# How do you train homers use one door as an exit and the trap as an entrance?



## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

I was planning on having release "door" and then a trap entrance. I didn't know if they could be trained to do this and if so how should i go about training them. Thanks


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

I have both on my loft. When you put your cage over your landing board they will learn that they go out the one door and that they have to go in through the other one. You can make the traps flush with the landing board and make they release door up a inch or more up over the landing board.


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Would it be a problem if the landing board was on one side and the trap was on the next side of the loft? Here is a diagram of what i mean: 
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2590801950102852004rSGJXK


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

So should i have a landing board on the outside of the release door and then a landing board on the trap? Thanks


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

zimmzimm3 said:


> So should i have a landing board on the outside of the release door and then a landing board on the trap? Thanks


It would make it easier on the birds as they go out. Rather than just a "window"ledge, they would have a platform of some sort to take off from. You know, now that I think about it (I do that sometimes (think that is  ) )
please tell me you haven't already started on this loft. Thankfully, I'm a female so I'll use my perogative to change my mind.  I think that it would be best if either the birds can come out and go back in through the same opening OR the opening AND the trap is on the same side of the loft. 
The reason is, when you go to set up a settling cage, there's no way to let the birds out into the cage and then call them in through the trap if the trap is all the way on the other side of the loft. Don't know why I didn't think of that before. Are you confused yet??? I'm sorry. I don't mean to make things seem so complicated. It's just when you're all said and done, you want the loft to be as _simple for the birds _as possible.
In fact, I'm going to delete my other post. What I told you don't even make good sense.

PS: Just got a phone call........got unexpected company coming........pictures will have to wait a while.


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Ok so if i put the release right above the trap with a landing board for both would this work. I could open the trap but i won't stay open so i could still put them in the settling cage. Here is a diagram of what i am talking about with the release on top of the trap:
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2290136340102852004YQvFlB


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Our release door is below the trap, but I don't think that makes too much difference. It will make your life a whole lot easier if you just start with the trap door first. Find some way to keep the trap door open so they can go in and out. Once they seem to have the idea that they can come out and in, start letting them out through it but close it behind them so they learn to come trough the bars. After a while they'll start coming through the trap pretty quick. Then you can open the release door and close it behind everyone. They'll see they can't get back in through that door, and go back to the trap to enter. That's what I did...and I can't think of too many other ways you could do it other than that  or at least without a lot of frustration. The only reason my trap door is above the release, is probably so I can get to it easier from the way it's built. That and my dad said it was better to put the trap above the other...Either way I think your plan is fine. As long as the two doors are close, I think everything will be okay


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

MaryOfExeter said:


> Our release door is below the trap, but I don't think that makes too much difference. It will make your life a whole lot easier if you just start with the trap door first. Find some way to keep the trap door open so they can go in and out. Once they seem to have the idea that they can come out and in, start letting them out through it but close it behind them so they learn to come trough the bars. After a while they'll start coming through the trap pretty quick. Then you can open the release door and close it behind everyone. They'll see they can't get back in through that door, and go back to the trap to enter. That's what I did...and I can't think of too many other ways you could do it other than that  or at least without a lot of frustration. The only reason my trap door is above the release, is probably so I can get to it easier from the way it's built. That and my dad said it was better to put the trap above the other...Either way I think your plan is fine. As long as the two doors are close, I think everything will be okay


Do you put them in and out of the trap door before or after you use the settling cage to teach them to use the trap door?


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## Snowbird Sue (Dec 31, 2007)

*Good Question*........... I bought a trap, and it is still in the box. I wish someone would post a picture, as it would make it a lot easier to understand what everyone is talking about. 
I know the birds have to come and go out of the trap..... So, how does it go together? Thanks!


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

zimmzimm3 said:


> Do you put them in and out of the trap door before or after you use the settling cage to teach them to use the trap door?


Well when I have birds that aren't used to trap doors, like YBs and any new ones I may have gotten, I don't rush them. When I want to let them out, I just lift up the trap door, and let them investigate themselves. I might take one or two and sit them closer to the door so they'll want to go out. The others normally get the idea quicker that way. I figure that if they learn on their own, things will work out a little easier.


And um...a...settling cage?


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

Snowbird Sue said:


> *Good Question*........... I bought a trap, and it is still in the box. I wish someone would post a picture, as it would make it a lot easier to understand what everyone is talking about.
> I know the birds have to come and go out of the trap..... So, how does it go together? Thanks!


Ok, first you need to tell us what type of trap you bought. And you should use a settling cage to start with 7 or 8 week old sqeakers so they get used to the traps. Since I didn't get to race old birds this year   So I dont have a landing board right now (making it bigger and longer) I will have it done In 2 weeks or so, so when I have it set up Ill pm you some pics.


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## Snowbird Sue (Dec 31, 2007)

Hi Matt, and thanks for the info. If you have a current Foy catalog, it is on page 68, #171 "Foy's 3-1 Trap and Landing Perch". It sure looked good in the catalog, but came in "parts".... I haven't even put it together yet!  Also, I do not currently have a settling cage, so maybe you can help me figure out what I need there. 
Hey, I like your John Wayne quote!! I'm not stupid, just blonde  !!! Anyway, feel free to e-mail the pics to me if you don't mind. I have a box of "parts", so I just say, "parts is parts"!  
Thank you for your help.


