Yb Feeding.......?

[DAVIDL]

Subject: YB feeding...............????? Today at 8:23 pm

 

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i know ive asked this question a few times before , but im still no wiser...........was giving yb a yb no maize mix 1 oz per bird per day, fed twice a day.......with this i had trouble getting them in after exercise so someone suggested this mix was too high in protien and said give them 2/3 rds barley and 1/3/rd widowood mix 1 oz per bird per day........now they seem starving so i dont know what to do as they are either not hungry or too hungry,

 

at the moment my ybs are doing very little flying and most days just walk around the garden or flutter a couple of laps around the loft, yesterday a fancier said i should be feeding them 1 oz per day or versela laga dark corn which is for dark ybs.....

 

 

any thoughts anyone please ?

[Guest joshdonlan]

get some maize in them now. Ive being van roebaeys no 23. Feed as much barley as they will eat let out 1 hour later then tin of corn when they come in. Most of them are back doig 40 50 mins again

[bullcock]

You should use your own judgment and common sense, but feed a mixture containing a variety of grains such as breeding or widowhood.

I feed my young birds breeding mix at weaning and for the next month or so I will give extra maples for protein if i feel they need it.

when they are a bit older and start to fly a bit I give half breeding and half widowhood and sometimes some small trapping seeds.

I feed twice a day, in the morning the feed is a light one and in the afternoon I feed until they look as if they are starting to leave certain grains and dont feed as frantic as at the start.

Remember at weaning they are still growing and need more protein but later more carb like maze is needed for energy.

This is written a bit rough but you should get the idea and I hope it helps, but remember common sense use your own mind to decide how mush and when.

[DAVIDL]

thanks for the replies, at first i was feeding as much as they wanted of barley and widowood once a day after morning exercise........but the next morning they were reluctant to come in when called, also i dont have traps as i use the open door which means they can come in and out as im calling the later trappers in which is a nightmare......shoulf i add more widowhood mix to the barley of go back onto the yb no maize mix ?

 

thanks.

[Guest joshdonlan]

Try and feed twice a day and get them into a routine of trapping. If they leave any barley, they arnt going to starve

[Tony C]

Throw away the scales. Our weather fluctuates so much that what they eat today will have no bearing on what they'll eat tomorrow. Use the barley in the mix to gauge whether they've had enough to eat or not, keep feeding till they start leaving the barley.

[Guest rodders]

i have 38 ybs and am feeding 60 oz plus a day mixture of 50%concord mix which is mainly maples no maize and other 50% is tic beans

flying over an hour when out and no problem trapping when they land only out and feed once a day at mo i feed till they start playing with tic beans

many roads lead to rome just have to find wot suits you n your birds

[jimmy white]

Subject: YB feeding...............????? Today at 8:23 pm

 

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i know ive asked this question a few times before , but im still no wiser...........was giving yb a yb no maize mix 1 oz per bird per day, fed twice a day.......with this i had trouble getting them in after exercise so someone suggested this mix was too high in protien and said give them 2/3 rds barley and 1/3/rd widowood mix 1 oz per bird per day........now they seem starving so i dont know what to do as they are either not hungry or too hungry,

 

at the moment my ybs are doing very little flying and most days just walk around the garden or flutter a couple of laps around the loft, yesterday a fancier said i should be feeding them 1 oz per day or versela laga dark corn which is for dark ybs.....

 

 

any thoughts anyone please ?

 

hi david,,first thing is ,,,hungry yb,s birds wont fly,, in my opinion routine is best for yb,s, excercised and fed same time each day, if at all poss, a fair balance is needed, in feeding, after all, their still growing, so they do need a well balanced diet, if let out same time each evening, then called in the same time each evening, [altered as they fly longer],, and given a good diet of w/hood with added maples and added barley,when they leave the barley,, stop feeding, , , in the morning just some barley, they should only pick at this , then when they leave some, stop feeding,then when kept in all day,this should put an "edge" on them, they should begin to want to fly well, ready for their evening meal,, good luck

[Shortcut Lofts]

Hi David, my ybs are flying 1 1/2 hours at present and are roaming for about 1hr 10mins of that and they are being fed 1 1/4 oz per day. They are being fed 40% Cowood special (no maize) from GEM and 60% moulting mix (plenty of maize). You have to make your own mind up regards feeding and what works. Jimmy White also has good advice - Hungry YBs wont fly.

