Missouri-Flyer
419 posts
Apr 01, 2007
7:11 AM
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Good morning guys,
While reading a few topics this morning on stressing your birds before a comp. fly, I ran across this article by Higgins, and wanted to see if any of you go to these extremes?..Thanks
Higgins Quote:
Psychological stimulation or stress can be induced also by adding something strange into the kit box. A rubber snake and party balloons can be put into the kit box the night before the fly. Rollers are scared to death of snakes as most of you know, the rubber snake alone will not work well if left in the kit box over 2 or 3 hours without moving. If you add a small party balloon or two to the floor of the kit box all birds will be on the top perch looking down at the floor. This will induce the desired stress, each time a birds moves it's wings the balloons will move and seeing the snake too will do the job. The snake and balloons should be removed about 10 minutes before the kit is released or you might roll some birds down, time should be called on the kit as soon as it gets together, they are going to be , very excited upon release, and should work their best in the early minutes of the fly.
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Jerry
Home of "Whispering Wings Loft"
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MILO
282 posts
Apr 01, 2007
8:34 AM
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I like my birds to be relaxed before a fly. I can't imagine my birds doing any better with a rubber snake scaring them. I would think scared birds fly with an irregular wing beat, like with a copper circling around them. Not a lot of roll there. Also, I try to avoid doing something different than what I'm used to doing on the day of the fly...lol Interesting idea, but not for these birds.
c
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Velo99
1021 posts
Apr 01, 2007
9:03 AM
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Jer,
I used Higgins prep plan last season and it worked for my birds. Good stuff there man!
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V99
Flippin`The Bird!
http://www.bluedotloft.50megs.com
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nicksiders
1516 posts
Apr 01, 2007
9:14 AM
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I am with Milo here. I would prefer them rested and comfortable; a little hungry; a little thirsty.......but, Mr. Higgins is a champion breeder and flyer so what do we know. Where do you get a rubber snake and are the balloons filled with any helium?
Nick
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Snicker Rollers
Last Edited by on Apr 01, 2007 9:15 AM
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Flyin Hawaiian
108 posts
Apr 01, 2007
2:41 PM
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One thing to keep in mind guys is that anything can be of value if it works for you. Jerry Higgins has been through all the loop holes that you guys are just now finding out about and is sharing his knowledge with you to help you somehow to fly better kits. Not saying it is the ticket but one thing I have learned in this sport is to keep an open mind and use common sense that hopefully you were born with. Somehow with this bizzare tactic of prepping to some something got lost in the thought process with some of you. How do we get our kits ready for a comp and get the most from them STIMULATION! STIMULATION! STIMULATION!! How is this achieved through kit chemistry and feed manipulation and or stress. Those of you that lack experience right away turn your nose up at thinking outside the box. Changing housing from on kit box to the next is another way to stimulate your comp kit. Look at it this way what do you personally do to get out of your daily rountine of going to work and back to home etc. Take a vacation right that breaks up the routine and revitilizes you same can apply to the kit that is always in the same routine of things that why we change it up. To often in this sport we over fly our birds and peak them to early and than look back on what we did and how we can improve without taking in consideration of over training and flying them to often during prep times.Housing kits seperately but flying them together is a good stimulation for the chemistry of the kit. Especially if you put a few good hens in with the cocks a few minutes prior to release and let the cocks get juiced up and excited they will show you the extra gear they seem to hide most of the time. Thier are other things such as purging th kit when they have gone flat and adding certain key birds that no thier roles that can also add to the simultaneous breaking and frequency but that will have to be for another time.Observations and on hands experiences is your best teacher and if you should be lucky enough to be around a world class flyer I would suggest highly to hang on to his shirt tail and go for the ride.
Ivan
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Alohazona
260 posts
Apr 01, 2007
2:58 PM
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Good point Ivan,
I have had many things work,and it always seems to be the new thing I try that does it.Duplicating it, or using it sucessively has always been a trick.An open mind and common sense,is the foundation for stimulation,you're right on with that one...Aloha,Todd
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CSRA
109 posts
Apr 01, 2007
3:10 PM
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Keep up the great work Ivan and Velo99!
Last Edited by on Apr 01, 2007 3:11 PM
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SiDLoVE
10 posts
Apr 01, 2007
3:42 PM
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I like all the creative ideas am hearing about comp preping .
I think at the end of the day . Do whatever works best for you .
For new rollermen learning ideas this subject is the one that is important.
