Darkness Methods

[Guest Vic]

I have recently put my ybs on the darkness method till the third week in June. It will be interesting to know how others do it, timewise, for feeding,etc. Vic.

[Wiley]

timewise basically aslong as the hours of darkness are longer then, the hours of light by half an hour you wont go far wrong.

[Tony C]

Only having had 2 seasons on the darkness I'm still learning myself. I put mine on darkness from 17:30-08:30. I take mine of it a tad earlier than yourself, I do this for 2 reasons, one) I raced my y/birds paired and have found by them sitting it slows down the wing moult. Two) just incase they should run into a health problem through racing which in turn could halt the wing moult for a week or 2. In both cases I'm trying to avoid them not finishing of the wing moult come the end of the year. I feed mine twice a day whilst on the dark, morning feed 50% pellets 25%depurative 25% race mix evening feed a high protein mix. Once they have finished moulting I lighten the feed right up.

[ALF]

GOING TO TRY DARKNESS FOR THE 1ST TIME WITH THE YOUNG BIRDS THIS YEAR VIC SO I'LL WAIT AND SEE HOW IT GOES

[Guest TAMMY_1]

GOING TO TRY DARKNESS FOR THE 1ST TIME WITH THE YOUNG BIRDS THIS YEAR VIC SO I'LL WAIT AND SEE HOW IT GOES

 

YOURE IN THE DARK ALL THE TIME ANYWAY SO WILL BE EASY FOR YOU

[ALF]

 

YOURE IN THE DARK ALL THE TIME ANYWAY SO WILL BE EASY FOR YOU

 

YOU SHOULD ONLY BE ALLOWED OOT IN THE DARK

[Guest Vic]

Hi Guys, My post was not inteneded to seek advice on the system but to compare other methods with my own. I was not one of the first to use the system by a long chalk, but this is my seventh year on it, so perhaps if I explain the way I do it, somebody may pick a tip or two up. I fed my ybs tonight at 1600 hrs and darkenned them at 1700hrs. I like them to see the sun come up, right through till the third week in June. I personally think this is the right way to do it. When the clocks go forward in a few weeks time, they will be darkenned at 1630 hrs to balance things out, until June. I will be going up to the loft later, about 2200hrs. to remove the shutters/blinds , so they can see the sunrise tommorrow morning. I think this is the right way to do it, but everyone to their own method. Cheers, Vic.   

[Tony C]

lol Vic as if I would even attempt to show you how to suck eggs

 

Re letting them wake up to natural daylight you say ''I personally think this is the right way to do it''. Have you ever darkened them of at set times before or always done it this way , if you've tried both ways what difference did you find?

[Guest Vic]

Tony,  for the first few years I tried set times, but in comparison, found the birds were exersising too soon after giving them daylight.  With the sunrise method, you can see to the old birds for an hour or so, and then get the youngbirds up, when their eyes are well accustomed to  the changeover. They certainly performed a lot better doing it this way, with minimum losses too. Vic.

[carl]

I too am intrested to here peoples thoughts on the darkness systems out there.I darken mine at 5.30 and take down 9am. i put them on the dark when i have my youngbird team weaned, i take them off the dark early july,dont ask me why as its all i know about darkness,its just what a fellow fancier told me to do.Mind you my youngbird seem to come very well this way,always on the sheet week in week out.

[speedbird]

im putting mine on it moving ybs 2m is there a time limmit for this as didnt know if it was too late to do this as my dad puts his ybs that are bred in either dec/jan do march bred ybs need to go on the darkness system?? i was gonna put em on feon 6pm to 8am

[batusai]

hi Bro,

 

would you think Darkening system will work on hot climate? I have not yet tested it cause I dont have any yb's now... can somebody please advise or share their eXp?

 

thanks,

 

 

batusai!

[Guest jason]

The one-loft birds have just gone on dark system, I close curtains at 6pm and open them at 10am. I've used this method for the last 3 years and works a treat! When I decided to use the darkness system 3 years ago I was told by every fancier I met, 'Never more than 8 hours of daylight' and keep them on the dark till 2 weeks before first race.

 

Jason

[Beanz]

I once read of a lady fancier in Belgium who let her youngsters go ranging before putting them on the dark and then she only put them on for 6 weeks, has anyone else heard of this method

 

 

 

 

[pigeonpete]

wont be putting mine on till 7th april, as im away and got someone looking after them till then, will that be o.k ? :-/