darkness

[fred smyth]

this is 3 photos from inside my loft on dark ,, is there to much light getting in or not enough

frist 2 are from back of loft looking out

next one is from front looking in

 

its my first time using darkness so not to sure how dark it should be.

also the pics make it look a bit darker than it realy is  you can see to walk about

closed up at 430 , open for daybrake,

[lightning fast]

this is 3 photos from inside my loft on dark ,, is there to much light getting in or not enough

frist 2 are from back of loft looking out

next one is from front looking in

 

its my first time using darkness so not to sure how dark it should be.

 

 

Thats Dark enough mate :)

 

[kirky]

does not have to be as dark as it looks in your pics birds should be able to see drinkers and perches only semi darkness needed.

[Guest bakes]

does not have to be as dark as it looks in your pics birds should be able to see drinkers and perches only semi darkness needed.

 

same as i got told just so the birds can drink and be able to go back to there boxs or perch's

 

all the best

[Newbie2020]

I dont understand darkness. Can someone explain. Is it meant to help the birds moult faster or delay the moult? What times should the loft be dark. How long do you do this for?  How long after weaning do the young birds go on the darkness? When do the birds moult when on the system?

[Guest kevin b]

http://www.vpu.co.za/articles/alan_wheeldon/wheeldon/darkness_system/darkness_system_1.htm

 

This should explain the system,

 

Kevin

[Tony C]

Mines nigh on pitch black when darkened off, better of too dark than not dark enough.

[Guest frank dooman]

dont know cant see anything  ;D ;D ;D yes that plenty dark

[holmsidelofts]

dont know cant see anything  ;D ;D ;D yes that plenty dark

 

Dont make any difference if its completely pitch black or has some light coming in. what you are doing is extending the night time so its darker longer. if you go into your loft at night you will see how dark it needs to be. some lofts will have moon light and street light coming in.

I've been doing darkness for 20years now and you'll find that to get it pitch black you have to close down all the ventilation in the loft and that effects the birds health and you get no benefit from it.

 

When i started the darkness in 1990 i was corresponding via mail with one of the best flyers in the world at the time steven van breeman and he was a master at the darkness system, and he told me back then that it has to be dark enough to just be able to read a newspaper and that is ample enough. dont sacrifice your air flow just to get the loft darker.

 

[Guest frank dooman]

 

Dont make any difference if its completely pitch black or has some light coming in. what you are doing is extending the night time so its darker longer. if you go into your loft at night you will see how dark it needs to be. some lofts will have moon light and street light coming in.

I've been doing darkness for 20years now and you'll find that to get it pitch black you have to close down all the ventilation in the loft and that effects the birds health and you get no benefit from it.

 

When i started the darkness in 1990 i was corresponding via mail with one of the best flyers in the world at the time steven van breeman and he was a master at the darkness system, and he told me back then that it has to be dark enough to just be able to read a newspaper and that is ample enough. dont sacrifice your air flow just to get the loft darker.

 

yes 100% i only pull my blinds down to the top of my vents but i can still see the birds in the loft after your eyes get used to the light

[ritchie1]

plenty dark mate you should be able to read a news paper so its to dark

[stoolpigeon]

when you darken your loft you should be able to read a paper in it.

[william45]

we never darken our young birds until 21st march as this is when the days are longer than the nights. Eight to ten weeks will get them through the body moult. Last year we took Frank Tasker,s advice and gave them 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of light . This meant we had more time to fly the birds after work before darking down.

[Guest frank dooman]

all of the posts are correct i think some take the darkness too seriously just shorten the hrs of light and it doesnt have to be a blackout situation

[holmsidelofts]

we never darken our young birds until 21st march as this is when the days are longer than the nights. Eight to ten weeks will get them through the body moult. Last year we took Frank Tasker,s advice and gave them 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of light . This meant we had more time to fly the birds after work before darking down.

 

100% agree, theres no point in putting youngsters on the darkness until 21st march as you said. Frank tasker is one of the best fanciers in the uk and very well respected, just look at jim jenners dvds and frank is the star of them for sure.

 

[phil411]

im looking to go dark with the youngebirds for me first year and im going to cover the windows with ply but around the top of the roof i have a 5-6 inc mesh vents would i have to cover them up and the back is the same but with holes drilled in the back and mesh over for me vents and then air vent on the front of the loft or would that vent be ok open .... just every other loft and dvd ive seen all have tiled roof and vents in the roof

[Guest frank dooman]

im looking to go dark with the youngebirds for me first year and im going to cover the windows with ply but around the top of the roof i have a 5-6 inc mesh vents would i have to cover them up and the back is the same but with holes drilled in the back and mesh over for me vents and then air vent on the front of the loft or would that vent be ok open .... just every other loft and dvd ive seen all have tiled roof and vents in the roof

 

leave the vents dont need to do anything or at worst just fix a piece of ply at 45  deegrees to 2ins above floor that will cut down the light but nor restrict the vent