jord
72 posts
Apr 11, 2006
5:08 AM
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what would u gys consider the perfect food for rollers all year round:)
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J_Star
388 posts
Apr 11, 2006
5:35 AM
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Wheat...
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Santandercol
32 posts
Apr 11, 2006
6:50 AM
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J Star,Wheat alone?The guy I got some of my birds from feeds 5 parts wheat,3barley and 2 parts red milo.When flying.Cheers,
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Kellinos
Last Edited by Santandercol on Apr 12, 2006 6:33 AM
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siddiqir
192 posts
Apr 11, 2006
7:05 AM
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I believe wheat/milo/peas will make good food for rollers.
Thanks, -Rauf
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J_Star
389 posts
Apr 11, 2006
7:41 AM
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His question was for all year round. Wheat is the base feed and any other feed just to supplement protein. Too much protein is not very good for rollers and will make them stiff. My birds will live very good on just wheat alone. I mix Milo in the summer time so to give them the butter fly action.
For those who have birds that fly low and wish for them to fly higher. Cut down on the protein intake and watch what happens. Don’t take it for granted, just try it.
Jay
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Shaun
346 posts
Apr 11, 2006
10:03 AM
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I feed wheat pretty much all year round, aided by the occasional few peas and sometimes milo. Tweaking these in different proportions hasn't made any difference to the flying height of my rollers. It's simply the low-flying family of birds I have. Other flyers have the exact opposite problem with their family of birds, with them flying too high. They too tweak the food to bring them down, whilst watching out for a dip in performance. However, they know that given half a chance, their birds will be heading for the clouds. I've had regular conversations with a number of very experienced flyers of late about flying height; food is only part of a very big equation.
Shaun
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nicksiders
518 posts
Apr 11, 2006
10:12 AM
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You are going to get a hundred different ideas on this question and all of them will be right.
I feed wheat/milo/austrian peas/safflower in equal proportions by weight. I also add minerals and vitamins in thier water. I have red grit always available to my breeders and twice a month give a little to my kit birds.
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J_Star
390 posts
Apr 11, 2006
10:48 AM
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Shaun, have you ever gave your birds only Milo for 7 days straight?
Jay
Last Edited by J_Star on Apr 11, 2006 10:48 AM
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Shaun
347 posts
Apr 11, 2006
11:35 AM
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No, Jay, I haven't given straight milo for a week. However, I do have a good understanding of its nutritional content and where it fits into the scheme of things. Right now, I'm under the guidance of George Mason himself, as I feel if anyone knows his birds it's him.
Shaun
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siddiqir
196 posts
Apr 11, 2006
12:00 PM
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Jay/Shaun, milo tends to make my birds fly higher. It is also use to thin down the birds. If you get lazy bird which just want to sit around this is a right grain to use. They will get on wings and stay higher and fly longer. Just milo can not be use as a staple diet well at least what I have experienced.
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Shaun
348 posts
Apr 11, 2006
12:14 PM
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Absolutely, Rauf, we all know that milo is of relatively low nutritional value - some say, it's full of air. So, to get weight off birds or to get them up a bit, or as a tweak before a comp, it might well work. However, given that milo can't really be used as a staple diet, like the preferred, more well-balanced wheat, the results milo gives on its own, are likely to be short-lived.
Shaun
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ranger632
16 posts
Apr 11, 2006
6:43 PM
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J_Star, I guess you were talking mostly of the kit birds, what do you feed your breeders??
ranger632
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katyroller
8 posts
Apr 11, 2006
7:17 PM
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Wheat and pellets for kit birds, no corn pigeon mix and pellets for breeders. Grit once a week for flyers and oyster shell/grit at will for breeders.
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ranger632
17 posts
Apr 11, 2006
8:35 PM
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But what mix do you feed the breeders??
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fhtfire
414 posts
Apr 11, 2006
9:48 PM
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I feed my kit birds Wheat/milo 50% and pellet..it is a ratio mix that I make myself. I also add Sauflower during the moult and during the winter. During comp training..my birds are put on straight wheat and then finish up with a wheat milo mix. That of course depends on the shape they are in. I really have to pay attention to the birds...they tell me when they need the mix and when they need the wheat...I will also use all my tools in a yo-yo feeding system. Like Scott C always says...the different grains are all tools and you have to pick the right tool for the job. The right tool is based on the birds condition....weather....time of year. During the summer the pellet mix is light as well as servings....during the winter...more pellet mix...during real cold winter...the will go off the pellet mix and be put on a regular pigeon mix with peas...popcorn..etc. My birds are not put on wheat most of the time.....it is all based on condition and fly time.
The breeders on the other hand...during breeding season..will be put on 1 part wheat...1 part milo...1 part pellet (1 round) after a second round I add one part sauflower. During the offseason..they get straight pigeon mix from winners cup.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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J_Star
392 posts
Apr 12, 2006
4:59 AM
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Ranger,
For breeders the mix I use is Pigeon Mix/Wheat/Safflower/Pellet/Canary seed with some sunflower seed without a shell (wild bird mix).
The mix is as follow: 3 cups of pigeon mix (wheat/Milo/peas), 1 cup wheat, 1 cup pellet, 1 cup safflower, 1/2 cup Canary seed. I continue mixing until I fill the container. I use a big scoop to do that but if you break it down by cups then the portion would be as posted. Be careful, breeders would waste allot of feed if the feed container is not waste proof. So you have to figure out of ways of how to make it waste proof if you want to give them a mix of many grains and pellets.
My kit birds do excellent on wheat alone, but I fly them with 50/50 Wheat/Milo most of the time. I change to Milo alone when needed for about 5 to 10 days strait to adjust their speed and height. Then I will give them mix pellet and wheat (separately) on their rested day after the strait Milo. I don't want my birds with a lot of protein content. They have already developed their muscles long ago. Very strong rollers are homers and nothing but stiffs. You need to break down your rollers then build them back up slowly to get the most out of their performance. Therefore, Wheat/Milo does that for my birds. Bare in mind, all bets are off around moult and hawk season time, things will change accordingly. I want them to fly strong that time of year.
Shaun, I understand you are using Mr. Mason's advice. But give the Milo a try for 7 days then evaluate. It is not going to hurt your birds. This is the English flyer’s preferred way of flying rollers per Rich Schoening documentary when he judged the W/C. I personally try every possible combination of feed to get the most out of my birds. Some works and some don’t and the worst thing can happen is I crash my birds to the ground, which I try to avoid. If I follow the original breeder, I would be feeding them just Wheat all year long with occasional corn and pigeon mix in the snowy winter time. Best of luck to you all.
Jay
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Perfect Drift
6 posts
Apr 14, 2006
9:39 PM
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This is great stuff, a newbie like my daughter and I are learning so much reading everyone's comments..
Great site,, Thank You
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