Yellow Ribbon

HI RANDY, Get 10 peices of yellow ribbon about 18 inches long and tie them every 5 feet on the wire.Does this wire carry an electic current? If it does it would be smart not to mess with it. Years ago I had two neighbors that had TV anntenas. that gave my birds some problums. I was able to tie yellow ribbon to the guy wires and this did help. It worries me that this wire carries an electric current don't electrocute your self. GEORGE

 

I too had a bird hit a wire years ago. I can't say as I have any advice other then if its power lines we're talking here, I wouldn't go messing with them. You could get hurt really badly or killed or at the least in trouble with the power company.

 

Does anyone have any tricks for power lines? All but about 50feet of wire is covered by trees. This 50 feet of exposed wire has injured more than one good flier. I have read where if you limit the size of your team that they will not hit the wires. I have 40 youngbirds that I am flying in two teams of 20. I have tried marking the wires with tennis balls tied to strings that dangle from the wire. I try not to fly the birds when the sun is low on the horizon. I still have a bird hit the lines from time to time. I have had birds walk home from the neighbords house. Would love to hear your ideas.
Randy Hill

If it is power lines, the best way is to contact your power utility company. Cable wire protection can be placed on these lines. This is like a tubular (pipe like of 1 to 2 inches in diameter or a U-shaped span w/ clips, of non conductive/insulator material that can either envelope the wire or be placed on top of the wires and fastened with clips.
I just don't know their SOP. But here in the Philippines, power or transmission line protector can be requested from the power company. Mostly during a nearby building construction so as to protect both the company and the community. Sometimes for a fee.
the thing is, imagine the almost invisible wire being inserted inside a light weight tube. now this span would have about 1" diameter, visible enough for the birds.
If not a power line... then you may do what they recommend above.

 

My birds got very good at missing the power lines that plague them as they make there asscent into the sky upon leaving the coop. But it is the power lines somewhere in the neighborhood that brought a few home with their feathers scraped clean off their belly and legs, they looked like they were missing underwear. Their keal was even bruised and at times even cut, but supportive care and time healed that up.

I really don't think that we can control the power lines and cover or mark them all, just wish they had put all the wires underground in the first place.

 

You will notice youngbirds fly a little wild And every so often you have one hit a wire Now as they mature you see it much less often Its part of keeping flying birds if power lines are near enough to effect the birds. There really is no set method that helps Some years no birds hit a line some years several will They have to mature Other then locating the loft where they drop away from they line where the power lines are And that just slows it down.

 

Well my injured bird gimped home. I am just hoping for the trees to grow faster so I can get the wire covered up. He had a dropped wing and was waiting at the door to the loft for me to let him in. I am thinking about retiring him to the breeding loft next year. He is down from My Ikon Magic Star grandson and some of my best blood. I was hoping that my tennis balls would do the trick. Well I will keep flying them and hope for the best. Thanks for all your imput.
Randy

 

Does anyone have any tricks for power lines? All but about 50feet of wire is covered by trees. This 50 feet of exposed wire has injured more than one good flier. I have read where if you limit the size of your team that they will not hit the wires. I have 40 youngbirds that I am flying in two teams of 20. I have tried marking the wires with tennis balls tied to strings that dangle from the wire. I try not to fly the birds when the sun is low on the horizon. I still have a bird hit the lines from time to time. I have had birds walk home from the neighbords house. Would love to hear your ideas.
Randy Hill

Hello Randy,

My loft is located in a maze of wires. Visiting fanciers are often amazed at what the birds must endure. There are phone lines, cable and power lines almost in everydirection, and just feet from overhead transformers. Birds have learned to avoid them, but there have been accidents, but fewer it seems as the generations pass.

I have since looked at the wires as sort of a mixed blessing. There were and are many bad injures and even deaths over the years, but it also seems to be an obstacle that a chasing Cooper hawk must navigate. If there are any genectic considerations, then only those able to naviagate under such conditions has ever gone on to reproduce. I really think each year the birds are getting better, and less likely to become injured. I really think it is a trait that was/is being bred into them, even when I had not considered that possibility.

 

This makes me think that my idea to move some of the injured birds with better pedigrees to my breeding section, may not be the best thing. If I want to elliminate the bad wire gene from the flock. All my birds have recovered from their injuries so far. I did read a good article on Horst Hackemers (sp?) web page about wires. The secret seemed to keep the team of birds small and to separate your youngbirds into groups of 20 or so. I am glad to hear that I am not alone with the wire situation. Maybe I will breed some of those Ludos into my birds to help them avoid wires. Thanks for the beakon of hope.
Randy

 

Randy, Wires of all types are the biggest killer of Racing pigeons. I have had 4 injurys this yr, 2 not able to mend. It seems to me that you are doing most everything possible from reading your post. The times I have the most trouble is High Winds & in particular from a diff. direction than normal, so don't loft fly on those days. Warren also has the right idea in my opinion though about not breeding from those that hit. I "Almost Never" breed from a Racer that has hit a wire....... On races & training Heavy tail winds causes the most wire hits. They (like Airplanes) can not steer or slow down well in short distances with wind at there tail. Aircraft most always take off & Land into the wind if possible as they have more control. Same with Racing Pigeons....... Hap

 

I have also found that when the sun is low in the horizon that the wire is harder for the birds to pic up. I try and fly later in the moring say 8:30 when the sun is up a bit or an hour or so before sunset.
Randy