# Not sure how to properly train Birminghams



## thatshimman (Mar 8, 2010)

I am in dire need of help. In an ideal world, I would be in a clear yard with pretty much no visible obstructions. Since I live in the city, my yard is tiny and there are pretty much trees all over the place.

Should this cause and problems with training the ybs? I guess this is a situation where a bag on a stick is usually helpful and being "agressive" with it so they don't really land and stay on anything, right?

My next dilemma is i'm really not sure how to start. I have the kitbox built, have a cage that I used to house the rollers until the kitbox was complete and it now has been incorporated into the kitbox as an aviary. Am I to put them in the aviary and kind of push the ybs through it? After they learn the trap door, should I remove the aviary and kind of let them fly around the yard and property? I would imagine letting them out, they are going to be sitting on my roof, on the floor, fences, neighbors, etc so using the bag on a pole to "force" them to fly would be the proper step?

This is my first set of birds and I am overwhelmed so I hope someone can help a major newbie.


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## TheGame (Apr 17, 2008)

Are they young birds?? First you need to put your birds in their new home and let them get comfortable. Everytime you go feed your birds shake a can and whistle. Do this for a few weeks or so and the birds will learn whistling and a can with seeds being shaked means feeding time. Make sure you give your birds enough to eat but then slowly cut it down. If I remember correctly its roughly about a cup for 10 birds. Once the birds are more relaxed with the kitbox start settling them ontop of your kitbox. Place them in a cage above your kitbox for a few hours a day for a week or so. Everytime you let them back inside of the kitbox make sure to whistle and shake the can. If you are using a trap I would manually push each bird in a few times so they know. Or you can start by simply leaving the door wide open for the birds to enter to eat. The cage from where you release the birds I would hold close or near to the kitbox so the birds will have a less chance to escape. You can slowly increase the distance untill the birds are ready for the real test. For the real test make sure the birds are Extremely hungry and just let them out. Dont spoke or scare them just let them venture out on their own. Try to keep them on your kitbox if possible and off the ground because this will teach bad habits. Then simply call the birds in with a whistle and shake of the can and the birds should all trap. To be safe you could try only take a few out a time and teaching them to trap. This way if you messed up somewhere you dont lose all of your birds. But hey even if you lose a few birds dont worry about it! Its all a part of the game


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## TheGame (Apr 17, 2008)

If the birds are older you can tape their flight feathers or tie a rubber band around it so they can't fly to far and just follow everything else above.


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## thatshimman (Mar 8, 2010)

Thank you so much for the response. I have some yb's and I have been so paranoid about letting them out for the first time, or at least how to do this properly. Just worried that they'll fly to a tree or a neighbors house and sit there and won't know how to come back. My settling cage will also be my aviary and I have it so that they can enter and exit the trap from within the aviary. How do you deal with them flying onto roofs and trees?


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## BillfromNJ (Feb 27, 2010)

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

First flying in the city is fine, hundreds of people do it without any problems.

A small yard is fine also read above sentence. 

Just make sure the birds to be released are very hungry.

Allow the birds to sit out without you flagging or spooking them for a couple of weeks.

Let them fly up and out on their own, have patience doing this, do not rush things...

My routine begins like this;

Training begins with those young birds that are able to feed themselves confidently and 

consistently. 

Training consists of allowing only the new very young birds to sit upon loft 

roof to learn their bearings and imprint the immediate area surrounding their loft. 

Times do vary, as these very young birds will fly up on their own accord or when 

something spooks them. Teaching to get them accustomed to the trap is another story, 

but I do leave a couple of bobs lifted up to allow a larger opening for them to pass thru 

more easily.

All the flyers are flown daily, preferably early AM, and are never allowed out after 12 

noon. 

Birds are kept in the loft if inclement weather threatens.


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## wcspinner (Jan 3, 2010)

What family of rollers are you starting with? A suggestion, if you have way too many trees in your back yard then I suggest making a portable kit box that you can roll out to an area where there are less trees such as your front yard. When you are done flying just move them back. Send me an email at [email protected] if you have any questions, I been messing with these birds for 34 years and have done well with them. www.rickmeerollers.com


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## TheGame (Apr 17, 2008)

How did it go?? Did you let the birds out yet or what? But just try and gather as much info as you can. Sometimes you will loose birds no matter what so dont sweat it.


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## thatshimman (Mar 8, 2010)

I'm actually still trap training at the moment. Im opening the box this weekend for the first time and will definitely report back then. Right now I have a couple of bobs hanging and adding one each day so that they get the trap door.


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## BillfromNJ (Feb 27, 2010)

Remember, go slow and do not rush things...

The flyers will catch on quickly enough, it just takes a little time to get into a routine.


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## thatshimman (Mar 8, 2010)

I flew them for the first time today, well somewhat. I opened the kitbox to let them out and they flew immediately to the roof of my house. About 5 minutes later they all just scattered. Man, what a site! Two of them came back to the roof and just sat there the whole time until I called them in. 

