# Drp Trap



## Fishsean1 (Feb 4, 2008)

Anybody know where I could find pics or plans for building a drop trap to work with a unikon clock? Thanks. 
FISHSEAN!


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

I have just installed my drop trap and I will be using the UNIKON clock as well. I will try to take some pictures today and get them up here. It is 24 degrees here this morning and still dark so I will wait until it warms up a bit!  

Dan


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## DEEJAY7950 (Dec 13, 2006)

Jeez thanks Dan i can't wait to see it myself, pictures are worth a thousand words, and post with out them are so sad and lacking!


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## DEEJAY7950 (Dec 13, 2006)

Hey Dan, how is that clock working out? Have they solved that printer problem yet (being so hard to find and get)?


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

DeeJay,

No, UNIKON still has not worked out the printer problem. It is virtually impossible to buy a new printer that works with the UNIKON software because it requires an internal driver in the printer itself as opposed to the external drivers that virtually all modern printers have. Basically if the printer requires you to download the drivers onto your computer it is not compatible with UNIKON. This forces anyone using UNIKON to use ancient printers that are gradually falling apart and can't be replaced anywhere. Not a good business practice on their part.

As far as the drop traps are concerned, I am trap training my 1st round youngsters now and they don't seem to have any problems with them at all. Now, if I can just get them off the roof of the loft... I have set up my landing board so that there is a piece of Luann (very thin plywood, usually used to skin cheap interior doors) over two cutouts for my two UNIKON antenae. I can remove the antenae and replace the Luann so it looks absolutely the same to the birds with or without the antenae. I promise, I will post some pictures either today or tomorrow. 

Dan


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

learning said:


> Now, if I can just get them off the roof of the loft...


Take a tube or two of tennis balls out with you and when they are sitting up there throw one up there and spook them off of there. Can't be teaching them bad habits.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?p=144848&highlight=belgium+drop+trap#post144848

This post has some pics of a drop trap. You can also search above for drop traps. Hit the search button and you can find most things you are looking for. 

Randy


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

O.K. Guys,

Really sorry I didn't get these up earlier. My wife took out digital camera to school with her so I had to wait until she remembered to bring it home. I will split this up over a few posts so you can see all the pics. 

These first few give you an idea of the setup. As you can see the racing side has a 12' X 4' landing board that is enclosed by a California style aviary. There are two doors that fold down on the aviary to allow birds in and out. This is very similar to Renee's setup.

View attachment 8289


View attachment 8287


View attachment 8288


I will post more of the trap itself in another post.

Dan


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

O.K. post #2,

These pictures are of the trap specifically. I have a six stall trap. As you can see the birds simply drop into the loft and then, because of the angle, they can not fly back out. The dowels are spaced 4 and 1/4 inches apart. 

View attachment 8291


This one shows the trap open to let birds out.

View attachment 8290



I will post one more time with the specifics on the antenae installation.

Dan

Sorry, this one should have been with the next post. Don't know how that happened. Anyway, this one is of the Luuan cover in place that covers the recesses for the antenae.


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

O.K., last time!

Here is a picture that shows the way I dealt with the antenae installation. I wanted the landing board to look the same to the birds regardless of wether the antenaes were in place or not. I also didn't want to have to leave the antenaes hooked up permenantly...so...

I built a cover out of Luuan that sits over the recesses I chiseled out of the landing board frame. This way, if I want to hook the antenaes up I just take the cover off, drop the antenaes down in their recesses and replace the cover. I also had to drill out spaces for the cable to go down through the frame. Those are the little tunnels you see in the frame. 

Anyway, I hope this clears some things up for some folks. Sorry it is so late in coming!  

View attachment 8293


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I* LOVE *your drop traps. You are going to have a *VERY* easy time teaching your birds to trap. WELL DONE!! Everything looks wonderful!


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

*More Antenae's Needed !!*

Dan,

You have it set up OK, but up here we will string a whole line of antenae's across the roof line and maybe even a couple in the trees !!  

Now, you don't want to go as far as one guy did up here, he had antenae's 20 miles from his listed loft, at his "other loft" !!  When he started winning everything out of place, someone got the idea that something was up, so when he went to the guys house on race day...the wife said...oh, he's at his "other Loft" !! BUSTED !!!...... 

Kidding aside, looks like a real nice set up. The birds on the loft roof, can really only be avoided with a complicated string set up. I would think twice about the often suggested tennis ball throwing idea....getting the birds conditioned to be afraid of you, may someday come back to haunt you....like on race day...they may take off when they see you, only to do another couple dozen victory laps......


