Electric-man
156 posts
Mar 06, 2007
5:23 PM
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I don't get it! I start the ybs in a pen above the loft for a few days. I trap train them. For a week maybe two, I won't pressure them. I let them go up when their ready. I had 7 ybs ready, the last couple of days, they have been really stretching their wings. Today up they went! After about 5 or 10 min, I noticed some where gone. I would see one off in the distance once in awhile,but thats it. 2 came in tonight. On average I will see 1 or 2 come back in a day or two. 99% sure no preds around. I have a huge blue above ground pool, green shingles on the roof, shed, 2 lofts to match, trees arent that thick. It happens over and over it seems with my ybs. I probably average 1 out of 6 make it. Any ideas on helping my percentage? This seems to happen to every set of ybs!
Val
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Missouri-Flyer
328 posts
Mar 06, 2007
5:36 PM
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Val,
you stated that these birds have been in the kitbox a few weeks..Would tweaking their food help to the point that they may not want to venture far because they have food on their mind? Are you still free feeding them at this point?..Jerry
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Home of "Whispering Wings Loft"
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Electric-man
157 posts
Mar 06, 2007
6:07 PM
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Not free feeding, but probably twice what they will be getting after they mature a little more. I new this was gonna probably be my problem. I'm gonna order another trap tomorrow and get my ybs away from my 6 to 9 mo birds. I think I can keep them from trying to wonder off so far from the loft trying to be big birds.LOL Sometimes I think I know the answer, but I like some feedback just the same. My buddy that visited me this weekend said my biggest problem he saw was with my feed. I need to go back through the archives and study what the norm is on feeding ybs and when to cut it back! Whats your theory, if you got a min!
Val
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JMUrbon
233 posts
Mar 06, 2007
6:07 PM
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Val tape the first 4-5 flights on one wing and then put them on the roof for a week or so taped and then only release a couple at a time and dont release any more until the ones that are in the air are comming down on their own. This gives them something to come down to. Try it. Joe
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J.M.Urbon Lofts
A Proven Family of Spinners
http://www.freewebs.com/jmurbonlofts/
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motherlodelofts
1513 posts
Mar 06, 2007
6:16 PM
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That stinks Val , different families will vary though, I can put mine out strong on the wing and only loose them if one stays in a tree and an owl come's along.
Your fix should be simple though , put em on the roof before they are strong enough to fly, and keep doing it until they start making short loops ,shortly after that they will be off and running.
Scott
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Flyin Hawaiian
81 posts
Mar 06, 2007
6:21 PM
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Val,
Remember these little guys and gals are creatures of habit. What they learn from the time thier hatched until they take to thier first flight is whats ingrained in them. My suggestion to you is to get them out on the landing board early before they can elude you when you catch them up. Teach them to always come to your beckon call and work them about the loft with some small grains such as millet or milo not alot but just enought to get thier attention. Using the locating cage is good when you cannot babysit them but demands and responses to those demands gets you a handle on the kit. This is why flying them and trapping them through the open door policy gives you and indication where you are on the mark of the can to get thier attention. It sounds to me that when a kit wanders off you are over feeding them. It is crucial that they associate you with the feed can and thats all you should resemble to them is thier feed. Young birds should not be deprived from feed but control of them is essential in training them properly. When you wean the youngsters from the parents they should be placed in a weaning cage or thier permanent kit box.Thier is when you discover thier gloat amount of feed anotherwards what they can eat in a 15 minute time span. Feed them that amount on a steady diet and if it looks like they are finishing it up quickly than you can add a handful here or thier. Some use as an indicator the first bird to go to drink. The quage lies in thier responsiveness to you. Val try not to use the locating cage as often unless of coarse you are not around to babysit them. Play them about the loft and I will guarrantee you they will be more repsonsive and not wander off. Young birds in genral don't want to wander off because the loft is thier security blanket however when they become strong enough to venture it only takes a bird or two that is independent to make the others follow suit. These guys are nothing but a bunch of copycats to begin with. Calling your birds is the first step of discipline that sets the tone to all the other steps thier after.
Ivan
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belle
173 posts
Mar 06, 2007
6:21 PM
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I keep my ybs in the pen above the kit for about 2 weeks and don't feed them the day before I let them out. I think I lose 2 or 3 out of about 30-35 that because there is a house about 100-150 yards over the trees that looks a lot like mine.
Justin
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Missouri-Flyer
329 posts
Mar 06, 2007
6:27 PM
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I haven't lost a single yb in 3 years while breaking them in. Like Justin stated, I dont give them any feed the day before their first flight, and ALWAYS whistle to my birds when feeding, no matter what age..I have had great luck with my yb's..Jerry
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Home of "Whispering Wings Loft"
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STARFIRE
333 posts
Mar 06, 2007
7:46 PM
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-Hi Val:
You say you have the same trouble with all your youngsters?
