JEFF WILSON
10 posts
Aug 04, 2009
8:13 PM
|
iam new with the rollers .thought i was doing good had eleven birds in the kit box had them trained to come trap in from the feed can and my whistle. they where just starting to go take trips around the yard and a few where starting to fly around and this evening a cooper came in and they went every which way after calling them for a hour i had four birds back after 2 hours i had 7 trapped in and at dark still missing the four youngest of the kit i will now have to lock down and the birds are at the age they need flown will this ruin these birds .the worst thing about this all is there is nothing i can do to help them .ido remember someone on here said don't turn loose what you can't aford to lose
|
Electric-man
2424 posts
Aug 04, 2009
9:07 PM
|
I bet you get a couple more back in the AM. Keep your eye out and get them back in. I wouldn't panic yet unless your seeing several BOPs. I would lock up fora week and try it again. Try adjusting your time of day you fly. Get creative and outsmart them buggers. Mostly just juveniles coming thru here right now, they haven't honed their skills yet. Good luck and let us know what happens!
Got to be mentally tough to fly rollers. They always seem to get the best ones.
----------
Val
|
Bill C
419 posts
Aug 04, 2009
9:30 PM
|
Hi Jeff, Life is tough sometimes. Sorry to hear you are having a bad day. If you keep these birds in from now until late spring the young birds that have not flown for at least three months or more will be ruined in some ways. They are much harder to control and they do not kit and often want to land on wires or trees instead of flying. They really need the air time in them before lock down.
However, you can keep them in for a few days or five days and then fly them again. Keeping them hungry enough that they only fly around 30 -40 minutes and like Val said, change the flying time around if you keep getting attacks. I think early mornings are better than noon or late afternoon times.
This can really be a problem for new guys who get young birds late in the year since most of us are done breeding and raise a few for some new guys or friends. Try and time your nest breeding season around the time wild birds in your area are nesting and raising young. That is the best time to fly young birds.
We value each roller but this is what happens and we all lose some here and there. Once you lock the birds up for three or more days the hawk has to find food somewhere else and hopefully you will be free to fly again for a while. Best of luck to you. Bill C
|
Windjammer Loft
872 posts
Aug 05, 2009
5:08 AM
|
JEFF WILSON....welcome to the "wonderful world of rollers"....LOL. Most of us have been in your shoes at least once or twice.. It's all part of the roller experience. It's all part of the learning experience..
Fly High and Roll On
Paul
|
Pumpkin Man
137 posts
Aug 05, 2009
5:30 AM
|
Don't be discouraged Jeff this is a challenging hobby. If this season turns out to be a bust start planning now for next year. My advice to you is to put your pairs together aroung Valentine's Day next year and try to get a round trained and flying by April. You need ten pair on eggs at a time to do this so if you don't have 10 now try to get them between now and February (IT WILL MAKE THINGS MUCH EASIER) By this time of year that first kit will be stronger, smarter and you will get to see some rolling during the first season. My opinion is try to have ten pairs on eggs so you can hatch a kit of birds each round. Experiment with fly times to avoid the hawks (if possible). I have been guilty of trying to take a half dozen late hatch birds and trying to hold them over for the following season and spending too much time trying to straighten them out when I would have been better off making foster pairs out of them and starting over from scratch with a new young bird kit. Do the best you can with these but don't be afraid to start over if it doesn't work out. We've all been there. Don't let it get you down, it'll come and when you get there you'll be glad you stuck out through these challenging times.
|
JEFF WILSON
11 posts
Aug 05, 2009
7:44 PM
|
Thanks for all your support.i understand that this is going to happen i was just shareing the experince.i got 10 birds out of 11 so i guess i was pretty lucky.i got a late start breeding this year i have 10 more in the nest.and ill breed one more round and i will get started early next spring thanks guys for all your ideas. Jeff
|
RodSD
326 posts
Aug 06, 2009
7:39 PM
|
BOP and pigeons come in hand together. It is as they say part of pigeon flying experience.
|
PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
3250 posts
Aug 07, 2009
7:16 PM
|
Jeff these are the breaks but I feel you bro..good luck with the next bunch..
----------
Ralph.
Life comes down to the choices you make, and then living with the results.
|
Hifly11
64 posts
Aug 09, 2009
11:09 AM
|
Jeff Iam in the same fix as youI have eight in the kit box and Iam just getting them up and flying. This morn the cooper came in and scattered them. Now I have to lock up for a bit then try again. It is getting late to fly here in mich. as in sept. the hawks really start hunting hard as the song birds are done raising. Hang tuff, QUESTION: how does the hawk know to pick off your best???
|
J_Star
2069 posts
Aug 10, 2009
5:21 AM
|
Usualy because the best is the one that is working the hardest and the most tired. They are easy to chase and catch.
Jay
|
JEFF WILSON
13 posts
Aug 10, 2009
6:09 PM
|
Hey guys i have 9 birds left out of the 11 i had now i have flown 3 times since the cooper attack and i havn't seen her iam just flying all diffrent times of day thanks pumpkin man .i know its only a matter of time and she will catch me flying but it sure keeps you on your toes.i have no choice but to fly them or i will have no idea of there ability at least we all have one thing in common nothing to argue about over this . we all hate to see the bop move back in
|
Hifly11
65 posts
Aug 10, 2009
6:37 PM
|
The Cooper is a still hunter. He will sit and wait for the opertune time then he will usually dive down on to the pigeon, and give chase. Nothing is faster at low altitude weaving thru trees and bushes than a cooper.When the rollers get some altitude it is hard for the cooper to make the kill.I have found if Iam standing in the back yard near the coop he never attacks.When I go in for a min. he moves in.
What I try to do is put my birds up quick, and when they come down be out there to call them in with feed. So they don't sit out on the coop.
I got hit sunday AM, so today (monday)I put them up at 3:00PM and had no problems.
Also before I let them out I study the Doves and squirels and blue jays in the area to see all is normal, as they will let you know if the cooper is sitting in the area. Good luck,never give up and fly smart.
Last Edited by on Aug 10, 2009 6:42 PM
|
JEFF WILSON
14 posts
Aug 11, 2009
7:01 PM
|
very true it seems like the cooper can show up in a split second.because the trees are full of leaves they can be right on top of you and you don't even know it.getting them up quick is good but when they drop down in a roll he will get them or when they are comeing in to land.don't count on just being there will keep them from attacking that old female cooper was so close to me when she swooped through my birds i could see her yellow eyes and she got done what she set out to do . good flying and good luck to everyone but i think the best yet to come.
|