JBE
1 post
Sep 06, 2007
6:37 PM
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This is my first post, but I want to say how much I have enjoyed reading and I might add, how much I have learned from all the advice given on this roller site.
My question for this group is; what do I do to get my old bird team, that has been flat for a month, rolling again?
I have had problems with them flying high and often for long periods of time (1 1/2 - 2 or even 3 hours) with little or no rolling. The breaks that I do get are small or waterfall breaks. They just have not shown what they can do and I'm baffled.
I have been on a every other day schedule or every third day swchedule, feeding a 50/50 wheat/milo mix. I have tried resting them and feeding them up and I have tried cutting their feed to almost nothing to control the duration of the fly. I have tried increasing the protein and decreasing the protein levels of the feed. Recently i have been on a 2/3 wheat to 1/3 milo mix that has controlled their long flys, but the activity and zip just is not there. What to do?
The weather has been very hot(upper 80's to low 90's)and humid for much of this inactive period. However, my young bird teams have continued to show improvement and remained active during the same time period, while being flown once or twice a day. Their feed is richer than the old bird team, but I figure they need all the extra protein I can give them.
The old bird team is currently in a heavy molt and they all look pretty rough. There are many missing tail and wing feathers. However, the molt in the flight feathers is only in the 6th or 7th and not the 8th-9th-10th that are suppose to be so painful when rolling.
I have the NBRC Fall Fly coming up in mid-October and my thought are that I need to keep training the birds. Does anyone have any advice to help get them rolling again?
JBE
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classicpony
347 posts
Sep 06, 2007
6:51 PM
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Try feeding them some wheat. That always gets mine up higher and rolling better. It is a nice change.
Jim
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Donny James
36 posts
Sep 06, 2007
7:25 PM
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hay jbe,
i would luck them up for about 4 or 5 days and then start flying them every other day and see if that will work for you.................donny james
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nicksiders
2136 posts
Sep 06, 2007
7:25 PM
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Even though I ain't seeing it in your narritive; some how, some way you have gotten them too athletic. They have muscled up on you and are flying too long and resisting the roll. I think you are feeding the right stuff and have them on the right schedule. That leaves one thing; you may be feeding them too much. In hot whether they need less. If you are feeding them two cups per 20 birds(measuring cup) cut it back to 1 1/2 cups. They will not respond immediatly to the change; it might take three or four days. See what happens then.
Just an opinion.
Welcome to the site; you will enjoy it.
Nick
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BigRiverRollerLofts
Last Edited by on Sep 06, 2007 7:26 PM
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MILO
443 posts
Sep 06, 2007
7:32 PM
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Few things.
Try the wheat. This may get them going.
Also, you may be overfeeding as a general practice...Check their bodies. Are they musclular? Or are they light? Believe it or not, both conditions will have the exact same result. Highflying infrequency. Yes, it can be confusing. I like them right in between, that way you can tweak the feed on them without having them go light on you. Weak enough to roll, strong enough to tweak...lol
They could be getting through the moult too. They will turn to crap during this period, no matter how good they are.
Just some suggestions.
c
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JBE
2 posts
Sep 06, 2007
8:00 PM
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I appreciate the responses I'm getting on my question. I'm not sure if this is starting a new thread or just a another response to my own question.
I agree that The birds are very fit, but I do not think I have been over feeding. Typically, I have been feeding a measured 1 to 1 1/4 cups wheat/milo mix. 3/4 cup wheat and 1/2 cup milo. If I feed any peas it will send them into space. Seems like if I cut their feed any more I'll have them so I will not have to scrape the kit box floors anymore. I have tried locking them up and feeding them a richer diet to try and fatten them up and get them out of shape, but it has not helped much.
My thought is that it is the molt and I may have to just wait it out. I may have to fly a young bird team in the Fall Fly.
JBE
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Electric-man
557 posts
Sep 06, 2007
8:05 PM
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Have you tried straight wheat only for a few days? Milo is carbs = energy! I think your molt is definatly part of your problem.
Val
"Site Moderator"
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DeepSpinLofts
149 posts
Sep 07, 2007
4:00 AM
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Hi there JBE...
I lock my birds up for about 4 days and feed them Wheat & Canary seed for 2 days.... then I feed Wheat & Safflower for 1 day. The 3rd day is straight Wheat! My birds have to be starved down in order to get that spectacular aerial performance from the kit.
...also
I keep my cage (kit-box) as dark as possible during the day-time when the birds are supposed to be awake, while I sit in the backyard sippin on some aged Cognac (I work at home).
Late at night (around 3:00 a.m.) I creep outside and put the spot-light on them and be sure to handle every bird I can. When every bird has stretched their wings a little.... I quickly kill the light and put them all back into a dark abyss with very little water. Lately I've been waiting til' it's about 12 noon when it's close to 100 degrees to release my rollers..... and by golly I've had some fairly decent results.
Good luck with your strategic game plan! Different strokes for different folks I guess.....
Marcus
Deep Spin Lofts
Last Edited by on Sep 07, 2007 4:08 AM
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BlueJayLoft
4 posts
Sep 07, 2007
5:27 AM
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JBE, you said “have had problems with them flying HIGH and often for LONG PERIODS of time (1 1/2 - 2 or even 3 hours) with little or no rolling. The breaks that I do get are small or waterfall breaks.” For the long periods, that is over feeding syndrome my friend no ifs or buts about it. Cut down on the feed. For flying high, that is caused by the Wheat/Milo or Wheat alone given for a long period of time. Rollers get too fit from Wheat and Milo and become athletic, hence skying out and becoming flat.
I understand the heat/humidity and molt have big factors, but that will only cause the rollers to not want to fly for long and high. Rather, they will fly for 10 min and just be clearing the tree tops. Therefore, that is not the cause of your issues. They are fit and light.
To bring your rollers back to earth and keeping them at a good flying heights, give them Canadian Peas with their daily feed. If you don’t like Peas, substitute it with Pellets. You said that peas make them sky out…and I can tell you that is not true because Peas are high in protein. Too High protein feed and for long periods, will keep your rollers flying low and they become like racers. So when feeding Wheat/Milo mix, add Peas in the rate of 1/3 Wheat/ 1/3 Milo / 1/3 Peas for about 4 to 5 days in a row, then get back to Wheat/Milo for about 7 days. Once that is established, the roll will come back on its own.
To get the work rate out of your rollers, you have to break them down and then bring them up. That is another subject of how to accomplish that.
Canary seeds are something that should not be abused. If it is, it will make your best and stable birds’ lawn darts, let a lone, your hot rollers will become suicidal and kill themselves on impact. Use it with moderation and you need to know when to use it. Otherwise, you will cause your rollers more harm than good.
Last Edited by on Sep 07, 2007 5:52 AM
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kcfirl
195 posts
Sep 07, 2007
7:40 AM
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it's simply the weather and the moult combined. Everyone is the Sac area has been saying the same thing lately. Of course it's been in the upper 90's and low 100's for a while as well.
Firl
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