C.J.
731 posts
Nov 23, 2006
2:24 PM
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Well Guys the hawk was back today. He got one bird and caused the rest to fly so high I couldn’t see them. I am extremely frustrated what with the predator that all but wiped me out earlier this year now the only kit I had over flew I am thinking about calling it quits. There is no one in Ontario with quality birds and I am tired of the con artists predators and over flies. I am not quite sure what I can do. Sorry for the bitching but I am at a loss. Anyone no where a guy can get birds in Ontario Canada. Actual B.R, Rollers.
C.J.
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fhtfire
660 posts
Nov 23, 2006
2:33 PM
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Star Fire who posts on here is from Canada and I am sure the NBRC can help you locate some breeders. CJ...if the preds are bad in your area...lock them down...especially if you are on your last team. It is not worth it to lose your team....after the preds are gone..you can just get them back into shape..it only takes a couple of weeks of heavy flying...protect your investment....you would not let your kid out in the front yard if you knew there was a kidnapper on the lose...or let you black cat out on halloween....just lock them down. Use the NBRC and find yourself a good breeder.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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C.J.
732 posts
Nov 23, 2006
3:09 PM
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Predators have never been a problem before. This is the first season. I have been rotating my flying because they are a young kit they need to develop into the roll. As for Star fire he bres them with the tuff and I am not interested. He also feels that they are worth more than I can afford. I had tons in the spring but with the attacks at my loft and my moms birds being completely wiped out I am just about finished. How do I get in touch to get the NRBC to find breeders?
Thanks C.J.
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bob
18 posts
Nov 23, 2006
3:23 PM
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Hi CJ where do you live in Ont. ? I know where there are some good birds & the owner is confined to a home.you can email men at rcaesar@wightman.ca or call 519-327-8214 yours in the hobby Bob
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Mongrel Lofts
223 posts
Nov 23, 2006
3:24 PM
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CJ,
Sorry to hear about your losses.. I can tell you over the last 30 years I have suffered so many losses it makes my eyes bleed when I stop to think about it.. The good news is,, as soon as you get another kit up and start seeing some good roll you can hardly remember the lost birds..
Hey, There is a guy in Canada named Brian Beach that should have some good birds.. I know he has a family that not many in Canada have but I know Roll right in there with the best.. He lives in Saskachawan,, Not sure about that spelling but if you can contact him, It could sure be worth your while.. Hang in there.. There are happier days ahead.. KGB
Last Edited by on Nov 23, 2006 3:27 PM
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Santandercol
433 posts
Nov 23, 2006
4:23 PM
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CJ,
I'm out here on the west coast,and I'll send you birds later next year if you're still looking by then.I want to breed around 40 for myself and 20 for a local gal just getting into rollers,then anything after that I would be most pleased to hook you up.I've got mostly Neible birds and some Barrett's.Air Canada is pretty fast at shipping.I received racers from Calgary in 4 hours.Post your e-mail if you want to talk.
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Kelly
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katyroller
99 posts
Nov 23, 2006
5:50 PM
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CJ, Sorry to hear about your tough luck. Before you decide to call it quits, take a look around your property and see if there is anything that you can do to make it less hawk friendly. If your property has alot of trees is there the possibility of maybe thinning them out some? I've been in my third house for two years now and this is the second winter that I have not had issues with hawks. At my last two houses I had alot of problems in the winter and would have to lock my birds down. I am sure the difference with this house is that I do not have alot of mature trees in the area. If all else fails, lock the birds down until spring. Good Luck,
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MILO
25 posts
Nov 23, 2006
6:23 PM
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C.J.
I feel your pain. I have been raising these things for most of my life and back in the day, there weren't the same numbers of preds. Today, it is just a way of life. Hang in there. There are days when I wonder if it is really worth it, but when I get another good kit going, it quickly reminds me why I do this. That past couple years I have had excellent teams, so good even, that I thought I was really going to do well in the comps. Unfortunately, the predators have crushed my chances every year. Seems weeks before the big flies, something happens. I raised 110 birds last year, and the Falcons and coopers ate around 65 of them. They were usually the good ones. So, if I can stick it out, then I hope you would try as well...LOL It gets better. Just be smart when you fly, and lock them up when there is a threat. Good luck!
c
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C.J.