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I personally don't worry so very much about the birds sitting on the roof. I've found that in most cases once you start racing, the birds trap pretty quickly. AFTER the first race of course. When your young birds come in from that first race, they sort of have that "what the heck just happened???" look about them. 
When we are loft flying and training, the ones that sit on the roof don't eat. Doesn't take them long to figure it out. As far as throwing things........the only way we do that is if the birds are on the back of the roof and we can't see them. We'll throw a little stick or rock. They don't SEE us throw it, but it scares them enough to at least bring them back to the front so we can watch them. I NEVER throw anything when they can see me doing it.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Lovebirds said:


> I personally don't worry so very much about the birds sitting on the roof. I've found that in most cases once you start racing, the birds trap pretty quickly. AFTER the first race of course. When your young birds come in from that first race, they sort of have that "what the heck just happened???" look about them.
> When we are loft flying and training, the ones that sit on the roof don't eat. Doesn't take them long to figure it out. As far as throwing things........the only way we do that is if the birds are on the back of the roof and we can't see them. We'll throw a little stick or rock. They don't SEE us throw it, but it scares them enough to at least bring them back to the front so we can watch them. I NEVER throw anything when they can see me doing it.


I agree 100%.....95% of why I road train is to condition them to "race" home and trap quickly. I suspect that Mister Cooper here also helps in the "fast trapping" department. I have found that a single pigeon sitting on my house roof, is a little uncomfortable with the idea of sitting alone. There have been times when I lost or won by mere seconds.....so fast trapping is a key to winning races.


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

Lovebirds said:


> I* LOVE *your drop traps. You are going to have a *VERY* easy time teaching your birds to trap. WELL DONE!! Everything looks wonderful!


Thanks Renee,

I hope that this set up will encourage them to trap easily. I had my first "flyoff" as it were yesterday. For the first time, they got up above the tree line and were having a great time. They were all scattered everywhere as they seemed to loose track of each other. Of the 18 that were out, 12 came in right away. I got two more about two hours later. The rest I have not seen. I don't know how much hope I should hold out for the other 4. I guess we will see over then next day or so. I am hoping that when I let them out today they might fly over some of the ones that were out and lead them home. 

Anyway, thanks for the kind words.

Dan


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

learning said:


> Thanks Renee,
> 
> I hope that this set up will encourage them to trap easily. I had my first "flyoff" as it were yesterday. For the first time, they got up above the tree line and were having a great time. They were all scattered everywhere as they seemed to loose track of each other. Of the 18 that were out, 12 came in right away. I got two more about two hours later. The rest I have not seen. I don't know how much hope I should hold out for the other 4. I guess we will see over then next day or so. I am hoping that when I let them out today they might fly over some of the ones that were out and lead them home.
> 
> ...


Sounds like something spooked them. Probably a hawk. Yea, I'd keep on the look out for the other 4 for a couple more days. After that, they could show up anytime from 4 days to 4 weeks!! Had em' do both. Flying the other birds might get them in too. Good luck.


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> Dan,
> 
> You have it set up OK, but up here we will string a whole line of antenae's across the roof line and maybe even a couple in the trees !!
> 
> ...



Warren,

I heard about the guy that was GPS'ed from one location and actually flew to a much shorter one. That's called winning the easy way!! (otherwise known as cheating!) I think you might be onto something though with the antenaes across the roofline idea. At this point, it would probably save me about 10 minutes in clocking time!!  

Oh, by the way, if my birds want to take a few extra "victory" laps around the loft that is fine with me...as long as they are truely *victory* laps! 

Dan


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## k-will (Dec 15, 2007)

something may have spooked them,or the 4 you are missing just didnt have the strength to make it back.they may yet though.you are right when you say letting the others back out may bring them on in.just dont force the other 14 to fly.let them do it on their own.


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## k-will (Dec 15, 2007)

by the way,nice set-up.i have been thinking about building some of those myself.your pictures will help.thanks mosabi.


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

Well, thanks for the words of encouragement guys, but the plan has most deffinitely backfired. I let the others out yesterday in hopes of coaxing the original four missing birds back. Instead I lost another three. Then the remaining 11 would not come in and spent the night on the loft roof. When I went out to feed this morning there was nothing to be found. I fed the rest of the loft and when I came back out there were three birds on the roof. These three took two hours to finally come in. So in two days I went from 18 birds to three. 

Not a good two days.

