# New starter with a few questions



## chrisbirm (Feb 20, 2011)

Hi All 
I am fairly new to this caper although I kept rollers for a couple of years when I was a teenager and loved it and have now gotten back into it with my own teenage kids. I have started with 6 birminghams and 6 featherfoot rollers and now have about 22 birds (12 for breeding and 12 young ones fo9r flying). I am now trying (unsuccessfully) to get the young ones up in the air and flying as a kit. The advise that I am seeking is:

As I am not sure if I am over or under feeding them, what is the average amount of food that you should give to a 3-6 month old bird.

What is the best diet for them. I am currently feeding them an 80/20 mix of wheat and peas.

As I live in the Dandenong Ranges, trees are unavoidable, but I just cant get my birds to fly as they just sit in the trees. As they have only been out of the cage 6-10 times, should I be patient and wait for them to build up their wing strength or am I doing something wrong here!! I think that because they sit around in the trees and on top of the coop for so long that I may be overfeeding them.

I have some beautifull birds and I REALLY want to see them fly. PLEASE ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREAT!!


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## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

I also have Rollers,two young birds and two old birds. I just started flying them,so I am learning too. How much feed are you feeding them? Each bird should get about 1 tablespoon of feed but you should alter the feeding amounts according to how well they are trapping in and flying. As for the best diet for them,you should probably get them a different feed mix that has milo,cracked corn, etc. Wheat is usually fed to Rollers to make them fly higher but not used as the main feed. Since young birds need a higher protein diet,you can keep feeding them peas. I have been feeding mine cracked corn,milo and wheat and they seem to do very well on it.
Also,my birds were doing the same thing yours are doing,sitting in trees and on buildings. After you figure out a good feed amount for your birds,so they are not overfed,you should start flagging them(scaring them out of the trees) to make them fly.
I don't know if your birds have access to a fly pen or aviary or not but it helps if you keep it pretty dark in your loft/kitbox,so when you let them out,they will be really excited to fly. I tried it with my birds and it worked great. I hope this helps you! Keep us updated on your birds progress!


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## chrisbirm (Feb 20, 2011)

*New Starter with questions*

Hi Joseph
Thanks for the reply. Sounds like good advise. Yes I was definately overfeeding my birds and have reduced it now. Tonight I will be letting them out before a feed and then getting them to trap a bit faster. I will do this for a while until I think they are ready to fly.

Will keep you posted.

Thanks again


Chris


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

How big is your loft? Rollers need to have very limited space (some people house 20-25 flying rollers in a kit box thats only 4 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet). THats sounds very crowded but rollers manage to fly better when they get little to no room to fly in the loft. If they are getting their flying done in the loft this might be the reason they aren't flying in the air when you let them out. 

Another factor as mentioned is feeding. Rollers that are over weight WILL NOT roll. Usually a few handfuls does the trick for rollers (feed twice a day if you want) once VERY early in the morning, and then you let them out to fly in the afternoon/evening and then feed them once AFER they have trapped. This seemed to work for me when I had rollers for a short period of time.

And lastly, the only other thing I can think of is that you do not have quality rollers. Either the rollers are show rollers (meaning they were bred for their looks, not their performance in the sky) or they aren't really rollers at all. A lot of people that accidentally breed a roller to lets say a tippler or some other flying breed simply just call the bird a roller in order to get it sold (since rollers come in all colours). Who did you buy your rollers from? How much did you pay? 

Those are the only 3 things I can think. Housing, feed, and quality. Get back to me when ever you can!


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## chrisbirm (Feb 20, 2011)

*New Starter*

Hi Matriarch
Some really good advice thanks. Yes my loft has an outside flying area and is pretty roomy in the actual loft area, but I have been thinking of seperating it and putting some birds into smaller areas, so you have just helped me to made up my mind. Thanks

Following a reply that I got from someone else, I now know that I have been overfeeding my birds and that they probably are overweight, so I now have them on a reduced amount, so you are right again !!

Finally these are good birds and I brought them from a guy who came second in the Australian Roller championships so no problems there.

I will keep up the new regime and let you know if things improve.

Thanks heaps

Chris for Oz (Australia)


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

Okay I think the problems solved 

1. Cut down on the feed
2. Give your flyers LITTLE room to fly in the loft. (4 foot by 4 foot by 3 foot loft can hold close to 20 rollers). The breeders on the other hand can be given all the room they want since a.) you won't be flying them outside. b.) they can also be overfed if you want since if they ever do escape, they don't have the stamina to fly away, they'll basically just go onto the roof or ground but thats about it.

3. Since your birds are of high quality, the feed and housing seem to be the problem. 

Let me know how everything works out


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## Chilangz (Apr 3, 2008)

yes!! Very little space for the birds in the loft............ This is a open secret we all follow in here. especially 5 months before the competition begins.


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## velo99 (Apr 8, 2007)

Hey Chilangz,
Do you have a lot of guys in your competition? There is a World Cup fly that involves all of the major continents in the world. A winner is announced at the end of the competition. He gets to be the judge next year. 
Just thought I would mention it.
The World Cup general co-ordinator is on here. His name is Rick Mee. 
yits


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