733 posts
Nov 23, 2006
9:40 PM
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Well let me tell you how I reached this point. I have been raising Birmingham Rollers for the past 28 years. I have been working with birds that originated from my uncle. A while back I had issues where something was getting into the loft and chewing the wings and legs off of my birds. I set a trap and caught a bunch of voles. The killing stopped for awhile so I thought I had caught the predator but the killing stated again. This time I set a trap with a live cull bird and caught a weasel. I had extra birds at my mothers house but my brother who knows nothing about birds brought home 42 crap chickens from the local sale barn to the loft without my knowing until it was to late. Disease went through the rollers like wild fire I lost everything she had accept one kit that I had removed prior. This kit was my last hope. I gave a guy some birds early in the spring and went back to him this fall and he had sold them all. The kit I was flying tonight was a young kit of 21 birds. I was flying them on a staggered schedule because this I was being terrorized by a falcon. Until thios year I haven't lost a single roller to birds of prey. I had just whistled the birds down and went to get their feed when one of the rollers came through the feed pen door like someone had thrown her in. I went out to see the kit was gone. After looking around for a couple of minutes I saw 14 birds so high in the sky they were specs. It was getting dark and they were wondering further and further away. My 14 year old son started trying to whistle them back. We couldn't see them but he continued to whistle out of desperation. After 10 minutes he had them back they were about to land when out of the corner of my eye I saw the falcon swoop in. He hit one bird and the others scattered. This was so close to dark it would scare you. The kit is young and now they are terrified. They hit the sky so high they are barely visible and only 10 out of how many are left are visible. As of dark none were in site. They had wandered way off. Just before I left after dark not a bird was back. There are lots of guys with just pigeons here but few with actual Birmingham Rollers or evenm birds that roll. I have given tons of birds away here but no one seems to be able to help now that I am in need. I appreciate all of the support you guys have offered. My kids absolutely love the birds and once you guys started offering names and even birds they are begging me to contact people about birds. I hope some of these leads pan out. Thanks and I will keep you posted on what is going down.
C.J.
Last Edited by on Nov 24, 2006 5:49 AM
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Santandercol
435 posts
Nov 24, 2006
6:05 AM
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CJ,
My birds will be pumping the squeaks out in the spring.You pay the shipping and I'll send you a round as soon as I can.The kid that wants birds out here will wait.Just remember,as low as you can get sometimes,when you come back up you come up that much higher!!
Kind regards,
Kelly Waugh
250-247-8375
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J_Star
695 posts
Nov 24, 2006
6:15 AM
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C.J. I was in your shoes couple of years ago. I really considered quitting this hobby when the preds hit me hard in the fall/winter time. But I realized that the best thing is to lock down even if the birds are not fully developed. Usually in the following spring they become better and they develop without any loss and if not, I'd rather cull them myself than to let the preds have a free lunch. I learned a lesson and I preach it to everyone who is willing to learn from my past mistakes. Luckily I don’t have falcons around here to deal with, but the resident coops are notorious. I learned how to deal with them one at a time. As a matter of fact, yesterday (Thanksgiving Day) one of the coops and I came to an agreement that he will leave me and my birds alone and stay clear from the loft. It is this kind of cooperation that makes me happy and keeps the birds safe.
If you can make a trip to the States, we can arrange a few pairs of good quality birds to take back to Canada. Those can be concealed easily going through the check point at the border. You state those are the kid’s pets. It is just an idea and it could pan out for you. Just hang in there and protect your investment with all you can.
Jay
Last Edited by on Nov 24, 2006 6:19 AM
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C.J.
737 posts
Nov 26, 2006
4:50 PM
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Thanks to everyone for the advice and concern Kelly I will definitely be in touch about those birds. J Star if I am in the states I will take you up on the offer.
