nicksiders
408 posts
Feb 02, 2006
10:30 PM
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On your normal release how long do your birds spend in the air?
My birds are involved in flight and performance for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours; sometimes 3. I am wondering about those kits who in 30 minutes or so are done and in the kit box. Hell, it takes my birds 5 or 6 minutes to get up to about 400 feet in the air and at thirty minutes are still breaking regularly and have no interest in coming down.
Am I missing something here?
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
363 posts
Feb 02, 2006
10:39 PM
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Nick, there are a ton of variables that surround flying time. Barometer, thermals, humidity, and most of all, the condition of the birds I find have the biggest impact on fly time. One way to look at it is like running. When you start out, or only do it occasionally, you can't run as far and for as long. But the more you run, especially if you do it every day, the longer you can run. I think that the same can be said for our rollers. If they are flown every day and fed well, they will fly and fly and fly as they get in better condition. For me personally, I hate it when my kits fly longer than one hour. If I only had one or two kits, that might not be a problem. I don't want my birds to be in the condition that they can fly for a long time (without a good reason..ie..predators). I want them to get up there to about 300 or so feet, do their business, make me happy, then get their butts down and in the kit box so the next team can go up. Unfortunately life doesn't always work that way. I have found that once a kit is in roll form, only flying them every other day with a few days off every few weeks, seems to take the fly out of them and keep their time more reasonable. Alternating the feed amount helps too.
Brian.
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nicksiders
410 posts
Feb 02, 2006
10:53 PM
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Brian, I can understand about the time constraints. I am only flying two kits and it is easy on me right now. I plan on expanding to 4 kits and time contraints may become a problem if I allow them to fly that long. With 4 kits each kit will not fly everyday and thus causing them to fly shorter durations.
I had better start my planning now, huh?
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Shaun
266 posts
Feb 03, 2006
12:08 AM
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Nick, it must have something to do with the family. I fly mine pretty much every day and the average is half an hour. They're fit enough, but after that time they want to come in and get fed. I recall reading what George Mason said back in 1989 about him liking his birds to do at least half an hour, but not much more. Fast forward 16 years and he said exactly the same thing to me when I bought a round of his youngsters. It, therefore, comes as no great surprise to find that in the summer, depending on how hungry they are, they will fly half to three quarters of an hour. In the winter, they need more food as it's so cold, but I'm not going to lose control of them, so I still keep them quite hungry. I'm, therefore, struggling to reach the half hour fly time in the winter - thank God! I want them up, I want them to roll, then I want them to come back down quickly, so I can get back inside into the warm.
Shaun
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Alohazona
109 posts
Feb 03, 2006
8:38 AM
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Shaun,
I think your right about flight time and certain familys,I would also add the height that they fly to that equation.My Rubys fly at a low to medium height and about a half hour or less.While my continentals fly medium high and about an hour on average.....Aloha,Todd
Last Edited by Alohazona on Feb 03, 2006 8:39 AM
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Shaun
267 posts
Feb 03, 2006
9:48 AM
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Todd, my Masons fly between very low and low - they're renowned for it and it's a pain when you've got tall trees all around, as I have. Still, I suppose it's better than them disappearing up and up, until they pin out and you can't see what they're doing.
Shaun
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Velo99
202 posts
Feb 03, 2006
10:22 AM
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Nick.
I am in the 1 1/2 to 2 hour range myself. Try cutting back the wheat. More milo. If that doesn`t work cut the amount you feed by 1/4 cup every three days. I am close to where my birds are going to point down over the edge. I overcooked em and crashed last time so be careful bro.
yits
V99
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dmitch
31 posts
Feb 03, 2006
3:17 PM
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Nick You can cut back on the feed till there flying time get down till around 45 min.Welcome to ARK.
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Mount Airy Lofts
94 posts
Feb 03, 2006
4:12 PM
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My young birds would fly for about 30 minutes or less. The old birds on a on day would fly about 45 minutes. Altho if the old birds were over flown for the week, they will be overly strong and fly for for hours.
My aim is all ways to get them to fly for 40 minutes give or take a few minutes.
Thor
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fhtfire
323 posts
Feb 03, 2006
8:36 PM
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Nick,
I honestly think that the local weather has something to do with it. Yuba City is not that far from me. My A and B team are usually going at about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I fly me a team every third day and do the yo yo feeding system. They are getting a little more feed for the winter but not much more. On the third day I am giving 1.25 cups wheat/milo mix for 17 birds on the last day of rest and they still fly for quite a while. When they land...they are really hungry...but I really think the warmer then normal overcast days just give them what they need. They feel good! They are rolling the whole time too! They look like they got the shit beat out of them when they land..LOL! wings dragging, feather in the chest all messed up, devil ears....anyway, I agree with Brian...I think that it is the weather. My young bird team comes down in about 45 min.
I know that there has been a hawk that chased my birds a couple of times before he had an accident...and they would stay up a long time...becuase they were scared the devil would get them! I think my birds are a little skidish too right now and make sure the coast is totally clear before they land. I think it is the weather in the area...because my birds are doing it too.
Just wait until it heats up and gets hot...they will come down LOL!! some days you are begging them to stay up!!
I too get frustrated when I am waiting for a kit to come down!
rock and ROll
Paul Fullerton
Last Edited by fhtfire on Feb 03, 2006 9:33 PM
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nicksiders
413 posts
Feb 03, 2006
9:29 PM
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dmitch - I am not in Arkansas yet. Hoping to get there in about 30 days if everything goes right. Do you live in AR?
I am going to start pulling back on the feed until I get them under an hour.....and see how they perform in comparison.
Paul - I am going to start feeding my birds down beginning Monday. If your off next Saturday or Sunday and you can come by I will put 'em up and you critique them. Don't be too rough on me(LOL).
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fhtfire
326 posts
Feb 03, 2006
9:34 PM
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Nick,
I think that Next Sunday would work out just fine. I will check my schedule and give you a call!!
Sounds good!
Rock and ROLL
Paul
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dmitch
32 posts
Feb 04, 2006
12:07 PM
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Yes Nick i live in Hot Spring AR.My bird are from Norman Herrin I also have a line of Ellis McDonald ,Mason bird.
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