yellowking
42 posts
Oct 07, 2009
6:46 PM
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I don't know, maybe it is just me. But how come every time I introduce young birds or fly them for the first time, I will end up loosing at least one. Is it something I am doing or not doing? Please help.
Factors:
1)I live in a pretty dense 4 block neighborhood.
2)Most of the houses are surrounded by thick vegetation.
3)My house is full of trees in the front, but we just have pine trees. There is a small clear area where there are no trees blocking. In the past, I had homers and they have never had problems.
4)There is a huge clear soybean field about 2 blocks behind our nieghborhood.
5)There is a large river that runs to the East of us. But the birds must fly through a thick line of forest before they will see the river.
6)I wean the young birds when the feathers under the wings are starting to grow.
7)I feed 50/50 wheat/milo
8)I give the young birds approximately 2 weeks to get use to the surrounding.
9)I do not flag them until I am absolutely sure they can make it back home if they get lost.
A normal situation:
I will let the first timer out. They are strong enough to fly and can manage to stay up for at least 5-10 minutes. But they will not hover around the house,instead they will just fly up do some tail rides and then separate. Each going their own way and then eventually out of sight.
Some will find their own way back but I will end up losing one or two. Why do they do this? What am I doing wrong. I know I am missing something here.
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Yellow
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lil_jess
179 posts
Oct 07, 2009
7:13 PM
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Makes sure you give them enough time to get used to the surrounding areas...Add a Cage allowing them access in/out...
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Home of the Admiration Of Flying Performing Pigeon...
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macsrollers
206 posts
Oct 07, 2009
10:23 PM
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Best to feed your squeakers a good mix until they mature- at least. I live in a similar situation with alot of trees surrounding my property. The first time out I have my youngsters extremely hungry so that they instantly respond to my whistle. I don't want them flying around the first few times out. I just want them to learn what freedom is and only fly up enough to learn how and where to land. There is plenty of time for them to do serious flying as they develop. All's I want them to do is learn how to land and get comfortable with that their first few times of freedom. Very rarely do I lose any birds settling them. There are always the occasional dummies that just don't get it and get lost. Keep record of those and often the dummies that get lost go back to a pair or a bird in the mating that is throwing you the dummies. You will lose a few here or there for other reasons such as a hawk spooks them or weather. But if you control them with the feed can and are patient until they know how and where to land you will keep your loses to a minimum. Enjoy your next fly! Don M.
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Robert Miller
GOLD MEMBER
3 posts
Oct 08, 2009
3:58 AM
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Hi Yellow
Try taping 4 or 5 end flight feathers on one wing only for 4 or 5 days. This way they will stay close and learn to get back in the kit box before the fly too far away and get lost. Use 1/2" masking tape.
Robert Miller
Fire Brewed Rollers
SGVS
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Oldfart
GOLD MEMBER
1470 posts
Oct 08, 2009
5:50 AM
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YelloW, You might try making the roof of you kit box stand out, "a bright color". I like to get mine out early, before they can fly for a few days of just looking around. Also, Don nailed it and Robert is right about taping their wings.
Thom
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katyroller
579 posts
Oct 08, 2009
7:15 AM
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Yellow,
Everyone has given good advice, I use a combo of all these ideas. Get them out early in a settling cage and train them to the feed can. The first time out open the trap during a quiet time of the day to prevent them getting spooked by neighbors or anything else and let them just hang out. I like to be around when I do this because I can look out for BOP and my presence tends to keep them calm. As stated you are going to get some that are dummies and they will get lost no matter what you do. You will get some that may take off but stay close to home and take a day or two to figure out how to get home. Settling young birds is always nerve wracking! Good Luck.
Tracey
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yellowking
43 posts
Oct 08, 2009
10:37 AM
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Thanks everyone for your awesome advices. I would have never thought of using those kinds of methods. I will try all of them and see how the birds responds to it.
........................................................
I also have another question. Today I flew the kit and a cooper came after them. One of my red young was chased and he ended up smashing into the side of a house. He seems fine, but very tired. I noticed that he can't use his right wing anoymore. Maybe the impact of the collision have injured or broken his wing. But the thing is, if it was broken, wouldn't his wing be hanging low or cause him to drag it? I spread his wings out and try to see if I can feel any broken bone but it seemed fine.
Is it broken? or are there other problems I might be overlooking.
Again thanks for everyone's help!
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Yellow
Last Edited by on Oct 08, 2009 10:37 AM
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Windjammer Loft
963 posts
Oct 09, 2009
4:09 AM
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yellowking........one more thing make sure your birds are "hungry". Don't feed them the day before you release them. And when you do feed them,feed a "good" pigeon mix. Make sure they are trained to come in from the settling cage when you whistle and shake the feed can.... Don't forget to be "patient",that's the key..
Fly High and Roll On
Paul
Last Edited by on Oct 09, 2009 4:14 AM
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katyroller
580 posts
Oct 09, 2009
5:17 AM
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Yellowking,
The bird that crashed into the side of the house, give the bird rest and food and it should be fine
in a day or two, the bird was just knocked "stupid".
What you witnessed is one of the ways Coopers like to hunt, causing birds to crash into things.
Tracey
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lew3015
46 posts
Oct 09, 2009
5:26 AM
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Yellowking to address the wing problem place the bird in it's own cage with food and water so it can't use it's wings to allow him to heal up it, properly is bone bruised and needs to heal a few days, if the crash didn't hurt him inside he should be alright in a week or so, but this might make him afraid to fly for awhile. I have had them do the same and my bird came out OK
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Lew
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