classicpony
282 posts
Aug 03, 2007
4:10 PM
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My kit was doing so well, I was flying them twice a day, then the other day I let them out and see there was a little feed left in the pan, the kit was gone. My night fall I was short 12 of 28 birds. 5 of them stayed on my roof, they came in just before dark, the rest came back the next day. The next day I did not fly them and re-counted them and was short 3, they never did come come.
After letting them set for 2 days in the kit, I went to fly them again, this time NO feed in the tray. And Bang! The same thing again, they all left, I have 5 birds playing on my roof, and where did that kit go????
Before they were doing great, kiting and flying I was proud of them, now this..... Why?????
Jim
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nicksiders
2009 posts
Aug 03, 2007
4:16 PM
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Jim,
Sounds like a BOP problem. Got to watch them fly and see if a BOP shows up. They will drive them up and away.
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Nick
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Richard
43 posts
Aug 03, 2007
4:33 PM
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How long were they flying the two times before the first flew off?
Richard
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Gregg
146 posts
Aug 03, 2007
5:37 PM
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Jim,
Under fed is as bad as over fed. Generally severely overfed birds wont go too high or too far in that full crops hold them down. But full crop youngsters that have all of that stored energy even after flying for half a day should have gotten no rations on the next day and a bit less than normal the next day prior to release. It's a fine line with feeding a kit. They will convince you that they are still hungry but in reality have more than enough. When you have them flying forty five minutes to an hour, then your young birds are getting enough to eat. Anything longer than that flying time and you should be cutting back on the feed.
Underfed youngsters are light. Up drafts will take them away on you. Especially with a high front coming in. Controlling the feed can is an absolute must and they should always be begging for more.
The older the birds, depending on performance, tend to do well on a bit less feed. Youngsters are developing muscle and stamina and need that forty five min to an hour of flying time. The older birds already have it thus can do more with less.
Gregg.
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classicpony
283 posts
Aug 03, 2007
6:13 PM
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This last time, they were just gone, I found 5 on my house just playing or milling around. One was flying low but in a circle. The others came in much later just a few at a time. What happened, Who knows?? They were a picture of the perfect kit last week. They were hungrey and had no feed left when I let them out this time after 2 day rest. It has been HOT here so I was only going to fly them one time, I let them go about 5pm here.
Jim
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
1483 posts
Aug 03, 2007
6:23 PM
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Yet another reason NOT to fly in the last few hours of light unless you simply have no choice. Sorry to hear about the birds Jim, but I blame it on flying them twice a day. They were too fit, and when given a spike to their energy reserves coupled with a change in the barometer or humidity that went unnoticed....poof..they are gone. I've never understood why people fly their young birds twice a day other than for just the joy of watching them. Rollers get fit really quick and that kind of extreme athleticism will turn rollers into marathon birds in no time. Give them a little peak in attitude and they will dot out and leave you wondering what happen.
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MILO
384 posts
Aug 03, 2007
7:42 PM
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BOP.
I've had one stalking my squeaks for over a week. Thinks I haven't noticed him. If I walked in the house for a coke, I would know why one came up missing. The A teams fly pattern have changed significantly also. Stragglers and late trappers are becoming more common. No fault to them, they are just following their instincts. As handlers, we need to be VERY observant, and use great caution when releasing birds.
c
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black_hawk_down
8 posts
Aug 03, 2007
8:29 PM
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hey pony maybe the kit are landing and playing some where else. u have to keep an eye on these birds because they are creatures of habit. especially when they are young birds. my birds used to land a block away from where they're supposed to land. it took me a while to figure that out. i was wondering why they flew for soo long. do you have grit provided for them? sometimes my birds might go off somewhere now and then to get grit. hope this helps -joe
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classicpony
284 posts
Aug 03, 2007
9:13 PM
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I will have to watch them and try giving them more grit, and try only flying them once per day, but I will let them set in the kitbox for a few days and watch how much grain they get.
Jim
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Mongrel Lofts
323 posts
Aug 03, 2007
9:43 PM
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Hi Jim,
The one thing I haven't heard yet, are these birds going up high? If they are, I have found that on some really hot days here recently my birds have been going up to find the cooler breezes. Once they learn the air is cool up there, they will get a habit if you don't watch them. If they are going up, lock them down a few days and feed them a 50% pellet with their grain. Wiehgt and moisture will keep them down.If they are flying off but not up, then the BOP is more than likely your problem,, Just another thought. KGB
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wafer kits
38 posts
Aug 03, 2007
10:16 PM
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Jim;
It seems to me to be a BOP causing the problem. My birds have acted like yours the past few times I let them out. Lost one several days ago. Today they were flying high and some were not kitting. They would drop lower and, suddenly, go way back up. One bird landed after an hour and got grabbed as soon as he hit the roof. The rest stayed up for another hour. Four more came down, flying wildly in circles and the rest finally trapped in 15 minutes later. I think you should keep them in for awhile. Al
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classicpony
285 posts
Aug 04, 2007
1:27 AM
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Well I don't think it BOP's and YES they the first time when up really high and vanished for quite some time, missing 3 birds after a day & a half, yesterday missing one that I could tell. I left the trap open just in case he comes back tonight or today.
Jim
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Double R
55 posts
Aug 04, 2007
3:37 AM
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Jim,
One thing you may not want to leave your traps open at night, if a raccoon or cat gets in you could lose the whole kit. I had a coon turn the latch, and get in my kit box this spring. He killed 5 but only ate 1 all in the same night.
Robby
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classicpony
288 posts
Aug 04, 2007
3:28 PM
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Double R,
I had that happen to me last winter, so I took a 5 inch plasic elbow and cut it into half and now there my new trap. So far keeping coons out :) where before I had the wire bobs.
Jim
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Richard
47 posts
Aug 04, 2007
5:38 PM
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JIm
Am I reading your posts right the birds went up high on the time before you let them out and lost some?
Richard
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
1533 posts
Aug 04, 2007
7:54 PM
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Hey Jim, feed can = control. Try keeping them in for several days. Feed them enough ration so they are still a bit hungry when done. On the day you finally let them out, do it in the morning (will have all day to make it back if problems arise) and only let out 1/2 of the birds one day and the other half the next.
Before you let them out, pack a sack lunch, use the restroom , get a chair and then plan to be watching them the entire time they fly.
Watch for bop or if they are landing elsewhere. GL
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
Check Out Our Pigeon Supply Store
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classicpony
289 posts
Aug 06, 2007
7:22 AM
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OK Here we go.... fingers crossed, feed them lots of grit, cut back on the feed, making sure that are hungry again... gave then a rest and only now flying them in the morning.. will they go back to kiting again??
YES!!!
YES They have!!!
I did lose a few of my older 06 birds and lost a few of the 07's
Some that did not come back too.
I lost some to the green poops Seems some ate something off my home roof that looked good, I used some 4 in 1 in the water trying to save them but they died any way. (4 or the five) now back to bio-pro again to build them up.
Out of 28 birds 4 disappeared and 4 died of what I call the greenies so I had an 8 bird lost of that one.....
I'm just glad to see them kitting and rolling again even though I lost a few in the process.
Live and learn, it seems to be a never ending process. Learn from your mistakes, and hope to never make them again. :)
Thanks for all the good advice I have gotten here!!!!
Jim
@thebirdhouse
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