Gutted

[Guest SPORTKA]

Took my ybs on training toss Sunday evening I have a total of 13 first rounders that have been out to 20ml with no probs, due to the sh*t weather last week they did not get out much so in my wisdom I thought it a good idea to take them 10mls and to let my 2nd round (29 birds) go with them, for their firsr toss, had 23 back within half hour (all the first round and 10 of the second) so 19 birds on the missing, Got up this morning at 6am and at 6.30 a little mealy hen landed on the lawn by the loft, she was walking with slight limp, on inspection she has a puncture in the side of her neck and strangley the top of her head is covered in a black dust like soot? could the puncture wound be from hawk? anyway my question is was 10 ml too far for the 2nd round as I have not seen a feather all day and tbh cant help feelin guilty of maybe pushing them too hard, constuctive comments please people.

[Guest numpty01]

prob hit telivision areil  hope the rest come home but when youngsters running they cover more than ten miles

[blaz]

no 10 mile is fine if all birds where ranging.as i send my lot 10 mile for their 1st toss

[Guest IB]

I'm sure your birds will work home.

 

I don't think your experience differs much from the many others who have posted similar incidents with their YBs this year. Puzzling year, for me too. Don't see any problem starting at 10 miles. Only points that would worry me are (1) if you got a break in the weather, after rain, and trained in it, chances are that the hawk population was downed by the same rain and would become very active during same break in the weather ... sounds to me your birds may have got hit & the batch broken up. (2) A batch of youngsters that size would attract attention and be an easy target. I would split them between at least two baskets, mix of 1st & 2nd round in both, and liberate them 10/15 minutes apart.

 

 

[glenrandal]

looks like a hawk attack....hope you get some reported.........

[Guest SPORTKA]

Just to update, had one bird return under its own steam at 6.30 am Tuesday and had one bird reported last night around 15 mls away, missed ma tea to shoot straight round to collect it only to find the poor little sod had been hawked straight through the side of his crop, water just dripping out, iv done a stitching job on him and smothered the area in antiseptic cream, He does not want to eat and has lost a lot of weight, I hand feed it about dozen peas last night and another half dozen at 6am this morning but the poor think does not seem to want to know, the other issue is I think in escaping the hawk he took a knock as his one eye seem shrunk compared to the other, any sugestions on owt else I can do to pull him around ?

[Hopeful]

Glucose & Water or recovery salts may help

[Dodgy Trapper]

I have had my birds 30 miles away, same spot 4 previous times.

But 5th toss with 26 birds same spot 2 home on the day (first bird taken 4 hours), next day 14 through the day.

Nothing i think you can do about it, alot of people are saying its been a funny year.

[edwards]

Just to update, had one bird return under its own steam at 6.30 am Tuesday and had one bird reported last night around 15 mls away, missed ma tea to shoot straight round to collect it only to find the poor little sod had been hawked straight through the side of his crop, water just dripping out, iv done a stitching job on him and smothered the area in antiseptic cream, He does not want to eat and has lost a lot of weight, I hand feed it about dozen peas last night and another half dozen at 6am this morning but the poor think does not seem to want to know, the other issue is I think in escaping the hawk he took a knock as his one eye seem shrunk compared to the other, any sugestions on owt else I can do to pull him around ?

they might of being hedge hopping mate hope you get them back.