# Birds won't fly for a long time?



## birdkeeper (Jun 24, 2009)

NEED SOME TIPS!!!
My birds has been so lazy about flying for the past two months now...they only fly for 5 - 10 minutes max. What do you guys think is happening? I have been feeding them the same amount or sometimes more because its colder. The only time they will fly longer is when my friendly hawk comes around.


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## blongboy (Nov 10, 2009)

could be the cold weather.... or maybe your extra feed.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

They are probably afraid to stay out because they know the hawk is patrolling. They know the hawk is around even when you don't. A hawk has moved into my neighborhood and the pigeons never come around. They won't until the hawk moves on in the spring.
Might be a good idea to let them follow their instincts.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

some down time won't hurt.. they can get in shape again in the spring... plenty of time... sometimes you have to listen to you your birds.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

Mother nature says winter is time for rest...The birds know this...To bad humans don`t...Alamo


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## birdkeeper (Jun 24, 2009)

Is anyone experiencing the same thing about the birds not fly as much as they use to?


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Hawks can cause a problem BUT over feeding or feeding befor you fly them can to. Fat birds fly less. And just fed bird fly less. If you do not have much of a hawk problem yes they should be flying for at least 1 hour.. but only you know your birds and Your methods.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

The are probably beefed up for the cold. Also look at your feed mixture. High protein food will slow them down. Add corn, barley, wheat, milo etc to get the protein down the birds should start to fly better. Put them on a diet when it starts to warm up and cut the protein. They should start to fly longer.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

Some interesting info about feed this is what Vandenebelee uses. 
SYSTEM OF FEEDING
Tell me something about your feeding system.
‘I always thought there were too many pees in the mixtures for racing pigeons. Therefor I have always fed my birds 50% purifying mixture en 50% breeding mixture. I had some ideas about a good mixture for racing pigeons and asked Staf Theeuwes, representative of the Beyers food-firm, if it was not possible for him to produce 500 kg of this mixture for me. This quantity appeared to be far too low, but he asked my if he could put my mixture on the trading-marked. I had no problems with that.'
Can you tell something about the composition of this mixture?
‘Of course, no problem. It is composed from 31% maize, 20% white soudan dari, 20% paddy rice, 2% kadjang itjoe, 1,9% white wheat, 1% barley, 1,6% pealed oats, 1,6% Australian milo, 0,3% turnip-seed, 0,3% linseed and 0,3% bucwait.
My widowers get this mixture from the moment of returning home until the new basketing. The only thing they are given extra once in a while, is a hand full of maize and pealed sunflower piths; the last two days before basketing. I feed them on the ground than, so they will eat a bit more.'


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

Dari is Milo. He cut the peas out completely out of his racing mix.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

I give NO peas to my birds over the winter,untill I`m ready to start breeding....I let my FAT birds out to fly 4 times so far this winter,only on days when the temperature is over 40 degrees.....They fly 35 to 45 minutes,and like I said,they are FAT/HEAVY......Alamo

PS:I strain all the peas out of my mix,and save them for feeding the breeding pairs babies...I have 50 lbs of Austrian,Maple,and Canadian peas in containers..I just buy Vetch(10 lbs) and Safflower (5 lbs),and add to the 50 lbs of peas,and I`m ready to breed my 30 ybs for 2011....


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

The birds could also be sick, hard to tell really with the information that was given.


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## jeff houghton (Jul 17, 2010)

i also had this problem but i have changed their diet .I now mix more conditioning feed and less high protein feed in with their food.Seen a big improvement in the last month or so.they are not just staying up longer but seem to be racing each other as oppossed to just milling around casually and uninterested.


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

jeff houghton said:


> i also had this problem but i have changed their diet .I now mix more conditioning feed and less high protein feed in with their food.Seen a big improvement in the last month or so.they are not just staying up longer but seem to be racing each other as oppossed to just milling around casually and uninterested.


Feed was my problem also a few years back. Now they compete to see who can lead the flock for their morning and afternoon flights.


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## Black.Pied (Jun 27, 2010)

maybe respitory


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

Alamo said:


> I give NO peas to my birds over the winter,untill I`m ready to start breeding....I let my FAT birds out to fly 4 times so far this winter,only on days when the temperature is over 40 degrees.....They fly 35 to 45 minutes,and like I said,they are FAT/HEAVY......Alamo
> 
> PS:I strain all the peas out of my mix,and save them for feeding the breeding pairs babies...I have 50 lbs of Austrian,Maple,and Canadian peas in containers..I just buy Vetch(10 lbs) and Safflower (5 lbs),and add to the 50 lbs of peas,and I`m ready to breed my 30 ybs for 2011....


What do you use to strain out the peas?


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

That mix would be around 22%protein,54%Carbs,10%water,7%fibre,3.5%fat

Is that good, does anyone know? for young birds ?


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## birdkeeper (Jun 24, 2009)

this the mixture of feed I give my bird and I give them about 2oz. per bird.

