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#Post#: 8066--------------------------------------------------
POLL: Seeds + Grains = Health & Performance
By: Tony Chavarria Date: July 11, 2011, 7:50 am
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Nutrition for roller pigeons is a both simple and complicated
matter; almost any seed will sustain life to some degree, but
specific seeds and grains would appear to, in the right
combinations, propel both health and performance.
With commercial birds like poultry, there has been years of
scientific research performed in order to learn what kind of
diets maximize egg and meat production as well as promote
overall health.
However, unfortunately, no one is going to spends millions on
research and tests to discover what works for performance
pigeons! When it comes to our rollers we are on our own. We
don't have scientifically tested diet regimes to turn to, but
what we do have are anecdotal stories and experiences to be
drawn from decades of real life experience.
Careful reading of pigeon books, magazines and internet sites
will reveal that there are special diets fanciers provide to
adjust the performance and health of their birds. It is known
that there are ways to feed that can help to slow birds down,
fly higher, fly lower, show more rolling activity, fly longer,
fly less time, maintain better nutritional levels of
protein-fat-carbs and so forth...
Pass On To Others What You Know:
What type of kit mixes have you worked with that tend to
enhance the performance and health of your kit birds? What seeds
and grains would you use to effect specific aspects of
performance. In other words, using what seed has caused your
birds to do what?
Please share your wealth of knowledge and experience learned
over years of trial and error, as to which seeds and grains
provide for the best baseline for health and to fuel increased
performance?
#Post#: 8081--------------------------------------------------
Re: POLL: Seeds + Grains = Health & Performance
By: windjammer loft Date: July 12, 2011, 7:59 am
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Well, I guess I will be the first to give this "topic" a stab...
For many years I have raised pigeons and "always" fed a good
pigeon mix with no problems at all. Sometimes adding some
grains... like extra sunflower for the moult, corn for added
heat and giving whole peanuts as a treat. But, I stuck with a
"good" quality pigeon mix.
When I got into "rollers", it seemed to be a whole different
ball game as far as the feed was concerned. I had to change my
whole thought process about raising rollers. Feeding a 50/50
mixture of wheat and milo. I wasn't getting the performance "I"
thought "I" was supposed to be getting. This became extreemely
bothersome to me. Having to add or subtract amounts of the
grains. Switching to "pellets" for flyers was not doing it for
me either. Too lite of too heavy... Now, for my breeders the
pellets was the was to go.. Flyers, on the other hand was a
problem. Giving them "too" much to not "enough"was a royal pain
in the azzz...lol. Personely, I could NEVER get the right
mixtures no matter what I did...This method never worked for all
my flyers... So to fix my delima, I want back to my "original"
plan of feeding. A good quality pigeon mix. NO fuss, NO muss..
My flyers all got use to the mixture and it made it "so" much
easier to feed them. Not haveing to measure out certain grains
or having to guess whiich grains worked with another grain.... I
still feed my breeders a mix of "pellets" and regular pigeon
feed. I get the quality of preformance out of my flying birds
that I desire.. Let me make it perfectely "CLEAR" I don't fly
competition... So, I don't have to get into the particulars of
which grains will make my bird do what?? Strickly a back yard
flyer and Iam very very happy just feeding a good quality pigeon
mixture... It is also "COST" effective for me.
#Post#: 8082--------------------------------------------------
Re: POLL: Seeds + Grains = Health & Performance
By: Paul Conway Date: July 12, 2011, 9:45 am
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Thank you Windjammer. I am feeding purina Green right now and
some checkers, for the simple reason that was what was available
locally when I got my pigeons. They seem to like both and have
had no trouble eating the purina pellets. Of course I'll look
at feeding wheat, peas, etc as I get further into it and need to
work on what works best for performance in my birds.
A topic like this is great for a new person and I'm glad
you responded. Prior to your post I saw about 40 folks had read
the original post and I figured they were all feeding crickets
because that's all I heard. ;) I know we all get on here for
different reason though and share what we're comfortable
sharing. looking forward to hearing from some other folks.
Good topic for discussion Tony, not only for us new folks ,but
for all. Paul Conway.
#Post#: 8083--------------------------------------------------
Re: POLL: Seeds + Grains = Health & Performance
By: wishiwon2 Date: July 12, 2011, 10:34 am
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I have never fed a commercial mix, there simply isnt any
available near me. I have made a mix of my own, but I prefer to
feed grains individually vs a mix to avoid birds being
selective. When I am making decisions about who to keep and cull
or which birds to assemble into a #1 kit, I want those decisions
to be based on each bird having the same inputs.
I have written an extensive list of what grains I've fed and the
effects of each, but I am not in the mood to type that much, If
I can find and copy/paste I will post it. I feed 3 grains nearly
exclusively. Wheat is the staple. I add peas and/or milo in
various amounts, depending in the kits behaviour. Occasionaly,
rarely, I feed some popcorn, safflower, barley and millet. I
have experimented with pellets to fly on and didnt like them.
I dont expect or try to keep my kits in prime condition all the
time. In fact I purposefully push and pull them over and under
prime. It is a moving target, based on temperatures, time of
year, maturity of the birds, previous flight condition, etc.
Unless Im dialing in and out, I dont know where that prime
combination is.
The unique thing about feeding for performance in rollers is
that we arent feeding/training for maximum condition. We have to
match our management to the balance of roll impulse and control
that our line of birds possess. If we have to maximize our
feeding practices, then likely the birds have too much roll
impulse in them, because when/if we feed anything less than
maximum, they'll struggle to maintain themselves and continue
correct behaviours in the kit. My opinion is we should
feed/manage for just beneath maximum nutrition/fitness and breed
for birds that fit that managment regime. This requires
attention and active managment on our part and isnt always easy.
I dont think its wise to have to keep them fed up anymore than
to starve them down to get the performance we desire.
#Post#: 8113--------------------------------------------------
Re: POLL: Seeds + Grains = Health & Performance
By: Sal Ortiz Date: July 15, 2011, 8:28 am
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Great posts everyone, but on this topic, I will agree with Jon
100% as I am also in the same situation he is. I cannot buy a
commercial mix in my area due to not many roller or pigeons
flyers period. I only have one roller friend about 15 minutes
from me and we both have mix my our own feed but; I do prefer
to feed single grains depending on performance.
In the past, I also tried the pellets and I noticed my kits
flying to high and quality of spin deteriorating as the days
progressed on just the pellets.
#Post#: 10678--------------------------------------------------
Re: POLL: Seeds + Grains = Health & Performance
By: donnie james Date: February 18, 2012, 8:36 pm
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hay list,
i use a mix feed and i do preety good on it and any body use any
foreign substance on your birds like anabolic steroid and amino
acid or alpha lipoic acid and testosterone ?i bet someone out
there uses a foreign substance on there birds donnie james
#Post#: 10685--------------------------------------------------
Re: POLL: Seeds + Grains = Health & Performance
By: JEFF WILSON Date: February 19, 2012, 1:12 pm
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I fly my hardesty family on a commercial feed i cut it in 1/3
mix with wheat till they start to spin then cut it 50/50 has
worked well for me. in moult i add safflower & sun flower.
#Post#: 10691--------------------------------------------------
Re: POLL: Seeds + Grains = Health & Performance
By: slvrollers Date: February 20, 2012, 5:50 pm
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I use commercial feed and add wheat 50/50. During the molt I add
safflower.
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