Advice

[geordie1234]

looking for a bit of advice im building a 10ft x 6ft loft at the moment with two sections young birds and olb birds can anyone tell me how many i can have in each section

[OLDYELLOW]

depending on ventilation roughly 25 in each section so 50 in total

[geordie1234]

cheers mate do my ybs need a viewing cage or is it ok with a sputnik

[OLDYELLOW]

cheers mate do my ybs need a viewing cage or is it ok with a sputnik

sputnik allows them to view out so no need for a seperate cage , but advisable to put some form of gate on back then when raining birds dont bring the damp in with them

[Guest spin cycle]

i would think about 24 ybs and 10 pairs of old birds. putting a temporary aviary around the sputnik helps ybs get a good look around and offers a little protection vs hawks. JMO

[Guest mick bowler]

I have 8 pairs and 24 youngbirds in 2 - 6x6 sections and thats on the limit, no way would i have any more than that, so i would say max of 8 pair and 20 YB.

[travis]

Few years back i was advised no more than 20 birds to a 6 x 6 section, purely down to the good of their health. I reckon you might be looking at 8/10 pairs OB's max and 18/20 YB's. I'm now in the same position as you, I am getting my loft ready for next year after a few years (forced) away. I am limiting my space deliberatly, dont overcrowd them and manage them easier. Good luck

[geordie1234]

Thanks very much for the help mate

[geordie1234]

What will you be doing yourself will you be getting latebreds and breeding them for yb racing next year or what I'm getting my late breds in a few weeks and this is what I've been advised to do

[travis]

Hi Mate, I reckon im a little behind you with my loft so I am waiting and starting with ybs 2011. Ive gotta have a couple of trees cleared in the garden & get all cleared up and finish gettin the loft ready so i am being patient!!! Its hard though, its all i think about at the moment! If your loft is going to be ready i think you are doing right, where are you going for your latebreds? I hoping to sort a couple of dozen ybs to be with me late march ish next year

[Guest spin cycle]

one thing i wish i'd have done is,right at the start, got a couple of fantails or something...and got them flying round before the first ybs arrive. i think it may well have saved some hastle in getting my loft established.

[geordie1234]

what do you mean mate by that do you mean to help the ybs out or what

[Guest spin cycle]

when ybs go out for the first few times they fly allways and sometimes odd ones sit out overnight. an established loft can throw up a couple of oldbirds in the morning and it'll drag them back in. did this this morning myself. also some tamer pigeons flying in and trapping will help educate the ybs. just to have something flying round your place for the ybs to attach to. obviously when establishing a loft you don't have oldbirds...so in travis case ,because he's not starting 'til next year he could get a pair of pigeons to do this job...hope this makes sense

[geordie1234]

yeah is certainly does mate i used to fly puters when i stayed in glasgow and you paired your hen or cock whatever was the new bird in the hut to a bird that you already had established