About an hour later, one of them came back but now (4 hours later) the 4th bird is no where to be seen. Is this normal for a first fly? Should I just assume and accept that maybe it's gone for good?


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## Guest (Apr 17, 2010)

thatshimman said:


> I flew them for the first time today, well somewhat. I opened the kitbox to let them out and they flew immediately to the roof of my house. About 5 minutes later they all just scattered. Man, what a site! Two of them came back to the roof and just sat there the whole time until I called them in.
> 
> About an hour later, one of them came back but now (4 hours later) the 4th bird is no where to be seen. Is this normal for a first fly? Should I just assume and accept that maybe it's gone for good?


there is always hope it will come back give it a few days and in the mean time release them back out tomorrow maybe they will pull the other one in if it still in the area .. but always be on the look out for any hawks in the area, that might be why they all scattered in the first place


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## Frank-NC (Jan 26, 2010)

did that last bird make it back? keep us udated plz =)


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## TheGame (Apr 17, 2008)

I think that is very common for young birds. Especially if they have never flown. My young birds did the same exact thing. I let them all out and they scattered everywhere!! I was very nervous and scared. The birds are just learning how to use their wings and exploring the area. Once they get comfortable in about a week or so they will start kitting and flying together.

You should look into maybe using PVC pipes for traps instead of bobs. I use PVC pipes that are at a 45 degree angle and it works great. The birds cant get out and other larger animals and cats cant really get in as easily. I usually leave the trap doors open for the birds that dont make it back right away. And with the pvc pipes I dont have to worry about anything getting out or anything untwanted coming in. Here is a picture.


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## thatshimman (Mar 8, 2010)

She came back last night around 7 p.m.-- 8 hours after letting them all out for the first time. I left the trap open and my brother stopped by to close the trap for me and sure enough she was in there.

Now for todays problem... I let them out again but this time after work which was around 5:30 p.m. or so. They flew around the loft and sat on the roof of the house. I went into the house and when I came out, the same hen was gone. This was around 6:30 p.m. its now 11:30 and i just checked and she still isnt back. Maybe I let them out too late and it got dark so shes nested somewhere? To make matters worse, it started pouring here! 

What am I doing wrong here? Am I not being consistent by not letting them out exactly at the same exact time i.e. letting them out at 11 a.m. yesterday vs 5 p.m. today?


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## TheGame (Apr 17, 2008)

No I dont think time is a factor. They are young birds and just learning once they become a little more familiar with their surroundings and comfortable flying you wont have any of these problems. Also if they stay out and dont come back in right away after flying they are not hungry enough.


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## plumvalley (Nov 12, 2009)

Time of day don't matter, I fly mine at all times. Your birds should be hungry at what ever time you decide they should fly. I've kicked mine out 1/2 before dark with little to no problems. How much, what and when do you feed? This is important if you want a performance breed to fly for you. If these are young birds try to break any bad habits they start before it becomes a major problem. Like when they land on the roof or in a tree toss a ball at them, they will learn that this something you don't want them to do. Like an old roller man once told me: you have to be smarter than a pigeon! once you are you're gonna love them rollers..........


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## thatshimman (Mar 8, 2010)

Thanks for all the responses! Alas, she came back this morning. Man, I feel like such a pansy for being paranoid and worrisome. 

For feed, I feed them Nutriblend Green pellets and I feed this to them at 7 a.m. and again right before sunset at 7 p.m. As for how much, I only have 4 birds so I give them 2handfuls. I believe its one tablespoon per bird, but it looks so little when I give them that. How much should I feed them? I guess this is strictly situational...

As for breaking habits, should i start throwing tennis balls and/or a bag on a stick to get them off the roof? I didn't want to startle them the first week of letting out. 

My last question is, they don't really fly the entire time. They'll mostly just sit on the roof and then have sudden flying outbursts-- if that makes any sense.


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## plumvalley (Nov 12, 2009)

thatshimman said:


> Thanks for all the responses! Alas, she came back this morning. Man, I feel like such a pansy for being paranoid and worrisome.
> 
> For feed, I feed them Nutriblend Green pellets and I feed this to them at 7 a.m. and again right before sunset at 7 p.m. As for how much, I only have 4 birds so I give them 2handfuls. I believe its one tablespoon per bird, but it looks so little when I give them that. How much should I feed them? I guess this is strictly situational...
> 
> ...


Yes it makes sense, they just get starled by what ever. When they have these outburst where do they go when they decide to land again? the house roof?
Make them fly before you feed them. It's hard to control a bird with a full crop.
They will learn that the food is a reward for what ever it is you want them to do,
Flying, Trapping or being whistled in. You can give them some time to learn to fly back to the loft/kit box(mine get 1 week) but after another week or so I would get them off the house roof or trees, (I would rather have them sit on the loft roof all day then some place else) they'll make a habit out of it then you'll just have pet pigeons that control you....Just remember food can help you control your birds or it can be the enemy when it comes to rollers. Yes 1 ounce per bird is the general rule, but as you learn your birds and what they do, you can adjust the amounts as needed.


