Breaking birds!

May 15, 2009

I've been around birds 30 years and they still never amaze me, especially where breaking to a new loft or location is concerned. I remember when i first got birds at my old address, we still had birds at my dads, and had an old favourite who had won no end of cards and our bestracer ever up til then. I had him two weeks at the new house and broke him in, i was amazed!

I have recently bought some old birds here, around 13. Most were not upto my taste, some hit the bin the others that were too good for that and were not paired were passed on to new starters in the area. I had 7 remain. There are 4 2008 birds, 1 2007 and 2 1998 birds. One of them i have promised to a young lad, so she stays in but the other 6 i have had out in last couple of weeks without a single hitch. They all looked as tho they been going out for years here, and the quality of their YBs have increased IMO.

I have to say they are all very contented, when i got them most seemed on the wild side and very skittish, but i have stopped that and when i enter the shed they bearly move. Do you think contentment is the big factor to as why they (and any other birds) break easier than those not so content?

mark proctor · May 15, 2009

well done mick mate..you will have to give me some tips on how you broke these birds as my move is comming very close,,,all the best mick....mark.. ;) ;)

little sam · May 15, 2009

I think they ned to be Mick, I recon it gives them that confidence to enter and not feel threatend by you

May 15, 2009

Mark, two were Roly Braithwaite birds, 600 milers (or we'll see anyway!!). Like i say just contented mate. BTW you moving??

Sam, will try get that hen to you, she a corker.

mark proctor · May 15, 2009

I think they ned to be Mick, I recon it gives them that confidence to enter and not feel threatend by you

i tottaly agree there young sambo...

little sam · May 15, 2009

Mark, two were Roly Braithwaite birds, 600 milers (or we'll see anyway!!). Like i say just contented mate. BTW you moving??

Sam, will try get that hen to you, she a corker.

Ok Mick

blaz · May 15, 2009

yes birds that are content will stay i bought a few birds from the late george logan and when he died i got the rest of them i have broke all that i kept . the birds i gave away to friends are flying well and some are scoring. i was told that george had lost races because birds were a bit skittish on return .if you had seen the size of old georges hands you would know why. some of the birds i broke land on me in the garden now as all are peanut daft.all are very content .i think the birds like the idea of going in and out the loft all day as i fly my lot open bowels . george used to let out in morning then in and out in evening . happy content birds make better race birds.

john nico · May 15, 2009

i broke 15 yealing cocks this year most ov them havnt been out ov the cards 4 me up 2 no had 2 go back once 2 the old garden 2 get them the second time i got them in there old shed left them in corridoor all night without food ur drink next morning let them out and they went back straight 2 new loft

May 19, 2009

Probably spoke too soon, but could be for reasons other than being lost! As per the usual scenario here i'm one 2007 cock down. Either lost, injured or dinner for one of our falcon neighbours. Now where do i buy anti-mating jackets? This time he was lucky, very a local farmer saved his bacon otherwise clunk click clang!

May 19, 2009

i ve got 4 stock birds had then lock up 2 years , they can come in flight do u think it poss to break these , had a go 08 with 1 he seem ok on eggs but he still did a runner to the big blue sky , jon

Depends mate, if your not bothered losing them then give it a whirl. Mine all had big babes and sitting again. Like i say birds must be content. The other thing there is not many houses near me , 10 within a mile max, and nearest fancier 30 odd miles away, think that helped too. Birds have to get a good look of the area too, flight is ideal.

May 19, 2009

Probably spoke too soon, but could be for reasons other than being lost! As per the usual scenario here i'm one 2007 cock down. Either lost, injured or dinner for one of our falcon neighbours. Now where do i buy anti-mating jackets? This time he was lucky, very a local farmer saved his bacon otherwise clunk click clang!

Now back but been skinned and sliced open to the front looks like wires, i assume when he went for cover.

May 19, 2009

I've been around birds 30 years and they still never amaze me, especially where breaking to a new loft or location is concerned. I remember when i first got birds at my old address, we still had birds at my dads, and had an old favourite who had won no end of cards and our bestracer ever up til then. I had him two weeks at the new house and broke him in, i was amazed!

I have recently bought some old birds here, around 13. Most were not upto my taste, some hit the bin the others that were too good for that and were not paired were passed on to new starters in the area. I had 7 remain. There are 4 2008 birds, 1 2007 and 2 1998 birds. One of them i have promised to a young lad, so she stays in but the other 6 i have had out in last couple of weeks without a single hitch. They all looked as tho they been going out for years here, and the quality of their YBs have increased IMO.

I have to say they are all very contented, when i got them most seemed on the wild side and very skittish, but i have stopped that and when i enter the shed they bearly move. Do you think contentment is the big factor to as why they (and any other birds) break easier than those not so content?

No doubt that contentment has something to do with it Mick but i think there's more to it than that, i myself moved location 7 years ago and up until then i never had a problem breaking prisoner pigeons in fact i would say it was around the 90% success rate, this location was in an open park were when the pigeons got out in the aviary got a really good look around. Now in a new location which is surrounded by very large trees and when attempting to break pigeons have a poor rate at only 20% and believe the pigeons are as contented now as they were when the success rate was higher at the old location.

Mick what are your new locations surroundings.

May 19, 2009

I am terrible at breaking birds. So now I either don't bother or else keep them in. Anything that you can say to help would be good.

Do you think it is possible to fly the birds on widowhood if they were born somewhere else?

May 19, 2009

Gareth, i'm surrounded by open fields mainly, you can see for a few miles in each direction, and not many (if any) trees about. Not many houses near me either or fanciers, nearest loft 30 miles away.