CCagle
3 posts
Jul 04, 2010
3:49 PM
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I've just completed my first kitbox. What do you guys recommend.
1. Training cage extending out from the trap door only.
2. Training cage extending out from the trap door and up to the roof of the kitbox.
Any suggestions on size?
Can someone post pictures.
Thanks,
Clint
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donnie james
1060 posts
Jul 04, 2010
4:02 PM
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hay clint,
i would extend it up on the roof and i would make it high enough so bop's wouldn't get the birds .............
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Donny James
"Fly The Best And Cull The Rest"
"Saying One Thing;Doing Its Another"
"Keep Your Head Planted In The Sky And Wings Spanned Wide"
1996 Piedmont Roller Club Lifetime Achievement Recipient
Portsmouth Roller Club Participation Award System Recipient 1994 '96 '97 And 2000
2001 Limestone,Ohio Sportsman's Club Lifetime Member Recipient
2002Portsmouth Roller Club Certified Judge
2004Portsmouth Roller Club Lifetime Member Recipient
"Miss Portsmouth"NBRC/90/J311 Rusty Dun Check Self Hen First Bird To Get Certified In Portsmouth Roller Club History With A Score Of 53 Judge By Joe Roe The 1993 World Cup Winner And John Bender The 1994 World Cup Winner
Last Edited by on Jul 04, 2010 5:54 PM
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JDA
GOLD MEMBER
887 posts
Jul 04, 2010
5:48 PM
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Clint...Which ever you do make it portable,that you can take it off after the birds are trained to the feed can and the traps.JDA
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CCagle
4 posts
Jul 04, 2010
6:05 PM
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Thanks,what height would you rocommend to keep the BOP from getting the birds?
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donnie james
1062 posts
Jul 04, 2010
7:25 PM
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about foot or so ...............
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Donny James
"Fly The Best And Cull The Rest"
"Saying One Thing;Doing Its Another"
"Keep Your Head Planted In The Sky And Wings Spanned Wide"
1996 Piedmont Roller Club Lifetime Achievement Recipient
Portsmouth Roller Club Participation Award System Recipient 1994 '96 '97 And 2000
2001 Limestone,Ohio Sportsman's Club Lifetime Member Recipient
2002Portsmouth Roller Club Certified Judge
2004Portsmouth Roller Club Lifetime Member Recipient
"Miss Portsmouth"NBRC/90/J311 Rusty Dun Check Self Hen First Bird To Get Certified In Portsmouth Roller Club History With A Score Of 53 Judge By Joe Roe The 1993 World Cup Winner And John Bender The 1994 World Cup Winner
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polarbear
122 posts
Jul 04, 2010
8:14 PM
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Clint, I made my training cage about 2 foot square. I dont have a picture but my trap is above my main door so i can open door without the training cage in my way. It basically comes out from the front of the kit box 2foot, goes above the roof 2 foot and goes back on the roof 2 foot. This way i lock the youngsters outside all day in it, then in the evening I open the trap door with the bobs down. Then I whistle as I poor the feed in there tray.
This method has worked out great for me. I have not lost a bird this year due to trapping or settling. They are pretty much homed in in about 2 weeks.
I made the cage myself out of quarter in by quarter inch hardware wire so there was no possible way a predator could get the birds while I was away for the day.
Hope this helps, but do as JDA said and use the search site and find some pictures. Thats where I go several good ideas for my kitbox.
GOOD LUCK.
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TheGame
783 posts
Jul 04, 2010
8:28 PM
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Just use a seperate cage and place it on the roof. What i do is leave the birds in the kitbox for a few days and let them get used to and comfortable with their new home.
Every time you put the feed in shake the can and whistle. After 3rd day or so ill catch them and put them in a cage and then place the cage ontop of the kitbox. I leave the birds in it anywhere from 30 mins to a couple of hours depending on the weather. Becarful leaving the birds out too long in direct sunlight/heat.
Also make sure your training cage has very small spacings so nothing can attack your birds. I know a few people that had their birds heads and feets ripped off by coopers hawks right through the cage.
When the birds are ready to go inside open your kitbox door and put the feed inside the feeder then take the training cage down and open the door of it so its almost inside of the kitbox. The birds should respond to your whistle and jump out of the cage into the kitbox.
Keep doing this for about another week or so. If you feel like the birds are responding to your call well you can slowly increase the distance from the training cage to the kitbox.
At the end of the week open the kitbox door and let the birds out on their own...dont scare the birds out. They will probably fly up to the kitbox roof. Let them explore And fly around. Be sure to do this on a day where you have nothing planned or somewhere to go. Just incase the birds dont cooperate with you right away you can monitor them.
