Guest Hjaltland Posted December 31, 2005 Report Share Posted December 31, 2005 A Very happy and successfull New Year to all in the sport. Mid-Feb I usually pair my pigeons, i have them separted over the winter. During this past month some of the hens have been pairing up between themselves to such an extent that some eggs are appearing. I know this will cause a headache when it comes to pairing up proper so i would need to take some action now to sort out the problem. My feeding is at a low right now and is a winter mix. I am loathe to reduce the feed level further as we are in the depths of winter and its hard enough for the birds coping with cold and damp, so i think i may have to pen up the offenders individually. Does anyone else have this problem and what do you normally do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ribble Posted December 31, 2005 Report Share Posted December 31, 2005 had this problem myself when starting its down to having to much food.have you thought off adding barley to the mix even if it already has it in.after moulting is over i start adding barley to the mix at the moment they are on 50% still increasing till 75%.then i gradually add more mix coming up to pairing at the end of feb.im not saying you have to feed like i do but i dont find any hens pairing and i save a bit of cash.good luck hope you sort it out...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hjaltland Posted December 31, 2005 Report Share Posted December 31, 2005 Cheers rib., I do cut the feed right back but its obviously not quite enough. I should try more barley as you suggest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2005 Report Share Posted December 31, 2005 Winter 2004 after my hens had been adjudged too fat at our local show, put them on a diet which was 75% depurative. Solved weight problem, but not the pairing up, and had two pairs of paired hens. Agree with you - wouldn't consider reducing rations in this weather. Perhaps helps to look at it another way? Hens must be in really good condition - I'd suggest keep it that way and just let them get on with it for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl Posted January 2, 2006 Report Share Posted January 2, 2006 Well my hens were pairing up with each other but when i paired them to the cocks a few days ago i found no problems at all,within a day or too they soon forgot about the other hens,all have paired nicely and clapping in the bowls today. Just make sure they are locked in the boxes with the cocks for a day or two,also have a block for the hens to stand on so the cocks dont bash them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowy Posted January 2, 2006 Report Share Posted January 2, 2006 dont know if this will help, try putting a cock in a box on his own to stir up a bit of trouble for the hens, just a suggestion. :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Mine were doing the same, after the moult had finished, so I took them of the all the protein they can eat diet and put them on 50% barley/50% winter mix, only 1 ounce per hen, which may seem not enough and a bit cruel, but it stops them getting broody and they concentrate more on what they can eat. They are now on 75% barley/25% winter mix, for 2 weeks and then 1 week b4 pairing I will increase the food and add some V-Laga Best All-round, with wheatgerm oil added to get them kean to pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Winter 2004 my birds were on 75% depurative. Paid for that in 2005 with some of the worst reared youngsters I'd ever had, and birds dropping like flies in the early races. Just now I'm not happy with the weight on some of my hens and reluctance to exercise. Got the chance of cheap dried pearl barley from the Co-op, 30p for 3kg. It'll reduce their calories, but I'll only do it over 7 - 10 days. Also I start work tomorrow 0830-1700 and it'll fit in with my need to change their feeding regime from 1100-1200 to morning and / or evening, so probably feed barley am and beans pm. PS Whoever said birds didn't like barley I feel got it wrong. I feed them it first and they gobble it up. Then feed beans or maples ... gobble those up too. Seems to make a difference if fed as singles rather than as a mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Its only my hens that are on 75% barley diet and only for 2 weeks, so they lay quickly and dont pair up. Interesting about when you say they went down like flys in the early races, as I dont normally give my cock birds any barley through the winter and I rarely lose birds and mine normally come in head winds, so I may have to take them off it. I may have fallen in the follow my leader trap as there seemed to be a lot of people feeing barley this year!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Its only my hens that are on 75% barley diet and only for 2 weeks, so they lay quickly and dont pair up. I may have fallen in the follow my leader trap Didn't feed it at all until last year. Also didn't know and wasn't told about restricted to hens only and only for a week or so. Should have been a sort of common sense kind-a-thing though, I suppose. ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perk Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 only parted my birds two weeks ago, i,ve not had any eggs for about nine weeks,to stop hens pairing i sort my pairs out before parting and then every two weeks let them run together over night in the boxes.i never have trouble with fighting or laying they lay when i won,t them to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schouwman71 Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 Higher the barley content,this will sort them out,plus it will condition them aswell,as soon as you pair them up a few days and they will forget about the other hens and as bruno said your hens must be well, dont reduce your corn it will only cause you problems just higher the barley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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