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

Ok I see what you are talking about. I build my own traps and release doors, because they have to fit my tauris clock scanners. It looks like it isnt much more than 1 or 2 feet long. I use a 7x4 landing board, much bigger. It is really small I would think for a settling cage. If I were you I would crate up all the birds hungry and then clean the loft put in new water and feed. Then go out side of the loft and take a bird out at a time, then you need to "feed" them through the traps. Do this for 3 or 4 days morning and night when you are out there cleaning the loft and feeding. Then start to put them on the landing board and let them go in by themselves, move slowly so you dont spook them. Then after 4 or 5 days of that go to taking them out of the crate and let them fly out of your hand onto the board. As soon as they have all of this down start to let them out of the loft and see they should be just fine. If you have some dummy (for me its my brother, maybe you have a son or daughter or maybe a husband  )have them in the loft and between every bird have him/her go into the loft every time a bird goes into the loft catch them, crate them, and put down 2 or 3 peanuts for the next bird. You will find what works and just do that over and over again. Sorry I cant help right now with your landing board. Feel free to email me pics of everything that came and Ill see what I can tell you.


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

MaryOfExeter said:


> Well when I have birds that aren't used to trap doors, like YBs and any new ones I may have gotten, I don't rush them. When I want to let them out, I just lift up the trap door, and let them investigate themselves. I might take one or two and sit them closer to the door so they'll want to go out. The others normally get the idea quicker that way. I figure that if they learn on their own, things will work out a little easier.
> 
> 
> And um...a...settling cage?


I am not sure what you meant by this could you please clarify? It might be my terminology what i am talking about is putting them in a cage on the landing board and teaching them to go through the trap. Is that not what you do? I opening the trap door and letting them out and doing that is that what you do instead? Thanks


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Snowbird Sue said:


> *Good Question*........... I bought a trap, and it is still in the box. I wish someone would post a picture, as it would make it a lot easier to understand what everyone is talking about.
> I know the birds have to come and go out of the trap..... So, how does it go together? Thanks!


MaryofExeter made this to show me a while back maybe it will help you it sure did me:
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff91/BirdsOfAFeatherLofts/trapdoors.jpg


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

zimmzimm3 said:


> I am not sure what you meant by this could you please clarify? Thanks


A settling cage is a cube that fits your landing board and there is wire and all the sides that aren't flush to the landing board or the loft. This is meant to get the birds used to the landing board and going in and out the the traps without having the possibility of a few spooking, and possibly loosing a few.


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Matt D. said:


> A settling cage is a cube that fits your landing board and there is wire and all the sides that aren't flush to the landing board or the loft. This is meant to get the birds used to the landing board and going in and out the the traps without having the possibility of a few spooking, and possibly loosing a few.


Thats what i thought it was.


MaryOfExeter said:


> And um...a...settling cage?


I just don't understand what she is saying or asking .


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

zimmzimm3 said:


> I just don't understand what she is saying or asking .


She might not know what a settling cage is?


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Matt D. said:


> She might not know what a settling cage is?


So how do you train them to use the trap?


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

I already told you how I do it i use a settling cage. But I also told you how to do it without a cage, post 14 or 15 or somewhere in there.


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Matt D. said:


> I already told you how I do it i use a settling cage. But I also told you how to do it without a cage, post 14 or 15 or somewhere in there.


I guess what i meant is of the two which one do you recommend? But i don't see where you said how to train them with a settling board. Thanks


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## Snowbird Sue (Dec 31, 2007)

Hi, that is the trap door we have. There is also a landing perch that is 12 1/2" x 18".... Also, a weird wire bracket, but I haven't figured out where that goes, because the "holes" it is supposed to go in, are on the inside of the landing perch, instead of the outside, so we will have to modify that. I have a husband who can help me with the trap training! Sounds like it will be fun! Thanks for the info. Yeah, I think my trap is a tad small for a settling board. Catch & Release should work out fine. Thanks again!


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2008)

basically all you need to do is cut a hole in any wall you want the trap to be placed in.then attach your trap door to the hole you just cut out be it bobs or Drop Trap...now on the outside of the coop build a platform level with your trap door and make it big enough to place a wire cage on top of the platform ,2ft by 2 ft would be fine but has to be big enuf to fit your settling cage on , the cage is just used to keep the birds from flying off when training them how to use the trapdoor ..once they get the idea of going thru the trap they are trap trained but you want to repeat it alot til they know where they must go thru to get back into the loft and food is usually their motivator .. once they are used to going thru the trap when called in for food you can take away the cage and let them explore on their own til you want them back in then you give the call for food and they should know the way and head on in but you want them hungry when you let them out so never feed them before you let them out .


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

zimmzimm3 said:


> I guess what i meant is of the two which one do you recommend? But i don't see where you said how to train them with a settling board. Thanks


I recommend using a larger landing board and I Happen to be a settling board junkie. I will let them fly in the morning before school while I am cleaning the loft then I will call them in and put on the settling board and let them sun bath all day. It is also a great way to give them a bath, this might be why I have to replace my landing board every other year.


