Oldfart
218 posts
Oct 31, 2007
2:24 PM
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Hey All, My loft situation might be unique but seeing some of the posted pictures of lofts and kitbox's perhaps not. The point is I live very close to my neighbour's and have to maintain a very clean loft to avoid any conflict. Understand I would do this anyway!! I clean the floor and perch's every day, kitbox and loft alike. My neighbours did not even know I had birds until they heard them. Keeping a hold over kit of 11 to 17 birds, how many young would you raise to just maintain the number but improve the stud? My second breeding season I plan to only breed from three pair. Best young cock to it's mother, best young hen to it's father, and best sibling pairing. Using six hold-overs as fosters and flying the rest as my "A" team. The math for me works out the same from year to year, but I'm sure things will change. I just wanted to know how those with more experience would approch the same problem and if they might have any better way. Any suggestions would be gratefully considered and appreciated.
Thanks, Thom
Last Edited by on Oct 31, 2007 2:26 PM
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Skylineloft
292 posts
Oct 31, 2007
4:57 PM
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Milo,
Great looking setup.
Is that the ocean in the background. ?
Ray
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Oldfart
219 posts
Oct 31, 2007
5:16 PM
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c, Nice setup, I am more concerned with quality then numbers. I am familiar with the 20/80 rule and was wondering given the smaller numbers I must work with, what the optimum workable number of young birds each year would be. This year, I keep everything I have raised. Fosters or kitbirds, I will have 19 young to work with next year. From the three pair of breeders planed for next year and a pair of fosters for each pair, I will barely have enough for a hold over kit. The following year is the year I'm planing for, by then I hope to have a better handle on my program.
Thanks for your input, Thom
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tapp
432 posts
Oct 31, 2007
5:28 PM
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Nice setup Milo!! I like the way you have it small but very efficient! I especialy like you breeding pens!----------
Tapp
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Donny James
68 posts
Oct 31, 2007
8:10 PM
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hay thom,
please give me a private email at mrpc1@yahoo.com i need to ask you something in private and thanks for doing that donny james
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Donny James
69 posts
Oct 31, 2007
8:11 PM
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hay milo,
very nice nice set up.................donny james
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sleepy1.don
41 posts
Oct 31, 2007
8:17 PM
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Looks like you will do well keep your famly tight and you will learn your birds in side and out.Keepem Spinin Don
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fhtfire
1164 posts
Oct 31, 2007
8:48 PM
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Thom,
You have seen my set up and it is small too. I only fly out of 3 kit boxes. Each kit box can hold up to 26 birds. I usually have an old bird team and or hold over team...that can be anywhere from 12-17 based on what I pull for stock and what I lose. The second kit box or B-team..can be a mix of old birds that don't make the A-team or birds that are in the middle or the tail end of development....That can range from 10 to 26 birds....the young bird team is the last and they are usually the late to mid year hatches..still being flown all the time...and I try and fill that box...with 26 birds....
I bred 65 birds for myself last year..Not including what I had held over...at one point I had every perch full.and what I have now is 26 in the young bird team.....10 in the B-team and 17 in the A-team.....I have had some losses to a BOP....A couple roll downs.....a couple retards that just flew away....birds for the NBRC auction...birds for new fliers ...birds that could not hang...and what I pulled for stock...that is what I have now....
By Feb...I should have 2 teams of 20 or maybe less...and an empty young bird box......After the world cup...then I will pull some for stock if they can make the cut...cull some birds that just aren't making the cut or are not up to my standards.....and I should end up with a kit and a half or one full kit......SOme years I breed...80 some 25..just depends on the year and the losses that I suffered....I had some bad luck with overflys the last couple of years and had to rebuild my kits.......and breed LOTS of birds.
I would fly...at the least....2 full kits....you can fly up to 22-24 in your A-team and it will not affect there performance...I have flown up to 30 in my young bird teams....I think that 3 kits is the best...you can still stay focused and you have a little play room to move birds around as they develop of have issues.....any more and it is hard...I have tried to do 4 and even with the days off...it sucks to train them all.
Milo is TOTALLY RIGHT about dumping old breeders as you prove young pairs in the stock loft....I sold a proven cock and a proven hen this year..they were 03 birds...keep it simple and keep the numbers down and let some other guys reap the benefits of some good breeders. I will be getting rid of two of my older pairs after this breeding season...now that I have two young pairs producing excellent spinners....they will be totally proven after this coming breeding season....I figure that I have to keep moving forward....the old breeders are doing no good in the cock and hen lofts...why not spred the wealth...and second...just sell them to someone you trust so that you can get a few rounds if something goes wrong with your stock.
Anyway...hope this helps.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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crystalpalace
140 posts
Oct 31, 2007
9:48 PM
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You have a great setup for your rollers, Milo. Very nice individual breeding pens and kit boxes to fly out the young and competition team. Thank you for sharing us with those pictures. Good luck with your rollers. Ray
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Electric-man
767 posts
Oct 31, 2007
10:31 PM
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Hey Milo, do you have another loft to split your birds up when your not breeding? Just curious! I live in town and always working to keep things small but funcionable!
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Val
"Site Moderator"
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Electric-man
770 posts
Nov 01, 2007
2:04 AM
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Nice job! I'm still modifying my lofts! These give me some ideas!
Thanks
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Val
"Site Moderator"
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PR_rollers
58 posts
Nov 01, 2007
8:05 PM
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nice set up milo.. K.I.S.S Keep it stupid Simple
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Ralph....
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