If thats the case I think you have a line of birds that has a poor homing instinct.I have a few pair that breed white birds and I cant keep any of them ,they all get lost.Thats the only conclusion that I can come to,because I don't lose anything else.I have lost these white ones and have had them returned to me,through the humane society.I have kept them in and retrained them and leave them on the loft for anothe week ,and as soon as they fly they get lost again and don't come back.Needless to say I don't breed the parents of those birds together anymore.I think sometimes with some birds if they are heavily inbred they lose their homing instinct.Just something to think about.Its just a theory.
STARFIRE
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Electric-man
158 posts
Mar 06, 2007
9:59 PM
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I wrote this whole page of crap, trying to explain my thinking about my feeding ideas, but it all boils down to, listen to what ya'll are saying and use some common sense. I know feeding is my problem! Starting tomorrow, them little s.o.b.'s are gonna start jumping when the feed can rattles or their gonna miss out! Thanks guys for your thoughts and ideas! I'll make the changes!
I'm gonna keep them on the kit box a liitle longer and let them go a couple at a time! I'll get the hang of it!
Wish I could visit some of you guys and see the pros at work!LOL
Val
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luis
214 posts
Mar 06, 2007
10:13 PM
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Hey Val i feed up my squeaks for quite a while and don't loose any unless they get taken.I even have the preds show up and the squeaks scatter only to return after a while.I toss them onto the roof very early and with older birds around so in case they wander off to far they have the older birds to show them the way back.It's worked for me!Good luck in the future.
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motherlodelofts
1516 posts
Mar 06, 2007
10:31 PM
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I don't cut the feed on them, at that age they are starving at feeding time even when filled up the prior day.
I might add that all of my youngsters are put out in late afternoon, once the sun starts setting they are looking for food and thier perches.
Scott
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Electric-man
160 posts
Mar 07, 2007
12:15 AM
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I think opening the second kit box might help too! That way I can let them out later than the older ones. And get more equal amounts of food. Its amazing how some squeaks will stand their ground right off and other spend all day gettin the crap kicked out of them. I was up to 20 birds in that kit. Kinda hard on the frail ones. Funny thing is, one of them that I put in there two weeks ago has already taken the top spot in the box. Has that look in his eye that says hes the boss already! Have high hopes for him! Never know, he might be that gold nugget!
This stuff is addicting, aint it! Can't wait till tomorrow!
Val
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Missouri-Flyer
331 posts
Mar 07, 2007
4:21 AM
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You've got the spirit Val..
Different strokes for different folks..Experiment and see what the changes are, and use the most effective changes to your advantage. As Scott stated, give them all they want to eat, but not all of the time..As someone stated, when the first bird drinks, then the others,given that they all trap together, should have enough to sustain them until the next fly/feeding..Hope you get this kicked in the bud, as it really sucks to lose birds, no matter what age..Jerry
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Home of "Whispering Wings Loft"
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Velo99
967 posts
Mar 07, 2007
5:00 AM
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Val,
When they are weaners they get trap cage. Even before they can fly, I make a litle ramp to train them to the kitbox while they are on the floor in the breeder box. I do this while the other birds are flying.When I move them over to it they are familiar with it.
I whistle my breeders too. The chicks hear the whistle and can rattle from day one.
good luck bro
kh
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V99
Flippin`The Bird!
http://www.bluedotloft.50megs.com
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Hector Coya
140 posts
Mar 07, 2007
6:18 AM
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VAL
I think your main problem is you hold them in too long,
My young birds are in the kit before they are able to fly.
I let the young kit out as soon as my main kit is landing thatway they see the proces of trapping when they hear the whistle,if you hold them in too logn they get wing strong and will go up the first day they get released.my young get to hang out on the roof for about a week or two before they try to fly,i hardly ever lose one.Good luck.
Hector C
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Otis
3 posts
Mar 07, 2007
6:44 AM
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Hey Val, You have the solution at hand! You said..." and get my yb's away from my 6 to 9 mth. birds"! And "trying to be big birds". You've hit upon the simple reason most flyers like to get kits of like ages out at the same time! Older birds will lose yb's just being let out by going out further than they can recover from. Remember they are just learning to fly, they really haven't learned to follow! Separate them by ages, keep an eye on the feed can and follow Ivan's recommendations and you should stop losing them! Best of Luck! Otis
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bman
246 posts
Mar 07, 2007
7:20 AM
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Val,
Otis caught the same thing I did.Besides the feed your biggest problem is the age difference.Too big of a gap in ages will lose you alot of birds.
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Ron
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Electric-man
161 posts
Mar 07, 2007
7:46 AM
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I think so too. 3 of the 5 just showed up! I'm ordering a new trap today for the youngsters. They're just like my kids, trying to grow up to quick!LOL
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Hector Coya
141 posts
Mar 07, 2007
8:32 AM
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you dont even need a trap,i open the door and let them out ,wheen i whistle they come back through the door,if hungry they will come in all at once.
if one stays out i do have a trap but he will not get much food if he took to long. Hector c
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Velo99
969 posts
Mar 08, 2007
4:40 AM
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Val,
Try letting the yb`s out,hungry,when the ob`s are lowering. The yb`s can see just how the landing process works and get a few laps in with the ob`s.
g/l
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V99
Flippin`The Bird!
http://www.bluedotloft.50megs.com
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