rotti
3 posts
Jun 16, 2004
6:20 AM
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I have four young birds that are just starting to kit and roll. They are only about three months old and have been flying together since the beginning. I don't fly the breeders I purchased last fall and these are the first young ones I got this spring. So how do I introduce the next batch of young ones? Should I just put them in the same box and when I let the older birds fly put the young ones up topside to watch or start a new box and move the new ones over gradually? The new ones need to get out of the breeder loft this weekend so I need some advice soon. Any help will be apreciated. Thanx Don.
Last Edited by rotti on Jun 16, 2004 6:21 AM
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Steve S.
Guest
Jun 16, 2004
11:32 AM
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Hi Don,
I try not to let my rollers very a week apart in ages in a kit box when training them.
They mature fast and if you put different ages in you will have fast flying,slow flying,out birds, birds that will come down early non kitters and alot more troubles.
You can always put them together after about 6 months or so after they mature enough to keep up and have worked out the bad habits and by then you have culled the undesireable birds.
Use different kit boxes for the different rounds of youngsters.
Remember they are starting out to work as a team and react as such and it is important to have them about the same age.\Even when you mix different families together in kits they affect each other by the feed amount needed for different families to perform at their best and break at the same time.
Hope this helps.
Later
Steve Sissel
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fhtfire
4 posts
Jun 16, 2004
4:56 PM
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Well, I am in the same boat as you. I am just going to tell you what I have been doing and it has worked out just fine. I too have only one kit box. Right now I have 12 birds in the kit box and the are up to a month apart in age...I will add six more in about a week. Ok..here we go. First off I train all my birds to the whistle. I bought a pigeon whistle from foy's supply. Every time I feed I blow the whistle while I am feeding and they relate the feed to the whistle. When the kit is up I can blow the whistle at any point and they will come down and trap. I started out just like you..3 were the same age and I have added some new ones here and their for the last 3 months. When the squeekers are just starting to fill in there feathers under their wings I put them on the floor of the breeder loft. I really watch them...as soon as they start eating on their own a little I pull them out and put them in the kit box. I fly my kit birds in the morning and evening for four days straight then I rest them for two days. I also feed them in the morning and evening. I let them eat for about 15 minutes at every feeding and then I pull the food. When I let my birds fly I leave the new ones in the kit box with food. I do not take the new birds out of the kit box for about 3 days. While the other birds are flying they get to eat uninterupted.( the new ones usually do not eat the first day because they are a little freaked out). Make sure that the new ones are drinking..stick there beaks in the water..IF they drink...then you will be fine. After about 3 days I will again let my kit out and let the birds have food for about 10 minutes. Then I put them on top of the box. They will just watch the other birds fly..It has not effected my fliers at all having the young ones on the kit box. Before the others trap...I catch the young ones and put them up to the trap and let them trap with just a little push. Then they are in the kit box and get to watch all the others trap and eat...they will then relate the whistle with food and the trap with food. After about a week being on the kit box they will take off and start to fly...They will not kit the first couple of times...because they are so new. After about the second day they fly with the rest of the birds with no problems. I have 12 in the kit box right now and I started with just three and added a couple ever 2 weeks or so. I have not had a problem with the kit coming down to early, or disrupting the kit when the new ones first start to fly. I have not had a problem with an out bird after about 2 days of flying on there own. They keep right up with the kit. It is almost like the young birds are trying to prove themeselves..they work real hard. I also have not had a problem with the birds not trapping once they fly. Maybe I am lucky but it has worked for me. I blow the whistle and they all come down,,,then I show them the food tray and pour the food in and then put the tray in the kit box..then I keep blowing my whistle. Once the first one goes in they all go int. I hope this helps. e-mail me and I will give you my phone number..it is easier to explain in person. my e-mail is paulfullerton@sbcglobal.net.
Thanks,
Paul Fullerton
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Steve Sissel
Guest
Jun 16, 2004
6:23 PM
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Let me see:
You started with 3 and every 2 weeks you add 2.
That makes the the oldest ones when you have a kit of 20 about 4 months older than the youngest.
Paul in about 8 to 12 months you should have a kit on the same playing field in growth and maturity and the ability to break with quality roll,speed and style.
By the way,
Good job with the whistle.
Keep up the good work Paul.
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