Missouri-Flyer
125 posts
Jan 27, 2007
3:28 PM
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Ok guys the attacks the other day and now, frustrated as hell, an overfly today. I decided to fly with a 10 mph wind and partly cloudy sky. 20 minutes after letting them out the clouds thickened and were 500 feet above ground. I last seen the birds through a hole in the sky. 15 Mins. later they were beneath the clouds still high. I tried wistling them down and only pulled one down. Is there anything that any of you do when it starts to get dark as it is here as in put light on outside of kit, turn on vehicle lights, etc.?... Thanks, depressed Jerry!
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Eat, sleep, Cowboys, Pigeons... The facts of life
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bman
184 posts
Jan 27, 2007
3:34 PM
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Jerry,
Sorry about your troubles.I have seen them land in the dark if there was enough light for them to see the loft.
Might be the exception thou.Weather permitting I would fly a few birds in the morning to try and draw in the stragglers.Hope you get them home.
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Ron
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RO
30 posts
Jan 27, 2007
3:38 PM
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Ive tried all types of thing 's when I had over flies in the pass, putting my fishing light on top of the kit box wistlen and even shaking the feed can.The truth is just wait till they get back, and if your like me you will be checken the kit box every hour on the hour till you fall asleep.But the best one is the light on top of the kit box.But not a garuntee.
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Missouri-Flyer
126 posts
Jan 27, 2007
3:40 PM
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feeling sick now. Gonna go hook up an outside light....what a shitty feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Eat, sleep, Cowboys, Pigeons... The facts of life
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nicksiders
1283 posts
Jan 27, 2007
3:46 PM
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We have all went thru this so we feel for you my friend. I have lit my loft with lights and it did work somewhat. I have lost many over the years that stayed up after dark fell.
I am going to permently light my lofts so that I can just throw on a switch and aluminate my whole back yard.
I also have owls in the area who will take them off the top of my loft at night.............I don't remember having all this going on when I was a kid with BOPs, but that was a long time ago and my memory may not strech that far back.
The next morning you may get 'em all back or at least the great majority of them.
Sorry my friend.
Nick
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Snicker Rollers
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Missouri-Flyer
127 posts
Jan 27, 2007
3:55 PM
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hooked up a bright halogen on top of the playset 10 feet from the loft. I lost 19 out of 23 in 2005 to an overfly and it made me sick because that was all I bred. With the attack the other day I had 17 left, now 16 of those are gone which was all I had left from 2006....Very depressing!
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Eat, sleep, Cowboys, Pigeons... The facts of life
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bman
185 posts
Jan 27, 2007
3:58 PM
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Hang in there Jerry,
We have all been thru it.I had them straggle back over a couple of days.Our thoughts are with you.
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Ron
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motherlodelofts
1331 posts
Jan 27, 2007
4:02 PM
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Jerry , I have landed kits at night, make sure the lights don't blind them.
If you don't get them down the good thing is most will go down close by and most will should make it home in the morning.
That is if owls don't shread them up,it's a bad feeling though bro , been there more than once.
Scott
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Missouri-Flyer
129 posts
Jan 27, 2007
4:06 PM
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so do the birds land somewhere at night, or continue flying until they are in another state?
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Eat, sleep, Cowboys, Pigeons... The facts of life
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Steve_uk
55 posts
Jan 27, 2007
4:10 PM
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Just one of them things i'm affraid anyone who have flown real fit birds will agree they just get to fit without you realizing and the weather plays its part bad luck i'm affraid bud fingers crossed some will turn up.
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nicksiders
1285 posts
Jan 27, 2007
4:17 PM
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Jerry,
I think they find a place to land.....I don't see them flying the whole night, but I do not know for certain.
Nick
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Snicker Rollers
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belle
128 posts
Jan 27, 2007
4:23 PM
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They should land in the trees hope it is close and they have good homing, fly some in the morning I have had that work for me. Let us know how it works out.
Justin
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1-bad-57
16 posts
Jan 27, 2007
5:56 PM
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Hi Jerry,
I had 10 birds fly till dark about a week ago. The next morning thru the fog 5 came back. 2 days latter still foggy 2 more came in. 2 more days of fog then it cleared up the next day and the other 3 returned. Didn't take them long to trap!!! Keep your fingers crossed.
Joe
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Missouri-Flyer
131 posts
Jan 27, 2007
6:05 PM
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Thanks Guys,
Just really sucks because the last 2 years I have culled hard and kept only the best that I had but yet have lost both damn kits now. Makes me think that I might need to keep them all so I have more in numbers, and more shit birds!
