Fr.mike
122 posts
Mar 30, 2006
6:04 AM
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How can I get ahead ofthe hawk curve? lost another one today.I have been flying my six--wait---five--wait --four--birds for about ten days-If your like me just starting and it takes a couple months to get a bird in the air--that is from the time you put a pair together until,one is in the air-and they take two every ten days--the laws of attrition will win out in the not so distant future.If I keep them in-lock them up the birds wont get any air time and not learn to kit etc. The only way I can see is to have like 50 pairs and crank them out like soup cans and hope some of the good birds make it.I am not quiting -just want to know how a new flyer might get ahead of the curve?
Fr.mikr
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motherlodelofts
702 posts
Mar 30, 2006
6:57 AM
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Mike it is best to wait till its over , once you see many songbirds and such migrate in and start nesting then you know its pretty much over.
around here it is once the Doves move in.
Scott
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Fr.mike
123 posts
Mar 30, 2006
7:37 AM
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Hey Motherlode-I have robins in the yard--Infact two doves watched the whole thing go down in a tree not twenty yards from me but I guess there needs to be more!thanks.
Mike
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motherlodelofts
703 posts
Mar 30, 2006
7:55 AM
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Yea you are getting close Mike , won't be long , the worst thing that you can do is become the food supply no matter how many birds you have.
Might try flying in afternoon and hopefully they aren't still hungry
Scott
Last Edited by motherlodelofts on Mar 30, 2006 7:57 AM
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Bluesman
Pigeon Fancier
713 posts
Mar 30, 2006
8:02 AM
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Mike.The best time around here is to fly from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.The hawks have usually made their kill and are less likely to hit your rollers.They still will but the odds are cut way down.If I start with a kit of 20 I usually wind up with 15 before they get old enough to outfly the hawks.And I think you are real close to the main flyway for the Hawk migration.So you may have to start pumping out some young to be ready for the Fall Fly.David
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Fr.mike
124 posts
Mar 30, 2006
8:36 AM
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Thanks guys-David come to think of it I usually fly them around 9AM-this mourning it was about 7- I will bump it up to 10(I work at home)-Plus-I am going to keep them in so for next three days--as motherlode suggests--so they dont get used to a regular breakfest stop !
Thanks again Mike
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fhtfire
389 posts
Mar 30, 2006
9:10 AM
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Mike,
You could also get a couple pair of fosters. In a two month period you could get six birds instead of two..using two pair of fosters. Just a thought? Just keep them seperated from your good stuff...so they do not mix.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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Bluesman
Pigeon Fancier
714 posts
Mar 30, 2006
9:37 AM
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Mike.I do tend to forget that some people still has to work.LOL.I love this retirement thing.Don,t like the money but don,t have to spend as much either.I sure don,t have time to get bored thats for sure.
The hawks around here are all above average with smarts.They just sit back and wait untill they get the pick of what they want.They know that I have to fly something everyday.We just have to adjust everything around them if we want to enjoy flying.It will ease up in a month so don,t get discouraged.We need you to be a Flyer in the upcoming Flys.LOL. David
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Fr.mike
125 posts
Mar 30, 2006
9:42 AM
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Thanks Paul- I have eight pair nesting and I have four nest boxes empty but I have seven Rubys that will need a place in a month or so-thats why I held off on the fosters.The rubys were squeaks in Jan. so my plan is to get some late rounds out of them--not so much for the birds but to get them through the--(I dont know what the heck I am doing stage) so they will be ready for next year.The other problem with fosters is that the 8 pair I have are all laying hatching and rearing young at different time due to loses from the cold earlier this year( some eggs froze-somelost one in nest etc.) and at least I thought you kind of need them all on a schedule?? Right now I dont know where I can get some fosters--at least ones that I can trust to not bring any disease into my loft.I havent had any health problems yet-and I am alittle leary of bringing anything home to roost so to speak.anyway thanks again for all your help.
