Observation of your birds.

[Devo1956]

We dont have a x ray machine in our lofts, but what we do have is our own pair of eyes. Before you enter the loft you are looking around outside the loft, checking for any dangers before letting your birds out to fly. Maria would have washing lines in the garden, so i put hooks each end so i could take them down. When i let birds out to fly.

Inside the loft when i enter, i would do my morning check of the birds, checking birds in box looking for anything that could be wrong in the loft. I would start scrapping out looking at the droppings for things not being right with my birds. This is the time when birds want to have a play, fly onto your shoulder pecking at your hand glove. Just their way of letting you know they are there. After scrapping out and cleaning, fresh water change again looking for to make sure the birds are drinking well. At this time clean food troughs put down, and food for enough birds in the loft for first feed of the day. Stand back and observe, your birds how they are eating what are they eating.

After the first feed in the stock shed, i would leave the birds but return back into shed for handle of the birds, Just checking over them making sure all is good with them. A look down the throat making sure it is clear, after the loft check and i was happy i would let birds rest until my next visit.

At this time i was only breeding, but when racing i would do much more the same practice but clean our while birds were flying around the loft. Change water before they enter the loft, clean food troughs placed down and enough food for the birds in the loft. Call the birds after morning fly, and observe while eating looking at no injuries while out flying. Then leave for a couple of hours, then return to handle birds checking them over.

[Andy]

Good topic mate. As you as I walk up the garden I am looking at the loft on my approach, just checking all is ok. I did have a bit of trouble with cats a while ago but since putting up an ultrasound cat scarer and a bit of electric wire I haven’t had any trouble.
I then enter the main loft into the centre storage section where I can observe both the stock birds to the right and the old bird racers to the left. The first thing I always look for when entering the loft is any pigeon that doesn’t look right. This is where knowing your pigeons is important as what may be normal behaviour for one might not be normal for another. During the spring and summer the old birds would be let out. All drinkers would be emptied. I must say at this point that the water is changed twice a day but I rarely scrub the drinkers out. I just throw away the old water and replace with fresh. I scrap out twice a day before and after work, once a day during the winter before work. If the birds are out they will be called in after their exercise period and fed. The food is left down for a few minutes before removing any that hasn’t been eaten. When I have youngsters in the young bird loft the routine is about the same. I don’t handle the birds all that often but they are very tame and I will have some sat on me when cleaning out. As you say observation is key.

[POTTER29]

Good post and as above observation is key

[George and Morgan]

all i do in the morning is open up for the wire door look if any are dead if not leave them till 3.00 feed have a good look all will be down for corn as i only feed once a day i don't treat sick birds but will sometimes give a going light tablet if i think a bird needs it

[chrisroscoe]

this is true observation is key , as once i actually put the effort in you could tell if a bird just isnt right and shouldnt be sent training/racing ect