Hi. I am not new to rollers but last year was my first year that I bread them. Today I had my young on top of the kit cage and out of no were they just started flying and diving around all the naibours gardens.LOL. My heart whent into my mouth as this happend to me last year and I lost 12 young birds. #I carnt remember how long it will be before they are actualy flying around in the sky? could someone please post me back and let me no? Thank you. I dont use a cage to put them in to get use to the area. What I do is when they are fully featherd under the wing I put them on the shed roof everyday whilst I clean out and feed. now they are in the kit I let them out for 1 hour to have a peck around the garden and look around.Also a bath.ect.. Hopefully this will give them chance to get to no the area before they take to the wing properly. What my problem is I live on a row of 20 houses . I only have a little yard then I have 20 houses in a row behind my yard. So the pigeons never get to see anywere appart from inbetween the houses. So when they take to the sky for the first time and they fly over the house roofs thats it. Its all new to them and not all find there way back. I do let about a dozen o so old birds out as when the young see them they follow. It realy gets me down as there is nothing I can do to solve the problem appart from move houses. I have srampt all my young so that may help. Look I havent even lost any birds and I am stressing myself out. Ha Ha . Well guys if someone could just remind me how long before they take full to the sky just so I can be ready for it. Thank you all. Yours in roll Harrison UK Hull.
You can just make out the house behind my shed? its like that right alone for 20 houses. The pigeons are looking up at my house that is also the same 20 along. Not good for keeping rollers believe you me. But I keep going. As you do do.
Last Edited by on May 11, 2009 12:06 PM
Oldfart
GOLD MEMBER
981 posts
May 11, 2009
12:53 PM
Harrison, The simple answer is it's different times. I would let them find their own way off and back to the kit box. Since all the houses look the same, I would make the kit box roof stand out. A bright color that is not the same as the house. Each fancier has their own way but I do not allow mine to loiter on the ground. As soon as they are up and flying I start training them to the feed can. They go out to fly and trap within 5 to 10 minutes when they return. How hungry they are will control how long they fly. Of course this is not a perfect science but I shoot for 30 to 40 minutes of air time. If you have room you might consider a fly pen addition for their bath and some sun time. I hope this is of some help. Thom
Last Edited by on May 11, 2009 12:54 PM
Thank you Thom. Yes you have helpt me. I have a dog cage at my dads that is about the same size as my kit roof so I will start to use that to keep them off the floor. I have heard people talking about colors on the shed roof but I didnt no it to be 100% true. Maybe if I paint a white cross on my breeders pen roof then they will see it from the sky? At the moment I am still feeding them on breed and wheen mix. As soon as they are in the sky I will put them on 50% wheat 50% barley. (Depuretive Mix). I leave the food in the tray 24/7 To build them up as with them not yet flying i dont need to worry to much about controleing them. Once they hit the sky then it will be cut backs from then on. Last year I did a verry good job training my young birds and had them doing 30 mins twice dailey. Lets hope this year is as good. Thank you for your help and I hope all goes well for you. Yours in roll Harrison UK HULL.
