Flyin Hawaiian
152 posts
Apr 18, 2007
4:04 AM
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Here,
Is a letter that I had written to a friend many years ago thought I would share it with you and maybe it will help some one along the way to feeding thier rollers and getting better results.
Sorry I didn't call last eve. Went out with some friends for a piece of Pie at Marie Calendars. Hey listen here's the scoop on feed from my point of view. Many guys get confused as to what kind of feed Pensom was feeding and some others. Remember that when the english talk about DARI they are refferring to MILO. Thats why you here them say RED DARI. Pensom at times uses Corn in meaning feed in general. However he did feed small corn not popcorn or dent corn but cracked typed corn to his flyers. He wasn't always an advocate of certain feeds. However he disliked using high protien type feeds because the results were longer flying and less performance. The best grain you can build your feed around is Hard Red Wheat that is considered a #1 type of wheat that is of Human Consumption nature. I spend a little more on my Wheat for the kit birds but I have defintely found it to be beneficial because of the properties it carries versus a feed type wheat. I know that having said that it may be controversial to what Pensom believed and mentioned but I will assure you if you were to take everything that Pensom said as gospel you would feel like an ant in a tub full of water with the drain plug pulled!!Keep it simple and buy quality wheat heck this is our hobby and what else can we spend our money on and get the same satisfaction as we do when we see the birds perform as a result. I only use 3 grains for the kit birds up until they are 6 mo of age and then I will cut it back to 2 grains when they have come to roll. Here are the three I use #1Hard Red Wheat (HC) #2 Milo #3 Austrian Peas. Now feeding the young birds when they have been on the wing. I feed them twice a day as per suggested. Feeding 1/3 of the ration to them in the A.M of milo only. The second Feeding I feed the remainder of the 2/3 ration of Peas and Wheat. Feeding all grains seperately until they have cleaned it up. Now heres the catch. I don't feed them exactly 1/2 of the 2/3 ration equally of Peas and Wheat but rather I feed 1/3 of the 2/3 second feeding just Peas so another wards 1/3 of the 2/3 feeding is the Peas. Feed that first and then follow up with the wheat. So basically the higher % is the wheat being given. Twice a week on sunday and wednesday I feed them a mineral grit which I buy and then add parakeet grit and a mineral 20/20 horse mineral to that grit and mix it in evenly. If the kit starts to fly a day or two in tight circles I will then feed them some Barley to loosen them up and slow them down. Your must be alert when feeding them Barley it will curb them of flying so fast but given to much and to long they will elevate on you. Niger seed is used to trap them in on with millett to do the same on alternating days of flight. Very small doses just enough to take off the edge and to get them to trap. Phil this is just my way of doing it. Not saying that its the only way. However thier are alot of diffrrences in how to get the kit to perform to thier optimun but the key to all of this lies within the breeding loft. What you put in there will reveal what you have as a result of management and getting the best out of the birds. Selecting the birds first by aerial performance and then by thier social and eating habits. Temperament and thier behaviuor goes along way in achieving the ultimate in a good family of birds. Hope this may shed a little light to you and perhaps the results will be forseen in the back yard in the near future. Later
Your Buddy Ivan
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Spud
99 posts
Apr 18, 2007
8:34 AM
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I have in my hands the American Pigeon Journal from May, 1985. On pg. 94 I see your smiling face holding a big trophey and an artilce on the "Northwest Roller Jockeys". So Ivan, what ever happend to this group?
Spud
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Flyin Hawaiian
154 posts
Apr 19, 2007
6:34 PM
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Hey Spud,
Sorry I didn't reply sooner. As far as the N.W Roller Jockeys are concerned we are still in existance we just haven't had an organized year of fly's of late. This is gonna change soon as I will spear head it up and get the guys more involved. It slowly diminshed due to the falcon issues some guys were dealing with. The picture that you saw in the 1985 APJ several either have passed on or they no longe have birds. Pete Kaufman and Don Lehman and Bill Schrieber and my self are the only ones in that picture that still have birds. Thanks for asking.
Your friend Ivan
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