steve49
21 posts
Jul 05, 2009
6:20 AM
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since these are my first 'real roller's', i want to be careful and not rush them to their first release. so, is one week ok for this kit of babies, or would 2 weeks be better? i'm just now(got birds monday night, june 29) getting them to start trapping while they spend time in the day screen when i call them to eat. half are probably 4 weeks, with the remainder a week younger.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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TheGame
547 posts
Jul 05, 2009
9:21 AM
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Hey Steve!
Are the youngs trapping right away when you call them in by shaking the feed can and whistleing? If so I think your ready. Just make sure the babies are really really hungry.
With my experience most new birds just stay on the loft they really dont fly right away. If anything they will just hover and do small laps in the backyard and then land right back on to the loft.
I have homed birds within less than a week and never had a problem. But if you don't feel ready don't rush it. And remember not to get too attached to the birds you will lose some no matter what.
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steve49
22 posts
Jul 05, 2009
9:31 AM
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hey Shiv!
thanx for the feedback. Mike had suggested i only let a few out at first, and see how they do. i fully understand they've got to be hungry, so i won't be looking for them to fly and roll the first day! my day screen comes over the front, so the birds can go back and forth inside and out. during the day, i've got the trap in the open position to all that. right now i'm feeding them morning and night, all they can eat. i am taking their food away as soon as the last bird had finished. i feel this way they'll be getting proper nutrition, but are learning that i'm the source of food. also, with the trough sitting all day in the box, they don't realize when i've added food to it. so, what i do is remove the trough when they're done, and whistle and shake the can for the next feeding. with the birds on the roof of the kitbox, i encourage them, and if i have to, i can lift the landing board and kinda slide them thru the bars. so far, they've all trapped on their own the last two times. when they're hungrier, as when trained, they'll trap faster i'm sure. for me, getting attached to the birds comes with the territory. after a few years, and some losses i'll be better at accepting losses as just part of the hobby.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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JDA
GOLD MEMBER
318 posts
Jul 05, 2009
9:31 AM
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How do you have young birds training box set up?If you have a wire cage in front of the traps,put the birds in it (hungry) and have a blocking of the traps so they will not be able to go in till you want them too. Put some feed in a can and shake it,put your feed tray in open the traps and shake,drop little feed in tray they should be already starting in. Do this daily till they are going in on there own with there wing up and on the tray.Then you can start the on the roof for the first time.JDA
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steve49
24 posts
Jul 05, 2009
9:41 AM
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JDA, are you saying i shouldn't have them on top of the kitbox? my screen is on the roof, with a section that covers the trap and board, so its all one big screen. i've seen some pics with a small screen on the landing board in front of the trap, but it can't hold my entire kit of 20. not sure what you're saying. for now, i wanted them to have access the sun and the top of the kit box where the bath pan is. i'm letting them sit out and go in and out if they want. as the time goes by and they're starting to get hungry, i drop the bars, and whistle them in to eat.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
Last Edited by on Jul 05, 2009 9:43 AM
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
3159 posts
Jul 05, 2009
10:53 AM
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Steve what you have is what I think JDA means ..that is perfect..
I train my bird by steps in other words once 4weeks old I make sure they all in their kit box one week end of 5th week.... going on 6th weeks going in and out on their own with the trap door open with feed in there all day,going on 7th week they stay out all day with trap close at end of day I whistle shake feed can open trap they come flying in for a tbl spoon each.I'm not feeding all they want at this 1 week training period because they going to be let out free the following.the begining of 8th week I take the cage off and leave the trap door open I don't force them out they are free to go in and out but no feed inside now they be like saying where is the cage wow I'm free some might even take a little circle fly and back down you just sit and watch a couple of days of this and you can make them fly .I usually flag one time and put it away quick so they can come back down to kitbox with out fear of being flag again..the flag is a tool so you have to learn to use it right.if they love to fly they will go up on their own depending on the family that you have .I have been doing this for ten yrs with my rollers and it seen to work for me.everyone has there own way you take some from here some from there until you find what works best for you.. good luck..
----------ps This what I do when training a kit of 20.
at times I have 2 or 4 that I bred late well these I toss up at 6 weeks old when the others are coming down to land by the time they are 7 wks they flying and kitting pro.. ----------
Ralph.
Life comes down to the choices you make, and then living with the results.
