moving young birds over

hi iam back again just wondering how others feed there young birds when you move them across to there new loft i put our birds on a bread and wean mix on a sort of constant supply bases just like hopper feeding untill the start getting strong on the wing then cut back to light feed in the morning wether they have been out or not then main meal at late afternoon . only asking because been to someones loft early morning when he opened up no corn at all infact no feeders to be seen youngster just been moved over must have been clammed. cheers for now terryp...

hi terry, ive just weaned 19 so far, and for the time being have them still on the gem breeding mix with added g10 pellets......they are used to eating this so I don't expect them to go backwards being kept on it for a week or so.

once they are all weaned , eating well and going out for a look around I expect to be putting them onto something like 50/50 super diet and widowhood .....

hi terry here should have added i also have them on g10 pelletscheers terryp...

When I moved youngsters to there new section I always feed them with 100% peas which has plenty of protein also I never hopper feed them

I always feed them from an open truff by doing this the youngsters were able to see there food and were never afraid of putting there head through a hopper

also always placed the water fountain on the floor open so they were able to see and drink as needed but once they are older the water fountain is placed back on the shelf

but I like feeding them in an open truff so you are able to monitor the amount of corn feed once the first 2 youngsters leave for water the truff is removed

Don Webb wrote:

When I moved youngsters to there new section I always feed them with 100% peas which has plenty of protein also I never hopper feed them

I always feed them from an open truff by doing this the youngsters were able to see there food and were never afraid of putting there head through a hopper

also always placed the water fountain on the floor open so they were able to see and drink as needed but once they are older the water fountain is placed back on the shelf

but I like feeding them in an open truff so you are able to monitor the amount of corn feed once the first 2 youngsters leave for water the truff is removed

Common sense approach Don    in my view "Peas may be poison" To some ???. But not when they have to grow as babies.  

What a difference in systems. Here very few peas but hemp and small seeds. peas just to hard to digest. Peanuts much easier. Corn of course. I have changed the rations and formulated feeds for years. As far as I am concerned it does not matter one bit. All year round I use a 15% protein mix. I just add what I feel they need. They leave stuff just cut back on it, corn (maize) not popular for birds feeding youngsters. They leave it. Pop corn is very hard to digest. Birds know what they need in the loft. However they do not know what they need for a 500 miler as they are not informed of the upcoming distance. Then usually feed manipulation may pay off. For young birds it does not matter. My opinion anyway.

halcanada wrote:

What a difference in systems. Here very few peas but hemp and small seeds. peas just to hard to digest. Peanuts much easier. Corn of course. I have changed the rations and formulated feeds for years. As far as I am concerned it does not matter one bit. All year round I use a 15% protein mix. I just add what I feel they need. They leave stuff just cut back on it, corn (maize) not popular for birds feeding youngsters. They leave it. Pop corn is very hard to digest. Birds know what they need in the loft. However they do not know what they need for a 500 miler as they are not informed of the upcoming distance. Then usually feed manipulation may pay off. For young birds it does not matter. My opinion anyway.

True to a point Hal    "Does not matter" No hemp here    Unless !!! you jump the fence down in Tassie & get it by illegal means etc. Small seeds, never been into them (To dear) I'm   for me . Peanuts !!!, cost an absolute fortune for a bag type of thing here. Funny thing is     I've seen top men fly good distance pigeons on peas & wheat etc & I would be surprised ??? if someone feeding the best of the best in their mind would beat them, when they were at there best. 

moved more ybs today, that's 30 weaned and 3 to go by the weekend...........all look to be healthy and doing well          

Peanuts, hemp etc relatively cheap here. Bag of hemp. 44lbs about $45. Could be more now.Peanuts about $1 a pound. The small seeds I use is actually wild bird (finch mix.) 45 lb $23. Has linseed, canary seed bunch of other stuff. Lasts a long time as they get very little of it. I know one fancier who just feeds peas. He does well. Another no peas after the young are weaned and he also does well. Many roads to Rome.

Have 12 banded as of today. May 3rd first old bird race. wet and just above freezing today.

