Open loft

[Peckedhen]

A member posted this some time ago:

 

"And as soon as YBs are used to their section, and under control, they run free thro the loft, which is put on 'open plan', with OBs and YBs mixing & perching up where they please, in any of my 5 sections or Aviary."

 

I find this very interesting as, the numbers in my old bird and young bird loft are quite uneven even though they are the same size!!  Does anyone else have experience of 'open loft'?

 

I don't race and I'm considering doing this but, have a few concerns... Do you leave the nest boxes open when you change to open loft? Do the cocks not try to mate with the young hens? Do you get much fighting?   Do the paired birds stay together and continue to lay and  is it possible to go onto 'open loft' if you are still breeding?  

 

I'd appreciate anyone's opinions.

 

Sue :K)

 

[Wiley]

hi sue, personally if i was doing this method, my young cocks would be let out with my old cocks once the young birds have started to range well,and vise versa with the hens, id never let the two sexs mix untill race time!

[Peckedhen]

Thanks Ryan. I was hoping that I could let them all just have a free run of both lofts!

[Guest]

I would never put old cocks with YB'S and certainly not with nest boxes still in there...your YB's could get scalped

[Guest]

I would never put old cocks with YB'S and certainly not with nest boxes still in there...your YB's could get scalped

 

Y NOT EXPLAIN ;D ;D ;D

[Guest TAMMY_1]

I would never put old cocks with YB'S and certainly not with nest boxes still in there...your YB's could get scalped

 

look what happened to alf when he got moved in, you cannae get any more scalped than that

 

 

[Guest]

 

look what happened to alf when he got moved in, you cannae get any more scalped than that

 

 

thats the result of trying out them moulting seeds yi get at least way the doos it grows back ;D ;D ;D

[Wiley]

I would never put old cocks with YB'S and certainly not with nest boxes still in there...your YB's could get scalped

 

real young young birds yes, but young birds that are old enough to defend for themselves very much doubt,

[Wiley]

Thanks Ryan. I was hoping that I could let them all just have a free run of both lofts!

 

well you could do sue all depends how you want to race, natural or widowhood really

[Guest]

I think any vacant nest boxes should always be closed, if only to stop birds trying to claim a second one.

 

 

 

 

[DOVEScot]

We tried open plan but the cock of the loft tried to control 4 nest boxes, agree now close unused boxes and put wouldbe pairs in them for a few hours.

 

I think you keep fantails, fancy pigeons etc like us so it is different than racing fanciers as they tend to follow the race schedule, where we tend to breed for different results

[Peckedhen]

Thanks. Yes, thanks, DOVEScott I have fantails and  Logans and don't race. The young are able to defend themselves so scalping won't be a problem.

[stevebelbin]

Theres a bloke in my club who has one 17foot loft and he keeps his OBs and YBs in the one section and doesnt have any trouble with the OBs picking on the YBs  

[peterpau]

Theres a bloke in my club who has one 17foot loft and he keeps his OBs and YBs in the one section and doesnt have any trouble with the OBs picking on the YBs  

There's a chap at our club also, open loft, young and old together, has no problems. I'd go as far as to say one of the most contented lofts I know. Don't ask how but it can be done.

 

[DOVEScot]

Thanks. Yes, thanks, DOVEScott I have fantails and  Logans and don't race. The young are able to defend themselves so scalping won't be a problem.

 

Yes we have various fantails and also logans and rolands

We had removed dominant cock but someone else just took his place so we put him back in and closed boxes till he got the message

We have found puting two nesting pans in the one box helps, this is what they do naturally as soon as one clutch is ready they want to build another nest.

We let them and just put dummy eggs in to give hens a rest and put eggs under sitters

[jimmy white]

A member posted this some time ago:

 

"And as soon as YBs are used to their section, and under control, they run free thro the loft, which is put on 'open plan', with OBs and YBs mixing & perching up where they please, in any of my 5 sections or Aviary."

 

I find this very interesting as, the numbers in my old bird and young bird loft are quite uneven even though they are the same size!!  Does anyone else have experience of 'open loft'?

 

I don't race and I'm considering doing this but, have a few concerns... Do you leave the nest boxes open when you change to open loft? Do the cocks not try to mate with the young hens? Do you get much fighting?   Do the paired birds stay together and continue to lay and  is it possible to go onto 'open loft' if you are still breeding?  

 

I'd appreciate anyone's opinions.

 

Sue :K)

 

i should think , sue, that an open loft would be ok, as long as theres plenty room, the young birds will not be long in getting out the other birds way , a few extra perches for the yb,s and theyll soon "book" their own perch , i would leave the boxes open [the mated ob,s will stay mated ], and let the ob,s sit on dummy eggs ,, the problem would be that , when the ybs are a bit older theyll try and mate themselves , and look for a nesting place, any ob,s not mated [ie spare cock or hen ] would eventualy mate with a yb [when old enough ] you would just have to play it by ear and keep your eye on things,,good luck :)

[Peckedhen]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

[Guest Paulo]

 

real young young birds yes, but young birds that are old enough to defend for themselves very much doubt,

 

depends how hard your cocks are I've had some real nutters over the years. My dad had one that killed another cock fighting it was a manic if it hadn't been such a good racer he would have killed it