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A couple of questionsI have two questions.
1. When getting ready to let pigeons fly free outside, I have read many times to make sure they are hungry when releasing them, so they will want to return sooner to eat. Assuming this is true, how hungry should they be? A day? Or two? Or just have feed them yet for that day? 2. A Avery that has a plywood floor, what would make a good floor covering? Area is cleaned out everyday and I live in Southern California, if that matters. Thank you |
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Quote:
 The general guide is 1 oz per bird per day. But that can be adjusted according to how much they fly, and what the weather is like. Hot and they don't need near as much food. Cold they need a little more. If they fly for an hour or more, they'll work some of what they eat off so..........are you confused yet?  I assume you have then trap trained already? If so, once they are trapping good from the settling cage, know how much food you are giving them at that time. Then what I do, the day before I plan to let them out for the first time, I cut their rations in half. Then all you can do is let em' out and see what happens. I remember I had one young cock last year. The first time out, he was the last to trap and it took hours. He got no food. The second day, same thing. No food. The third day? He was hungry and was one of the first in the loft. He did this all through training. About every third day after not eating much if at all the previous two days, he would trap like a champ. There's always one in the bunch that will give you trouble. You finally just have to worry about (in my case) the other 40 some birds and let that one be stubborn. They come around eventually, but I don't make all my birds suffer for what one is doing. Guess who won us our first young bird race? You got it. Mr. Trouble. Having said all this, I assume we're talking about YB's here? I treat my OB's totally different. That's another thread........As far as your aviary floor, ours is the 1/4" hardware cloth. I don't know that you want to put any kind covering on an aviary floor. I'll leave that one for someone else who might have that type set up.
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 Renee www.lovebirdsloft.com People have the right to be stupid, but some abuse that privilege. For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. Mark Twain Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes.------ Frieda Norris |
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Just something to think about. A pigeon will trap faster when thirsty , then when hungry. How do I know this as a fact ? When the bird's come home from a race , the first thing they do is get a drink. If they dont drink first ,it's because they went down for a drink, just check their feet. Feeding at the same time creates a habit. Pigeons are only acting on their habits. They will trap alot quicker if they are released a little before the scheduled feeding. They also know that a fresh drink is on the way. One of the best flyer's in the world told me this in 1992 and I have been trying to figure it our ever since.
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This is probably true BUT
I would never take away water to make them trap faster while training them. If they know there is always fresh water waiting they will trap anyway. Birds (humans and other animls as well) can last for ages without food - but water its only a while. The best flyers in the world use food to teach them to trap - I think that says it all |
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