You got to put the good grub into them as babies or they never make anything. Same as pups, livestock etc. Difference between just sticking a hopper on and letting them pick what they fancy and feeding them for the future though.
hopper doesnt hurt for first few days as long as they all about same age when you part them. Once they getting onto the perches I would be feeding twice a day, measured amount a.m. and hand feeding till about 4 or 5 of them were going to the drinker on evening feed. Same mix both feeds, high protein yb with no maize, handful of canary conditioning seed mixed in, one handful for 25 to 30 birds. Worked for me anyway, always had control over yb's and they exercised well. Once training started used one bag superwidowhood mixed with 1 bag yb high protein, still with canary seed added. These were darkness yb's and went 9 weeks racing providing they were in racing condition. Latecomers, any made mistakes, gave them a week off if I thought they needed it but generally the main team went 9 weeks in a row 84 mls to 268 mls. Friday they were fed before 7.30 a.m till looking for drinker then nothing else. Empty crops by 6pm basketing, but that doesnt mean stomachs are empty. Lot of people think that when they cant feel corn in the crops that there's hungry pigeons, not so from my experience anyway.
Always flew a good yb in club and fed feeding like this, and went on as yearlings, I realise methods have changed since I raced but ill always believe you got to put the good grub into them as youngins, good luck with everyones 2014 season.

Basically I agree. Once they are going out control is usually by feed. I do not darken them. Usually just extend the lights on time. I like them out early morning then about 5pm. Reason is they are usually released early and on a bad day are late coming back, so for what it is worth. Perhaps I am behind the times? Fly cocks and hens to the nest. Seems to work for me most of the time. Not sure if you have wind turbines in the UK but have 5 on this 1000 acre property. The pigeons fly over them and under them and no fatalities so far. This is a pic of one half mile away. Beyond that Lake Erie another half mile.

barnie wrote:

You got to put the good grub into them as babies or they never make anything. Same as pups, livestock etc. Difference between just sticking a hopper on and  letting them pick what they fancy and feeding them for the future though.
hopper doesnt hurt for first few days as long as they all about same age when you part them. Once they getting onto the perches I would be feeding twice a day, measured amount a.m. and hand feeding till about  4 or 5 of them were going to the drinker on evening feed. Same mix both feeds, high protein yb with no maize, handful of canary conditioning seed mixed in, one handful for 25 to 30 birds. Worked for me anyway, always had control over yb's and they exercised well. Once training started used one bag superwidowhood mixed with 1 bag yb high protein, still with canary seed added. These were darkness yb's and went 9 weeks racing providing they were in racing condition. Latecomers, any made mistakes, gave them a week off if I thought they needed it but generally the main team went 9 weeks in a row 84 mls to 268 mls. Friday  they were fed before 7.30 a.m till looking for drinker then nothing else. Empty crops by 6pm basketing, but that doesnt mean stomachs are empty. Lot of people think that when they cant feel corn in the crops that there's hungry pigeons, not so from my experience anyway.
Always flew a good yb in club and fed feeding like this, and went on as yearlings, I realise methods have changed since I raced but ill always believe you got to put the good grub into them as youngins, good luck with everyones 2014 season.

Interesting read Barnie

barnie wrote:

You got to put the good grub into them as babies or they never make anything. Same as pups, livestock etc. Difference between just sticking a hopper on and  letting them pick what they fancy and feeding them for the future though.
hopper doesnt hurt for first few days as long as they all about same age when you part them. Once they getting onto the perches I would be feeding twice a day, measured amount a.m. and hand feeding till about  4 or 5 of them were going to the drinker on evening feed. Same mix both feeds, high protein yb with no maize, handful of canary conditioning seed mixed in, one handful for 25 to 30 birds. Worked for me anyway, always had control over yb's and they exercised well. Once training started used one bag superwidowhood mixed with 1 bag yb high protein, still with canary seed added. These were darkness yb's and went 9 weeks racing providing they were in racing condition. Latecomers, any made mistakes, gave them a week off if I thought they needed it but generally the main team went 9 weeks in a row 84 mls to 268 mls. Friday  they were fed before 7.30 a.m till looking for drinker then nothing else. Empty crops by 6pm basketing, but that doesnt mean stomachs are empty. Lot of people think that when they cant feel corn in the crops that there's hungry pigeons, not so from my experience anyway.
Always flew a good yb in club and fed feeding like this, and went on as yearlings, I realise methods have changed since I raced but ill always believe you got to put the good grub into them as youngins, good luck with everyones 2014 season.

yes very interesting reading...I`ll save this for future reference..........