How do i have to feed so i have to band by the 5th day

Hi to all.
I'm a beginner
I have had pigeons for a few years, read a lot, but have no racing experience.
I am planning to race in 2011.
This might be a tough one.
How / what do i need to feed so i have to band my youngsters on the 5th day?

hi mate glad youve joined us if you are breeding youngsters give your stoc a good quality breeding mix always have food in front of them when feeding youngbirds i have two pots per nest box one is filled with breeding mix the other is filled with maple peas when the youngbirds are around 5- 6 days old and are getting hard corn , always have grit and minerals and fresh water twice a day

Welcome to the site mate Hope you enjoy it here.

Very good info there Ian, very helpful

Alex wrote:

Welcome to the site mate Hope you enjoy it here.

Very good info there Ian, very helpful

i try my best alex

Welcome to the site mate

Silverlerk Ian has told you the main thing about young birds squickers but you dont have to put rings on in 5 days to me its about 7 to 8 days when you put the rings on, when do put the rings on put the 3 front toes forwords as you put the ring on the back toe will go backwards then pull the back toe out of the ring if once you have done that make shore that you cant pull the ring back off the foot if it dose leave it off and try again the next day

i usually ring my ybs around 6 - 7 days depending how big the yb is, as we all know some are bigger than others at this age so its best to start keeping an eye on them around 5 days onwards.

Yes you can start ringing the birds then what I trying to do is to give him the jest of putting the rings on Ian had given all the rest I didnt no if he done it befor

Is it hard to get the rings on?

yes, thank you ginger...good information. as we have all rung ybs before sometimes we can forget that a new fancier will have never done it before.........there have been times i have missed ringing them and have had to use washing up liquid on the foot to ease the ring on, and then use a tooth pick to pull the toe through.

i once struggled to ring a yb and then realised it was on upside down, no big problem i know but i wanted it right.......the job i had to get the ring off again was unbeleivable but i did it in the end and got it on the right way without too much discomfort to the bird.

Alex wrote:

Is it hard to get the rings on?

ah right, didnt realise alex......you have become such a major member of the site i forgot you are a new starter and will not have rung ybs before..........no its not hard provided you do it at the right age which as i have said for me is 6 - 7 days, but also you dont want to ring too early because the ring could come off in the nest and you might not realise until it is too late......

I allways put mine upside down as when the person who is putting the bird in they ushty put the head to them and only have to lift the leg and the rind is facing them if the ring is the right way pu they ave to twist the bird around

yes same here ginger, right leg, upside down.........................

you said you put the ring upside down higher up the page David you have been married too long

DAVID wrote:

Alex wrote:

Is it hard to get the rings on?

ah right, didnt realise alex......you have become such a major member of the site i forgot you are a new starter and will not have rung ybs before..........no its not hard provided you do it at the right age which as i have said for me is 6 - 7 days, but also you dont want to ring too early because the ring could come off in the nest and you might not realise until it is too late......

Been here for nearly 2 months now

When I get the first ybs bred I will try at six days, dont want to leave it longer incase I cant get them on Then after that I can try them seven days if they wont stay on. And yes I will keep an eye on them when they are in the nest. That will be the worst thing if a ring falls of and I dont notice it. Only rings I have ever put on are the plastic clip rings

Good bit of information again Ian

Good bit of Information Ginger and that is another piece of the jigsaw

Welcome to the site Silververlk hope you enjoy

like ginger says alex, all you need to do is the three toes through the ring and the back toe you pull through.......ive found that before 6 days they have a chance of coming off so i usually do it at 7 days but do check as some ybs grow quicker than others and could be ready at 6 days old........if you get stuck our members will advise you.

hope this helps you out mate

Very helpful Rene, thanks

I personally dont care at what age birds get ringed, I think it depends on the birds, I had some van reets that needed ringing at 4 days, any longer and you wouldnt get them on without lube. Some birds just have biger feet and legs than others, look at the babies everyday and you will soon see who needs ringing, good video for novices rene.

yes your right there martyn they are ready when they are ready and thats that , like you say different breeds are different

rudderfett wrote:

I personally dont care at what age birds get ringed, I think it depends on the birds, I had some van reets that needed ringing at 4 days, any longer and you wouldnt get them on without lube. Some birds just have biger feet and legs than others, look at the babies everyday and you will soon see who needs ringing, good video for novices rene.

sure they arnt ducks martyn.......... they must have big feet/legs at 4 days old eh.......

seriously though, this is why i said in a previous post that ybs can be rung in my opinion from about 6 - 7 days depending on the size of the yb as some are bigger than others and some also grow quicker than others.......when i have ybs in the nest because i do not breed loads of babies i know roughly when each one will be 4 - 5 days old and then i just keep my eye on them and guess when the time is right to ring them........

Thanx for the warm welcome.

Thank you all for your responses and the debate.

I also ring on the seventh day - but i want to ring earlier - on the 5th.

I put rings on upside down - so when holding the bird against your chest, legs away from you,i can read the ring - now reading the right way around - nice for basketing. Also the ring has a smooth edge and a rough edge -smooth edge on the ankle rough edge upwards - it must be anoying to the bird if the rough edge is on its ankle

I ring on the right leg - on basketing night the racing rubber traditionally goes on the left leg.


Ian
I like the pots in the nest box. although i will have to modify them to prevent soiling of the feed - the youngsters should also learn to feed themselves earlier - excellent, thanx



Rudderfett
I like your Logo eye - you must tell me about this bird, it should have an interesting history.
I read somewhere - the dark line at 2 o'clock is a result of trauma (hard race)?.
I'm very interested in eyes.

You are the only member that mentions ringing youngsters before the 6-7 days old.
You say some birds just have bigger feet - i agree, a good point but also this could be an indication of ultimate health resulting the most vigorous youngsters, that develop faster and perform earlier. Also they may be amongst the better performers and possibly good producers. Could you check your (1) Racing & (2) Breeding records to see if the birds rung on 5 days are a "touch" above the rest.
Hope to hear from you soon.