Gun Dog Forum

Does anyone have any advise on putting new squeakers in with my young bird?

I put 2 squeakers out in the loft a couple weeks ago, I kept them in for a few days and then opened the bob up so they could come out. They would come out with the other birds but wouldn't fly with them. Last night was the first time they flew with them, but both of them didn't return with the other birds. Not sure if they were hawk bait, or they couldn't keep up and got left behind.

I will have 4 more squeaker to put out in a couple of weeks. Wondered if there are any methods to this or just put them out and see how they do.

I think there is a good chance then got left behind when they could not keep up with the older birds. I am using different color leg bands to denote the different "batches of birds". I have a batch that need to be trap trained and then loft flown. My first batch is ready for distance training. a third batch is split between chicks and soon to hatch. the koop is getting crowded but distance training should cull some.

Looks like they got left behind. Both of the younger birds were in the loft when I got home tonight.

Letting the young squeekers fly with the older birds is the best way to do it. Young birds have trouble slowing down to land and often will spemd a night out in a tree or someplace near by and will show up the next day.

Ezzy

Ok. Ill continue doing what I'm doing then.
Thanks.

Did you hatch out these squeeker's yourself? I never had a problem with them. The older birds seem to bully them a bit but not serious. When they had enough they run under the nest box's. I have taken squeeker's to friends to put in with their birds. They've never said anything about a problem with them.

I used to have this problem--all the time! The squeakers will stay together and when tired, will set on a wire or tree together. Very frustrating as we are unsure if they will make it back to the loft, alone. Try letting one squeaker at a time fly with the older birds. Do this for a few days and they will be just fine.

DonF wrote:Did you hatch out these squeeker's yourself? I never had a problem with them. The older birds seem to bully them a bit but not serious. When they had enough they run under the nest box's. I have taken squeeker's to friends to put in with their birds. They've never said anything about a problem with them.

Yes, but they are hatched in a different loft. I move them out when they are fully feather to the loft if fly my birds from.

Im planning on modifying my breeder loft so I can fly all of my birds from that. I can keep more birds in there.

ROTTnBRITT wrote:

DonF wrote:Did you hatch out these squeeker's yourself? I never had a problem with them. The older birds seem to bully them a bit but not serious. When they had enough they run under the nest box's. I have taken squeeker's to friends to put in with their birds. They've never said anything about a problem with them.

Yes, but they are hatched in a different loft. I move them out when they are fully feather to the loft if fly my birds from.

Im planning on modifying my breeder loft so I can fly all of my birds from that. I can keep more birds in there.

The biggest problem I have ever had with young birds is not letting them out when they are young. The older they are the more you will lose. I have put 45 out this year in two different batches and have lost one from each batch I think. Several years I have not lost any when they are in an open loft when they can go when ever they want. Last year due to changing lofts to fly from I had to keep them in for about 6 wks and I lost 12. I knew I should have pulled their 9th and 10th flight feathers but didn't do it and they are too strong and fly too far.

Ezzy

How do your dog respond to the birds flying around, mine(14 in months) still sort of goes snake trying to figure out how to climb the house to get them. It gets fun when I am flying squeekers and some one lets him out of the house. And he charges the koop a fair bit.

They will probably quit that in time. My homer lift has a huge flight pen with it. My guy's don't pay attention to it at all unless a wild bird of some kind is in it. Then they worry themselves sick needing that bird out of there. They have axcess to the chicken's too. They go in there on a regular basis to evict the offending freeloaders. Never bother the chickens. My feral pen has a big window cut out in it. They often go out there when I feed and stand up in the window and watch, they never worry the loft.

When I first started with pigeon's they were all ferals and I'd catch them on a regular basis. Putting new birds in with other birds was never a problem.