David048

click onto the link on my signature and download the attachements - you'll find everything you need to know about starting up and more. People say you learn by your mistakes but i say why make them in the first place?

good effort

they should be off darkness by now. Some of mine do the same thing but they are just chilling out. i'm surprised that they all do it at the same time they may just be well relaxed. like the guy above said you might be worrying over nothing. if they are flying well and eating ok then it sounds like they are fine - have you had them training yet? how are they doing on that front?

click on my signature and download the attachment - print it and save for next year

click on my signature and download the attachement - it will tell you all you need to know

they go through phases where they fly less - maybe time to start training em

i reckon the melon man will do it again for me - my son reckons this cocks head is shaped like a melon, so we call him the melon man! he's a nice dark read cheq with a grey head.

racing from Eastbourne back to Castleford - 220 miles and it's gonns be baking hot!! any tips on how to get em to drink lots tomorrow?

i have seen hawks chasing my young uns but just tailing em - i think they must be young hawks that are practising - scary to watch

I agree that you should separate him from time to time to protect the new ones but he sounds like he has some spirit and fire in belly which isn't a bad thing. You may not necessarily want to knock that out of him.

I agree with spin cycle on this one Dave. 2 hours doesn't mean they've been lost it means they've been out learning and playing..they're youngsters!!! Maybe take them a bit further next time but increase the distance gradually.

ok thanks will try that now

thanks - does that hurt the pigeon? someone told me you can cut the feathers right down and then after that they will fall out on there own - is that true do you know or shall we jsut tug em out now?

hi - could someone advise me on what to do. we have a young brid which is on the darkness system and it has broken 2 flight feathers quite low down so not sure whether to pull em out. does that hurt the bird and will they grow back or do we just have to wait for them to molt out now?

yep mine are the same at the mo - it's just cold. if droppings are ok then they'll be fine. if you want to know about drafts read this - it's a bit teckie tho!! Purpose of Ventilation The purpose of ventilation is to: Make fresh oxygen available to the respiratory system. Remove the exhaled gases and the gases produced by the droppings. Rid the loft of excess moisture so the RH will stay within the permissible levels. Help maintain the temperature at the proper level. You may have to ventilate year round when you want to provide the loft with new oxygen and at the same time remove the accumulated harmful gases. Especially in the summer, when the temperature outside is high, ventilation is essential to remove the heat the pigeons produce. As the temperature rises the level of oxygen in the air goes down. For this reason we must ventilate more. During the winter, though we ventilate as little as possible by reason of the fact that we want to keep the loss of heat to a minimum. This minimum amount depends on the number of pigeons in the loft and the odor they produce. Mechanics of Ventilation A body of air which is trapped inside a closed area will put pressure on all sides whenever the temperature in that area is higher than the outside temperature. Heat is produced by the pigeons, the sun’s rays that penetrate the loft, and when available, other sources of heat. Within the loft the air will layer itself and the warmest layer will rise to the ceiling, while the coolest air is found near the floor. Whenever warm air meets the outside air and exchange will take place. Because of the built up pressure the warmer air will move out from the top of the loft while the colder air comes back in at the bottom, thus replacing the warmer and lighter air inside the loft. This, in brief, is the is the principle of natural ventilation. Natural ventilation is the result of the temperature differences or a difference in weight between the air inside the loft and the outside air. If the difference is extensive the exchange happens quicker and as a result you have more natural ventilation. The amount of natural ventilation can also be increased by the so called “chimney effectâ€. This effect is based on the idea that air pressure differences also depend on the difference in height between the air outlet and air intake. This difference can be increase by way of ducts. Pressure Caused by Wind There is more pressure placed on the side of the loft on which the wind is blowing and less pressure on the opposite side. When the ventilation openings are not properly covered, or in some way protected, they will help bring about unwanted side ventilation, because of the wind pressure. Another word for this type of ventilation is drafts. Nobody needs this! The best thing to do is locate the loft in relation to the prevailing winds so that this problem is kept to a minimum. Ventilation System Requirements Proper ventilation should: Be able to maintain the correct quality of air. Provide good quality air to all corners of the loft. Never cause drafts. Be both efficient and easy to regulate.