Stocks Birds at the end of Breeding Season

[Simeon Turner]

Just wondering what people do with their stocks birds when they have finished breeding from them in a season.

 

Do you split them ? and when do you split them?

 

What do you feed them?

 

How do you stop them from getting too fat?

 

We have parted ours at various times, last year it was at the end of July, and for my liking I don't think I made the right decision, we didn't have the best of breeding seasons at the start of this year as the birds weren't in as good a condition as i would have liked, alot (especially the hens) were carrying too much excessive weight.

 

When we part the birds we feed a moulting mix, then move them onto a 50/50 diet depurative mix, until pairing - but the birds still are fat................

 

What would / do you do?

 

[Guest shadow]

after moulting has finished I feed barley 80% and ration the intake

[Simeon Turner]

after moulting has finished I feed barley 80% and ration the intake

 

Thanks for the reply shadow, when you say ration the intake, how much would you feed per pigeon per day?

[Tony C]

 

When we part the birds we feed a moulting mix, then move them onto a 50/50 diet depurative mix, until pairing - but the birds still are fat................

 

 

Diet depurative? if its the type I’m thinking of it has a high % of fats, you’d be better of replacing the diet with a breeding mix.

Myself I feed 70% breeding mix 30% depurative, I don’t weigh out their food but they're looking for more than what I give them. Once every 3 or 4 days I let them eat they're fill.

 

[Guest IB]

My breeders remain together and only split when all the other birds are split - usually after the last YB race I compete in (or by second week in September), when they all go onto moulting mix..

 

After breeding finishes, I reckon they are fed maybe 2 oz per day? After moult finishes, maybe 1 oz per day, and usually breeders. I also weigh all the birds and if they are gaining weight I will feed barley but for no more than the weekend.

 

 

[Merlin]

Split when last youngster has been reared,fed Versa Lagge at 60% and barley at 40%,till big moult kicks in,then a good moulting mix with 10% barley,once moult completed 75% barley and Versa Lagge till two weeks before breeding,hens should be kept on v perches,to discourage egg laying,you might be looking for those eggs someday,they seldom if ever gorge themselves when fed barley.

[jimmy white]

i take it your talking about prisoner stock birds, i used to seperate all birds when the racing finished ,, fed them well , till the moult was completely finished [intended race birds out every second day ,,cocks then  hens],,,,,,,,,,when the last flight was completely up, , i fed the stock birds , beans and barley , and kept them short [rationed by judgement ,i,e just enough to do them and ,no more ] they are not over keen on beans and barley so, wont over eat too much anyway, i never paired the stock birds till end of jan , [race birds later] i never found any advantage in mating in dec or jan