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## thatshimman (Mar 8, 2010)

Hi all,

It's update time =). So i have been flying them almost everyday unless it's been raining for the past week and I think i'm getting a better grip on this. I've been just letting them out the kitbox and they have been flying around my house for about 10 minutes and then they go back to the roof. I've had one hen that just keeps flying away and then in the morning, she'll be inside the kitbox. Drives me nuts! 

So today I grabbed a trash bag and stuck it on a stick and bagging them everytime they land on the roof. I've cut back their food almost in half as I've been overfeeding them. They're starting to tumble but i assume this is just the first step to the roller stage. 

I met up with a roller guy yesterday and it was amazing! The only pigeon fanciers in Houston are racers and after talking to him, he knows of only 4 rollers in Houston. That's insane. 

Anyways, thanks for all the help. Im going to be doing some updates pretty soon so check back and PLEASE give me some constructive criticism as I want to do this close to the T.


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## plumvalley (Nov 12, 2009)

That's great! Keep us posted!


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## lostflight (Aug 18, 2008)

Sounds like you're moving along just fine. Now that your birds are taking wing, I would suggest you get a few bags of wheat and milo. Feed them a wheat and milo mixture and they should start flying for longer periods.

Wheat gives them a little boost of energy so they are more willing to take wing when out. But for some family, they can overfly if you feed straight wheat. To slow down their flying speed and bring them to a lower elevation, increase the milo portion.

Play around and until you find the happy medium. Since they are still young, I would also suggest you add a few peas into their mix.

GL to you.


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## velo99 (Apr 8, 2007)

Shimman check your PM
I left you some info


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## thatshimman (Mar 8, 2010)

Back for another update. Wow they're flying great now. They're tumbling now so I hope the rolls come soon. In fact, they'll do 1-2 rolls and then fly again. Now the problem that I'm having is that they only fly north of the kitbox and thats the side where I cant really see them. The backyard neighbor has huge trees and from where their kitbox is you can't see them until they come back and land. Drives me nuts. if they flew in front of the house I could actually see it. 

Is there a way to have them fly in different directions instead of staying north? Should I put them in a release basket and go down the street and release them? Will this make them fly in that area? 

Does any of that make sense?


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## plumvalley (Nov 12, 2009)

I had a problem like that with one kit, I took mine about 1/4 mile (3 x's) in the direction they would not fly and turned them loose they all came home and most now fly to the front of the yard. I might have to do it a few more times....


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## velo99 (Apr 8, 2007)

Feed em mainly milo for a few days. I use 1/3 hi pro mix and 2/3 milo to get the most out of them for a day or two. Sounds to me like they are getting too much feed and too much protein. I rarely feed the same mix every day.


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## GlacierIce2 (May 2, 2011)

I don't know how to start a new thread, but i was having a problem getting my young birds to fly, all they do is land on the loft then fly back through the trap. plz help.


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

GlacierIce2 said:


> I don't know how to start a new thread, but i was having a problem getting my young birds to fly, all they do is land on the loft then fly back through the trap. plz help.


LOL .. many people have the exact opposite problem. They fly and like the energizer bunny just keep going and going.... Give them some time and both you and the birds will be happier. Take care.


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## velo99 (Apr 8, 2007)

Glacier
Box em up and carry them 50 60 yards away from your loft and let them out. They will have to elevate to find it. Once they get some air under their wings they will fly.


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## NAPA242 (Mar 16, 2010)

I ordered birds from Danny Horner and got them about 2 weeks ago. They are youngsters. Lost one for some reason. Balance of birds appear to be doing ok.

Concerned with amount of feed I am giving them. Feeding 50/50 wheat/milo mix. About 1 1/4 cups to 28 birds once a day. I have not flown them yet. Intended to today but weather is not cooperating. 

I am an inexperieced flyer. I don't want to starve my birds, but I want them to fly. 

Comments, suggestions would be appreciated.


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## velo99 (Apr 8, 2007)

Napa,
28 birds probably oughta be getting at least two cups of fifty fifty wheat milo. Throw em some safflower or sunflower seeds a couple times a week. Some feed grade peas would be good too.


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## nzroller (Jun 12, 2012)

Hi all, I'm starting out just like thatshimman.. But I've got 2 breeding pairs of rollers from a local flyer. I've built the best loft possible for them.. I have 2 sections.. Each section is 2m x 2m. Ive had the pairs for 2weeks now.. 1 of the pairs have already laid eggs. I bought my bob traps from US.. They cost me loads to ship to NZ (New Zealand). Anyway, I've set the bob traps up.. Have got a temp cage setup around the trap door so they get used to outside life.. When can I take down the temp cage? I want to keep these birds for flying but not compete.. Should I build a kit box or keep them flying from the loft? Also, feed wise I have been giving these birds twice a day.. Mix of everything, wheat peas sunflower barley milo.. These are breeders so should I be restricting feed? Bit worried as they will have chicks to feed soon... Can't wait to let em fly!!! Thank you all...


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