neila

Hi Wiley Would give them a set amount in the pots or allow them all they want to eat for half hour or so

If during the old bird season you were only in a position to feed once per day and flew widowhood cocks and hens what corn would you feed and how much would you feed each morning and either train or loft fly the birds just in the morning For a team of birds for up up 350 miles and a team of longer distance birds Would it be a mix or an amount of mix and a straight in the hopper Thanks for any replies and views

do you that may be down to the roundabout system being more suitable for hens than cocks .

Purchased three bags of pro sport and have mixed a bag of beans and half a bag of barley with it pretty happy with the look of it and the price .I will add some fats to it once we get over 200 miles or so . I will try my cocks on it and leave the hens on the normal grub to see if it makes any difference

I was thinking I could add some Barley or Beans to it depending on what the birds are doing distance wise and the time of the week etc its 32% Maize 33% various Peas,16 % wheat ,7% dari and the other 12% of various small seeds that are listed

I noticed this corn was £9.50 today in the corn shop and looked a good clean corn

Hi sorry to bother you can I ask how you get the cocks to race on the method only I have flown this way for 3 years to around June when I allow them to pair and although the hens race really well I cant seem to get my cocks to race home the same and I only seem to get the odd cock to take to it . Do your cocks race to spare hens waiting for them at home ? I find that some of my yearling move around taking a different box and maybe not bonded . I hope you don't mind me asking you

Hi Peter I understand what you mean yet my birds will just not touch the Barley if the hopper is there even if I put just a few grams of mix in say 10 grams mix with 2-3 grams of barley in it they would still leave the barley or some of it

just so I understand Peter your birds have the pellets in the hopper 24/7 and the mixture in a trough fed to a set amount . My question was do they clear the mix in the trough even all the barley as mine wouldn't clear the barley they would go back to the hopper of pellets when left with just the barley from the mixture. I understand that you feed a percentage of barley in the trough within the mix

hi Peter I see within the mix you feed you have a small amount of Barley and pellets in the hopper , I have found when I hopper feed mine they leave any barley in the mix in favour of the beans in the hopper can I ask do never have this problem do they eat the barley prior to the pellets?

very interesting read , thank you for posting this topic Can I ask although you mention your regard for beans and I understand why as I am keen on them for my birds what would be your feeding system in the period of March to May would it be a hopper or a set amount per day thank you

I have ply floor with grids , 2 1/2 foot ply on the sides then above that 1/2 inch wire for the 4 foot to the roof , I cant see the need to have mesh down to the floor level

24 (12 pair of stock) 14 old birds 33 yearlings for next year 3 spare unraced hens total 74

How are you getting with the Fraserform , I had trouble with getting my stock birds to eat it even when hungry

they look good

The Wheat and barley is £5 here for 25kg the beans £10 for £25kg I mix the above with a bag of VL moulting around £15.60 and half a bag of Souths seed mixture which I prefer as its not over the top on wheat compared to some seen mixtures. I tend to give them 1.2 oz then top them up with barley if they clear it

why not feed them beans in the hopper and just use a low protein mix to get them in or at feeding times so the diet is not protein heavy

how did this turn out for you ? cant see it not working if the easi bed is deep enough

I have found mine leave the maples if they get a choice ,This year I used a vl mixture in the pots during breeding and beans in the hopper and the maples were being left although when I changed to Le Souths breed and wean they eat the lot

Can I ask how far you fly on the 50/ 50 mix please, only I tried it at 30 -40 per cent one year and had a poor season over 250 miles even when I cut it back 2-3 days from marking ,although they flew well to 200 miles and great around home

I moult mine on 35 per cent barley , during the season I add 10-20 per cent as a guide to feeding old birds (depending on distance) up to 2-3 days from race day and 30 per cent to the ybs feed

I take it that it was a female , I don't have bother from the hen to around march to may but I am being bothered by a young hawk at the moment but it is to small to take them but still scares them You will have to get rid of it , it should return to the dead bird while its still warm

I would go for Beans , I feed around 40 per cent Beans all year and more when breeding I pay £10 for 25kg where maples are £14

Mine range well to they have had a few training tosses but after that although they fly well at home they never go out of site I feed them light in the morning 2-3 grams of seed not much at all then 32 grams at night which has 10 grams of barley in it I thought it was the training that stops them going off as they ranged well before on the above feeding

never had a problem with it find it very good I just use it damp on the corn when breeding most days