Mike
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Shaun
324 posts
Mar 30, 2006
10:08 AM
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Mike, the first birds I bought this time last year were pretty crappy, but, because they were the ones I served my apprenticeship with, I still keep them - almost as pets - knowing they're rubbish. However, I watched them raise a number of youngsters and learned what good parents most of them are. People talk about fosters as a baby-making machine, but when you dig a little deeper, you then see that there's a bit more to it than that - the fosters need to be good, reliable parents. I think it would be well worth having a pair or two on hand - preferably kept separate from your main birds. The accommodation for them doesn't have to be big at all. As for disease, if they're kept separate, you would soon spot something amiss. I think we can become really anal about bringing in diseased birds, but if you know your source, it shouldn't be a problem.
Shaun
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
452 posts
Mar 30, 2006
12:11 PM
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David, around these parts, after 9:30-10 am, it is a death sentence if the kits are released or still flying. The falcons are absolutely killing me(us) over here in my area. Lost another one this morning when the kit refused to come down. Coopers are pretty much gone, it's the falcons that are just totally out of control.
Brian.
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Shaun
326 posts
Mar 30, 2006
12:21 PM
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Brian, as ever, you have my sympathies with the whole predator thing - I'd be banging my fists off the walls. All of you people suffering the same problem... how you cope, I don't know. I admire your perseverance.
Shaun
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Velo99
317 posts
Mar 31, 2006
6:11 PM
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Mike,
Go to the craft store and buy some wooden eggs,robin size. Get all of your guys on time and start fostering. They are your babies and I know you`re loathe to chunk any eggs at all but you have to to make the foster thing work. If you wanna talk gimme an e mail and send me your number.
redneckhippie15@yahoo.com
yits
v99
Last Edited by Velo99 on Mar 31, 2006 6:15 PM
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Bluesman
Pigeon Fancier
716 posts
Apr 01, 2006
2:33 AM
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Brian.Had a couple of friends come down from New York yesterday for a visit.Never seen a hawk the whole time we flew.They were telling me about them Falcons.They have them in NY.Man they must be brutal.
I don,t know how anyone could fly against the Falcons.At least the Coopers & Sharps give a fellow a Sporting chance.LOL. David
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J_Star
348 posts
Apr 01, 2006
5:58 PM
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Thank God we don't have falcons here in NE Ohio, I don't know what would I do if they show up. It would be a nightmare for any pigeon fancier. Coopers are trouble enough.
Jay
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Fr.mike
126 posts
Apr 01, 2006
6:05 PM
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Hey guys, a fellow roller guy told me he saw two falcons come in on the birds--one made a kill then flew up to the other one and did the ole handoff and came back for another!as painful as it was/or is that would be something to see!
Fr.mike
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Mount Airy Lofts
176 posts
Apr 01, 2006
7:39 PM
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Fr. Mike,
8 Pairs is more then enough. I am just working with 3 pairs myself and some fosters. Makes about 6 pairs. The difference between the first round and the second is barely visiable as they are only 2 weeks apart. If you have 16 proven breeders, then I don't see why you would have problems spitting out rollers.
Anywho, you can't cheat in this hobby. Just gotta fight thru and fly them hard. Nothing easy about flying.
Maybe switch to late developing, faster flying, super tight kitting, family. Kind of like, switching families if they aren't working for you. You can't do much about the preds but you can change it up alittle.
I found the best time to fly is right when the sun breaks - early A.M.
Worst time to fly is 10 A.M. to 1 P.M.
I haven't had much problems flying them super late in the evening light hours but this can be risky. If they are alittle to strong, they may still be up after pitch dark.
I don't know how breeding in huge numbers will help someone plaqued with preds. I am talking about losing one on every release.
It's about quality and not quanity.
I found that it helps to fly in small numbers when you have heavy with the preds. Say 3 to 4 birds only.
Lock down all hard spinning birds and only fly those that haven't come into the roll yet or are stiffs. That is what I am doing when I am having hawk problems. Of course, I will still lock down for a week before turning out any thing but still when I do... I don't want to lose any birds at all but if I had to, I would rather it be one that isn't rolling yet.
Thor
Last Edited by Mount Airy Lofts on Apr 01, 2006 7:41 PM
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