Higgins ideas are creative. I like his idea and with hawks everywhere and making the birds spooky it can stress the birds but they react in a way they roll or sky right away like mine would.. Just depends how you manage your birds?? who really knows ...try it Milo....LOL ...I think the snake and ballons would sky my bird ...if it works then ill play waterballon fights...LOL
What i do is keep them in the dark and there happy to see light the 3rd day I FLY THEM ..What i do is start bringing less feed 2 weeks before the fly comp day and to weaken them enough to not fight the roll and give there best performance 25 to 35 minutes . 2 cups 20 birds and i adjust down to 1 cup 1/2 to 1 cup or 3/4 cup to get the right height on mature birds only. Young birds need to be well fed for growth. Weakening stable birds does the job for me,,,hotter birds might not need weakening cause youll have them all bump so they might need to be fed well...lol
Keep your birds in SIGHT for the JUDGE to Score them!!
(just a point of view here) Sidlove ---*
Last Edited by on Apr 01, 2007 8:06 PM
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rollerkid
45 posts
Apr 01, 2007
8:47 PM
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hea u go sid...u wanted meh to post this for u ...
SIDLOVE AND JERRY HIGGINS
Last Edited by on Apr 01, 2007 8:48 PM
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
1296 posts
Apr 01, 2007
10:48 PM
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I do a few things the day before a fly and just before the release. One is that I darken the front of the box the day before so they can't see outside. Usually I put this feather duster I have that has feathers from a reddish-brown chicken which everytime a bird moves its wings in the box, the feathers on that duster move and it tends to keep them on the perches with their eyes glued to it. The goal is to simply stimulate them enough to snap them out of normalcy. It won't guarantee you any win, but it will usually get you a break or two more and tends to highten their sensitivity just a bit.
I did try something different last season just on a spur of the moment thing. I grabbed one of my BB Red OE Bantam hens that was pretty tame and put her in the kit box. Being "hawk" colored I figured this would get their attention. It did for for a few minutes, the birds were freaked! But after about ten minutes it was like they could care less...lol. Maybe this year I'll try the rooster instead..lol
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gotspin7
66 posts
Apr 02, 2007
5:05 AM
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guys real good info! it is time to start STIMULATING!!..LOL
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motherlodelofts
1654 posts
Apr 02, 2007
10:21 AM
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For me it depends on the team , if it is a good team I only want to tickle them a bit , I will use mainly just food changes and rest with a dose of vit and minerals after not giving any for a month, or I will hold the food and water back the prior day , it depends on condition.
Now if it isn't that great of team I will pull the stops out , one of favorites is moving to another completely diffent box with a far different feel to it.
I might add that if it is truely a good team,I am real careful about stimulation as you can easily turn a good team into chumps with too much roll of which will ruin qaulity and work rate as a team.
Scott
Last Edited by on Apr 02, 2007 10:23 AM
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W@yne
332 posts
Apr 02, 2007
1:09 PM
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I usually give the birds honey or glucose in their water night before a fly this seems to stimulate them it energizes and seems to boost them up a little. Its all about getting the most from your birds squeezing that little bit extra from them.
Regards
W@yne uk
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Patience Perseverence Perfection
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Last Edited by on Apr 02, 2007 1:14 PM
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nicksiders
1528 posts
Apr 02, 2007
9:06 PM
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Scott,
What are some of the stops you pull out?
I ain't gonna let ya just make a statement and then shut the door and leave(LOL)
Nick
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Snicker Rollers
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chandlerTX
49 posts
Apr 03, 2007
11:23 AM
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Paul, I would like to try your written plan. I have my first fly in about 3 weeks and would love to see if it helps my birds. Chad
cnascott@sbcglobal.net
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Ballrollers
755 posts
Apr 03, 2007
2:56 PM
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Paul,
What's your thinking on your willingness to pull birds by not add them after 10 days out? It sounds like adding birds upsets the dynamics of the kit more so than pulling them in your family of birds. Is that your experience?
YITS,
Cliff
Last Edited by on Apr 03, 2007 2:58 PM
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fhtfire
872 posts
Apr 03, 2007
9:22 PM
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Cliff,
Unless the birds have flown with the A-team before...I do not add birds...I have found that it does mess up the dynamics of the team to add birds. But pulling a bird really does not do much unless it is a trigger bird. It is just a rule that I have....I will go with 17 instead of 18 if I have to...rather then put a new bird in and mess it up.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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