Bulking up

Once the stock are sitting do you feed a bit more to bulk them up ready for feeding the ybs?

Last year we fed breed and wean with maize, maize was thrown out and they only fed small seeds and peas, so this year just before they hatch we will use young bird no maize, until the babies are about 8/10 days then add the maize, at the minute they've been sitting a couple of days and are still on 50/50 high protein and depurative

no ,once they have laid then after 10 days they get fed breeding mixture which is start plus but same amount until ybs are a few days old

Lofty wrote:

Last year we fed breed and wean with maize, maize was thrown out and they only fed small seeds and peas, so this year just before they hatch we will use young bird no maize, until the babies are about 8/10 days then add the maize, at the minute they've been sitting a couple of days and are still on 50/50 high protein and depurative

Lofty, do you pull the maize to keep them from getting fat while sitting?

As soon as the last pair have laid mine as much breeding mix as they like once a day but when the eggs have hatched and they start to get picky the mix will be changed to a mix similar to what they are looking for no point in waisting food all over the floor

Romedius wrote:

Lofty wrote:

Last year we fed breed and wean with maize, maize was thrown out and they only fed small seeds and peas, so this year just before they hatch we will use young bird no maize, until the babies are about 8/10 days then add the maize, at the minute they've been sitting a couple of days and are still on 50/50 high protein and depurative

Lofty, do you pull the maize to keep them from getting fat while sitting?  

Rom, there is a small amount of maize in the high protein 50/50 mix they're getting, as soon as the chicks hatch they get a different mix without maize as it's just wasted, gets thrown on the floor, so a yb no maize is given until the youngsters are a bit older

i hopper my stock pigeons either farm beans or farm maples in 2ltr drinkers standing on a beer crate.
i add a mix to a tray on the floor a couple of handfuls, bos pellets in a couple of pots on the floor.

fieldwalker wrote:

i hopper my stock pigeons either farm beans or farm maples in 2ltr drinkers standing on a beer crate.
i add a mix to a tray on the floor a couple of handfuls, bos pellets in a couple of pots on the floor.

do you remove over night f/walker...?

not the hoppers.no

fieldwalker wrote:

i hopper my stock pigeons either farm beans or farm maples in 2ltr drinkers standing on a beer crate.
i add a mix to a tray on the floor a couple of handfuls, bos pellets in a couple of pots on the floor.

Sounds OK to me FW Old school Beans/peas, new school pellets etc breed nice healthy youngsters I suspect if all other issues are in place there .
*****

Feeding pigeons. There are numerous ways to do it. Many theories and scientific facts. Unfortunately the pigeons do not read all the articles. Breeding mix, racing mix, long and short. Rearing mix. Winter mix. 80% bullcrap! FW feeds peas and beans. In hoppers. Nothing personal FW but my pigeons will not eat beans. Regardless of how hungry they are. Even when feeding youngsters. Maples they will eat and green peas. But not too many of them. Seldom barley. Here the food for pigeons containing the most legumes is the most expensive. Never buy it any more. For youngsters they need a high protien mix. Or that is the common beleif. For long distance races they need carbs and fat. Another common beleif. For short races a speed mix or keep them hungry. Now, if a fancier wants them to eat more maize (corn) for a longer race, on the assumption that is what they need, they have to restrict the amount of food so they do eat it. If memory serves me correctly, many long distance races years ago, were won by feeding just beans or peas. No maize at that time. Velocities about as good as todays. So. Old timers right or feed companies right?
Example. Basically I use a mix of about 15% or 14% protien. Feeding young I add Safflower or peanuts. Sometimes flax seed. But not often! Right now add a little safflower to the the birds feeding young. The mix contains corn. Maize. They eat that also. Won a tough 600 miler years ago with a 15% mix. Also a fast 200 miler plus numerous others at varying distances. Point is this. The birds eat what they want. Within reason. They do no know the distance of the next race. So cannot prepare food wise. So the fancier decides the diet for them. Right or wrong. Usually it does not matter. Pellets are good as they contain minerals etc. Some fly them on pellets alone. And do well. Feed companies just love all the different mixes they make! Profit in every bag sold!

Knackered. Just posted seconds before I did!.

Stock Loft...i hopper feed beans or peas hopper feed a mix containing maize and when there feeding ybs...its chucked on the floor unless there hungry and have no choice..

I've noticed that when my pigeons are on 100% barley for a few days, they eat all of it. Meaning the same ration they were getting with racing mix. They get picky eating the barley within three days of adding the good stuff back. They eat every last piece of corn I throw adding them. But they route longer, and faster on 100% barley for me, If I get over 11% protein, they slow way down. Don't know what I'm doing wrong there. The better the feed, the lazier pigeon.

Now it is breeding time, and figuring out a balance is the next bend in the road

High carbs for energy high protein for muscle

fieldwalker wrote:

High carbs for energy high protein for muscle

Never fed a bean in my life here FW like peanuts, just too damm expensive etc with my small flock & even maples one can go to far with them because of the toxin factor for what I've been told/read. Boring as sh*te only feeding 1/2 grains thou from my perspective, but one also doesn't require 20 odd grains either to breed healthy youngsters as such. For me, around 40% peas & then I add the bits & pieces so to speak.  

Peanuts for wild birds now are toxin free ( forgot the name) 1kilo bags cheap enough...the mrs gets them with her shopping

Says on the bag tested for......whatever

fieldwalker wrote:

Peanuts for wild birds now are toxin free ( forgot the name) 1kilo bags cheap enough...the mrs gets them with her shopping

Maybe . If my missus brought me a bag etc out the food money here FW for the pigeons. I would be living on water all week & have one grumpy bed partner .
*****