DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Roller Pigeons
HTML https://rollerpigeon.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: General Discussion
*****************************************************
#Post#: 12588--------------------------------------------------
Breeding season over
By: windjammer loft Date: July 9, 2013, 9:07 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Again.... another unsuccessful breeding season. Not all my pairs
co operated with my program...haha So, as of today I split all
my breeders apart. Except for 4 pr that are on eggs or have
young in the nest. For the life of me I can't figure out WHAT
is going wrong... Either they are not paring up, laying eggs
and then not sitting on them or letting them hatch and then
abandoning them or just laying eggs at random.... So I am going
to concentrate on flying them all for the rest of the year....
#Post#: 12589--------------------------------------------------
Re: Breeding season over
By: Tony Chavarria Date: July 9, 2013, 10:29 am
---------------------------------------------------------
??? Hmmm, Interesting, what was your percentages of hatches vs
non-hatches? Hamburgers to hotdogs they are too agitated to see
the breeding process through. The reproductive instinct is
strong, that they are not complying indicates to me, at least,
that something is disturbing them and preventing them from doing
what comes natural.
You have to examine the loft conditions and your own management
style. Flow chart it out and identify where the constraint is
and innovate ways to overcome the bottleneck/s. You set them up
for success or failure. Find out where you are dropping the
ball. As an example, not saying this is you, but one guy I know
was having the same type of problems you are describing and
after some questioning on my part found that he himself was
acting too impatient and constantly putting his hand in the
nests to check on eggs and candling them and so forth. He was
creating his own problems and did not know it. :o
There is always a cause and effect to these things, just have to
spend the time to figure it out. If you can't find the cause,
just remember this: if you are ever playing poker and you look
around the table and can't identify the patsy, then guess what?
YOU are the patsy! LOL :P
#Post#: 12590--------------------------------------------------
Re: Breeding season over
By: windjammer loft Date: July 9, 2013, 12:25 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Tony.... I understand exactly what you are saying. Let me try
to explain.. I went as far as to build a separate breeding loft.
I separated an 8 cage breeding compartment into 2 separate, 4
cage breeding compartments. Plenty of natural sun light, fresh
air and plenty of privacy. I put the the cocks in the 1st of
Feb. By mid Feb, I put the hens in place. I even added a space
heater to bring the temp up to a steady 55 degrees. They had
axcess to fresh water, feed, red grit and oyster shells daily..
After being together for about 2 weeks I inserted the nest bowls
and let nature take it's course. By mid April not much
happened. In May I started seeing some eggs being laid but, not
from all of them. That's when I noticed some had eggs but, were
not sitting on them. Or they would hatch and then abandon them
about about 1 week.The youngsters then died.. Out of the 5 pr of
Ruby's only 2 eggs hatched but, I found 1 died in the nest
after about 1 week after hatching. I have today still 2 pr of
Ruby's with 2 youngsters each and doing very well.. Back in the
main loft I have 2- 6'x6'x8'high breeding pens with 6 individual
breeding pens and 2 open breeding pens. Out of the 6 pens only 2
pr have hatched any eggs (2nd round) and i pr in the open nests.
I also acquired 5 pr of Doneks, they are in a 6'x6'x8' pen. I
let them settle in for about 2 weeks, then paired them up in
individual breeding pens. Their too, 2 pr laid eggs but none
hatched the others didn't lay any eggs. So after about 1 month,
I gave them free range of the loft. Still not signs to any
eggs. After giving them free range of the loft 2 pr decided to
pair up themselves and lay eggs . 1 egg out of each pr
hatched,they are now 4 weeks old. As you can see my record is
not good at all......The Doneks also had access to fresh water,
feed, red grit and oyster shells daily.... Once I noticed any
eggs I tried not to make any disturbances to upset them .....
#Post#: 12591--------------------------------------------------
Re: Breeding season over
By: Tony Chavarria Date: July 9, 2013, 2:45 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
That a new group of birds is having the same type of problems
tells me it is something within the system or an external factor
is having a negative impact on the system. :'(
Let me throw out some ideas at you and you tell me which ones
might have some ring of truth to them: ???