One came home but the falcon got her brfore I could. I hope the little #@$%! chokes to death when he is eating her.
I will keep you posted.
C.J.
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MILO
37 posts
Nov 26, 2006
5:41 PM
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CJ:
Had realatives over for Thanksgiving....They remember the Rollers of course...and asked if I would fly them. I hadn't flown them in close to two months. I figured hey, what could it hurt? Falcon chased them for 4 hours, and ripped the crap out of 5 of them. Fortunately, they all eventually came back. So, I am just as thrilled about these birds as you right now...LOL Hang in there...
c
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Velo99
674 posts
Nov 27, 2006
3:43 AM
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Jay,
I heard Monte and those guys used to carry them across in the pocket of thier over coats. lol
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If they don`t kit,they don`t score.
Color don`t roll and peds don`t fly.
It`s a comp thing,understand?
V99
Last Edited by on Nov 27, 2006 3:44 AM
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Santandercol
438 posts
Nov 27, 2006
6:19 AM
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Apparently that's true!One guy named Abdul,brought 8 of Bill Barrett's birds from England into Ontario,Canada in the pockets of his trenchcoat.The story goes he went into the can on the plane and let the birds out for a little excersise during the flight.When he got off the plane he walked straight through customs(picked a female customs agent)and went straight to his buddies car,unloaded the coat full of birds then went back for his suitcases.When he went back into the airport terminal they were calling his name on the PA system as they had dicovered feathers under his seat but by then the birds were no where to be found.Don't think you could pull that off so easy these days.Across the land border sure but I wouldn't try it on a plane unless you compress 'em and vaccuum pack 'em first.LOL.
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Kelly
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J_Star
698 posts
Nov 27, 2006
10:37 AM
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Most likey it will be done through land. Cleveland, Ohio is not that far for driving. The birds could be arranged and waiting before the trip is made. the best is to put them in a handbag and set in the trunk of the car or where the spare tire is located or on the floor between the front and back seat. There are many ways to conceal birds. Or you could bring in homers with as pets with the kids and they will be marked upon entry and when you leave, they would be switched with BRs. Those are just some ideas.
Jay
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
824 posts
Nov 27, 2006
11:46 AM
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Ask KGB how he managed to sneak some across one time...LOL.
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Mongrel Lofts
230 posts
Nov 27, 2006
1:38 PM
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Hey BMC,
All I have to say, is Titt's come in pairs.. Even in Canada.. LMAO... KGB
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ultrasonic
15 posts
Nov 28, 2006
9:07 AM
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C.J
......
I think I can help you with some birds,I am in Ontario.
Send me your phone number at ultrasonic@sympatico.ca
Thanks
.......
Frank
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Ken west
7 posts
Nov 28, 2006
9:11 AM
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I don't know what to do now .I am just getting started and have 12 birds 6 yb and 6 ob. I had them all out for the second time and here comes the HAWK and the scattered he got one of the white yb I had two. Yesterday he got the first white one.He is smaller than a RED TAIL looks like a small Falcon not much bigger than a pigeon. When I had Racing pigeons about 20 years ago there was no Hawks then. There are Pine and Oak trees around the house . He comes down right in front of you like a bullet.I have 3 pair of TURNERS in the breeding cages, no young yet just starting to mate.I hate to let them out in Jan. Well I will quit crying and go look outside.. Ken
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Santandercol
440 posts
Nov 28, 2006
10:01 AM
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Ken,
Keep your birds in for a few days or a week to let them settle down after an attack and hopefully the hawk will get discouraged and bugger off.Before you release,look around and see if you can spot the hawk in the trees and if there are songbirds around,there is a good chance the hawks aren't in your area.Change your fly times around and that helps to confuse the preds.Make lots of noise when you see a hawk and that definately helps.Other than that,just raise as many young during the breeding season as possible.
Good luck,
Kel.
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chandlerTX
31 posts
Nov 28, 2006
4:11 PM
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This may not work for falcons, but for the coopers I have tried this.
