|
The Original All Roller Talk Discussion Board Archive >
Why did I do that moment!
Why did I do that moment!
Page:
1
Oldfart
103 posts
Aug 20, 2007
3:28 PM
|
Hey All, Not long ago I asked about and was advised to tape my young birds wings to teach them where the loft is. Which works very well. Although, I found that paper medical tape(won't stick very hard) covered with mositure proof bandage tape gives the least amount of feather damage. After ten days, I removed the tape. All birds were trapping well and some are answering to a feed rattle. My agenda has been out for thirty minutes and then called in, those that don't answer the call, don't eat. Short hops from the kitbox roof and then back, no flaging. Today!!, I placed them on top of the kitbox with the intention of the same routine. Suddenly the wind picked up with hard gusts and they lifted! Higher then ever. Heart pounding I watched as they gained altitude. My wife said OH! how pretty. (I love that woman!)
Without saying it outloud I said, (you know). Birds every where, four out of seven kitting and trying to stay together against the wind. These four went stright up and stright down back to the kitbox, three were MIA. After ten minutes two straggled back and I was counting my blessings at only losing the one. While trying the feed rattle to get them in, my wonderful wife says, "Oh look there he is." and she was right! Tonight, I shall sleep with a smile and dream of young birds on the wing. Can it get any better?
Thom
Last Edited by on Aug 20, 2007 3:29 PM
|
Double R
74 posts
Aug 20, 2007
4:10 PM
|
Thom, I know the feeling (not a good one). This spring the same thing happened to me. I had 18 young birds that had just been broke out for a week, when a storm blew in and caught them about 75 feet in the air. The wind was gusting, the trees looked like they were about to lay down. Then if that wasn't bad enough it started pouring rain. My poor birds looked like they would fly 3 feet forward and 2 feet back, trying to get to the kit box. They were fighting wind and rain with every thing they were worth. It was raining so hard I had to go in the house. I was worried all afternoon but later when I checked, they were all in the kit box. Thank God!
Robby
|
sundance
155 posts
Aug 20, 2007
7:14 PM
|
Thom, we should all be so lucky like that every time. Just saturday I put up my fall fly kit, And they were doing a nice pattern at a good height. After about 30 to 40 minutes they suddenly went way high. and then kinda dissappeared in the clouds and the clouds kept getting darker and heavier. I did`nt see them for an hour, a very long hour. They popped in and out of the clouds but either couldn`t come down or just didn` want to. Two hours later, they just kinda reappeared from just above a tree line. All were there and seemed to be ok. I thought I`d haVE TO CANCEL MY FALL FLY. you guys probably thought I was going to say I lost them huh? Oh well, I got lucky too, ...this time. It does feel good too. Glad to hear some of us get lucky from time to time.
----------
Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
|
J_Star
1145 posts
Aug 21, 2007
5:03 AM
|
Butch,
Get used to it. Mine do the same certain times of the year. Mostly in the summer. That is when the Wheat is cut down and Canadian Peas added to their feed. When they get light from Wheat given to them day in and day out, excpect that. Also when you stated they flew for two hours!!! my friend, you are feeding your birds too much. Cut down the feed so they will fly for about 45 min to maximum an hour. Cut the feed slowly thou, one table spoon a day. Good luck.
Jay
|
SAT Roller
3 posts
Aug 21, 2007
6:11 AM
|
J Star
I am new to this forumn as after a long break I am getting back into rollers. I currently am working on refubishing my loft with the help of my son. Soon hopefully I will have some rollers, I cannot wait, I have missed them since day one.
When I had rollers the last time I had several years where I lost kits due to over flys. I feed the kit birds mays & wheat once they were mature/moult complete, from then on nothing but wheat & mays & grit & water.
I noticed that you said to take the wheat away and add peas in it's place. I always thought that peas would send them up even higher; is wheat what used to send my birds up stairs?
Also, I have heard folks say for years 1 tablespoon, is that a level tablespoon or a heaping tablespoon or somewhere in between?
Richard
|
J_Star
1147 posts
Aug 21, 2007
6:36 AM
|
Welcome to the site and enjoy your stay and the forum hospitality...
