Velo99
13 posts
Jun 12, 2005
3:13 PM
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I understand the different flight patterns that rollers should fly to maximize the wind in their performance.
Is there any way to change it? My birds fly on the left alot. They do change wings occasionally, the revert back to the counter clockwize circles. I feed a 3:1 milo/wheat mixture. Most of the birds are y/b`s I have 3 guide birds in to help them out and keep em safe. Will this change as they get older?
yits
v99
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Bluesman
Pigeon Fancier
289 posts
Jun 18, 2005
6:12 AM
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V. I have asked this question so many times over the past 5 years.I still havn't got an answer that proves anything yet.Still searching for an answer.I was hoping you would get some response.The only thing I can come up with "Its the way the World turns." LOL. David
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
20 posts
Jun 18, 2005
2:50 PM
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V, there a lot of variable answers to such a question. Location plays a large role in how they birds develop their fly patterns. Age is key to how they fly. Feed can alter they way they fly and finally the particulars of certain families definitely determine the way they fly.
Location for young birds can really make a difference. Big open skys are definitely much better than crowded trees and neighborhoods. The young ones always want to keep the kit box in sight. Should they loose sight of it, they often will panic and start flying faster or in circles. Of course once they get use to the surroundings, they will often settle down.
Age has a lot to do with fly patterns. Young birds will typically fly irractic flight patterns or even constant circular motion. Usually young kits that do this will do it for the first half of their fly time, then they often settle down and course around a bit, then start to circle again once they are coming down. As they get older you'll usually find the circling stops unless they are flying in a wind. If the air is flat or barely breezy, they should begin to course the sky, but that depends heavily on the family too.
Different families have designer traits and one of them is often flight pattern. Some families fly slow with a very minimal wing beat. These are usually the kits that course around and use up the entire sky. Other families are more prone to faster flying and to counter this in their immaturity will circle instead of flying straight. Usually the birds that are more high strung or in super strong shape will be your fast flyers.
As we know, feed can change a kits flying speed, which can result in a different flight path. Usually if you can slow them down you can get them to course the sky.
I wouldn't concern myself with it when dealing with a real young kit. Often once they start rolling they stop it. You can look for front birds that seem to be turning the kit or making it fly fast.
Brian.
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J_Star
13 posts
Jun 18, 2005
8:10 PM
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Velo99,
Every day before you fly, take one bird out and start with the leader bird until you find the bird that keeps taking the kit to the left wing. If you fly 20 birds, that means you will be flying 19 birds evryday for the next 19 days or until you will find the left winger. Try it.
Jay
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Bluesman
Pigeon Fancier
298 posts
Jun 20, 2005
4:51 PM
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Brian.I just seen your post on this topic.Don,t know how I missed it.Another one I copied off for future ese.LOL.
Is there anything that will make them do left wing or right wing or is this something that comes natural.90% of my action comes when they turn into right wing.Any comments on this. I had a young kit today that flew right wing for most of the flying time and their action came on when they switched to left wing.This was a first for me seein them flying mostly right wing.David
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Richard A.
15 posts
Jun 20, 2005
5:20 PM
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Recently I had (1) kit that was constantly flying on the left wing and for the most part would not perform. I also had another kit that flew in both directions and was performing. I took 7 or 8 birds out of each kit and switched them. it worked. Thank God!! Now I have both kits working well.
Richard
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
24 posts
Jun 20, 2005
10:35 PM
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(Dave wrote)
Is there anything that will make them do left wing or right wing or is this something that comes natural.90% of my action comes when they turn into right wing.Any comments on this.
In my opinion David, you will see this circular flying in most young bird kits. It is, for the most part, unavoidable. Most of my young kits will do it for a short spell as well as a few that only do it for a few days. When I was flying the older families of rollers, it seemed nearly impossible to break them of that damn left wing flying. I hate it with a passion. I hate it even more watching an old bird kit that just flys on one wing the whole time.
As a young kit begins to mature, you should see them come out and circle around a bit, then once they get some space between their ass and the ground, should begin to course. Some young kits will do this within a week, others within a few months. If it takes longer than that I start looking for the punk that is leading them or cutting the corners and either yank their heads off or starve them and put them in the cull kit for a while.
