So a couple of weeks ago I decided to put a drop board in the front of the aviary allowing the birds to come out.
I don’t like prisoners
I don’t like having prisoners and although I have had stock birds I much prefer to have them flying out. I have got the stock section but in there are some birds that can fly out. I also think that if you have a section of prisoners it also limits your pairing possibilities. The other problem I have had at present is that I have 5 latebreds out of the stock pairs that I wanted to let out but couldn’t wean them into the youngbird loft as there are some old youngsters pairing up and would beat any other youngsters up that were on the floor. I had the stock birds from John & Ben, which I must admit I’m a bit disappointed in what they had bred. 3 of the hens have not laid this year and one of the cocks wasn’t filling his eggs. I also had the 2 cocks and a hen that I got in last winter.
So a couple of weeks ago I decided to put a drop board in the front of the aviary allowing the birds to come out.
The funny thing is that when opened my old birds that had been previously flying out and the latebred youngsters very quickly found their way out and seemed to be enjoying their freedom. They all trapped back into the stock section. The stock birds that hadn’t flown out, and probably never have flown out, took days before the first ones started coming out. These birds seem very hard to break. They are between 5 and 8 year olds. They have been out in the aviary for months, having a good look around and seeing my other birds coming and going. But all the ones that have come out have gone missing. I did have the hen that I got in last winter turn up today after being missing for nearly a week. She should be fine now.
So a couple of weeks ago I decided to put a drop board in the front of the aviary allowing the birds to come out.
The funny thing is that when opened my old birds that had been previously flying out and the latebred youngsters very quickly found their way out and seemed to be enjoying their freedom. They all trapped back into the stock section. The stock birds that hadn’t flown out, and probably never have flown out, took days before the first ones started coming out. These birds seem very hard to break. They are between 5 and 8 year olds. They have been out in the aviary for months, having a good look around and seeing my other birds coming and going. But all the ones that have come out have gone missing. I did have the hen that I got in last winter turn up today after being missing for nearly a week. She should be fine now.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
That is one of my problems to many prisoners some in each section so makes difficult to let any out, when I do I have to sort and move the prisoners makes life very difficult, in fact just easier to keep them all in although do not like doing it
Sadies Lofts home of decent birds just a useless loft manager, and now a confirmed loser but proud 
I am like you, Andy.
I don't like prisoners, in fact I don't keep them. The only adult pigeons which arrived here are two strays, The 600 mile hen and a Ballarat stray which arrived several years ago.
All my fresh stock pigeons arrived as eggs or squeakers, and fly with the rest.
I might be wrong, but they have almost 100% fertility, even among the old stock pigeons, and I put it down to them being fit and healthy.
I don't like prisoners, in fact I don't keep them. The only adult pigeons which arrived here are two strays, The 600 mile hen and a Ballarat stray which arrived several years ago.
All my fresh stock pigeons arrived as eggs or squeakers, and fly with the rest.
I might be wrong, but they have almost 100% fertility, even among the old stock pigeons, and I put it down to them being fit and healthy.
Greetings from the land down under.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
I think your right about being fitter and healthier. I also think that the fertility is better partly because they can mate outside without continually being chased off. I haven’t kept prisoners until recently and so more than happy to have them out. If I lose some of the stock birds so be it. I would prefer to have birds going to stock that have raced well here anyway.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
Producing stock should be treated like gold ,the way the falcons are here I’d have no stock birds ,if let out ,so they have a large loft with flights to compensate,,some of my best stock birds. Have lived under these condititions for 20 years never having there freedam ,so which method is right ,,who knows ,
Funny enough, the old timers don't get hit around here.
My oldest ones, Squeaker and Julia, are 11 and have flown every day since they were babies. The old Jansen and Phryne the Van Loon are 11, Diver and his mate are 9, Gordon must be 8 and his mate is 9. They seem to be too cunning to get whacked. And Gordon is a real target, big gay pied thing that he is.
The young birds are the ones that get hammered here. Especially the reds and pieds. And dark ones. The plain chequers and blue bars have a better chance.
If they survive the first 12 months, they seem to be smart enough to avoid getting hit.
My oldest ones, Squeaker and Julia, are 11 and have flown every day since they were babies. The old Jansen and Phryne the Van Loon are 11, Diver and his mate are 9, Gordon must be 8 and his mate is 9. They seem to be too cunning to get whacked. And Gordon is a real target, big gay pied thing that he is.
The young birds are the ones that get hammered here. Especially the reds and pieds. And dark ones. The plain chequers and blue bars have a better chance.
If they survive the first 12 months, they seem to be smart enough to avoid getting hit.
Greetings from the land down under.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
It obviously depends on the space you have available. My garden isn’t big enough to have a separate good sized loft with aviary’s for stock birds. I just find it better and more convenient to have all birds flying out.
I must say that it seems to be older birds that have never flown out that are very difficult to break. I have moved around a bit and always managed to break most of my birds without to much trouble. I moved my birds from Sussex to Cornwall, 200 miles, and broke them including my Lerwick winner. I then moved to Somerset, another 100 mile move. Then 2 more moves around this area. Some of my birds had bee broken to all the different loft locations.
It seems that if birds don’t fly out quite early in life they haven’t experienced the art of navigation and learning different surroundings.
I must say that it seems to be older birds that have never flown out that are very difficult to break. I have moved around a bit and always managed to break most of my birds without to much trouble. I moved my birds from Sussex to Cornwall, 200 miles, and broke them including my Lerwick winner. I then moved to Somerset, another 100 mile move. Then 2 more moves around this area. Some of my birds had bee broken to all the different loft locations.
It seems that if birds don’t fly out quite early in life they haven’t experienced the art of navigation and learning different surroundings.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
I have very limited space, so cannot keep prisoners even if I wanted to. But on my small scale of operations, the old pigeons flying out with the youngsters certainly seems to give them some encouragement and education.
Right now the young birds are nearly yearlings, and are like teenagers. the boys are chasing the girls, they are all fired up
Having the old pigeons flying with them seems to help. The old birds have all put themselves away in their boxes a long time before the youngsters finally drop. But the youngsters trap like rockets and the old ones have taught them to drop on the call.
I suppose you have to do the best you can with what you have.
Right now the young birds are nearly yearlings, and are like teenagers. the boys are chasing the girls, they are all fired up
Having the old pigeons flying with them seems to help. The old birds have all put themselves away in their boxes a long time before the youngsters finally drop. But the youngsters trap like rockets and the old ones have taught them to drop on the call.
I suppose you have to do the best you can with what you have.
Greetings from the land down under.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
I have got one of the stock birds that had been a prisoner going out and coming in and two more that I haven’t seen out yet. But all the others that have come out have disappeared. It always amazes me how hard it is to settle old birds that have been in the loft, with an aviary and been seeing out for a couple of years, are to break. But have a stray that comes in and after a couple of hours you can’t lose lol.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.