parlorfancier916
354 posts
Aug 20, 2007
12:13 AM
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WEIRD FALCOLN ATTACK TODAY, THREW UP THE FIRST KIT AND A FALCOLN SWOOPED IN AND TRIED TO GRAB A SUCKER BUT THEN HE DIDN'T DIVE HE JUST FOLLOWED THE KIT. FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED A COOPER OR WHAT EVER BIRD OF PREY IT IS ATTACKING MY KIT LIKE THAT. SEEMED LIKE THE GUY WAS TRYING TO KIT WITH MY BIRDS.. WELL IT SEEMED TO BE REALLY YELLOW ON THE LEGS, LIKE IT HAD A BAND ON IT OR SOMETHING, NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS BUT IT WAS IN THE RIOLINDA CALIFORNIA AREA BUT YEA I FLEW MY KIT TODAY AND USUALLY BIRDS OF PREY THAT ATTACK MY BIRDS IN THAT AREA DO NOT FOLLOW BIRDS BUT INSTEAD FLY HIGHER UP AND THEN COME DOWN A DIVE AT MY SUCKERS BEFORE KNOCKING ONE OUT.. NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS BUT O WELL AT LEAST I HAD ALL MY BIRDS COME BACK..
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Nrhoua (Doua) Xiong
4581 25th ave. sacramento C.A. 95820
http://freewebs.com/performingrollers
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bman
361 posts
Aug 20, 2007
7:50 AM
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It might have been a young coopers.They begin migrating now.I had one take a pass at two different kits on saturday with no sucess.I guess it was just practicing.
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Ron
Borderline lofts
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Double R
72 posts
Aug 20, 2007
8:42 AM
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Ron, I agree they may have been young coopers or just not to hungry at the time.I've lost 2 young birds in the last 6 weeks to coopers. They didn't act very serious, it was more like practice. The coopers would make 1 pass at my rollers and if they missed they would leave. I would see one make a pass at my rollers, and it would be a week or so before another one would show up. If it's anything like last year the worst is yet to come!! Last year my worst attacks were from September thru November.
Robby
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belle
297 posts
Aug 20, 2007
8:55 AM
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I had one hit my young bird kit today, they all came back down and I looked in the kit box and one had holes in its wing feathers but no blood, got lucky.
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Justin
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J_Star
1144 posts
Aug 20, 2007
12:37 PM
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Robby,
The cooper is measuring the ability of your birds. In about three weeks or so he will be attacking them regularly. Right now he is more interested in the song birds but soon they will leave and the colder weather sets in. Then the cooper needs a bit fatty meat for winter survival.
This kind of copper behavior happens to every observant fancier this time of year. So, watch out.
Jay
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tapp
289 posts
Aug 20, 2007
8:03 PM
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Same here, I had three coppers in one day. And my first falcon the same day. The falcon dove from a what seemed like a mile high through the kit and then went high and flew away. Must have been full. The coopers are making a pass and leaving. Just scaring the heck out of the kits. It's good for the young kits. As long as they are missing the pigeons for know. Maybe when the hawks get serious in a few weeks the squeaks might have learned some fancy moves, That just might save it's life. But we are all going to lose some birds, no matter what.It's the sad part of roller flying. Plus the overflys they cause even when they don't score.bAre just as bad or worse cause you can lose the whole kit instead of a pigeon.
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Tapp
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
1588 posts
Aug 20, 2007
8:31 PM
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Jay Said:
"...In about three weeks or so he will be attacking them regularly. Right now he is more interested in the song birds but soon they will leave and the colder weather sets in. Then the cooper needs a bit fatty meat for winter survival..."
Robby, it might be a good idea to lock down for Fall/Winter after the first bird is taken, or better still, lock them down now for a week or 2. That will throw them off gaining any hunting habits at your loft.
If you are preparing for the FF, you have to ask yourself, do you want to fly this team next Spring or fly in the FF and risk losing birds?
There is allot of pressure to fly competition, even when you know you are not ready for it. It can be a difficult choice.
If it were me, I would save my birds to fly another day.
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
Check Out Our Pigeon Supply Store
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Bird_Man_916
30 posts
Aug 20, 2007
9:38 PM
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I also had the same attack about a month ago...It was a falcon that attack my young birds but some how the falcon was'nt really too interested in them...My birds were about 50 feet up in the air ready to come in...All of a sudden the falcon pop out of know where and chase after them but some how he took off about a mile away. All the birds flew up about a few hundred feet and the falcon try to do a sneak attack, pretending to take off but he came back for a second round and miss...Sooo he got tired and took off for good...That was my first attack in months...Just thought i share...Chai...
Last Edited by on Aug 20, 2007 9:39 PM
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bman
366 posts
Aug 21, 2007
4:41 AM
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For what it is worth I have already pulled three birds that I can't afford to lose.Have several more on the list when the first loss comes.
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Ron
Borderline lofts
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Double R
75 posts
Aug 21, 2007
5:16 AM
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Tony and Jay,
I haven't seen a cooper or any other BOP in over a week. I am still going to lock them down for at least another week, because of the storms that are blowing threw our area. With this being my first year flying young birds that I raised, I can't risk loosing very many of them to BOPs or overflys that are MY fault. When the BOPs get bad I will lock down for winter..Thanks for the advice...
Robby
Last Edited by on Aug 21, 2007 5:18 AM
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J_Star
1146 posts
Aug 21, 2007
5:33 AM
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This time of year, I start feeding my rollers rich food, heavy on protein and some oily seeds. This way, they have the energy needed to out run a cooper. I fly them this time of year through Sept and Oct months for the exercise mostly, not for performance. With the molt that is causing havoc on the birds, it is worthless to fly them for performance now. Unless you are flying the FF this fall, then that is a different story.
Jay
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