15.5% GOLD (POPCORN) - Popcorn, R/C Wheat, Maple Peas, Red & White Milo, Trapper Peas, Safflower Seeds, Austrian Peas, Oat Groats, Vetch, Paddy Rice and 35% Extruded Protein Pellet.


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## Action (Oct 18, 2009)

*Lovin!*

Maybe just wanting a little lovin! They can get that in the loft not the air?
Jack


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## soymi69 (Nov 12, 2007)

birdkeeper said:


> this the mixture of feed I give my bird and I give them about 2oz. per bird.
> 
> 15.5% GOLD (POPCORN) - Popcorn, R/C Wheat, Maple Peas, Red & White Milo, Trapper Peas, Safflower Seeds, Austrian Peas, Oat Groats, Vetch, Paddy Rice and 35% Extruded Protein Pellet.


Marvin, an oz should be enough per bird, your protein content is too high, 35 percent is too much, you only raise your protein when you are breeding and once there are young in the nest. If you can have barley give it to your birds for a week or two until they improve their flying time, looks like you need to fly and flag your birds more whenever you can. I highly suggest cutting down to an oz per bird, don't feel sorry to your birds, that is also the reason why they are not tame you are over feeding them.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

that is also the reason why they are not tame you are over feeding them. Can you explain that statment a little more.


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

The birds become much more tame to the fancier once they learn that the fancier is the source of food. If they are being over fed then often times the birds don't really appreciate the fancier for what he is, the reason they are alive and will lead to them being very wild.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

soymi69 said:


> Marvin, an oz should be enough per bird, your protein content is too high, 35 percent is too much, you only raise your protein when you are breeding and once there are young in the nest. If you can have barley give it to your birds for a week or two until they improve their flying time, looks like you need to fly and flag your birds more whenever you can. I highly suggest cutting down to an oz per bird, don't feel sorry to your birds, that is also the reason why they are not tame you are over feeding them.


Agree here. Too much protein if you want to get good fliers, great if you are breeding. I was looking at racing mixes last night. The protein in most of them was in the 12-13% range. In other words less peas more things like corn,milo,barley,wheat,rice etc. These grains will give your birds more energy. I put the results that I found on the feeding old birds post.


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## birdkeeper (Jun 24, 2009)

Appreciate everyone's tips and I will go ahead and change their diet and hopefully that will get them going again.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

Hill Family...I used a Progresso soup can....I cut out the bottom,and taped on 1/4 inch wire....The wire catches 90% of the peas...Some of the real small peas fall through,but I gently resift them with the can,and get allmost all of them....Ofcourse,I am using feed with NO corn in it....What`s left over without the peas,is what I feed the birds....I add corn,brown rice,safflower,and barley....I feed this untill two weeks or so,before I`m ready to start raising the young birds......Alamo


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

You can just add corn to increase carbs and lower the protein concentration. In winter my pigeons prefer corn.


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## birdkeeper (Jun 24, 2009)

I will get some corn and other things so I can increase the carbs in my feed. Should I take out the peas as well?


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

Alamo said:


> Hill Family...I used a Progresso soup can....I cut out the bottom,and taped on 1/4 inch wire....The wire catches 90% of the peas...Some of the real small peas fall through,but I gently resift them with the can,and get allmost all of them....Ofcourse,I am using feed with NO corn in it....What`s left over without the peas,is what I feed the birds....I add corn,brown rice,safflower,and barley....I feed this untill two weeks or so,before I`m ready to start raising the young birds......Alamo


Probably work great with a no corn mixture. If a corn mixture you might even be able to use bigger wire to separate corn and peas. Or just leave them both out and add more corn. Then use the corn peas mixture later.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

Another good way to cut the feed down is to add wild bird feed that has no cracked corn. I buy a 50lb bag for $16 that is mainly milo, millet, mixed seeds and a few sunflower seeds. I think it is 12% protein. My mix now is 50lbs 16% breeding mix, 50lbs 14% pigeon feed, 50lbs corn 8% and 50lbs wild bird feed 12%. Brings the mix to 12.5%. Not a bad mix. You might buy a bag of corn and the wild bird feed or a small grain light mix and add them to your present feed. They should fly better. Most race mixes that I was looking at are no more than 20% peas with some having no peas. They were all around 12-13% protein. Feed barley and rice will also work. My birds will leave the barley for days and would rather starve to death and I have not tried the rice yet. I use the purina wild bird mix because it is really clean compared to my sources of milo and millet. It also has some mixed seeds and oil.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

I have a pic in the old bird race feed post a few days ago.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

birdkeeper said:


> Appreciate everyone's tips and I will go ahead and change their diet and hopefully that will get them going again.


Keep us posted on how it works. It would not hurt them to go half rations for a couple of days. I have even read, but do not agree with, letting the hens do without for a few days to get them thinned down to breed. I am pairing in a couple of weeks and have put the hens on a bit of a diet short of starving them. The cocks seem to have more energy, fighting etc than the hens.


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