Open trap.

[tango_kid]

What are peoples opinions on open traps? How much do you let them open? Are they safe with hawks ect and will the birds come back to the loft?

Mike.

p.s. im hoping this makes sense as i might have mis-interpreted what open trap means

[peterpau]

Open hole is the best if you are cat and hawk free. I used to be, living in the sticks, but like most I live in the town now. No hope of open hole any more.

[grizzal]

would not trust open hole, stories of hawks entering lofts throught traps and cats as well.

if the birds are out one of us is there

[pjc]

birds on open hole get street wise to the hawks as do birds that are excercised well every day. My neighbour shuts his birds up for the winter and then lets them have an open loft for 2 weeks before training begins. During that 2 weeks he will lose at least a dozen to hawks.

Mine are out for excercise then in every day and none have been those have been hit just a latebred that wasn't flying well enough!

 

Phil

[grizzal]

its just that near us they come over twice aday + last year chucked a old hen out

the door to bring some ybs down and a hawk took her right in front of loft

[jimmy white]

i would prefer an open loft in winter,, if it werent for hawks , but would have them out as much as poss [they do get street wise to these hawks , to a certain extent] but find that distance pigeons are better for this [open lofts]

[shalis lofts]

i prefer open hole for my pigeons all winter unless wind is blowing 100mph lot less work to get them fit in racing season no cat trouble  6ft fence around my small back garden with electric fence on top of it open hole all day every day

[Guest kev d]

when i pair up they go on open hole just to get the weight

off them . i got a wire mesh all around my plot ,but the pigeons get used to the hawks

after a while if they spot any they dive right back in the loft ,or if there flying out and spot

one they go high as a kite like small dots and go out of sight for ten mins or so and come

back racing like mad , i do lose them to the hawk but not as many i would have thought .

[Guest slugmonkey]

if you are flying long tough races the open hole is a sure way to help your birds out mine are open lofted about 300 days a year