Soil??

[chickadee]

I give 4 or more kinds of grit and my birds STILL field I think there are diffrent things that they like and they go to these places to get this stuff

I have a dirt road in the front of my house they go to one particular spot there , I have 5 aceres and there are several low spots where water collects, as soon as these start to dry up the birds will land there and pick they now get on roof and pick in gutters since they were installed, the guy next door plows his garden and as soon as he finishes they land there and pick, I think there are a LOT of things these birds are getting and it seems to make them happy so I let them pick

 

We never stop ours from picking the ground either, because as you say no matter what you do, you will never stop it anyway.

[Guest]

..... thing is now were u get the coal dust from ;D ;D

 

The coal cellar  ;D

 

 

[chickadee]

coal dust is known to keep the pigeons crop sweet and free from any souring ,remmeber one man who used it a lot especially when the longer races came about he put loads of it down in his garden and pigeons went daft for it was very hard to beat from the distance think he had a hen that scored 3/4 times from nantes this way  ;)thing is now were u get the coal dust from ;D ;D

 

Go along to a coal merchants and i'm sure he will be more than happy to give you coal dust for nowt. ;D then ye'll have happy doos. ;D

[sammy]

 

Go along to a coal merchants and i'm sure he will be more than happy to give you coal dust for nowt. ;D then ye'll have happy doos. ;D

 

well your a bit behind the times up there no coal men down here now all gas centrelly heated you git me the coal  ;D ;D ;D ;D

[chickadee]

 

well your a bit behind the times up there no coal men down here now all gas centrelly heated you git me the coal  ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

We're gas central heated too but where i used to live had a coal fire, and I loved it. well sometimes. so I know where there is still a coal merchants. ;D ;D ;D

[Guest]

Still 'Jock the Coalmen' in these parts Sammy, theres coal fire lums reekin at the bottom of my street.

 

 

[chickadee]

Still 'Jock the Coalmen' in these parts Sammy, theres coal fire lums reekin at the bottom of my street.

 

 

You'll  be allright for coal then, our next door neighbours got coal also. ;D

[DOVEScot]

Most of the fuel stations sell small bags of coal, just get a bag and crush it :-/

[sammy]

Most of the fuel stations sell small bags of coal, just get a bag and crush it :-/

 

thats crap that gear needs to be the real macoy

;D ;D

[DOVEScot]

 

thats crap that gear needs to be the real macoy

;D ;D

 

Whats the stuff they sell in the garages????

[sammy]

 

Whats the stuff they sell in the garages????

 

smokeless stuff all the natural stuff has been extracted yi want the stuff thats not been interfeered waith human hands  ;D ;D ;D

[Guest]

 

You'll  be allright for coal then, our next door neighbours got coal also. ;D

 

you'll be ok to get the leaves burnt then ;D

[chickadee]

 

you'll be ok to get the leaves burnt then ;D

 

We have a 40 gallon drum for burning the leaves in. ;D

[DOVEScot]

 

smokeless stuff all the natural stuff has been extracted yi want the stuff thats not been interfeered waith human hands  ;D ;D ;D

 

I thought you got the real stuff as well :(

[Guest slugmonkey]

Have you considered activated charcoal for aquariums I have heard it will purify the blood  ???

I know the Des Moines grit I buy has charcoal in it

[DOVEScot]

Have you considered activated charcoal for aquariums I have heard it will purify the blood  ???

I know the Des Moines grit I buy has charcoal in it

 

Our smokeless coal from most suppliers is different from charcoal like you use in the BBQ

[Guest]

Yes, number of grits for sale in UK have charcoal in them, including mine. I have no idea how charcoal is produced.

 

Think most coal that is for sale in UK nowadays for household use isn't natural stuff but 'smokeless', processed in some way to meet smokeless zones regulations. From little I've seen of it it looks like a domestic type of coke? tho a long ways from the coke that used to be burned in my old primary school boilers to run the central heating system. Used to have to start the fire pre-winter using 'real' coal first, then add a shovelful or two of coke to it. Coke was one devil of a job to get that initial burn going as I recall.

 

Lived in Glasgow, a smokeless zone, then came thro here, which isn't, noticed a queer difference in air quality in our street when winter fires are burning, especially on a wet day when the fumes are trapped near the ground. Fair goes for the chest.

[THE FIFER]

get coal dust along the shores yet if ur neer old coal fields,

[THE FIFER]

 

Women sometimes eat coal when they are pregnant, is that tae keep the baby sweet? ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

 

 

no "its to keep them warm"  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[Tic eye Hen]

Very interesting- thanks you guys!!

 

I dont stop em eating the soil-as the results prove, it aint doing em no harm. Maybe I should bag it up n sell it!! LOL  

 

I might just try goin to the shore and collect sum grit n stuff - see how they get on next season as im attempting the nationals with my young birds for the first time - I only keep a small loft 20 yb for club races and 20(this year) for the nationals.

 

[chickadee]

 

 

 

no "its to keep them warm"  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[DOVEScot]

get coal dust along the shores yet if ur neer old coal fields,

 

Do you wash it Fifer, must contain a lot of salt :-/

[Roland]

Charcoal is  th stuff ... when a bird pecks and missis tye peas etc. Charcoal is the cure. Yep coal is goo and has certain benefits too...