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Eat, sleep, Cowboys, Pigeons... The facts of life
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nicksiders
1287 posts
Jan 27, 2007
6:22 PM
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Jerry,
A lot of us are in the same boat. If I have a major overfly it pretty well wipes me out because I cull often as well. The best thing I can do is fix my breeder situation to the point I don't have to cull so much. Just have better breeders who will produce better birds.
It is hard.....for me anyway.
Nick
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Snicker Rollers
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fhtfire
792 posts
Jan 27, 2007
10:08 PM
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Jerry,
Most of us on the site have felt your pain. Just 2 months ago I 17 birds out of 23 in my A-team. Mine got chased up by a hawk and then the clouds moved in and they were gone. I got some back the next day. Then I got a couple phone calls and retrieved 2 birds 25 miles away that trapped in other fanciers lofts. Thank god for address bands. Anyway..I know your pain. You just have to keep on trucking. I was lucky that I had plenty of hold over birds to build my new A-team...but it is not even the same as the team that I lost. I also had 4 birds in that team that I was going to try in the breeder loft....Just brush yourself off and get back up on the horse!!!
rock and ROLL
Paul
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motherlodelofts
1337 posts
Jan 28, 2007
3:29 AM
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"Makes me think that I might need to keep them all so I have more in numbers, and more shit birds! "
Jerry , not a bad Idea , I allways have a box going of strong stiffs (mostly) strong cocks.
They get used heavy this time of year on into Spring when I have a problem with kits getting blown off , or getting caught in thermals and coming down a bird or two shy.
I call them my rescue sqaud, come late Spring when I need the room I'll cull them out , a few usualy pan out by then also.
Just curious , what did you cull for ? I don't cull anything unless it's sick or becomes unstable (including non kitting) until Spring of the following breeding season .
Scott
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Missouri-Flyer
134 posts
Jan 28, 2007
5:15 AM
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Well, as the sun starts to shine thru, still no signs of any birds.....Scott, I cull birds for many reasons..The last being ones that wouldnt kit as tight as the rest, I had 2 that bumped flying out of the kitbox or coming down to land, I had a lazy bird that didnt want to fly,etc....Being in my 3rd year back into rollers, I started with excellent birds from a well respected guy near me, so with that I try to keep a kit of birds that work for me. I had planned to fly my first year of comp. this year using this kit. I had them culled to where they were working together, and how I liked. Hopefully most will come back, not that it matters now because I wont have enough to fly comp....Oh well...Jerry
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Eat, sleep, Cowboys, Pigeons... The facts of life
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Velo99
885 posts
Jan 28, 2007
7:11 AM
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I have had my birds fly up til dark several times. Especially this time of year when the fly time is limited. Here in the Tx Panhandle high pressure is a way of life. Going hand in hand is occasional high flying.My losses are normally very minimal.My birds usually land on the house and trap during the evening or the next day. I have some flood lights that illuminate the front of my boxes. I close the trap about ten and whoever isn`t in just has to tough it out. I have had them straggle in as much as 5-6 days later. Have hope my brother.
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V99
Good spinners don`t always
make good breeders.
http://www.bluedotloft.50megs.com
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Blackbadge
8 posts
Jan 28, 2007
8:54 AM
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Sorry to hear about your loss. Just a suggestion but i have a skylight window on roof of my loft that way i just turn loft lights on and it lights up the roof. Plus it lets a hell of alot of light in during the day. Blackbadge
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Missouri-Flyer
139 posts
Jan 28, 2007
2:47 PM
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Hi Blackbadge,
I put halogen lights outside of the loft lighting up the roof all night with no success. It looked like a prison during an escape attempt it was so bright. As of now I have recovered 4 of the 17. Just hoping for more, but I didnt think I would get any back, so doing better than I thought... Out of the 4, all of them are cocks..I had 10 cocks and 7 hens, so about even.. Does that make the male smarter? Just a question for thought. Jerry
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Eat, sleep, Cowboys, Pigeons... The facts of life
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J_Star
778 posts
Jan 29, 2007
7:33 AM
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Sorry about your loss of your kit and hope they will come back in within a short time. I used to think over-fly will happen to fanciers who don’t manage their birds properly until it happened to me twice. Each time was with significant losses. Although, the weather might appear to be good within 200 – 400 feet from the ground but above that range the wind current could be disastrous when you fly your birds. This time of year and in the early spring watch the parameter before flying your birds. If the parameter is rising don’t fly your birds and be patient. The same before a storm and after will cause an over-fly. Again, sorry for your losses and as hard as it is, think of it as hard learned lessons that will educate you as you grow in this hobby.
Jay
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2007 7:34 AM
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