Double D
276 posts
Sep 29, 2006
11:13 PM
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Which do you prefer?
Can you use less hard red wheat with the same effect as greater amounts of soft wheat?
Would birds used to soft wheat fly higher on the same amount of hard red wheat?
Pros and cons of each?
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Darin Olson
Checkerboard Lofts
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Santandercol
316 posts
Sep 30, 2006
6:36 AM
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Hard red wheat lasts longer in their digestive system.More bang for your buck!
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Kelly
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Alohazona
191 posts
Sep 30, 2006
6:12 PM
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I've tried white wheat,its soft plump kernels,compared to the hard red wheat.I liken it to corn,takes the roll out of them turns 'em into flyers and more expensive than hard red wheat.The red hard wheat is more responsive.Aloha,Todd
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motherlodelofts
905 posts
Oct 01, 2006
8:07 AM
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Hard red wheat is higher protien
Scott
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brian430
39 posts
Oct 01, 2006
9:56 AM
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the white wheat is loaded with water, and gives them the shits.
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Brian in Ludlow, MA
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J_Star
603 posts
Oct 02, 2006
5:25 AM
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With all due respect, I don’t know where you guys get your information from!! But here in Ohio, it is not easy to get Canadian hard red wheat without paying a small fortune and pulling a few strings and favors. So I settle with the white Ohio grown wheat. I’ve been feeding my birds with the white wheat since I started with rollers. It doesn’t give them the shits nor makes racers out of them. But it is not loaded with protein like the hard red wheat and if given to them for a long period of time, it makes them very fit and athletic. I tend to give them my own of mixed pigeon feed from time to time to add extra protein to their intake.
On those days when the weather is not stable and causes the birds to want to fly high or when I notice the birds tend to want to sky out, I mix peas, pellet and safflower with the wheat and milo for few days to load them with protein and some fat. With my family of birds, I could screw my birds to the grown with lots of protein and could make them dots in the sky if the protein intake was very low. So it’s a balancing act depending on the month you are flying. Weather and climate has to do a lot with the birds’ performance and behavior. Therefore, feed can play a huge part of bringing a balance.
It is cheaper for me to mix pellets at 26% protein and white wheat at 11% protein than to purchase a bag of hard red wheat if I can find it. Besides, I want my birds to digest their feed at a 24 hour schedule. I don’t like to keep the birds extra, extra hungry but I want them to be hungry for their next flight and to listen to my command.
Jay
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brian430
40 posts
Oct 02, 2006
6:18 AM
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hey good post Jay, but my birds have always eaten the hard red stuff, and they gave me the wrong wheat one day, I gave it to them anyway and their poop was a little runnier than normal.
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Brian in Ludlow, MA
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Alohazona
192 posts
Oct 02, 2006
9:55 AM
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Jay,
You can't swing a dead cat and not hit a guy holding a bag of hard red wheat on the rock.There was an instance were the feed store was out ,so I thought I would try it out awhlie.It looked good enough to lightly salt a handful and knock it back with a beer.To much moisture,I even tried a few,they were chewy,the added plus is I'm still alive.The crap all over the loft looked like cream of wheat.A day after I switched back to HRW,the crap looked like hazelnuts with a feather on top.I'm sure your birds are used to processing white wheat,if thats what you have always been feeding them.Aloha,Todd
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J_Star
605 posts
Oct 02, 2006
7:30 PM
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Todd, wow...I never knew you were a poet. I was expecting a reasonable and educating response from you. But thanks for your poem anyway.
Jay
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rtwilliams
GOLD MEMBER
685 posts
Aug 22, 2010
9:32 PM
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Anyone have a harder time getting 30-45 minute flying time on just wheat. I have a hard time getting my Starley and Billings to fly for 30 plus minutes on straight wheat. I need to seperate them to see whick lands first. I have tried both white and red. I even mixed the two 50/50. By the time I get them flying 30 minutes I am waiting 30 minutes for them to trap.
Probally something that I am doing, but if I do not give them soem milo or peas I can not keep flying.
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RT Williams
Brink of Rolling Loft
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nicksiders
GOLD MEMBER
4419 posts
Aug 23, 2010
3:08 AM
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I prefer the hard red wheat. In my area they call it "Ranger Wheat" or winter wheat.....? Normally the hard red wheat is higher in protein. It also tends to have less infestations of boles and is a lot less dusty. It is difficult to find anyone that carries it, so I end up with "feed wheat" which is white wheat and dirty.
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Think Outside The Box
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Nick Siders
Last Edited by on Aug 23, 2010 3:11 AM
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Windjammer Loft
1135 posts
Aug 23, 2010
5:18 AM
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It's funny that this post came up when it did. And here is why.. I get my feed mixed the way I want from a local feed mill, Canadian peas, wheat and milo. I noticed that the birds always left some red wheat in the feeders. Flying times were about 45 to 1hr.
So, the next batch of feed I ordered, I changed to "white wheat". Low and behold every grain was "GONE" in the feeder. But, I did notice that the birds were flying at least 1hr to 2hrs and they "LOST" most of their roll. They were flying like my "homers". Way less activite in the air, practicly "NONE". They looked like they were on "SPEED". I probably could have put them in a 100 mi race and WON.....LOL. After reading this post I realize what is going on. Back to the "red wheat"
when I place my next order. Thanks to all who responded to this post. I learned something "NEW" today.
Fly High and Roll On
Paul
Last Edited by on Aug 23, 2010 5:22 AM
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donnie james
1138 posts
Aug 24, 2010
8:02 PM
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i like to red wheat and some club members also used red wheat.............
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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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TimP
218 posts
Aug 31, 2010
4:12 PM
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White wheat is cheaper than red wheat here in CA. If you were to change your diet from vegetables to fruit your #2's would be loose for a while also. With the family of birds that I fly I found the white wheat has the opposite effect than what Windjammer experienced.
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Rick Mee
70 posts
Sep 04, 2010
6:49 PM
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Me too Tim, white wheat slows them down, red wheat makes them fly strong and hard.
Monty, who almost always fed hard red wheat due to it's availability and affordability where he lived used to give his birds low quality white wheat prior to a comp to bring the spin back on them. When I lived in WA and fed the same stuff he did I would at times have my birds fly for over 3 hours. Part of it was my location with a updraft, but take away the red wheat and feed white and I would bring the flying height down and the roll back.
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katyroller
758 posts
Sep 04, 2010
7:10 PM
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I have been feeding my young birds a diet of racing mix cut with pellets. Lately they have been flying low and barely making 45 mins.. Two days ago I bought another bag of my regular racing mix and when I got home I noticed it looked like it had double the amount of red wheat.
I've been feeding this racing mix for two days and yesterday and today my kit skyed out and flew over an hour. The only change to the feed was the bag of racing mix with what appears to be extra red wheat. I'm waiting to see if this continues or if they settle down in a day or two.
Tracey
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TT
GOLD MEMBER
512 posts
Sep 04, 2010
7:44 PM
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Red wheat is plentiful here and cost $12 a bag, I had problems when my youngsters were on it, They had the fly time but flew strong, and alittle higher then I liked a times, Flew one wing 95% of the time, Alittle to much protien for them 14% if Im correct, The min i switched and added white at 9%, things changed, Still had the time, But it slowed the birds down and back to the fly pattern we all like. Allowed them to setup for cleaner and bigger breaks.
White is very hard to get here now, we used to grow it till about 3 years ago, Now I need to ship it in at double the cost of Red.
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Tony.H...
"Color is not an option"
Last Edited by on Sep 04, 2010 7:49 PM
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