The advantage of flying open loft

[Andy]

The weather has been dull and quite cold all day with showers on and off. I let the birds out this morning at around 7.15am. They came out and had a good fly, probably getting on for an hour. Of course these would have been the cocks plus the odd hens that haven’t nested yet. I scraped out and fed them at 8.30am. They all came in ok. The loft is then left open. Around mid morning I noticed a good sized batch of pigeons flying. They flew for a couple of hours. I did check the loft at one point as there seemed a lot of birds flying. There were 12 cocks sitting on their eggs, everything else, 25 of them, were all up there flying. So the hens had by this time come off their nests and were having their exercise time. After they had come down there were still the odd ones clapping off from time to time. As the days get longer by tea time the hens will have gone back on the nests and the cocks would be able to have another fly.

[George and Morgan]

i'm sure the open loft is best Andy did you have them on open loft before training last year

[Murray]

I agree that letting them have an open loft is the best way, but I couldn't do it here. They would be getting picked off by the hawks until there was nothing left.
Already a few of this years youngsters are gone, and the rest have had enough frights that they bolt for the loft as soon as they sense one.

[Andy]

i'm sure the open loft is best Andy did you have them on open loft before training last year

Not like they are at present George. I was shutting the loft up after morning exercise, about one and a half hours, and let out again for around 3 hours early evening. I do worry a bit leaving the loft open with the number of cats around and also the threat from hawks.
I must also say that I only have yearlings and two year olds in the racing loft. I have got 5 older birds that aren’t quite so keen to fly but these are in the stock loft. So not there to bring the others down.

Last year I was letting the youngsters out with the old birds but that meant that if left out too long I had them sitting all over the local houses. I don’t mind but not sure some of the neighbours wouldn’t like it. I don’t have any problems with any of them though. This year I’m only going to let the youngsters out to exercise twice a day.

I don’t shut the loft up until it’s getting dark.

[Andy]

I agree that letting them have an open loft is the best way, but I couldn't do it here. They would be getting picked off by the hawks until there was nothing left.
Already a few of this years youngsters are gone, and the rest have had enough frights that they bolt for the loft as soon as they sense one.

Fortunately I don’t have too much trouble with hawks around home. I do lose the odd ones if they go too far afield. The sparrowhawk does take the occasional small bird in the garden but hasn’t had a pigeon, YET. I have more trouble with local cats here.

[Andy]

Well after that last post as you know I had a bird hit by the sparrowhawk in the garden but fortunately nothing since. I did keep them in more for a couple of weeks just letting them out mornings and mid afternoons. The last week or so they have been back on open loft. They are loving this warmer weather and although they probably don’t fly for long periods they are up and down all day. Usually when I look out there is something flying around. Sometimes only the odd ones flying on their own and sometimes in small batches. I do like being able to leave them to their own devices.

[George and Morgan]

great if you can do open loft Andy

[Trev]

Well after that last post as you know I had a bird hit by the sparrowhawk in the garden but fortunately nothing since. I did keep them in more for a couple of weeks just letting them out mornings and mid afternoons. The last week or so they have been back on open loft. They are loving this warmer weather and although they probably don’t fly for long periods they are up and down all day. Usually when I look out there is something flying around. Sometimes only the odd ones flying on their own and sometimes in small batches. I do like being able to leave them to their own devices.

I do like an open loft, it is a worry this time of year because of the Sparrow hawk but I think the benefits are worth it. I think birds raced naturally do benefit from an open loft, you can learn alot from watching the birds around the home and the fitter ones do seem to fly more as individuals rather than staying in the group, I think this is good training for them too. Unfortunately due to work I don't get much chance to watch mine throughout the day but yesterday I was working in a neighbours for a couple of hours and the birds were up and down like yo yo's, if only I could afford to retire

[killer]

Open loft is best , but here I’d have no birds left ,to race ,

[Murray]

Open loft is best , but here I’d have no birds left ,to race ,

That's what I said the other week, killer.
Even by giving them a set period of about 2 hours a day, and a bit longer on weekends, they still get picked off.
I have lost nearly a quarter of what I bred, and the races are a long way off.
One here, one there, it adds up.