Hayseedboy
7 posts
Sep 13, 2006
1:38 PM
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All,
How long to you keep Rollers in the kitbox before letting them out on their own the first time?
Young birds I understand don't take nearly as long as adults. What kind of time difference is there?
Thanks!
lr
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Heyyou
50 posts
Sep 13, 2006
7:51 PM
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You can't just keep them in the kit box and not expect to lose a good numbers of birds, young or old. They have no idea where they are and what their surroundings are like. You should at least have a wire cage you can put them in and put them on the roof of the kit box for a week. Bring them in each night and feed the amount you would feed as if you are flying them. The last two days do not feed them at all and let them out and do not scare them up, let them find their own way to the sky. I have a two piece wire cage set up, half of which fits overe the trap and the other piece sits on top of that and goes onto the roof. at the 5 day mark I just take off the top half with the trap open and let them find their way up to the roof. I leave them there for an hour or so and then whistle them in through the trap. During this time on the roof they will take short flights up and land and sometimes spook themselves up as a group. They then settle. After that it's a piece of cake, I very seldom lose a single bird unless it's to a hawk.
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Hayseedboy
8 posts
Sep 13, 2006
9:40 PM
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Thanks Heyyou,
I knew about using the settling cage as we have used that with our Homers that we have raised. Guess my question was geared more toward time rather than meathod.
Guess I expected you to say 4 or 5 weeks not just 5 days :)
Thanks for your input!
lr
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GREED FOR SPEED LOFT
134 posts
Sep 14, 2006
7:50 AM
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L R, i would suggest to brain wash them first with the shake of the can and your whistle or what ever it may be, to keep them hungary first, tape there wings with scotch tape (the flight feathers)and let them walk around there surroundings, for about a week or two, the tape will eventually come off, by that time they should be used to there area, your loss should be minimal if any. It is best to be patient.
Later Dude
R-LUNA
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Huey
26 posts
Sep 14, 2006
11:07 AM
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Heyyou do you leave them all day in a wire cage sitting on top of the kit box? Don't they get hot in the sun?
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Heyyou
52 posts
Sep 14, 2006
4:30 PM
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If it is hot, place a piece of plywood or other suitable shade on the cage. In my case the birds can come out or go back into the kit loft as they want, it is a very good system and fits on all four of my kit lofts. Also if it is hot they can dehydrate if you leave them there all day. The tape would be great but the hawks would have a field day with mine as they would be sitting ducks, er or pigeons. You have to train with the feed can in any settling procedure.
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