babyshoes
3 posts
Feb 24, 2009
9:29 PM
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I am a newbie here this is my first time i am posting,
And i see the fanciers plucking flights to home new birds i want know why they dont just soap the wings.
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babyshoes
4 posts
Feb 24, 2009
10:37 PM
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Sure , soak the last 7 flights in luke warm water until they are nice and wet,take a bar of soap and run it with flight ,dont go backwards as the flight will get damaged , do this several times until you see the the feather sticking to the quill then take a hair dryer and dry it , put your bird on the ground , and see .when you feel that the bird is relaxed say a week or two let him have a bath and slowly the soap works off .
i do feel this is a much better system than plucking , i have done this for the last 30 years and it works well.
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TheGame
511 posts
Feb 25, 2009
12:25 AM
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Why not keep it simple and just put them in a cage then sit it ontop of the loft or kitbox?
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Spin City USA
182 posts
Feb 25, 2009
1:02 AM
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Some people probably thinks it takes that long to settle one otherwise why do it that way.
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They gotta Spin to win.....Jay
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pigeon pete
168 posts
Feb 25, 2009
3:31 AM
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Putting them in a cage is one way, but if they can just about flap about, they will get used to your loft and surrounding area, and get used to trapping in and out without the fear of them taking off and getting lost (to you). They are aleady lost in their minds and until they feel at home, with you, and settle in your loft, then the instinct is always to strike for home the first chance they get. Rollers are not so bad as racers, but I have seen rollers that have sat on a loft in a cage for a week or more, just head off in a straight line when they are released.
We may watch such a bird and think it is stupid, but if we loose birds in bad weather we then expect them to try and return home if they can.
I Once picked a lost racer from a freinds house.
He kept racers and had trapped the bird in.
It was from a town about 20 miles away and as I was going through that town on my way home I offerd to return the bird. My freind said, "Just toss it out once you get to Uttoxeter, it will find it's way home from there". I decided to go to the house and knock on the guys door with the bird. He was so glad to see that bird. He had the bird 5 years in stock, and had never flown it out. It got past him and escaped.
He showed me his stud book, and the guy he bought it off 5 years earlier lived 4 houses along from my freind, but the guy had moved away and there was no loft for him to home to.
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jo
61 posts
Feb 25, 2009
3:40 AM
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you can put rubber bands around the flight feathers to restrict them flying off. They can flutter around, but cannot fly off. I have used this method as well as soaping the flights quite successfully when homing pigeons. I have never plucked feathers, I find that method somewhat harsh.
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babyshoes
6 posts
Feb 25, 2009
8:04 AM
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Thanks Pete and jo , i have always soaped that way the bird walks arround the loft and see's the other birds coming in and out of the loft, and knows what the loft looks like, and knows where to go in and out.
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Windjammer Loft
718 posts
Feb 25, 2009
8:37 AM
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babyshoes.....everyone has their own technique of settling birds. Thats what is good about this site, you'll get many different ways to do things. You'll see that their is more one way to skin a cat....lol
...
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Fly High and Roll On
Paul
Last Edited by on Feb 25, 2009 9:52 AM
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babyshoes
7 posts
Feb 25, 2009
9:40 AM
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Hey Paul, Now do you want to start a thread about skinning cats, as i have not got a lot of experience in that field should be interesting, LOL just joking ,
Ok guys i think i will intro myself , i have flown rollers for about 45 yrs ,in South Africa from what we called locals ,which were the birds from the old school, to the latest imports , first Ken whites
Then Bob Browns , Ollie Harris, Ernie Stratfords,
been the USA 6 yrs and now starting up again,
i am living in WA and will be joining a club shortly.
Last Edited by on Feb 25, 2009 9:43 AM
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Windjammer Loft
722 posts
Feb 25, 2009
9:53 AM
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babyshoes........I hope I put some light on what you were asking...
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Fly High and Roll On
Paul
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
2536 posts
Feb 25, 2009
10:08 AM
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Welcome babyshoes enjoy your stay
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Ralph
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babyshoes
8 posts
Feb 25, 2009
11:28 AM
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Thanks Ralph.
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Canspinners
299 posts
Feb 25, 2009
2:14 PM
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Babyshoes can you please tell me about the birds you have experienced Ken whites,BoB Browns,Ollie Harris,Ernie stratfords.
What were the pros and cons of each family of birds?
Am interested in your opinion based on your wealth of experience.
I use Painter tape ,some people use safety pins both methoods work well
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babyshoes
10 posts
Feb 25, 2009
2:36 PM
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Hey Canspinners give me your Phone No: you can email it to me giron@charter.net
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roller_boi
32 posts
Feb 25, 2009
5:04 PM
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from experience, plucking the flights and letting them out to explore works better than caging them for a few weeks if they're older birds
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fireballroller_boi
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babyshoes
11 posts
Feb 25, 2009
5:58 PM
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roller boi it takes 6 to 8 weeks for those flights to grow back by that time i will have had the birds in the air for 4 weeks . and do you know how much stress is put on those birds when you pull those flight.
JMO.
Ron
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RodSD
195 posts
Feb 25, 2009
8:02 PM
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I think you don't just pull them out. First you have to cut the feathers in half, then let it dry, then finally pull them out. Basically cutting them in half kills those feathers. It will less painful to them. The goal is just to prevent the birds from flying. With that I think putting rubber band or painter's tape is faster. It is your choice.
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Bill C
249 posts
Feb 25, 2009
8:38 PM
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Ron, You have given some great advice. I love it when I learn something new with these birds. Thank You! I would never pull feathers to train a birds young or old either.
After reading your post only someone stupid will pull feathers again. Rubber bands and tape are good ideas too. I have had just two or three to train and usually I will hold them until I get 10 or more to trap train with a cage on top of the loft where they can go in and out until I am ready to release them.
THis will work great for just two birds or three. Thanks again for pointing this out. Bill C
Last Edited by on Feb 25, 2009 8:39 PM
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