1: Medication containing some kind of sulpha
2: loose droppings
3: e-coli
4: paratyphoid
5: snake or other animal getting into lofts
6: pairing young birds
7: Lack of nesting material
8: Nest bowl too big for rollers (eggs don't stay together)
9: Eggs incubated past 10 days show no signs of veins
10: Pairs fighting
11: hens on hens
12: medicated pellets you may be feeding have a coccistat in
them
13: water has flouride in it
Don't be too quick to rule anything out...thanks! :D
#Post#: 12592--------------------------------------------------
Re: Breeding season over
By: Paul Conway Date: July 10, 2013, 6:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Hi Tony,
thanks for the list....it helps us all going forward, not only
on the issue of breeding but in how we should think about any
part of managing a loft. As for the topic I was thinking
some illness/parasite something that leaves the birds in less
than optimal shape and might go unnoticed or something done or
not done in terms of preparing the birds for breeding- mentioned
by you in one form or another, sorry Windjammer's having issues,
but thankful my thinking is on the right track- boy some of the
things you mentioned I and many of us never would have thought
to take a look at. Guess we need to grow, learn, improve and
move forward just like our birds do. Good luck Windjammer and
thanks Tony.
#Post#: 12593--------------------------------------------------
Re: Breeding season over
By: windjammer loft Date: July 10, 2013, 8:03 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Tony... I'll answer your questions by the numbers. The numbers I
don't answer don't apply..
6. Some of the pairs are last years birds.... in the past I
have used birds that I
bred for the next years breeding.
7. I put wood shavings in the bowls after the first egg is
laid but, the birds
usually kick out the material, leaving an empty bowl
except for the eggs.
Or sometimes I cut hay in short pieces and put it in the
bowls.
8. I use plastic dog food bowls I got from the Dollar General
store... Some are
7" across and 2" deep and some 8" across and 3" deep. At
the present
time I have 5 pr on eggs or new hatchlings in the 7"x 2"
bowls.
9. My fault.... I haven't made it a practice to check eggs
after the 10 day
period.[font=verdana] [/font]
11. the method I use for checking sexes is the "string and
paperclip" 99% of
time it is accurate for me. I have put 2 hens together
but, soon after
having 4 eggs in the bowls I separate them.
13. All City water here in Ohio has fluoride in it . The water I
put in for the
breeders I have in 2 gal jugs, that has set for a day.
I have given all your possibilities much thought. I do see some
places where I should make modifications. I hope my answers
will help
discover any or all of "MY" wrong doing.
P.S. I even have a radio playing "Soft Jazz" type music when I
spend time in the loft....
Thanks Paul for your concern also...
#Post#: 12594--------------------------------------------------
Re: Breeding season over
By: Turmani Date: July 11, 2013, 4:52 am
---------------------------------------------------------
How is your eyesight? Do you see tiny little red mites that are
very irritating for the birds. They will cause pairs to abandon
nests at different stages and even the young to jump out of
nests. Usually first sign is crusty irritated eyelids and then
abandonment. They come from other outside nesting birds and the
soil. More common when the outside nests are finished and the
mites go looking for other birds to suck the blood out of. Other
than that something is scaring them. You mention they get plenty
of air. Maybe so much that they dont get much privacy from the
outside and something like a cat or owl is scaring them from the
outside. I should add that Im from another continent and this
may not apply to you.
#Post#: 12595--------------------------------------------------
Re: Breeding season over
By: windjammer loft Date: July 11, 2013, 8:03 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Like I told Tony, I haven't practiced checking the fertilization
of eggs... My bad... My birds are healthy. I keep a very CLEAN
loft. Haven't had a sick bird in my loft in many many years. Any
signs of sickness... I immediately dispose of them... I don't
practice medicating any "sickly" birds. So, I am positive that
it is not a health issue.. Like Tony suggests, I looks like an
internal loft issue.
#Post#: 12596--------------------------------------------------
Re: Breeding season over
By: buffm Date: July 11, 2013, 12:15 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
when they birds kick out the nest material it tells me they
don't like it , plus if the shavings your using are pine the
turpentine in them may be part of the problem a egg shells are
porous and might be killing the embryo or weakening it to the
point that the parents abandon the weak chick. I like to let my
pairs make their own nest material, which is usually dry pine
needles. I have a cock bird that has had 3 hens this breeding
season and not one has laid an egg, they pair up make love the
hen sets the nest like she is ready to lay but no eggs 2 are 2
years old and first mating the first raised 5 babies last year
it has me stumped
#Post#: 12597--------------------------------------------------
Re: Breeding season over
By: Turmani Date: July 11, 2013, 4:09 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
How inbred are the birds?
*****************************************************
DIR Next Page