I remember the agony in watching my earlier kits flying in those damn circles, as I prayed for them to just turn the other way so they would break and roll. You couldn't pay me to relive those days. LOL. Keep in mind too that if a kit has been tampered by hawks, they will fly defensively which is usually a circle pattern. If you train your young birds in the wind, often the same circular pattern will result and last for quite a long time as that is the flying style they developed. Yet another reason I will ademantly never fly young birds in the wind ever again.
I believe the reason we see some kits roll only when turning the opposite way they routinely fly is the result of unbalancing resistence. It is like if you are right handed, you tend to lean and walk in that direction. If you look at a running back in football, his best juke move is to his strong side. Conversely, he has less balance when doing so to the opposite side. In hockey one of the most impressive moves is the deek shot, which favors the shooters dominate side. He is unbalanced should he try it on is less dominate side.
I feel that what we often see is the result of the change in flight rhythm and comfort, resulting in a momentary uneasyness which breaks the rhythm and ultimately the roll catches them off guard. In essence, the opposite turn lessens their resistence enough for them to roll.
I still have some of the older families which have the tendency to circle fly and fly fast during their youth. The ultimate cure was when I began developing my Jac families which fly nice and slow with a butterfly pattern and course the sky, even from the first few days of flying. When combined together in young kits, the slow, coursing Jacs forced the older families to fly slow and ultimately they started rolling in half the time it used to take them. I intentionally keep some old Jacs that don't roll much around just to put into a possibly troublesome young kit. You would be amazed at the change in a short time if you have the right birds to add.
Oddly enough, today I was watching two very young kits flying together, only on the wing for less than a month and floating around in the sky this morning. 50+ squeaks just floating so slow I couldn't believe they actually could stay in the air. That is the kind of fly pattern I like to see.
Brian.
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Bluesman
Pigeon Fancier
301 posts
Jun 21, 2005
3:21 AM
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Brian.Thanks for taking the time to write a well explained answer.
Another couple questions.You said about the kit of 50 flying.Do you house this many together or do you have them in seperate kits? Are they basically the same age?If housed seperately how do you keep them in the right box or don,t it matter.This would save me a lot of time flying rather than flying 12 or so in some kits.Now that I have the kits flying for an hour I am running out of time getting my kits up while it is cool in the mornings.I would hate to have an overfly with this many.LOL.David
P.S. Speaking of flying for an hour.Should I back them off to 45 minutes?
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
25 posts
Jun 21, 2005
7:07 AM
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David, don't "F" with the young birds. Let them fly the time they want to fly. If it starts to get ridiculus, then just cut back on the feed here and there. Once they are through their molt, then you can start being creative with the feed on a regular basis.
To answer your question. Right now I am flying five kits of young birds and they are all housed in their own kit boxes. I have colored clip on bands that designate which bird belongs to which box. I try to keep the same ages together in one kit until the start rolling a lot, then they get moved to the oldest young kit which should have many performers in it by now. I don't have time to fly four kits individually every morning so I fly the two oldest together and the two youngest together at this moment. Each kit contains between 20-25 birds. In another month it will be a little more difficult as I will have at least six kits of squeaks to try and find some air time.
Thanks goodness my boss don't mind me coming in late..lol
Brian.
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Bluesman
Pigeon Fancier
302 posts
Jun 21, 2005
12:33 PM
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Brian.I put snap on bands on two kits this afternoon.I am going to try it tomorrow and see what happens.They are a month apart but both on the wing good.Thanks,David
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Richard A.
17 posts
Jun 21, 2005
6:34 PM
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Really good suggestions Brian!!
You do display quite a bit of frequency.
Richard
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
29 posts
Jun 21, 2005
9:13 PM
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Thanks Richard, but around these parts, I sure could use a lot more on fly day...lol.
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Richard A.
18 posts
Jun 21, 2005
9:46 PM
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Brian, I live in an area in Apple Valley where the hawks are not bothering me.
I've had (4) hawk attacks in 4 1/2 years. I know it seems impossible, but it's true. I guess there are alot of small game on the ground so that they don't have to chase my birds in the air.Even though I am able to fly my kit everyday, The left wingers were still driving me absolutely crazy for awhile. I'm just glad that the problem is behind me now. I'm in the book, so if you ever come through Apple Valley on your way to Vegas to win your million dollars, stop by and see me.
Richard
Last Edited by Richard A. on Jun 21, 2005 9:53 PM
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