# Using a kitbox



## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

I have a question regarding the use of a kitbox. I recently built a kitbox that will house up to 20 pigeons. I am going to be moving young bird Birmingham Rollers into the kitbox for training and flying. Once they are moved, will this be their permanent home? (As long as I am flying them.)

Will they just live in the kitbox during the flying season and then go back to the regular loft in the winter? How does that effect their kitting action? The kitbox seems like it wouldn't be the most hospitable home in the wintertime.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

ptras said:


> I have a question regarding the use of a kitbox. I recently built a kitbox that will house up to 20 pigeons. I am going to be moving young bird Birmingham Rollers into the kitbox for training and flying. Once they are moved, will this be their permanent home? (As long as I am flying them.)
> 
> Will they just live in the kitbox during the flying season and then go back to the regular loft in the winter? How does that effect their kitting action? The kitbox seems like it wouldn't be the most hospitable home in the wintertime.


Okay...still waiting for a reply. Anyone?


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

There was another post about kit boxes in performing pigeons some one put links on it that will answer your questions. Thats all I know about rollers.
Dave


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Rollers are not like homers You can put a roller in your loft for a while and he will home there. I got some rollers a couple months ago that were old birds I left on out 2 days ago and he was back in the loft today I worked last knight so I'm not sure when he came back.


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## lostflight (Aug 18, 2008)

This is what I do..

I wean and train my youngs in the kitbox. It is pretty much a permanent home, I like to keep 3 kit boxes around so that I can move the birds between them and group those with like performance together. That way you don't have fledglings struggling to keep up with birds that are already spinning.

I keep my birds flying all year round, even through the winter so they stay in the kitbox. I would guess that if you lock them down for the winter its okay to bring them back into the main loft. But remember that birds with too spacious an enclosure don't fly as well together.

About the only time I move my birds out of the kitbox is when I promote it to the breeding pen. Then life gets a little easier.
If it doesn't do well in the breeding pen then it goes back into the kitbox.
In short, a kitbox is pretty much their permanent home.

Hope that helps.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

lostflight said:


> This is what I do..
> 
> I wean and train my youngs in the kitbox. It is pretty much a permanent home, I like to keep 3 kit boxes around so that I can move the birds between them and group those with like performance together. That way you don't have fledglings struggling to keep up with birds that are already spinning.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your reply. I've been advised that I should not fly my birds after October due to the prevalence of hawks in the winter. I was wondering whether I should move the birds to the loft for the winter so I don't have to heat as many water fountains.


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## lostflight (Aug 18, 2008)

Some places can get heavily infested with BOPs, therefore some fanciers are forced to lockdown. I am a little luckier I guess (hope I don't jinx it) LOL If you noticed that hawk occurrences increase then you should lockdown for the safety of your birds. If not then fly on.

I live here in Minnesota so I know how it feels to go outside every morning to water them in the freezing cold. But its for the love of the hobby.

If you want to put them in the loft, I don't see too much harm putting them in a spacious loft. (depending on how big your loft is). Some guys I know report that their birds roll less and kit looser when kept in open enclosures. 

GL to ya.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

lostflight said:


> Some places can get heavily infested with BOPs, therefore some fanciers are forced to lockdown. I am a little luckier I guess (hope I don't jinx it) LOL If you noticed that hawk occurrences increase then you should lockdown for the safety of your birds. If not then fly on.
> 
> I live here in Minnesota so I know how it feels to go outside every morning to water them in the freezing cold. But its for the love of the hobby.
> 
> ...


My loft is 8 X 10 and divided into two sections. One for rollers, and one for other birds. I figured I could subdivide one of the sides to put my kit flyers in. I would not make that section too big, and box perches only...no nesting boxes.


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2010)

i agree that the hawks get bad in the winter and not only for rollers but for homers and anything else that flys too ..I myself keep my homers from flying thru the winter to avoid losing them one by one which will happen if you do have a hawk problem in your area


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## TheGame (Apr 17, 2008)

What is the dimension of your Kitbox?

I dont see anything wrong with leaving the flyers in your kitbox. Just make sure you feed them extra in the winter and give them a lot of corn in their diet. Also make sure they always have water. What some people do in the winters is make their own water fountains using buckets. They do this because the commercial fountain waterers are made out of thing plastic and can crack in the winter if the water inside freezes and expands.

I live in NY and I have Rollers and Doneks. I will be leaving all my birds that are already in the kitbox in the kitbox. What you might want to do is seperate the hens and cocks in your main loft if you have some breeders already. This will make pairing easy and the brids will want to mate right away.


