juanrollers
95 posts
Sep 12, 2008
8:22 PM
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Is a 5 1/2 month old roller old enough to breed? He seems ready.
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Santandercol
3025 posts
Sep 12, 2008
8:57 PM
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He might be by 6 months or so but she may take a little longer to mature.Hens are often later bloomers.
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
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Flipmode
206 posts
Sep 12, 2008
8:58 PM
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At six months they should be ready to get it on.
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PR_rollers
1578 posts
Sep 13, 2008
6:51 AM
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I had a bird here that was 5 month and ready to step on a hen ,but i wouldn't breed a bird that young not enough time for me to gather information on it.;like Pensom say the youngster would be only as young as its mother. sometime a birds is good in its first months but after its first moult they would surprise you..you would see the integrity of that bird.
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Ralph
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Newbie 08
20 posts
Sep 13, 2008
2:39 PM
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So is there a better season to breed your birds like in early spring or you can brred all year around? And is it a season that they will automatically start breeding themselves? I have an open loft right now and i want to keep a close eye on them until I get some individual breeding cages to insure my bloodlines
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RUDY..ZUPPPPP
2064 posts
Sep 13, 2008
2:47 PM
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6 Months then is time to Rumble.............lol
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RUDY PAYEN
PANCHO VILLA LOFT
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juanrollers
97 posts
Sep 13, 2008
9:24 PM
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Thanks for the advice.
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Santandercol
3030 posts
Sep 13, 2008
10:00 PM
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Newbie 08,
It's better to wait till january february or so you fly the young at 6 weeks of age without being attacked by BOPs so much.They will breed all year if you put lights on in the loft in winter to give more than 12 hours of light in a day.but if you can't fly them because of bad wheather or lot's of Hawks and Falcons with nothing else to eat but your tasty young squabs,what is the point?You want to get those young birds on the wing as soon as possible and for as long as possible of a season so the best time to fly is when there are more other critters around for the BOP to hunt From april; to september.Early season hatch birds get the most experience before lockdown so maybe will develope with some more stability,,,,I don't know for sure but that's my theory!?----------And yeah,once the daylight hours in a day(springtime)is more than 10 hours,they'll start breeding.
Rum-30 Lofts
Last Edited by on Sep 13, 2008 10:01 PM
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Newbie 08
21 posts
Sep 14, 2008
12:22 PM
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Thanks Santandercol I don't know much about BOP and what time of season they hunt most. I'm in Northern cali fairfield between vallejo and Sacremento. A few days ago I let my A kit up which is my best rollers consist of 12 birds that are age 8 months to two years. Soon as the last birds flew out of the cage and started to climb A huge eagle look like a red tail came from nowhere and attacked he missed my bird and I was like oh my god. first time I've ever seen this and i have been flying them 5 days a week for about 1 month mostly in the early evening around 6:00pm. My birds were up in the air doing their thing and I was pretty much panic because I did not see where that eagle had went. My birds usually fly around 30 to 40 minutes right now and I really wanted them back in for fear I would loose one or more. Anyway they were up for about 15 minutes and I decided to take a cull that I have and throw him up because he usually would land on my roof and go right back in the cage hoping to bring my kit down. well it worked my kit started decending but one of my deep rollers went into a spin and spinned down right above about a eight foot brick fence in my back yard.by him spinning too low i beleive he got a bit disorganized as he tried to get his footing on the fence this huge eagle can from nowhere again and swooped right at him I believe the only reason the eagle did not get him is because I saw the eagle coming at him and ran toward the fence yelling which i think surprised him and made him miss my bird. I locked my birds down for 3 days straight afterwards and just flew them again yesterday. There are no big trees where I live and the view is very clear with the exception of the houses. should i lock my birds down until january or Feb to avoid these attacks? And what months these BOP start attacking the most. I know losing birds to these preditors come with the territory and is a part of nature yet I only started raising birds a couple of months ago and have some very nice rollers. I would hate to loose any of them before I have a chance to breed. They kit really well after flying they are back in the loft within 5 mins as soon as they land on my roof. I love watching them but at the same time I don't want to sacrific not a one. What would you veterans with much more knowledge and experience than me do ???
Last Edited by on Sep 14, 2008 12:30 PM
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juanrollers
99 posts
Sep 14, 2008
8:41 PM
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I goy hit by the cooper yesterday but he did'nt get anything but if this continues I'm locking them down till next year about Mar. or Apr. I dont want to make the same mistake I made last year I lost close to 40 birds to bop and the sad part I only bred 75 for the year.This year I only bred about 45-50 so I really cant afford to lose any.Hope this helps.
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Santandercol
3043 posts
Sep 14, 2008
8:53 PM
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Well,I am not a veteran only having rollers 3 years but I've learned alot in that time,LOTS of the knowledge has come to me right here on RPDC as well as from some real class flyers up here in BC.I'm starting to get hawks showing up here bigtime but they aren't that hungry yet because there are still other things jackin round in the bushes and the air for them to catch easier than a pigeon.Especially if you fly in the later part of the day when the BOP have probably already eaten.Flying now even,I'm taking a chance but I'll keep flying them till the losses become unbearable,maybe another 1 or 2 weeks.If that is all the birds you have,lockem down now then you'll have a good bunch to start to breed with in January-february(put lights on in the loft then to make the longer day to simulate spring).Yeah,when we get that first cold snap in the weather,watch out for the BOP.They will get nasty.
Last year I bred 65 and lost about 40.This year only have kept 20 of the 60 I raised but have only lost 15.Slowly getting a decent aged kit together but it takes time with all the losses..
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
Last Edited by on Sep 14, 2008 8:57 PM
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