bertie
228 posts
May 07, 2008
8:22 AM
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Just wondering how long it should take after you call the birds in before they respond? I whistle and they will drop down close but sometimes they decide to go for another few minute flight before trapping in. I know they should be real hungry but I might feed them at noon the day before and their food dish is totally empty before I let them out the next morning, but their not starving.
Bert
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luis
942 posts
May 07, 2008
10:57 AM
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Some will be hungrier than others.Some will be more hesitant to go in, but if you are consistent, and treat them with care,they won't fear you, and eventually you will have them eating out of your hand!
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jerries loft
178 posts
May 07, 2008
11:23 AM
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Keep and eye on them some might be eating more than the others.Thats why they still have energy to fly.
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Jerries Loft
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Square
235 posts
May 07, 2008
2:33 PM
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I have had this problem in the past. My quick fix was feeding them the feed seprate. this might not be a option for some baised on their acess of feed. I had this problem also, so I had to sift the feed to seperate the grains. so basically feed wheat and milo one at a time, so all the birds are even.. Hope this helps..
Square
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Mount Airy Lofts
725 posts
May 07, 2008
2:40 PM
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Bert,
I think your biggest problem is that you have too big of a heart. I recall you stating that junking birds isn't in your vocabulary. If that is the case, it shouldn't matter what your birds do... you will still treat them as kings and queens. There lies your biggest feat.
I have trained my birds to trap in on a dime. They are so use to it that they automatically hit the kit box when I open the door for them. Well at least 98% of them do. The other two percent are birds that need that extra time to recover from all that hard work.
Usually it is not the birds, more so the trainer. I just hate roof sitters.
Thor
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It's all about the friends we make :)
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Santandercol
2452 posts
May 08, 2008
6:27 AM
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Bert,
Try to give them 24 hours between feeding and flying,then they'll be hungry!!
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
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wishiwon2
54 posts
May 08, 2008
9:19 AM
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Bert,
some sound advice above. I suggest only feed what your birds will consume in a few minutes. Once they have eaten the amount given or are satisfied, remove the feed and dont give more until the next feeding time. rollers are terrific actors, they will get you to pity them. Thor is dead on that once properly trap trained a kit of birds will act out of habit more than hunger and all should trap in within a minute of opening the trap and calling them.
It sounds like you are trying to call birds down to trap that are in the air.... It can be done, but, that takes alot more training and conditioning to accomplish. Dont "cry wolf", what I mean is only signal to your birds to trap when they can and you are prepared. Let it be their idea almost, especially with young birds in training. If you repeatedly call them and they dont respond or you're not ready for them, your call will lose efficacy.
On a similar but different idea, I believe young birds will learn to adapt to the kind and quantity of feed you initially start flying them on. For instance; I feed my kits a tuna can per 10 birds. so when I start out sqeakers I feed a tuna can per 10 birds. when I first am trap training squeaks I feed breeder mix, same as they were weaned on. but as soon as they can fly and kit together I feed them the same ration as my older kits. I dont ever try to tweak or push for performance with youngsters. I try to feed and fly them to create good habits like fly time and height, good kitting, trapping etc. I only mess with youngsters after they moult first time. I dont think their bodies or brains can handle much stress without cause some negative side effects (learning bad habits).
Anyway, more than you wanted probably, good luck.
Jon
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maxspin
233 posts
May 08, 2008
10:16 AM
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Bert,
I have one more question for you.
What do you mean by food "dish"
I like to use a feed tray that covers the entire floor of the kitbox.
This allows all of the birds to get to the feed.
The term dish makes me think that it is possible that the strongest birds are eating more.
Keith
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tucknroll
36 posts
May 08, 2008
12:44 PM
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Bert,
In reading your question thier seems to be two parts to it. #1 The best way to get a kit to drop on a dime instantly is to use a dropper while you whistle them in to drop. The idea in using a dropper is to train the youngsters to imprint on the dropper as well as your whistle. This can be accomplished by only using the presence of the dropper when your feeding your youngsters. This will cause them to associate the feed with the dropper and your whistle or call. Remeber thier creatures of habit and they mimmick one another liken unto copy cats. Keep the dropper hungry at all times and well trained and you will drop the kit instantaneously at the drop of a hat.
#2 part of your question. When they do drop don't let them gang bust in the minute they drop to the loft. Let them catch thier breath especially the ones that are working the most and than call them in all together so that they can equally get thier share of the feed once they have trapped.. The stronger birds and the ones that are stiff will continually get stronger and stronger if you trap them in the minute they hit the loft roof.
The one grain that can be used to your advantage is what I call my barometer grain and that is barley. If you want to see if your over feeding or under feeding chase them with barley at the end of thier feeding. If they are under fed they will eat all of the barley that you have given them. If they are over fed they will leave it behind. Barley is a good fiber and carries alot of protien per fat content in it. The grains that have a higher ratio of fat content versus protien content are grains found in your oil seeds such as millett, rape, safflower, flax and a managerie of others that have an oil base to them. When the fat content is high to the ratio of proteins it is than transferred into what I call colaric energy and this can make a kit fly at lengths. I better stop here as I'm drifting off the subject matter. Will leave this one for another time.
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