kopetsa
117 posts
Jan 20, 2008
12:04 PM
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Hey,
I am not able to fly out of my actual loft because it is in an area that is heavily treed behind. I have to see what some of mine can do in the air. I just have a couple of questions about kit training and stuff:
How do you train the birds to come back to the kit and how old are the birds you train? Do you have to starve them because I would hate to have to do that? What is the size of a kit and how many birds can you keep in them?
Thanks a lot,
Andrew
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2008 12:18 PM
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Missouri-Flyer
1239 posts
Jan 20, 2008
12:41 PM
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you can find the answers to all of your questions, and then some, by using the "search" feature on this site..Check that out before posting questions..Its easier and less wasted space on the site.
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Jerry
Home of "Whispering Wings Loft"
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spinner jim
223 posts
Jan 20, 2008
1:05 PM
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Kopetsa,because of your problem with trees you could try the mobile loft,possibly trailer mounted,we dont use them here in england but i am sure someone your side could help out with dimentions etc,JIM UK.
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W@yne
967 posts
Jan 20, 2008
1:30 PM
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kopetsa
Ever tried cutting or trimming the trees down just a thought.
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Regards
W@yne UK
Patience Perseverance Perfection
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Bill C
63 posts
Jan 20, 2008
5:56 PM
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You need a kit box. Make a cage say 4'X4'X4' on legs, make a roof. Make one side of the cage the door. Use plywood for the sides. Have the hardware store cut the 4X8' for you cut them in half with some 2X4s that is easy to build.
Put some V perches in side in rows. Tony has the V perches in his Store. THen cut a square the size of the bob traps. Get a bob trap like the ( Heavy Duty traps) above from Tonys store also. Make a quare hole in the front door which you will have to put hindges on and make the square just 1 inch smaller than the bob trap and screw the trap on the inside. Take the left over square and put it as a landing board or make one near the top of the door.
Now you will need a day cage. Can someone put a picture of a day cage on here for him.
I use a day cage that sits on the side and top of the kit box over the trap door. Now you can open the trap door and let your birds go in and out. CLose them out and make them go through the traps to get inside to eat. The bobs will let them go in but not ouside untill you open it.
Now train your birds going out and in for 10 days or two weeks. Cut back the food and if they are strong on the wing let them go two days with out any food and take the water away the last day. IMPRTANT: when you feed them whistlseor shake the feed can to get thier attention before you feed each day Starting day one that they are in the kit box. By day 10 you will have control of them, only feed them what they will eat in 10 minutes and pull the feed away until the next day. You will see you have control of them.
Go two days with out feed and let them out with out the day cage on your kit box. Some will fly right away and some will land on the kit box. Let them all out, if they are strong you may lose some to flying away. Train them when they have just gotten feathers under the wings.
Some will sit out all day but they will fly around and you can call them back with the feed can or by whistling.
It helps if you have another kit to let out and as they come into land they will bring the lost ones in to your yard.
It would be good to find a guy near you who has rollers flying and go see how he does it first hand. Get those items from Tony site as he has provided you this site to ask questions. Good luck and definately don't give up on this. You will be rewarded with so much more enjoyment than just looking at birds through the wire. These birds are performace birds and want to fly and perform.
You may have to feed them more to get them inside the cage but skip a day or two flying them and get them one day hungry this time and they will all know how to get inside and just monitor the feed so as not to over feed. THey will live on 1 table spoon per bird or less. Good luck Bill C
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Fire Brewed Rollers
50 posts
Jan 20, 2008
6:12 PM
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Hi kopetsa
If the birds can see the loft from the air they will learn to come down OK. Skip the food for a day before you let them out and don't scare them out let them come out on there own. Make to blow a whistle every time you feed or rattle a can so they know it is time to eat. Put a little food on the ground for them to pick at. They need to learn the Kit box location from the out side. After 15 to 20 minutes put the feed in the kit box to get them back in. They will learn to fly out and come in to the kit box. If the birds are getting too old you will lose some because they fly too far away before they learn their kit box. The younger you can srat training them the better. Hope this helps.
I have a lot of trees around and they do OK, they become down like twenty helicopters at my house.
Robert Miller
Fire Brewed Rollers
SGVS
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sundance
399 posts
Jan 20, 2008
6:26 PM
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a bright marker on the roof of the kitbox will help also. I have a white fiberglass roof on mine but still , if you can find some bright or flourescent paint or even reflective decals they will learn to identify with them. I have a pattern of reflector decals on mine. I also painted the landing boards and tops of the water boxs in different bright colored paint. Oh, and just be patient. they are like little kids. some learn faster than others ...
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Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2008 6:29 PM
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