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## fresnobirdman (Dec 27, 2008)

placing you rollers in a loft during the winter and not flying will make you rollers fat and lazy.
it just makes you life harder.



if you lock down a young roller during the winter it is as good as gone, 
rollers will not Roll if you lock them down before they come into their roll.

it is best to fly young birds thru winter and lock down a week after every attack.


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## TheGame (Apr 17, 2008)

fresnobirdman said:


> placing you rollers in a loft during the winter and not flying will make you rollers fat and lazy.
> it just makes you life harder.
> 
> 
> ...


I agree with some of the stuff you have said but disagree about the rest.

Yes the birds will get out of shape if not flown. But its winter so make sure they are getting the right amount of food to help keep them warm.

If it is in their gene to roll the birds will roll (maybe not right away). Just like an athlete you will have to re condition the birds by cutting down on the feed and changing up their diet gradually.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

why does the kit box make them better rollers? I have always wanted to know and just getting around to asking..lol..


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> why does the kit box make them better rollers? I have always wanted to know and just getting around to asking..lol..


I don't think it will make them better rollers...that is in genetics. A kitbox is supposed to make them kit better.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ptras said:


> I don't think it will make them better rollers...that is in genetics. A kitbox is supposed to make them kit better.


oh.. I see, wonder why that is..?


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> oh.. I see, wonder why that is..?


A roller guy told me that the birds get used to being close to each other, and they want to continue that while flying. Don't know if that is the real reason or not. Also, kitboxes don't usually have windows. Some flyers believe that keeping the birds in the dark will help make them kit better. I dunno how much of that I believe.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ptras said:


> A roller guy told me that the birds get used to being close to each other, and they want to continue that while flying. Don't know if that is the real reason or not. Also, kitboxes don't usually have windows. Some flyers believe that keeping the birds in the dark will help make them kit better. I dunno how much of that I believe.


interesting... so how close are they when they kit? my homers stay pretty close as a flock when they fly... I need to check these rollers out sometime.. it is interesting.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> interesting... so how close are they when they kit? my homers stay pretty close as a flock when they fly... I need to check these rollers out sometime.. it is interesting.


I your smart you won't put them in with your homers. Like i did the one roller completely took over the loft i got no homers this year just mixed babies from that one roller she wouldn't let any other birds in any of the nest boxes. So they layed eggs everywhere.


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## wcspinner (Jan 3, 2010)

They kit tightly because they are bred to do so. The objective with Birmingham Rollers is to get them to kit tightly and to roll in unison, 10 feet or more, some roll over 100 feet. I started a forum awhile back and we talk about these very things. There are a lot of places to look on the web for information about roller pigeons, one is not necessarily better than the other. Check out www.rickmeerollers.com if you would like to learn some of the finer points of flying rollers by some of the best fliers in our hobby.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> interesting... so how close are they when they kit? my homers stay pretty close as a flock when they fly... I need to check these rollers out sometime.. it is interesting.


An eleven bird kit will occupy about a ten foot diameter circle (or less). They do this as they fly in large circles around their loft. The best rollers will try to immediately rejoin the kit after they roll.


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2010)

I once read that they keep them in dark kit boxes so they dont expend alot of energy while in the box and that way they will use it all when they are out and flying and it keeps them out longer in the air to do their rolling and performing


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

LokotaLoft said:


> I once read that they keep them in dark kit boxes so they dont expend alot of energy while in the box and that way they will use it all when they are out and flying and it keeps them out longer in the air to do their rolling and performing


A roller guy I have been talking with in my area tells me that rollers are lazy birds. He says that if you overfeed them or let them fly inside the loft, they'll just sit when they're supposed to be flying. They only need to fly for twenty minutes. I guess a couple of minutes of flying time can make a difference between a win and a dis-q.


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## fresnobirdman (Dec 27, 2008)

actually the darkness makes them roll more when they are released...

when you release rollers that have been in the dark they will be more frequent for the first 5 or so mins. 

after that theres nothing to it.
also it helps with molting.

they want their birds to molt at a certain time so they have brand new feathers for the world cup fly.


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## tony_333 (Oct 6, 2008)

The tables can vary either way with the ones that fly from kit boxes,
Some fly from 3x3x3 boxes some fly from Larger ones allowing birds all the freedom of the world.

Some believe that if you fly from smaller boxes, It keep the birds from wasting energy and keeps them on their perches.

You will get both answers.

Having them In the darkness kinda plays like the darkening system in the homer world, Yes it does minimize the light to the birds but doesnt fully play your way with the molt to a full extent. 

For the one who asked about bringing the birds into the loft during winter, I dont and I have -40c weather and that is with out wind. The birds stay outside during all this,But what I do is make sure there is no direct contact with any kind wind and do have to add corn to my mix and give alittle extra feed, then what I did in warmer months

Hopes this helps alittle


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