|
The Original All Roller Talk Discussion Board Archive >
20 birds just waiting to grow up and make babies
20 birds just waiting to grow up and make babies
Page:
1
Shaun
15 posts
Jul 06, 2005
12:38 PM
|
I've just taken delivery of 20 youngsters from George Mason. They won't be flown; instead, they'll occupy a loft of their own and I will bide my time until they're mature and ready to breed. I will fly the youngsters then, after a season, select the best cock and three hens to form my foundation stock. This is George's advice and, for better or worse, I'm sticking to it. I'm actually flying another 5 of George's birds, which are about 3 months old and I'm having great fun with them - now that I've finally got them to obey me.
Anyway, now for the questions:
1. At what age can I realistically expect the 20 youngsters to not just behave like cocks and hens, but actually produce fertile eggs?
2. When I'm ready to pair up, I have to call George with the ring numbers and he'll advise on the best pairings. That's great but in the meantime, there's going to be lots of cocks and hens all trying to get at each other - and the natural pairings might not be advisable. So, what do you guys think is the most practical solution to my having 20 birds all trying to get it together, whilst I'm telling them to hang on whilst I talk to George as to which of them does it to whom?
3. If the answer to question 1, suggests that breeding could take place over the winter, as the birds could be at it by then, are there reasons for postponing it to the spring, or should I just get on with it, as soon as the birds show willing? (I appreciate there could be a few casualties 'cos of the cold, but apart from that... Oh, and I've no hawk problem...yet...)
Cheers.
Shaun
|
spinnerpigeon
26 posts
Jul 06, 2005
6:39 PM
|
Shaun,
I think that for sure by next January they will be ready to breed. I dont know how cold it gets near you in the winter, but I live in Michigan and I usally wait to pair my birds till the end of January or early Febuary. That way I can usally have my first round on the kit box in mid April (right after the hawks leave).Just my 2 cents.
I think the best way to keep hens and cocks from breeding with each other is to put them into seperate sections or pens. Just my 2 cents.
Caleb
Last Edited by spinnerpigeon on Jul 06, 2005 6:41 PM
|
MCCORMICKLOFTS
53 posts
Jul 06, 2005
9:21 PM
|
1. At what age can I realistically expect the 20 youngsters to not just behave like cocks and hens, but actually produce fertile eggs?
It is common for non-flown hens to be able to lay by six months of age. Many of my show bird hens from this year have already laid in the young conditioning loft. If you are anxious, then once they are through with their body molt you will see their hormones kick in.
While cocks will mature faster and want to mate often at an earlier age, often they are still immature in the mind. Therefore I would recommend using fosters for the first few rounds. Assuming of course you choose to mate them up as soon as they are ready.
2. When I'm ready to pair up, I have to call George with the ring numbers and he'll advise on the best pairings. That's great but in the meantime, there's going to be lots of cocks and hens all trying to get at each other - and the natural pairings might not be advisable. So, what do you guys think is the most practical solution to my having 20 birds all trying to get it together, whilst I'm telling them to hang on whilst I talk to George as to which of them does it to whom?
Simple, keep them together until the cocks start to "show themselves", then remove them from that pen and put them into a "cock loft".
3. If the answer to question 1, suggests that breeding could take place over the winter, as the birds could be at it by then, are there reasons for postponing it to the spring, or should I just get on with it, as soon as the birds show willing? (I appreciate there could be a few casualties 'cos of the cold, but apart from that... Oh, and I've no hawk problem...yet...)
It all depends on your weather where you live. Here I can and often do breed all year long. For the upcoming season I pair my birds up in late November. If weather is not an issue for you and the skies are clear year round, then start breeding when they are ready. At least that is what I would do in that situation.
Just my .02
Brian.
|
Shaun
17 posts
Jul 07, 2005
12:07 AM
|
OK, so I separate the cocks as soon as they show themselves. Should they be kept in the nest box section - my thinking being they'll establish territory and which nest box belongs to which cock, in readiness for me to introduce the preferred hen to the preferred cock? Any other ideas?