No I did not say take the Wheat away...I said cut down on the Wheat. Give 1/3 Wheat - 1/3 Peas - 1/3 Milo. I will give them the peas first (when they are the hungriest) then when that is consumed, follow with the Milo and then the Wheat. This way all the rollers consume the proper amount of each grain so that they would fly with the same frame of mind and energy. Do this for 5 to 7 days then back to Wheat/Milo for a few days. Keep alternating to keep your rollers from skying out and induce a heart breaking overfly.
This time of year, you want your rollers to fly for maximum an hour, if not less. The most obvious reason is the less they are in the air, the less they advertise to BOP. Second, they will pick up bad habits which are very hard to break out of them. Also, they will fly better and perform better when they are on the hungry side. But remember, too hungry or too thirsty are disastrous which could lead to rolling down stable birds.
Forget about the table spoon. Get yourself a measuring cups from the Dollar stores for $1.00 and use the cup measures. Every 10 birds get one cup of feed. Although, in the heat of the summer, give 3/4 cup to 10 birds. Or just keep the 6 oz. Tona cans. The can is the same measurement.
Jay
Last Edited by on Aug 21, 2007 6:49 AM
|
SAT Roller
4 posts
Aug 21, 2007
6:48 AM
|
Jay,
Thank you, strange I always thought of peas as being a bad guy. Also I used to mix the wheat and milo, I noticed you said that you feed each one separately so they all eat what is there or do without. I bet I also had birds that were eating more wheat than they should have as they could choose with my method and with yours they have no choice. Hmmmm...
Thank you for the info.
I am really enjoying this site, I spend my free time reading all the old entrys, before we never had anything like this, sometimes I wonder how we did anything without computers... :)
|
Ballrollers
850 posts
Aug 21, 2007
8:32 AM
|
Jay, List,
I have always used the same measuring cup method of determining the right amount of feed. It's also important to handle your kit birds every day. They can gain or loose weight in a heartbeat and you can easily pick out any birds that are getting light or heavy. I tend to separate kits and birds by weight at this point; until they start spinning, that is. Their weight and feed is easier to manage when the kit is more uniform in conditioning. The worst thing you can do is get them too heavy at this point. Their metabolism changes as they mature. I have noticed my birds seem to be gaining weight on much less feed this year for some odd reason. I'm down to 1 1/2 cups per 20 birds!
YITS,
Cliff
|
Oldfart
104 posts
Aug 21, 2007
9:46 AM
|
Hey All, Robby, Butch I'm glad you were as lucky as I was! I know seven birds does not sound like many but they are my breeding season so far this year. They are all RUBY off-spring mostly from one pair. One pair has had five of them and then I started with another pair I acquired from Tony a little later. So, they are my hope and dreams!
Richard, welcome to the site, there are lots of very nice people and tons of usefull information. I too am a returning roller fan. Resist the impulse to rush and only keep the very best.
Thom
|
SAT Roller
5 posts
Aug 21, 2007
11:57 AM
|
Thom,
Thank you, there does seem to be a great bunch of good folks on here.
I know the feeling, I am still working on my loft and RIGHT NOW I want birds; however, I could not handle them right now. I hope to have the loft finished this week. I am a little older now and slower; but, when I finish it will be much better than it was.
I may get to see some birds this coming weekend if not next weekend for sure.
Richard
|
sundance
157 posts
Aug 21, 2007
6:23 PM
|
Hi Jay, thanks for the response. I`m thinking the biggest factor to my birds flying too long that day was that I usually fly in the evening. then feed. And I actually do use the measuring cup from the dollar store. I give 1 cup to 11 bird kits. 2 cups to a 20 bird kit.
Anyways, like I said I usually fly evenings after work and then feed, so it can be kinda late when they eat. On that saturday I flew them kinda early before noon so it had`nt been too long since they ate. My birds almost never land early, but they also dont fly more than an hour either. I think it was just a bad choice of timing to fly on my part, but I was also thinking to the fall fly where I am scheduled to fly at 11 am. Now I know to feed early the day before. I`ll find out for sure in the coming days cause this saturday I am flying them early again . gotta figure them out before the 7th of sept.
----------
Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
|
J_Star
1150 posts
Aug 22, 2007
5:11 AM
|
Butch,
Actually what you need to do is feed them less (half feeding) the day before if you still feed them on the same schedule.
Since your flight is at 11:00, then it would be best to fly your rollers the last week or so at around that time if possible.
Jay
|
Post a Message
|
|
|