Trap Training My birds?

[RoosterBoy]

hi i just got a new kit of roller birds. here is the problem. they are about one and a half years old. they have never been held or trained to fly before.

 

since i am new to this it's going to be hard for me to show old birds new tricks.

 

lately i have been going into the pen at night and taking one bird at a time out and holding them. they are real nervous. but i think after a few weeks of it they will be ok.

 

they have been with me for about 2 weeks now they have a very nice home big flying pen and eat good pugrain pigeon food with grit and game starter feed.

 

can someone please help me teach the birds how to come back into the loft after me letting them out to fly. i don't do this for sport or competition but more for fun so i don't care if they sit on the tree branches or anything i just want them to have a good fun life. they have been loft there whole life and i want them to fly outside everyday and come back home.

 

any help or tips would be helpful and apresheated

 

thanks

Jason

[Guest]

keep them abit hungry and get them tame with some peanuts,good luck

[Guest Paulo]

How long have you had them in the pen? Can they see their surroundings I would try and get them sitting on eggs before you let them out. If you can't do this give them a bath inside the pen so they are wet and can't fly and let them out. Don't try and chase them up when you first let them out they have to get used to the loft and their surroundings. You can also put them in a basket or pen outside so they can see out and get a good luck at their surroundindings. You could clip their wings but that means they can't fly again until they go through their next moult and get their feathers back. If you don't understand about clipping wings ask an experienced fancier to do it for you or explain. In case you make a mistake.

 

Give them a small amount of hemp each time they go into the loft then they will associate this with retuning into the loft or like clockman says you can use peanuts for this. Its important not to give them too much of this seed as:-

 

1. Its fattening

 

2. They need to learn its a treat no fly fly and come back in loft no hemp or peanuts. Never give hemp or peanuts with the birds main meal.

 

Best bit with hemp its to mix it 50/50 with linseed. As linseed is an excellent seed full of oils that conditions the birds feathers. Keep this is a special container and shake it when you give the birds some and use a special word if you want up in the north we normally say howay howay then when you rattle the tin and shout the birds will know they are getting their tasty treat when they trap.

 

Hemp even works for control when the birds have been fed they love it and will go nuts for it.

 

Hope this helps you

 

[hooky]

how will they enter your loft?through bobs or open door?

[RoosterBoy]

Thanks for the info, I ask several people about this and I attended a club meeting .

One person told me if I were to open up a 4 foot by 4 foot section of my flight pen

that the pigeon would have no problem getting in or out, I would only attemp

this late in the afternoon and the Pigeons would return before dark,providing I did

not stay to close to the pen. I need to close it up by nite fall.I do not want other

kritters getting in to the cage.

 

I will think it over , thanks for all the info you guys provided me. I just don't want to

loose them ,plus I am afraid the neighbors will get upset if they hang out on their

roof tops, thats the trouble my father had when he use to let them loose many yrs

ago. Zoning is strick here not to mention the State bought Pigeon Hawks to control

the pigeon population, these birds probably wont fly that fast until flying a few times.

 

The Halks have already Bird eyed my Flight pen the second day the Pigeons arrived.

So I best to only let them out in late afternoon, I never see them Hawks late in the afternoon.

 

I ask this question again to the group, to see if a large 4 feet by 4 feet opening is ok

thanks again Jason

 

ps just want to be sure before they get their first flight

[Guest]

Roosterboy

 

When hawks are feeding young they hunt twice a day early morning and late afternoon, not worth risking letting them out until about 6.30/7 pm