# Flagging Birds out of trees



## chrisbirm (Feb 20, 2011)

Hi All
I am still fairly new to this but have about 25 rollers (12 breeders & 12 newly bred) I have trapped trained them and have been letting them out to fly recently. As I had been overfeeding them, they were not flying and just sitting on top of the loft and in the trees. I have now reduced their feed and started a new and more healthy feed mix as well as keeping them in a more confined space (for the last 2 weeks) but still I cant get them out of the trees and into the sky. I heard a bit about flagging trees and have the following questions:

Is it good or bad to flag or scare them out of the trees?
If so does anyone have any suggestions about how to do this. When I try they just look at me and laugh. Perhaps there are some techniques for doing this?

Heres hoping


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

Hope that someone will answer you, Pigeon Talk seems to have a big membership of just homer people and general type pigeon people... TRy this link out..

http://www.roller-pigeon.com/_Roller_Pigeon_Discussion.html


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## LittleJohn (Jan 1, 2009)

definitely get them out of the trees and make them fly, use a flag, a tennis ball, whatever it takes....if they develop a bad habit of that you are destined for a lot of headaches


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## vivagirl (Jun 24, 2008)

I can help you with that. I raise & train rollers. First thing it is almost impossible to train old birds to kit and perform. You should put your young in some type of cage as a group.(KIT) Trap train them. Then keep cutting their feed back until they are so hungry they don't want to leave the cage. Then fly them. If they wan't fly flag them. I have long bamboo pole with rag tied on the end. You want them to stay out no longer than 30 mins. Once you get there feed regulated to where they stay out no longer that 20 to mins. you will getting there. Probably the thing to do is call me 252-527-0918. Also I produce a video "Training Performing Rollers" with James Turner. The DVD is about 40 mins. and only cost $10 plus $2 postage. Regards Viva Girl


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## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

I totally agree with vivagirl. You really should take the old birds out of your kit. I was flying my old birds with my young birds before and they didn't roll or fly very much,they just sat around like yours are doing. But once I took the old birds out,my young birds started flying MUCH better. What also helped to make my birds fly more was I didn't let them out into the little aviary any more,so then when I let them out,they are really excited to fly.


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## LittleJohn (Jan 1, 2009)

thanks Danny Joe!


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## Jimbo113 (Mar 17, 2011)

Have to agree with above comments. Will add however that once you are training young bird kit, don't let them land in trees or on wires etc.... Once they get into that bad habit it's realy hard sometimes to break it. I used to take an old water hose and cut into about one foot lengths. Use those to toss up in trees and at wires to chase them off as soon as they land or even better "before " they actually land. They will get the idea. I had my neighborhood kids trained also to pick up the short pieces of hose and throw back over the fence by my kit loft, hehe.
Good luck!!
Jimbo


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## chrisbirm (Feb 20, 2011)

*New Starter Thanks All!!*

Hi There
For those of you that have been giving me advice about how to feed my birds, flag them out of the trees and get them flying, I just wanted to say a big big thanks!! Based on all of your advice, I have now remodelled my coop into three sections, one for the breeding birds, one for the young ones and one for those that I am trying to fly. I am now mixing my own food with individual reciepes for each group of birds, have reduced the amount of space for the flying birds and also have a sore shoulder from flaging them out of the tress and finally today......... SUCCESS!!!!! 
My beautifull kit of rolers went on a 20-30 minute flight performing brilliantly, with a couple of my birds rolling really deep (6-12 rolls at a time). It was such a buzz!! 

This has been a 9 month journey but finally it looks like I am reaping the rewards but not without all of your help, so again thanks so much everyone for your help and advice. This web-site ROCKS!!


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