Winter

[Big T]

Question about training and winter. When is it too cold to loft fly? When is it too cold to basket release?

Here is my deal. I have my birds trained to trap upon getting to the loft if basket released. I find this to be better than loft flying due to hawks. When they loft fly some like to sun on the house roof before trapping. They also tend to fly in circles around the house and loft. Both habbits make them easy and noticable prey for hawks. But when I basket train they fly from point a to point b and trap. If I loft fly it is late in the afternoon when hopefully the hawks have fed. But basket releasing I do any time of day.

Last winter I kept them locked up, this winter I want to keep them exerised, in form, and trained. Which explains my two questions.

Thanks,
Tony

[Pegasus]

Originally Posted by Big T

Question about training and winter. When is it too cold to loft fly? When is it too cold to basket release?
Thanks,
Tony

When you asked about training are you training the YB? Are you training them to fly from any distance or you only want them to fly around the loft?

For my flock whenever the sun is out during the winter, I let my flock fly, regardless if its below zero out there...I make sure it is not too windy...I do let them out while snowing...I give them garlic in water to heat up their system since garlic is a bit spicy...I know some members might or had seen my loft set-up but as long as the floor is dry and feed and water always there every single day the birds will SURVIVE in the cold winter season...

[windyflat]

I flew a small team of celibate cocks a few winters back with excellent results. I did not basket them once all winter just loft flew them nearly every day. Lost one out of 9 to a hawk attack. The rest made it though the winter in great condition.
They were lightly fed once a day on a 14% mix blended with barley.
I was very impressed with how well and how long they flew around the loft.

[spirit wings]

[quote=Big T;427813]Question about training and winter. When is it too cold to loft fly? When is it too cold to basket release?

Here is my deal. I have my birds trained to trap upon getting to the loft if basket released. I find this to be better than loft flying due to hawks. When they loft fly some like to sun on the house roof before trapping. They also tend to fly in circles around the house and loft. Both habbits make them easy and noticable prey for hawks. But when I basket train they fly from point a to point b and trap. If I loft fly it is late in the afternoon when hopefully the hawks have fed. But basket releasing I do any time of day.

Last winter I kept them locked up, this winter I want to keep them exerised, in form, and trained. Which explains my two questions.

Thanks,


I would say, in Ga where you are, there should be plenty of days to toss birds, perhaps jan and feb, you might not go as much, but you can pick it back up in march. I plan on doing the same thing as you this winter...but they are calling for alot of snow type weather patterns this winter so we will see how many days I actually can road train. I need to get my youngs fit for a may release for foster kids for a remembrance day of their family and it is going to be 40 miles out...so I really do not want them to sit all winter.

[Big T]

Originally Posted by Pegasus

When you asked about training are you training the YB? Are you training them to fly from any distance or you only want them to fly around the loft?

For my flock whenever the sun is out during the winter, I let my flock fly, regardless if its below zero out there...I make sure it is not too windy...I do let them out while snowing...I give them garlic in water to heat up their system since garlic is a bit spicy...I know some members might or had seen my loft set-up but as long as the floor is dry and feed and water always there every single day the birds will SURVIVE in the cold winter season...

I use garlic and add a little corn to their feed during winter to add the fat in their diet to help with the cold. I will not be training new, (young) birds during winter. That will be more in the spring. I want to basket train because I find it to be safer than loft flying due to having a pair of hawks living in my neighborhood. As for basket training, I would only take them short distances, (5 to 10 air mile), from the loft. Bad weather days I would not fly but clear days, when is it too cold to fly?

Thanks again,
Tony

[Big T]

Originally Posted by spirit wings

I would say, in Ga where you are, there should be plenty of days to toss birds, perhaps jan and feb, you might not go as much, but you can pick it back up in march. I plan on doing the same thing as you this winter...but they are calling for alot of snow type weather patterns this winter so we will see how many days I actually can road train. I need to get my youngs fit for a may release for foster kids for a remembrance day of their family and it is going to be 40 miles out...so I really do not want them to sit all winter.

Yes, you are thinking like me. I also want my old birds smart. I find the more they fly the smarter and stronger they are. I lost some good birds last spring because of my stupidity and theirs. The birds and I spent too long fat, dumb, and happy during winter. Spring found us both off our game and not ready for the trouble that found us. But at the same time I do not want to drop them into an issue they can't get home from.

Tony

[MaryOfExeter]

I loft fly mine year round. Although it jumped from 70's to lower 40's within a matter of two days. It's been stuck in the 40-50's all week. The birds aren't enjoying the sudden change I have to run them out of the loft to get them to fly. But once they get used to it, all should go back to normal.

[LokotaLoft]

I would say fly them when you can but even tossing them from 10 miles down the road isnt going to garentee they wont get hit by hawks .. the hawks are getting to be as thick as thieves here in NJ right now and there isnt a time that I dont see one flying by the loft when I look out the window