I think when you are doing all these loft tasks, is where the bond comes into play. Even with the baby chicks as they are growing, daily contact brings tameness in the loft. Nothing better than a tame loft, birds saving their energy for racing.
Devo1956 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 2:59 pm
I think when you are doing all these loft tasks, is where the bond comes into play. Even with the baby chicks as they are growing, daily contact brings tameness in the loft. Nothing better than a tame loft, birds saving their energy for racing.
To be honest it’s dark when I leave dark when I return
I only see them weekends in daylight I don’t have lights
I don’t think it matters as long as you bond and spend time with them when you wean them as that’s when they are nervous in the nest they are content
My cocks sit all over me and I never bonded with them in the nest
Devo1956 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 2:59 pm
I think when you are doing all these loft tasks, is where the bond comes into play. Even with the baby chicks as they are growing, daily contact brings tameness in the loft. Nothing better than a tame loft, birds saving their energy for racing.
To be honest it’s dark when I leave dark when I return
I only see them weekends in daylight I don’t have lights
I don’t think it matters as long as you bond and spend time with them when you wean them as that’s when they are nervous in the nest they are content
My cocks sit all over me and I never bonded with them in the nest
Yea, I'm retired and can play with them. For years I was the same, It was just light when I left for work and I was pushing it ti get a fly into them before it got dark. I used battery LEDs to see to feed them.
Greetings from the land down under.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
I'd be attentive to what was going on in the nest in the sense of nothing was amiss (YB's developing as expected and good droppings etc). As for playing and messing about with them, I never did any of that. I preferred to leave them alone and let them come along more naturally
For a clean freak like me breeding was horrible. I loathed it.
I'd have happily not bred a thing but it was a means to an end cos that's where your future racers originate from
For me the game really changed once they were parted. From them on it was "game on" - that's where the drive came in
Agree Mike I think they are fine on there own in the nest it’s them 3/4 weeks after you wean sticks with them I believe when there scared of the new environment and that’s the time to educate them
Your learn nothing from them being in the nest other than health . I don’t really get ybs with horrible wet dropping
mine get about 80 per cent beans and gemthepax on what they have in the box which is fat seeds / hormoform and chicken pellets so it’s all pretty solid
Last edited by NeilA on Thu Feb 20, 2025 10:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
NeilA wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 9:51 pm
Agree Mike I think they are fine on there own in the nest it’s them 3/4 weeks after you wean sticks with them I believe when there scared of the new environment and that’s the time to educate them
Your learn nothing from them being in the nest other than health . I don’t really get ybs with horrible wet dropping
mine get about 80 per cent beans and gemthepax on what hours in the box which is fat seeds / hormoform and chicken pellets so it’s all pretty solid
I agree
I used to part mine into the baskets and they learnt right from the off to eat and drink in the basket
I always knew my birds would take water on board rather than hoped they would
Where possible I'd leave nothing to chance - but that's just the kind of way I am with everything
I analyse everything - that's why my day job is as an Analyst
MIL wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 8:54 pm
I'd be attentive to what was going on in the nest in the sense of nothing was amiss (YB's developing as expected and good droppings etc). As for playing and messing about with them, I never did any of that. I preferred to leave them alone and let them come along more naturally
For a clean freak like me breeding was horrible. I loathed it.
I'd have happily not bred a thing but it was a means to an end cos that's where your future racers originate from
For me the game really changed once they were parted. From them on it was "game on" - that's where the drive came in
I actually quite enjoy it, Mike. I like keeping the boxes tidy and the pigeons appreciate it. Also regularly picking up the bowls to clean out and handling the babies for a moment daily does make them used to it.
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Greetings from the land down under.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.