Peckedhen Posted June 6, 2006 Report Posted June 6, 2006 My young birds are trained out to 5 miles now and were beating me home. I've changed directions now, at first they did well (up to three miles) but for the last few days it has been taking them 3-4 hours to return from five miles. They strike off in the right direction but don't come straight home. Any suggestions please?
PIGEON_MAN Posted June 6, 2006 Report Posted June 6, 2006 I CAN REMEMBER SOME YEARS AGO I HAD A KIT OF YOUNGSTERS THAT USED TO COME HOME FROM TRAINING IN GOOD TIME THEN GO OFF AGAIN AND BE GONE FOR HOURS,PERHAPS IT ISN,T FAR ENOUGH FOR THEM NOW THEY ARE GETTING FITTER.
snowy Posted June 6, 2006 Report Posted June 6, 2006 hi pecked, glad your doing well, try leaving the tosses till a bit late in the afternoon & keep them a little more hungry, had the same problem ourselves, . hope this helps
peterpau Posted June 6, 2006 Report Posted June 6, 2006 They beat you home, then go off roaming again I guess. Time to go 10mls me thinks.
GREENGRASS Posted June 6, 2006 Report Posted June 6, 2006 peckedhen sounds like they are fit and just wanting to fly. i would move to 10 miles after they start beating me home but dont worry as they are still educatiing themselves by roaming after returning.
Guest Posted June 7, 2006 Report Posted June 7, 2006 Try loft flying them for an hour so so before you take them down the road, takes a lot of the pee and vinegar out of them
Guest Posted June 7, 2006 Report Posted June 7, 2006 Snowy, With due respect we would never train our young birds late in the afternoon, doesn't given them enough time to get home in daylight if the are hit by hawks and scatter. We learned this the hard way in 2000, took them about 3 in the afternoon, they got hit by hawks only got 17 from about 80 home on the day, trickled in the day after some with hawk injuries and finished up with just over 40.
Peckedhen Posted June 7, 2006 Author Report Posted June 7, 2006 Thanks everyone. You are right - they are not getting lost!! I took the three I've been training plus some very young ones, just to get them used to the basket, only 1/4 mile away - that was three hours ago and they haven't returned yet!!
Peckedhen Posted June 7, 2006 Author Report Posted June 7, 2006 They took over four hours to return but, I don't think they were flying all that time - they didn't look tired. They were ravenous-spreading wings and grabbing food so, its not that I'm feeding them too much. If I let them loft fly they go off for two to three hours at a time. :-/ :-/ I think they are getting bad habits and I haven't a clue how to correct them!
bewted Posted June 7, 2006 Report Posted June 7, 2006 if they disappear for 2/3 hrs,do you not see them at all?
PIGEON_MAN Posted June 7, 2006 Report Posted June 7, 2006 IF WHEN YOU LET THEM OUT OF THE LOFT THEY ARE RANGING FOR TWO OR THREE HOURS I THINK YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME JUST TAKING THEM SHORT DISTANCES,SOME FANCIERS I KNOW START THEM OFF AT ABOUT 10 MILES OTHERS EVEN FURTHER,I THINK YOU MAY BE BEING A LITTLE TO CAREFULL WITH THEM.THE GOING OFF FOR TWO OR THREE HOURS WILL CERTAINLY HELP THEM TO GET TO KNOW THE AREA I WOULDN,T WORRY TO MUCH ABOUT THAT,AS LONG AS THEY ARE RETURNING.
mealybar Posted June 7, 2006 Report Posted June 7, 2006 A couple of years back my birds were going off 'ranging' for a good time, ended up finding out that they actually went off, landed in a field out of sight where they would sit and peck about for half an hour before fliting over the hill and back. :-/
Peckedhen Posted June 7, 2006 Author Report Posted June 7, 2006 if they disappear for 2/3 hrs,do you not see them at all? No, no sign of them. A couple of years back my birds were going off 'ranging' for a good time, ended up finding out that they actually went off, landed in a field out of sight where they would sit and peck about for half an hour before fliting over the hill and back. :-/ Mmm...possible....we are surrounded by fields and I have seen them go down in the one next to our house but this was when they used to sit out all day!! I've got that sorted now and they trap really well - just got to get them coming straight home now!!. How did you 'cure' them?
Guest Posted June 7, 2006 Report Posted June 7, 2006 cut their feed in half, they'll be so hungry they will soon learn to trap
PIGEON_MAN Posted June 7, 2006 Report Posted June 7, 2006 just got to get them coming straight home now!!. I STILL THINK THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE THEM 10 OR 15 MILES AND DO AS HYACINTH SAYS CUT THE FEED RIGHT DOWN.
Peckedhen Posted June 7, 2006 Author Report Posted June 7, 2006 They are only on 3/4 oz how much lower can I go? They are starving when they trap. :-/ :-/
PIGEON_MAN Posted June 7, 2006 Report Posted June 7, 2006 SOUNDS AS IF YOU HAVE THE FEEDING O.K.COULD EVEN BE A BIT MORE USUALLY GIVE MINE A OUNCE OR MORE IF THEY WANT IT THE MAIN FEED BEING LATE AFTERNOON DEPENDING WHEN YOU SHUT THEM UP FOR THE NIGHT.
Guest shadow Posted June 7, 2006 Report Posted June 7, 2006 If they are ranging well leave them alone once you start traing them they will stop ranging and you will have to increase the training. If they are ranging for 2-3 hours I would take them 20 miles from home and keep them there until they beat you back. then push them further out
jimmy white Posted June 8, 2006 Report Posted June 8, 2006 i would agree with shadow only i would do a 15 miler just to be carefull then 20 but once you start your better keeping them going, as they will stop ranging
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now