Dan


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## k-will (Dec 15, 2007)

its not over yet.something is definately spooking them.try to let them out when you can stay out and watch.its probably a hawk,just a guess.


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

k-will said:


> its not over yet.something is definately spooking them.try to let them out when you can stay out and watch.its probably a hawk,just a guess.



I was out with them, for several hours. There was nothing. They just took off and didn't come back. When some did, they wouldn't trap. Just need to re-evaluate everything for the next round. 

I guess I should look at it positively. My feed bill just went way down.
Sorry, I get sarcastic when I am not having the best of days.

Dan


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

It sounds like you are overfeeding the young birds. My thoughts are that most will come back when they get good and hungry. With young birds you will have sitters. The Janssen brohters had the "De Zitter" who sat on the landing board after a race and just took in the sites. Luckily he was fast enough where he still trapped before the others came home. It is not uncommon to have youngbirds out overnight or two. They will come back when they need their basic needs met, food and water. If they are sitting that long these basic needs are not their priority. When they do come in do not feed them. If they don't come in when you call they should not be fed. This will condition them to come in if they want to be fed. We have all learned this frustrating lesson. Watching young birds scoff at us from the tree tops or loft roof. They are like kids, you must be consistent. If they are slow to trap or stay out, they miss a meal. Do not feed them untill after you let them out again. Train them that they do not get fed untill they fly, and that if they do not trap right away they miss the meal. I feed youngbirds morning and evening. A rule I use us that I leave the last bird to eat just a bit hungry. This means shorting them just a bit. The next feeding he will be the first to eat. You will know when you are shorting them too much. They will not want to go out and come right in down to the feeder. 

I would regroup with this bunch of birds when they come back. I would leave them in for a day and underfeed them. You may even want to put them out the next day right before dark. Call them in and feed them only what they will clean up in a few minutes. Some guys even pull food when the first few birds go to the drinker when first trainning young birds. An analogy would be treat them like a family with 10 kids. Make feeding a competition for survival. Once they know what it takes to eat, you will be in charge. Once they are conditioned you can feed just what they need. 

I have heard of a few fanciers that feed the first few through the trap peanuts. Out of your 18 only give the first half a peanut. I use safflower as a motivator. They will soon learn what it takes to get the peanut. We can learn from Pavlov when trainning young birds. They must be motivated to hit the board and enter the loft. Full crops are your worst enemy. 

My thoughts are that you may loose a few, we all do. But if you stand your ground and when that poor bird is waiting sad eyed on the landing board, let him in, but do not feed him. Next loft fly kick him out and feed him when the flock is done trainning. He will be the first to trap. 

Randy


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## k-will (Dec 15, 2007)

solid thinking there hill.weve all been there.i hadnt thought about the facts you pointed out.thats darn good advice.


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## Fishsean1 (Feb 4, 2008)

I have herd that once a bird is lost and finds his/her way home they wont be lost again..Is this true??


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

No. No it isn't.


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## k-will (Dec 15, 2007)

thanks for the pics learning.i am building my trap today thanks to your pics.i always used bobs in the past.(old-school)


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Fishsean1 said:


> I have herd that once a bird is lost and finds his/her way home they wont be lost again..Is this true??


Of course it's not 100% true, BUT, a bird that becomes "lost" and comes back home on it's own stands a good chance of sticking around. Those that become "lost" and you have to go get them are another story.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

Learning

Chances are with all those trees around, that your yb are sitting in the tops watching you. You may see them cruise by from time to time. I would not count them out. I would give a young bird about five days before I would wright them off. They will be home. 

Randy


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## DEEJAY7950 (Dec 13, 2006)

Dan, thanks for the pics, and after your experience, I'll make sure the young ones are hungry before starting loft flying----feed in the hand, if they don't come after it they are not motivated by it, so i'll wait until they show some serious interest in the feed before loft flying!


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## Pinacola (Mar 19, 2008)

*Lost birds*

I don't know a lot about the birds, haven't started raising any yet, but in the process of looking up information, I found an article stating that if you put caraway bread in the cote, the birds will always return. Here is an excerpt from the article, which was on a DIY network.

"Europeans in the middle Ages believed that caraway seeds had special powers of retention. Caraway seed was fed to chickens to keep them from straying. To this day, pigeon fanciers keep their flocks together by placing a piece of caraway baked bread in the cote."


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## DEEJAY7950 (Dec 13, 2006)

I think in the middle ages it wasn't the caraway bread or seed that kept them around but just plain old food to keep them from starving lol!


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