From from your experience, guys, is it likely that the cocks will all be ready roughly the same age, so if I want to harmonise (England's spelling!) the breeding program, it should dovetail (pardon the pun) quite nicely? - or, is more likely that the cocks will develop over a longer period, which means I may have to wait some time before they're all ready?
I could wait until each and every cock has identified itself, then begin the breeding program, or get cracking each time a cock is ready. What I'm thinking here is that although I'm impatient to get started, I don't want the problem I currently have with my other birds - that's youngsters of all different ages. Forming a decent kit is proving not impossible, but tricky.
Mind you, with fosters, I could churn out quite a few youngsters, even from a small number of pairs from the 20.
That immaturity thing, Brian - I'd not thought of that, yet it makes a lot of sense. Will the little rascals sit the eggs and feed the young - especially feeding, as the cock does most of that? Good point - use fosters, or at least be prepared for a few losses if I also use the young cocks.
Back to the weather thing, in England it gets cold and we get the odd fall of snow, but usually nothing major. However, I take the view that if the water in the loft has iced over in the loft during the night, then it's pretty cold! This being the case, I can expect cold weather anywhere from October through to April, with the real low point being December through to February. This being the case, should I expect a high proportion of casualties if I breed during this period, or do you tend to find that, despite the cold, the success rate with rearing youngsters is much the same as during the warmer months?
Thanks.
Shaun
|
MCCORMICKLOFTS
55 posts
Jul 07, 2005
1:00 PM
|
Shaun, where I live the coldest it gets is in the high 20s at night. The coldest I have recorded at my house was 22F. And that is right during my breeding season. I don't loose one unless it gets kicked out the nest. But that actually has little to do with the cold temps. Most of my breeding is done during the dead of winter and early spring. The rough time for breeding is during the heat of the summer molt.
On the cocks, sure put them in the breeding loft if you like. In the big picture, I suspect that George will tell you to mate them as you wish, which to me means throw all of them into the breeding loft and let them select their mates and breed when they are ready too. Note the pairs and young they produced. Then when you see some results in the air, you will begin to gauge the potential of the parents and be able to bounce this information off of George and get his input on where to go from there with the birds. With birds that are only a few months old, it will be near impossible to time their production to get a kit together that is of the same age. You'll have to wait a while before that becomes an option.
Brian.
|
birdman
28 posts
Jul 07, 2005
2:41 PM
|
Shaun,
Seems like you are taking the long road approach with your breeding plan. Wouldn't it be easier to fly them out and select the best ones for future breeding?
Just my two cents.
Russ
|
Shaun
20 posts
Jul 07, 2005
11:10 PM
|
Actually, Brian, the breeding program is likely to be more synchronised. George bands his birds according to who the parents are. He's going to recommend which ones to pair up according to which family they come from. Of, course, I could just let nature take its course, as George once commented upon open loft breeding compared to locking pairs up until they lay. He said that he was confident of all his stock birds, so it wouldn't be a great problem if there were 'accidents' with the wrong cock on the wrong hen.
I take your point about the timing to get a kit together; once again, I may have to start with a small number and gradually toss new ones into the kit at the right time. I'm actually getting quite good at this - I started a couple of months ago with 5 of George's birds flying together. I've since bred 4 of my own and they've successfully joined the kit, so I'm now flying 9. This will increase as the year goes on.
This brings me to Russ's point: The first reason for not flying the new 20 is that I feel I'm too inexperienced to fly a kit of 20 birds. I'm learning my apprenticeship with a smaller number - general pigeon husbandry, flying and breeding. I'm hoping that by the time my 20 babies are ready to breed, I'll be properly ready to handle the offspring.
The other reason for not flying the 20 is the chance of losses, given their expense. Once I've bred sufficient birds from them, then they might well be given a chance in the air.
Cheers.
Shaun
|
Post a Message
|
|
|
