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The Original All Roller Talk Discussion Board Archive >
Smoke and Shadows
Smoke and Shadows
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Oldfart
852 posts
Oct 19, 2008
4:46 PM
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Hey All, I want to preface this thread first by saying this is not about competition, it is not about backyarders, it is about indivduals. I have about fifty birds counting, young, yearlings and breeders. By necessityI must hold close to this number. I live close to my neighbors and realistically I can not feed or care for numbers larger then this. So....I set under my kit trying to decide who to fly through the winter, who will be fosters, and who will continue the bloodline? What traits am I willing to accept, what excuse will I make to keep my favorite? OK, I'm guilty, some just catch my eye and seem special, but at what price? If I excuse unacceptable traits, non-kitting, early landing, bad behavior or disruptive behavior because of traits I like, good spinning, frequency, shape or form, am I then stepping back? Should, I not choose with a blind eye even though I might be forced to over look my shoulder bird? I guess it all comes down to what you want and what you are willing to over look, or not! Is what we say, what we truly want and do we need to adjust or thinking to accomplish our goals?
How many have what it takes to use a heavy hand? Can I? These are the things I think about at four A.M. when I can't sleep, things I don't want to think about standing in front of my kit box. Watching my birds fly, making my choices, excusing my favorite.
Thom
Last Edited by on Oct 19, 2008 4:47 PM
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Canspinners
189 posts
Oct 19, 2008
4:59 PM
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You're no alone....I am up To 150.
As a friend said o me The oher day
"close your eyes and sTickem in The box To be Taken away"
I love all my birds buT once They are gone iT does no Take long To forgeT Them especially when new babys are born
I find i have To geT rid of an enTire line of birds ... so ThaT i have no regreTs laTer
My goal is To down To 15 breeding pairs rrigh now I have 30
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pat66
200 posts
Oct 19, 2008
6:07 PM
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We can not breed from rollers that are not quality,in my lofts and kits any bird that is a outbird-early lander-lazy=wingclapper or trouble maker does not earn its feed,it is hard to get rid of favorite birds -everybody has favorites for some reason,but how can we better the sport or our birds if we keep birds that are less than ideal,certain depth-velosity-frequency is what we all strive for,if you can afford the extra feed keep a kit of favorites,but feed on the east coast is around 22.00 a bag and I buy at least 10 bags at a time,so it is in my best interest to keep only the best and work from them until something better is hatched and flown and proven to take its place
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Pat
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gotspin7
1974 posts
Oct 20, 2008
5:01 AM
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Oldfart, over here there is no favorites..lol.. The favorites I like it seems the bop likes too!..lol.. On a serious note they have to earn their spot in the stock loft and they have to keep it because some go back to the kit.
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Sal Ortiz
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maxspin
285 posts
Oct 20, 2008
7:59 AM
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Old Fart,
With a limit of 50 birds your decision on what birds to keep becomes a necessity. You only have space and numbers for (2) kit boxes plus breeders.
That would be one old bird kit and one young bird kit. You only need to make decisions a couple of times per year.
1. What birds from the old bird team will be promoted to the breeder loft. (What birds will they replace)
Never move birds with "bad behavior" to the breeder loft.
2. What young birds (hold overs) will replace birds on the old bird team.
As you move your best to the breeder loft, your young will get better every year. Soon you will want to move those birds with "bad behavior" to make room for those promising young birds (New favorites)
If you are picking the right birds at choice 1 your standards will go up every year. Pretty soon those problem birds will not be there on the old bird team.
You will still have favorite birds only they will be better every year.
Keith Maxwell
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Oldfart
853 posts
Oct 20, 2008
1:02 PM
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Sal,Keith,Pat, Canspinners, Thanks guys, Keith you nailed my setup exactly. I have two kit box's and my brood loft. The cost of feed is a deciding factor and I question if the large number of birds that were kept in the past will be in the future? Smaller numbers could improve quality simply because harder choice's must be made to be able to have our birds at all. If I were rich I would still have to decide but since I'm not, I must decide sooner! :-(
Thom
Last Edited by on Oct 20, 2008 1:03 PM
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Velo99
1899 posts
Oct 21, 2008
6:31 PM
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Thom,
I am in a very similar situation. 50 flyers,5 breeders,8 fosters.
The toughest part is to cull a kit every year. You have to make sure that you are making the right choices each year. I can only have so many fosters, thats where the faves belong.
Its like a cake. Each year you add layers or criteria to make the grade and stay in the box. At first we want birds that roll and kit. Then you want birds that fly in a certain pattern;next season,deeper rolling etc. When you add criteria to the keeper list you are adding layers to your increasingly tasty cake.
Be Strong
g/l bro
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V99
Straight up,no chaser.
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Last Edited by on Oct 21, 2008 6:35 PM
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