This is my first year with rollers so this should be taken with a grain of salt until further proven. My solution to the hawk problem has been to fly my birds about an hour to 45 minutes before dark. I also only fly on the weekends becasue of the short day light hours. I have had hawks come and check my kit out, but they do not attack(crossing my fingers) because I believe they have already eaten. I do see them chasing birds in the area in the late morning usually. I trap trained them in the dark and also feed them after dark. They usually come down right at dusk, and a few have trapped right after dusk. I keep a light on the kit box and my area is lit up very well. I believe that if they do get chased up by a hawk they will still be able to come down and trap after dark(crossing my fingers on that too). This has worked since September for me, that was the last time I lost a bird(I flew them at 1:00). I will post back if I lose birds to a fly over by flying this way. Chad
Last Edited by on Nov 28, 2006 4:15 PM
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Santandercol
441 posts
Nov 28, 2006
4:29 PM
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Chad,
I like to fly in the end part of the day as well.Seems the preds aren't so hungry then.But then again,I've had a coopers chase them up till just before sunset.Even firing roman candles at him,he came back like 6 times.
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Kelly
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katyroller
104 posts
Nov 28, 2006
6:20 PM
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Ken, What you are most likely dealing with is a Cooper hawk, they are abundant in our area this time of year. The hawk should have fairly short wings and a long barred tail. They will attempt open air attacks but usually go after tired birds attempting to land or birds sitting around on the loft. If all you have left is breeders, I wouldn't try flying anything until spring. Once they find a food source they usually stay close by and will clean you out quick. Over the last couple years I have seen as many as 3 hunting in the same area at the same time, they aren't able to be as territorial as they used to be because they are so over populated. I have also noticed them becoming less afraid of humans, had a male on the fence Sun. less than 12 feet away and he wasn't the least bit concerned about me.
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C.J.
743 posts
Nov 29, 2006
4:59 AM
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Hey Guys the culprit in my case was a Falcon. I tried everything to accomodate this little !@#&*. I flew later in the day, I skipped entire weeks, I alternated days. This bird just adapted. I waited hoping he would migrate. Unfortuneately we have had a very warm fall here.The night after his final attack he flew over then sat in the tree out over looking my loft. It was like he was waiting for me to let them outeven though they were gone. The only time I never saw him was when the pair of red tails that nest in a near by swamp were here. I never had a problem with the Red Tails in all of the years I have been here. He also was scarce when the crows were here. It may have been a coincidence I don't know. I also tried the homer thing but that just made him fatter. One day when he attacked he couldnt catch the little bird. Every time he would get in behind her she would roll and change directions. She finally landed in a bushy tree and he couldn't get to her.
When I was watching this he was trying to force her higher in the air. I think he wanted to get her high enough that he could dive down on her. The last day he swooped in over the loft roof and terrified them. The next morning after the over fly he would fly over really high. I suspect looking for any birds that might have returned. Sure is quiet around here. I have a lot of down time now that the birds are gone. Frank thanks for the offer I emailed you last night. Thanks guys
C.J.
Last Edited by on Nov 29, 2006 5:06 AM
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Santandercol
442 posts
Nov 29, 2006
5:45 AM
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CJ,
You are a true roller nut by the sounds of it!!Don't give up.Between all the guys that have offered you help,I'm sure we'll get you set up again somehow.
YITS,
Kel.
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C.J.
748 posts
Nov 29, 2006
5:55 AM
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Kelly I was down for the count but at the nine count a bunch of you guys have given me hope. My wife thinks I am nuts. I told her her she is a good judge lol.
C.J.
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ultrasonic
16 posts
Nov 29, 2006
11:39 AM
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CJ
....
Please email me again @ ultrasonic@sympatico.ca with your info as I have not received your email yet!If possible contact me ASAP as I am going to pick up some birds tomorrow and I can get you some free of charge!
.........
Frank
Last Edited by on Nov 29, 2006 11:42 AM
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