[clayton moore]

Food = calaries calaries = heat it has been freezing for a good while up the rations.

[Guest IB]

thanks for the replies, at first i was feeding as much as they wanted of barley and widowood once a day after morning exercise........but the next morning they were reluctant to come in when called, also i dont have traps as i use the open door which means they can come in and out as im calling the later trappers in which is a nightmare......shoulf i add more widowhood mix to the barley of go back onto the yb no maize mix ?

 

thanks.

 

I think this is a different problem from the one you posed at the beginning. Exactly same thing happened to me when I started up a few years ago. And it turned my grey hair white. so know exactly how you feel. Call birds in to a feeder loaded to feed whole team, only half come in, they then eat a double ration, and if you are not quick enough, they will go back out while you are outside trying to get the rest in, and then refuse to come back in until hungry again. Meanwhile the half that didn't get fed are in like a shot next time round, eat double ration etc etc so that you get into a rut of always half-are-in, half-are-out.

 

Mornings, put down just enough to get them in, and if they don't all trap, close the section door on those that did, so they don't get back out. Latecomers come in to nothing.

 

Twice a day routine is quite difficult, you need to judge to last bean how much to give in mornings. But you get 2 chances every day to 'train' the youngsters to come in, so that they do it without even thinking. Still hate this time of year though.

[DAVIDL]

thanks for the advise and help everyone, decided to try 1/3rd barley, 1/3rd yb no maize and 1/3rd widowhood............1 oz per bird to start with and if they eat it all then ill give extra 1/4 oz each making it 1 and 1/4 oz each per day, this will be fed once a day after morning exercise, what do you think ?

[Ulsterman]

i give mine 1 & 1/4 each day.let out early in mornings,they get 2/3rd's when they come in,& the other 1/3rd in the afternoon. no problems getting them in in the mornings.(just out once a day).

[JohnQuinn]

thanks for the advise and help everyone, decided to try 1/3rd barley, 1/3rd yb no maize and 1/3rd widowhood............1 oz per bird to start with and if they eat it all then ill give extra 1/4 oz each making it 1 and 1/4 oz each per day, this will be fed once a day after morning exercise, what do you think ?

 

You'll no go far wrong on that blend

[holmsidelofts]

Some good advice from everyone. Personally we feed versa laga super diet at 1.5 oz a day. They are exercising well and trap superbly. The key to trapping is routine. We use a dog clicker that is designed for dog training. Everytime they are called in they are fed and we click the clicker. After a week or so of this they associate the clicking sound with food and will follow you around the garden. They literally hammer through the traps as they know theres food coming. I really believe you have to be careful not to over feed youngsters as well, Fat youngsters wont fly, the same for hungry youngsters wont. getting the balance right is the key. Also if the birds are on darkness and moulting heavy they will be less reluctant to fly so just be patient.

 

jas.

[DAVIDL]

yes, had some excellent advise from members re yb feeding.......altho most members have their own system i can use the info to form my own idea of what to try and see how they exercise and trap.

 

thanks everyone.............

[cooremanlee]

Subject: YB feeding...............????? Today at 8:23 pm

 

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i know ive asked this question a few times before , but im still no wiser...........was giving yb a yb no maize mix 1 oz per bird per day, fed twice a day.......with this i had trouble getting them in after exercise so someone suggested this mix was too high in protien and said give them 2/3 rds barley and 1/3/rd widowood mix 1 oz per bird per day........now they seem starving so i dont know what to do as they are either not hungry or too hungry,

 

at the moment my ybs are doing very little flying and most days just walk around the garden or flutter a couple of laps around the loft, yesterday a fancier said i should be feeding them 1 oz per day or versela laga dark corn which is for dark ybs.....

 

 

any thoughts anyone please ?

after having a very successful young bird season last year i found the best feeding method is to take the food away after half a dozen or so pigeons had gone to the drinker but by doing this way you have to work them hard