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Author Topic: Birds & Bees  (Read 4325 times)

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Birds & Bees
« on: December 01, 2007, 07:20:48 pm »
I just got back from a meeting of the North Cascades Invitational Racing Pigeon Club.  It lasted 3 hours.  It might as well have been a beekeeping meeting as well--5 of us are both pigeon racers and beekeepers.  The meeting place is in the office/honey house of Belleville Honey Company.  Belleville runs 6500 hives. 

One member (president elect) was lamenting that orders from a pigeon equipment supplier had to be checked for accuracy--I said, "Oh, like Dadant."
He said, "I don't even want to start on Dadant."  So I guess his experience has been pretty much the same as mine.  I have yet to get an order that wasn't mixed up somehow.  I do have to admit that Dadant does try hard to rectify things but mistakes on every order get old in a hurry.

An just as I do at beekeeping meetings I spent at least a 1/2 hour talking to members about the topic at hand.  Now I can talk pigeons & bees at the same time with the same people.

BTW, if you thought beekeeping was an expensive hobby try pigeon racing.  I'm buying a 2nd hand timer for $350.00, and that's cheap.  Try near $700.00 for a new one to clock in the pigeons as they enter the loft after arriving from a race.  Then there's the expense of road training your pigeons (gas is high) when you drive 50 miles one way just to release a dozen pigeons so they learn how to find their way home by the most direct route.  Feed runs $15.00 per 100lb sack.  One guy just spent over 4 grand to build a new 8X10 loft.  I spent $490.00 and built mine (8X15) mostly out of recycled lumber my dad had stacked up in the shed.

The next pigeon club meeting is the 1st Saturday in January, the next beekeepers assoc meeting is the 2nd thursday in January.

I'm trying to get my nest boxes built so that the birds can lay eggs in December for a January hatch for my young bird racing team.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Birds & Bees
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2007, 09:13:20 pm »
Brian, you still knock my socks off!!!  Where on earth do you get the time to do all that you are up to?  Boggles me.

Good, sounds like you had an interesting meeting.  Pigeon racing....never would have imagined that it would be so costly.  But then.....if it is what one wants to do, all I can say is go for it, and the best wishes of luck to you.  Have a wonderful and great day.  Cindi
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Offline JP

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Re: Birds & Bees
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2007, 09:38:41 pm »
I have nothing bad to say about dadant in Paris, Texas. They are quite helpful and always get my order right.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Birds & Bees
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2007, 12:32:30 am »
I have nothing bad to say about dadant in Paris, Texas. They are quite helpful and always get my order right.

Depends on you're location and which outlet they ship from--same thing with Mann Lake.  I've always had my stuff sent from the "home office" so to speak.  They are very eager to make things right, like I said, it's just that on every order I've placed they've got it wrong.  Shipping with omitted items (but charged for) or incorrect items.
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Offline Understudy

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Re: Birds & Bees
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2007, 12:35:34 am »
I order direct from the High Springs, FL location. I have had no problems with accuracy. My problem is that I call an order in on Monday they might fill it Friday and maybe send it out after the weekend. That I find incredibly annoying.

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Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Birds & Bees
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2007, 12:20:47 pm »
Betterbee has never made a mistake w/ me and they always tell you it will ship in 3 days, but I get it in two usually.

Brian- a new forum member on this site inherited rollers from a local guy. He never kept pigeons before but he is now hooked. His prob are peregrine falcons. There are a handful of mated pairs that nest on the bridges between Philadelphia and new jersey. Seems the rolling acts a a prey trigger and they are killing his birds at an alarming rate. It is a like a buffet for them!
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Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: Birds & Bees
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2007, 03:22:58 pm »
Brian-is there a book you can recommend about keeping pigeons? or should i just hit up the library next time i'm in town?

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Birds & Bees
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2007, 10:43:43 pm »
Betterbee has never made a mistake w/ me and they always tell you it will ship in 3 days, but I get it in two usually.
Me too.  Ain't it great the get 2-3 day service clear across the USA?
Quote
Brian- a new forum member on this site inherited rollers from a local guy. He never kept pigeons before but he is now hooked. His prob are peregrine falcons. There are a handful of mated pairs that nest on the bridges between Philadelphia and new jersey. Seems the rolling acts a a prey trigger and they are killing his birds at an alarming rate. It is a like a buffet for them!

Yeah, the tumbling does that, the hawk thinks its attacking an injured bird. 
The best thing I can say is to leave the birds cooped up for a month or more so that the hawks shift to a different hunting ground.  During the lockup period have him use a vocal or whistle call everytime he feeds his birds--they will soon associate the call with feeding.  On feeding--use a standard size tuna fish can full of food for every 5-6 birds.  10-12 birds = 2 tuna cans of feed.
Then have him let the birds out only for short periods (hour or less) and call them back to the loft.  Use bobs (traps) so the birds can't go back out once their in the loft.  Fly them hungry, feed when you call them in.   
The pigeons are a very desirable meal for hawks & falcons. 
I one a Coopers hawk chase my pigeons right into the loft and killed all but the pair in the upper most nest box that were setting on eggs.  The hawk couldn't get back out because of the bobs that only allow one way traffic.  I had my brother take the hawk up to the high Cascades and let it go--it hasn't been back since but others have moved into the hunting grounds vacated by the relocated hawk.

Quote
Brian-is there a book you can recommend about keeping pigeons? or should i just hit up the library next time i'm in town?

Yes, Google: Seigel & Son, Jedds Pigeon Supply, or New England Pigeon Supply.  All have a book section then pick out the most complete book for the bred(s) you like--Racing, Squab, Performance Rollers/tumblers, Show, Fancy, of combination.  If you can't decide between specific books let me know and I'll give you my preference between the books you're interested in.
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Offline Angi_H

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Re: Birds & Bees
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2007, 01:07:27 am »
I have not had trouble with Dadent but then again I just take my book with me to the shop 20 min away and pick it up. And if they dont have it they order it and I still dont have to pay shipping. That saves a whole bunch of money for sure. I can get more boxes for what I would have paid on shipping. So even if there price is a little higher I am actually saving for what I would have paid total with shipping added. I am trying to stick with them when I can.

Angi