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slow flying flockI let my flock out yesterday (only 10 birds) about 5 miles from home. I had my 4 older birds with--when I say older they're only about 1 month older but are trained to fly about 20 miles now--the others are only at about 5. Anyway, I figured they'd be back within 20 minutes and it took them 1.5 HOURS! Needless to say, I was freaking. Will the older birds wait for the younger ones if they are in trouble--or would the older birds take everyone for a fun flight? They were hungry--and it was hot and a little hazy out. ( they trapped right in upon their return and drank and ate alot!) Could the haze be a factor? The older birds have flown from this area before so they should have known the way. Can I expect this to happen once in awhile? Maybe they just wanted to fly. I have to say the younger guys looked a little worn out when they got back! Basically, I'm just wondering when should I start getting worried? Thanks!
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Have the younger ones done their "routing" flights yet?
Maybe everyone went along with them. Treesa
__________________
 Every negative event effects my ability to own my APBT, please be a responsible owner and keep your pitbull out of trouble.
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Oh, yes! They did thier routing awhile ago and have flown similiar distances just recently and returned very quickly. Does this sort of thing happen once in awhile? I am nervous about going further--maybe I should stick to the 5 mile mark a few times before proceeding? Thanks!
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If you are training birds from different distances it may pay you to have two teams. Thats what I do, I train one set in the morning and the other in the evening. That small amount of difference in age shouldn't mattter just the distance. If the weather gets really hot, not that it happens that often in England I tend to put electrolites in the drinking water. This just helps the bird to maintain a healthy balance of salts. It helps to stop them getting dehydrated. You think your birds are slow. Last year I let 29 out for a flit round. I have never seen one of thode birds to this day!
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Have your older birds done the 11/2 hour before? Maybe something distracted them. But I found that younger birds will follow the older birds, too.
Treesa
__________________
Every negative event effects my ability to own my APBT, please be a responsible owner and keep your pitbull out of trouble.
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My "older" birds have never been out that long even with a wedding we did 15 miles away (they were back in 35 minutes!).
I let them out again tonight--only about 3 miles away. Two and a half hours later--they all come back--immediately trap in and eat like raving maniacs!!! I even went out driving looking for them with my two boys in the back seat with their binoculars! (OK--my husband already thinks I'm crazy when it comes to these birds!) I'm going to try and feed them less--we are going to adhere to the strict "all you can eat in 10 minutes" rule--maybe I've been too generous in this area. Any other suggestions?
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Quote:
I am thinking two or three things. #1 They are over fed. #2 They are in such form and condition, that they are out "playing around". #3 They got into another flock and were taken wayyyyy off course. Wheather it is the above, or something else, all is not right. 2 1/2 hours at 3 miles !  Homing is a critical part of my game, and you have me scratching my head. 
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slow flock--speedin up!Well, I think I found the problem-
I have a bird, Bella, who has always been slow for reasons I can't explain. (I wrote in the past asking about her) She's healthy, has a mate but is slow. I started training her over by doing short tosses just in case she was weak in the wing and she was doing "ok"--not fast but ok. One day I let her out at a church just a mile from home and right up into a tree she went and started preening! Needless to say, she won't be my funeral bird! When I started tossing the flock together, I added her in hopes she'd fly with them. At some short distances it worked--now I believe she is the problem. She probably lands somewhere--and the rest follow. The younger birds like her so they most likely land with her. (my older birds, in the past flew on without her) So I suppose if half the flock lands -they all will. The last two days I've left her behind and they are back in a flash and trap in immediately! I guess I won't be able to use her?? Any suggestions? Thanks! Catherine
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Hi Catherine!
The younger birds will sometimes learn from older birds, and learn their bad habits too! Fly the youngsters with the other birds that have trained well. You pretty much figured this one out on your own. Maybe you can use her for breeding. Treesa
__________________
Every negative event effects my ability to own my APBT, please be a responsible owner and keep your pitbull out of trouble.
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Do not know if this helps or if I would ever do it, but I read somewhere to get your birds to come straight home you can exercise them around the loft. When they come in do not feed them, basket them up and then take them a few miles away. They should dart straight home. I think this would work, but it may only work this one time. If you are not racing your birds and just using them for releases, I would not worry that much. They probably rush home before you, see they loft and then go play. Good racers will exercise an hour plus twice a day. I think they know where they are and are comming home when they get tired. This brings up a question. If you basket train them from your yard or the end of the road the first time, Do you expect them to go to the landing board and straight in. I think I would expect mine to do their normal hour and half. One fly over the loft and off to exercise.
Randy
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Do you know if the hour and a half is on the wing or are they landing somewhere? Do they come right in when they land? If they are sitting on the loft or on the landing board after flying they are probably overfed. If they shoot right in your problem is most likely not food. If it looks as if they had a good hard flight and are tired, then go right in when called to food, I think all is OK. One other thing may be health. Do they fly the same amount of time when released at home? My thoughts are that you have healthy birds that love to fly. My thoughts are if you ran them to 5 miles or 50 miles they would hit the trap in they same hour and a half. Cut the food down a bit, they would probably beat you home.
Randy
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Thanks for all the input. Yes, they do come home and trap right in and eat like crazy--so maybe they just enjoy the flying. Today they did a sporting event--came directly home and all but 3 trapped right in. These three took back off and are flying around--actually they may be in now--I don't blame them today as it is 75 and sunny and no wind. As long as they come home first -I'm ok!
I still keep home my slow flyer who likes to sit in trees whenever I do an event. I'll let her go around the loft to get exercise. Thanks again for all the great info! Catherine
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