Later when u want them to go inside the kitbox just shake the feed can, whistle and pour the feed into the feeder.
I personally like letting my birds learn how to go in through the main doors of the kitbox first. Once they have mastered this I will open the trap doors and if they are hungry enough and homed they will find their way in through the trap. You can even manually put them in through the trap if u want a few times so they get the idea.
Remember keep them VERY hungry. I also like letting the birds eat out of my hand so they are not afraid of me.
Last Edited by on Jul 04, 2010 8:46 PM
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Buck
30 posts
Jul 05, 2010
9:22 AM
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I use one inch square mesh wire , When BOP gets after them , they get panicked by a BOP, they can still be killed thru the wire on 1 x 2 mesh , I've seen it happen.
Buck
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Windjammer Loft
1110 posts
Jul 10, 2010
5:51 AM
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Here is what my training cages look like. I have 4 kitboxes inside and each one has a training cage that hangs on the outside. Each kitbox can hold 20 birds. Hope this helps you out..
Fly High and Roll On
Paul
Last Edited by on Jul 10, 2010 5:54 AM
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steve49
534 posts
Jul 10, 2010
12:34 PM
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everything you've been told is great info so far. i would also only let out 3 birds the first time, just in case they scatter and take off. let these first 3 get the idea of trapping, and then the next day you can let out a few more, with the added bonus of having those first 3 who already know the ropes.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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fhtfire
2563 posts
Jul 10, 2010
12:55 PM
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Well,
I have never used a training cage and have never had to. The birds learn to trap by themselves if you have some older birds to show them. If you are just starting out with young birds....again....you still should not need one. Once a couple birds learn..they will all learn...by monkey see monkey do.
Now if you are homing in older birds then maybe a training cage would be needed. Never understood why people use them...Pigeons are pretty smart...three or four times pushing them through...you are done...they trap..
I just have a way that I do it that is pretty easy...plus I dont like keeping birds out all day so that the BOP can see Pigeon under glass...LOL....
rock and Roll
Paul
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rtwilliams
GOLD MEMBER
672 posts
Jul 10, 2010
1:30 PM
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I have a wire cage. I place the young birds, and set on top of the kit boxes. I make sure it hangs over the edge a little so they can see the oth boxes. I fly the kits, and when I am done I feed and get them to trap. A few days of this and they are ready to trap on thier own. I usually wait a few extra hours to feed the first time out with the cage. They generally tap quickly, and then it is a matter of getting them to fly.
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RT Williams
Brink of Rolling Loft
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nicksiders
GOLD MEMBER
4374 posts
Jul 10, 2010
1:32 PM
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I have never used a trap training cage per say in more than two decades. I have a regular cage that I sit on top of my kit boxes so the dorky little farts can look around at their new home and watch the big boys trap. Then I set them down on the trap door by hand individually and guide them in. I will repeat the next day and they pretty well get it after those two sessions.
This kinda how I do it. Whatever works for you just keep doing it. Lots of different answers for each topic and they are all correct. Find what works for you and put it too work. If it ain't working to your satisfaction that's when you change it.
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Think Outside The Box
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Nick Siders
Last Edited by on Jul 10, 2010 1:33 PM
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jt smash
93 posts
Jul 10, 2010
2:55 PM
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REgarding trapping your pigeons. For the most part I just make sure the rookies are hungry before i open the door. I don't scare them out. I also let a few older birds out with the rookies. Most off the time the youngsters just follow the older birds. However I now only let out a few youngsters at a time.If it takes the rookies a little to long to trap I shake the feed can and drop a little seed on the landing board, once the rookie hits the seed on the board he can see the others inside the loft. The rookie then traps very quickly. I just recently started sitting my birds on top of the loft a few days so they can look around. I don't really see to much of a difference in their trapping abilities with this method. I do know they enjoy the sun This way. But again what ever method that works for you is the way to go. Much success!
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steve49
536 posts
Jul 10, 2010
4:41 PM
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maybe the cage should be referred to as a 'settling' cage, because that is more of what you're looking to do, i think. trapping is easy, they learn real quick, especially if they have experienced birds to follow. i still think it works great if you only have babies, and you know how crazy they can get when they're scared and forget to look where they're going.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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nicksiders
GOLD MEMBER
4376 posts
Jul 10, 2010
9:30 PM
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steve - I can go with you there - settling cage is what it actually functions as.
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Think Outside The Box
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Nick Siders
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