Oyster Shells - 15.5oz: Boost Health & Vibrancy in Your Aquariums by Christina Ochoa

Revainrating 5 out of 5

An excellent source of calcium for Purple Martins.

These Shredded Oyster Shells are the perfect way to add calcium to your Purple Martins diet. Martin's normal diet is high in protein, but they need to get calcium in other ways. They independently collect shellfish, fish bones, mussels, and snail shells from nearby lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams, but can conserve valuable energy collecting these things by obtaining crushed oyster shells on raised feeding platforms. . Martins readily eat crushed oyster shells and also feed them to their young as a source of sand (to digest insect exoskeletons) and calcium. Female purple swallows need extra calcium to produce strong, healthy eggs, which in turn produce stronger, healthier marmoset babies. The Martin chick embryo removes calcium from its shell to form its skeletal system, so the shell needs to be strong to begin with as it will thin as the chick develops. Platform feeders that can be easily raised and lowered using a system of ropes and pulleys. can be purchased from the Purple Swallow Conservation Association (purplemartin.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of Purple Swallows. These feeding platforms can also be used to supplement crickets, mealworms and beef hearts. A NOTICE. Many Martin homeowners feed their birds scrambled eggs, and in a pinch it may be okay to feed adult birds their regular diet during inclement weather. no flying insects, scrambled eggs are high in fat and should not be given regularly. Fried eggs are also not recommended for chicks. Long-term consumption of scrambled eggs leads to soft stools/diarrhea due to the high fat content. Cooked beef heart can be offered as a substitute for or with mealworms and crickets, but ONLY BEEF, no pork.

Pros
  • Hands Free
Cons
  • Lots of Stuff