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steve49
26 posts
Jul 05, 2009
11:24 AM
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some pics of the new dayscreen
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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steve49
27 posts
Jul 05, 2009
12:26 PM
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hey Ralph,
i'm glad what i'm doing is good. since i didn't breed this kit, i can only work with them from when i put them into the box. above i put a pic of the almost completed box, but you can see the screen and how the birds have in/out access. i agree about taking some ideas from different people and doing what makes sense based on the various ideas. obviously, if the birds come in when called, and eat, i can move to the next step. do you think i should give all the birds freedom on the first release day? or just a few, and see how that goes? i'm concerned about a possible overfly or simply having some of the older birds take off without knowing how to get back, and thus losing some, or worse, they pull the youngest too far and they get lost?
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
3160 posts
Jul 05, 2009
1:34 PM
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Steve I have received birds that were 6 month and flew in the person house already birds that were strong on the wing and as long as I train them in the step like the way I describe above I never lost a bird.you stated half are 4 wks old some younger great age to start training..
If you want to let the birds go after a week or two that you received them just make sure they are very hungry and you can also have some birds with their wings tape up so when the others fly they see them and come back down to them.there are lots of way to do it but like I said the way I do it I am sure of because I gave them enouth time to know me as their master and know their surroundings know the feed call and that this is a safe place to be.. good luck..
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Ralph.
Life comes down to the choices you make, and then living with the results.
Last Edited by on Jul 05, 2009 1:38 PM
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JDA
GOLD MEMBER
319 posts
Jul 05, 2009
8:31 PM
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Steve.. That looks good, But make sure they are hungry and you have them trained to the feed can and feed tray wings up for a few days when you feed them. Make sure they clean up all feed, before they are ready to let out of the wire cage and on the roof. Are you going to fly out of that cage? if so the wire top should be removed when they are trained to the trap.You should have a landing board that will hold 8 to 10 birds with the wire cage off the roof.JDA
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steve49
31 posts
Jul 06, 2009
12:38 PM
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hey JDA, what do you mean, "feed tray wings up"?
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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JDA
GOLD MEMBER
321 posts
Jul 06, 2009
2:03 PM
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Wings go up on young birds when thy are hungry. You put a feed tray on the floor of the kit pen and that is where you feed them when they come in from a fly.You start with it from the get go of there training.JDA
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steve49
32 posts
Jul 06, 2009
6:37 PM
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ok, i understand now. i did origianlly feed on a tray, but they spill too much and the more aggressive birds chase the younger ones. so, i got out my covered feed trough, and what a difference. its 24" long, and the whole kit can eat at once with no bullying. when they finish and go to perch, i pull the trough. when i return from work in the afternoon, i whistle and shake a feed can, and give them the trough again, allowing them to eat all they want. i'm planning on releasing saturday a.m., so friday i'll feed just once, and a tablespoon per bird so they'll be real hungry for the first outing. i might do it in groups, so i don't let the entire kit out at once. maybe put 8 in the dayscreen, and the others in a cage away from the kitbox. but i'm thinking that won't work because the first group will still be a bit hungry, and they'll drop to the floor and eat with the 2nd group. or maybe it won't matter? i'm probably over thinking this a bit. either way, but thursday i'll be cutting back on feed, to make them trap fast.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
3166 posts
Jul 06, 2009
7:27 PM
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Steve I can tell you how to do this and so can anybody but I want you to try and play this on your own .you got the right idea from taking here and there if you want to don't feed them the day before you let them out .have fun you going good..let us know how it goes we be right behind you..good luck..
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Ralph.
Life comes down to the choices you make, and then living with the results.
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TheGame
553 posts
Jul 06, 2009
7:49 PM
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Remember Steve a hungry pigeon is a healthy one ;). Sal from the pigeon store told me that one lol. If the birds got too much feed in them be prepared for hours and hours of bumming around.
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JDA
GOLD MEMBER
323 posts
Jul 07, 2009
6:02 AM
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Steve49.. That sounds good. the covered feeder is just as good just make sure you feed them just what they will clean up, maybe a one table spoon per bird and watch and see if it is all gone and if they are still looking, put another one table spoon per bird, all the time shaking a can with feed while they eat.You should have no problem by Sat.P.S Don,t chase them up, just let them feel at home.Good Luck JDA
Last Edited by on Jul 07, 2009 6:07 AM
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