Deep litter

[OLDYELLOW]

After going on holiday to Turkey for a fortnight last May  i decided to use deep litter in the form of hempcore making it easier for Kirky to look after my birds whilst i was away , my intension was to rip it out when i got back but i decided to keep it , well i paired up on the Monday after Blackpool quite a lot of birds down on eggs , then a few in the race team start laying on the floor so i decided to let them all seemed to be going fine till i went in to give there evening feed and to my supprise nests on floor getting more and closer together i was in disbelief they would want to do this  then on way out on one nest on floor 4 eggs so today i have decided the deep litter will be removed and all nests on the floor , ill not use it during the breeding period in the race loft ever again nor let birds nest on the floor , i have posted this as even i can make the occasional mistake , one i dont intend to make again

[Guest asha]

oldyeller, it`s not necessary a mistake ,why don`t you let it run it`s course,see what happens?you could have a great season,and never look back,got to be worth a try

[OLDYELLOW]

the way i see it is this  ok i dont have rodent problems , but if left ill have 2 sets of ybs at different ages on same nest thats a recipe for disaster , also i cant give the ybs any parentage apart from my own strain   thirdly i fly widowhood and there rearing to have a bond with there boxes not the loft floor so im taking it out , they still have enough time to go down before my cut off date  

[frank-123]

so if your flying natural it might be a good move

[OLDYELLOW]

so if your flying natural it might be a good move

 

if natural be fine , i believe the closeness the deep litter gives them as a community as ybs has carried over to the race loft , but this is not what i want

[Guest asha]

Hi Oldyeller.if you put a pest chaser in you certainly have no rodent problems,and if you played with natural this year,and get no problems with neibours,you could leave young with old on open hole 24/7  and let the babies wean themselves off,just control birds with poteggsand the hopper throughout season,i bet you would have no youngbirds lost of the loft, no stress,and with no need to gorge,youngbird sickness may well not be problem, and would be intresting experiment for 2009 season.

[retired]

Hi Oldyeller.if you put a pest chaser in you certainly have no rodent problems,and if you played with natural this year,and get no problems with neibours,you could leave young with old on open hole 24/7  and let the babies wean themselves off,just control birds with poteggsand the hopper throughout season,i bet you would have no youngbirds lost of the loft, no stress,and with no need to gorge,youngbird sickness may well not be problem, and would be intresting experiment for 2009 season.

 

Congratulations Asha  

 

 

[ally mac]

I remeber reading an old hand article and he had the same thing happen but on sand. I think he thought he reared great ybs this way.

[pigeonboyuk]

if your prepared to learn by mistakes even in the twighlight years of life then your a man i want to take example from.  

[OLDYELLOW]

im determined to rule the roost i wont fly natural too much work and i can get better results flying widowhood   as for open hole 7 cats at 6 flats next door and i like to give the birds a set routeen , i believe the birds rest better on widowhood and can utilise there engery racing and flying rather than feeding ybs and cocks chasing hens

[retired]

im determined to rule the roost i wont fly natural too much work and i can get better results flying widowhood   as for open hole 7 cats at 6 flats next doorand i like to give the birds a set routeen , i believe the birds rest better on widowhood and can utilise there engery racing and flying rather than feeding ybs and cocks chasing hens

 

 

Sounds like they need thining out a little lol  

 

[OLDYELLOW]

 

 

Sounds like they need thining out a little lol  

 

well if it wasent for bairn been alergic to dogs they wouldnt be any luckly enough most of them are pretty old and well fed and dont seem to bother with the birds  

[REDCHEQHEN]

if your prepared to learn by mistakes even in the twighlight years of life then your a man i want to take example from.  

 

How many years is that ?

It sounds OLD (shrug)

I mean REALLY OLD

 

(kewl)

 

Personally I don't like deep litter - I like a clean floor

and when you're breeding - the loft is a mess - birds just turn in to sh*t machines

[Guest strapper]

i use deep litter and have found they do sometimes nest close together,sometimes they try to nest in door ways etc...which can be a nuisance.

when i flew open hole i had much better results,but alas it was the cats that stopped me doing it.

the cat next door took my fed topper...he only had topped the fed 5-6 weeks before.

that cat went missing ,but not anything to do with me...just dissapeared it did.

[Guest spin cycle]

i use deep litter to and find odd pair determined to nest on floor..never had much  luck racing/breeding when they do this. any tips?  

[pigeonboyuk]

 

How many years is that ?

It sounds OLD (shrug)

I mean REALLY OLD

 

(kewl)

 

Personally I don't like deep litter - I like a clean floor

and when you're breeding - the loft is a mess - birds just turn in to sh*t machines

 

now come on you know as a lady your not supposed to ask age   ;D ;D  lets just say experienced then     clean keeps em keen.  wonder what the stats are on a clean versus deep litter system when it comes to producing winners?  anyone know?

 

 

[OLDYELLOW]

i use deep litter to and find odd pair determined to nest on floor..never had much  luck racing/breeding when they do this. any tips?  

 

yup dont use it whilst breeding a mistake i wont be making twice   ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Guest strapper]

 

now come on you know as a lady your not supposed to ask age   ;D ;D  lets just say experienced then     clean keeps em keen.  wonder what the stats are on a clean versus deep litter system when it comes to producing winners?  anyone know?

 

 

my m8 ALWAYS uses deep litter has topped the welsh combine and topped the fed about 7 times against big birdage.

when he sold up he made over £18.000 not bad for a back garden loft.

that was a few years back now he,s back flying again and is back to deep litter.

i dont think there is any evidence that one is better then the other, both systems produce winners,its the fanciers behind the birds not the bedding.

 

[OLDYELLOW]

dont get me wrong i like my deep litter as soon as widowhood have reared and hens removed its going back in , there happy with it in and contented , a happy loft is one thats winning   deep litter or not  

[OLDYELLOW]

well  all deep litter taken out and a nice coating bianco added looks and smells lovely will check tomorrow if birds have rejected floor as a potential nesting site if not ill make it more uninviting for them

[joey007]

we always use deep litter on ybs only

[wilkins]

could itn be the smaller box's you made , i remeber the pics you posted nice job but pairs would be closer together

i use hemicore and mine are all in the box's on nests

just a thought

[Merlin]

Did do this or something similar one season,had built loft,with just box perches,hadn't got round to doing boxes,had birds together in what would be young bird sect,on lime/Sharp sand about four inches,they went to nest on this,12 pair of race birds,to observe this was an education,12 hens or Cocks nesting within inches of each other,and carefully observing each others territory,whilst moving,drinking,feeding,the twenty four youngsters were as sound as any youngsters I ever reared,eventually finding themselves ,in a bunch together,at about sixteen days old,with most parents feeding all and sundry,no prob whatsoever with sitting or rearing,on just sand and lime,akin to seagulls,and very contented,this happen as I say from necessity,rather than choice,but would do likewise to morrow if had to,think we underestimate our birds abilities very often

[wilkins]

i remember reading of a lnrc winner who for the last race thurso shut all his box's and the birds were forced to nest on the floor resulting in winning the combine averages (tommy long cup)in the 80's , i think it was a gentleman from eltham area

[wilkins]

i remember reading of a lnrc winner who for the last race thurso shut all his box's and the birds were forced to nest on the floor resulting in winning the combine averages (tommy long cup)in the 80's , i think it was a gentleman from eltham area

 

george brooker or a name like that was the fancier i was trying to think of