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2008)

i have 2 sputniks one beside the other one out and the other in they get use to it with no probs


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

Why dont you you just use one for both. That is what they are suposed to be.


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2008)

lol yeah i know but inside the in one there is bob wires so they dont get out again, so once they out i close the out sputnik and once they in thats it no messing, they heve their fly for a hour then strate in dont let them get into bad habits by sitting on the loft,


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## David Ey (Dec 31, 2007)

Could some of you post some photos of the setteling board and traps?


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## k-will (Dec 15, 2007)

hi david,you can see pics of bob traps on the net on pigeon supply sites.what you want is a landing board big enough for the birds to land on to come back in the loft.a settling cage is a open wire box that sits on the landing board that is open at the end where the trap is.they have this plastic type 1/4 in mesh now that is easy to use at home depot stores.one roll will be more than enough.as for ideas for a landing board,look on the au site and they have a section with lofts,or just cruise the internet,and you will get plenty of ideas on what will work for you.in a few days i will post a pic of my set-up as i am still building.(see loft designs section,my post of new loft) happy hunting.


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## ezemaxima (Jan 12, 2008)

Here's my version of the Sputnik trap door. And the whole thing is hinged on the bottom aand this is what i use as my exit door and on my days off i just leave it open so they can fly out whenever they feel like especially when I'm cleaning the loft.


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

In a Sputnik what keeps them from exiting again?


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

This is a really late reply, but just to clear up some confusion, I had never heard of a settling cage. Sorry  
Maybe I should start using one of those...


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

MaryOfExeter said:


> This is a really late reply, but just to clear up some confusion, I had never heard of a settling cage. Sorry
> Maybe I should start using one of those...


Here's our settling cage. I hope the picture comes out like it's supposed to.
I have the settling cage circled. It is not part of the loft. It's a separate piece that can be put up and taken down. The white traps are where the birds enter the loft. The "out window" is where they can go in and out. Right now, the window stays open all day. They are free to go in and out as they wish. In about a week, I'll start pulling their food (right now they have food 24/7) and feed them twice a day. I'll start by putting their feeder in the room that the trap goes into and start calling them. After about 3 days of this, I'll start putting them all out in the settling cage, shut the "out window" and if they are hungry  they will trap in to eat. The ones that do not trap will not eat and I'll try again in the afternoon. Now because we have bobs, I do lift every other bob the first couple of times and gradually drop one down until all the bobs are down and they are coming through them.
The settling cage can be moved down to the other end of the loft for the second round birds and I go through the whole process again with them. By the time I start trap training the second round, the first round has already been out without the settling cage. Once I start trap training, my birds never eat unless they come through the traps. If we have some really bad weather, then the settling cage goes back up and they still have to go out in the settling cage and trap in. 
I hope this helps you guys to understand what we're talking about when we say settling cage. Again, it all depends on how your loft is set up. Those people who have the california style aviaries, like I have on the widowhood loft, don't need a settling cage, because their aviary is the settling cage. My aviaries on the big loft and underneath the trap, so a settling cage is the only way I can teach my birds to trap, while they are still safely confined, until they learn the process.
One other note. The window on the left goes into one room. The trap goes into another room. The window on the right goes into one room. I have doors separating all three rooms, so I can have "3" different lofts of birds, or I can open the doors and have one big loft. I do keep the 1st and 2nd round separated until the 2nd round has been out of the loft flying a couple of times. At that time, I do open the doors separating the three rooms and my YB's have the whole front of the loft.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Great idea and setup. great picture to you truly have an excellent loft. Thanks for sharing your info I enjoy reading about the birds updates as well.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Here's a picture of my bobs when I first start training the birds to trap. I lift them up like this for their first two times through. Then I drop one or two and do this for a couple of days until all the bobs are back down in the right position.


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Do I leave leave the trap locked while i have them in the settling cage and then unlock it when i call them in or do I let them come in through the trap if they want to. Thanks


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

zimmzimm3 said:


> Do I leave leave the trap locked while i have them in the settling cage and then unlock it when i call them in or do I let them come in through the trap if they want to. Thanks


I keep my bobs locked most of the time. But I do that because, right now, unless they are eating, they don't have access to that middle room. IF one trapped in, then it would be stuck in there with no water and no way to get out until I discover it's in there. By the time I get both rounds, 1st and 2nd trapping and flying, I won't be using the settling cage anymore so most of the time I would keep the bobs locked anyway so nothing else can get in the loft, like cats...etc....Actually the only time I have my bobs unlocked is when I'm waiting on a bird (or birds  ) to come home. It's a good habit to get into. I've gone to bed and suddenly remembered or COULDN'T remember if I locked the bobs and would have to get up and go out there to make sure.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Lovebirds said:


> Here's our settling cage...





Lovebirds said:


> Here's a picture of my bobs when I first start training the birds to trap...



Thanks for the detailed photos! Makes it much easier to understand all the explanations. Your three room system gives you a lot of flexibility!


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