First flight

[Lofty Dreams]

A peaceful day
Dogfood and honey atract crows
Barn Swallows once took a hawk down [it lived] though it was kind of funny though f

 

[yardbird tx]

I had some hawk loss the last few days also. Locked up the birds for the rest of the week to let things cool down. I need to feed train some young birds anyway. Im already missing letting them out after I get home and its only Monday. LOL

 

[Sumatra503]

I witnessed quite a spectacle friday. First I saw a pair of young falcons off to the left of the house across the road. Then out of no where came 3 more and then 1 more from across the tree line and then another until there were about 7 or so young birds. They flew about calling and yelling at each other fighting over a particular tree at the front of the clump. I've never seen so many in one place before and certainly not so close to my house. The crows set them straight, though and they left only to return a couple of hours later. I haven't seen them since then, but they are not welcome back.

Needless to say Girdy did not get out that day to fly.

I've found that my homer crosses tend to be a bit more savy when it comes to hawks than my pure tumblers. Also when I flew a homer or two with the flock they would do more to avoid the hawks by following the homer's example.

 

[sourland]

Well, I've been flying the crosses every four or five days. Some days they sustain hawk attacks and some days they fly attack free. I still have not been able to fly my rollers. They are just too soft to survive the hawk attacks. Keep your eyes open in the sale section. If things don't improve, I am going to give away all of my rollers. They are a Marino/Lavin based family and were deep and fast rollers when I was flying them. I'm just not going to put them up to be butchered by the hawks.

 

[OzawkieBantams]

I lost 7 rollers last week end too hawks or they were shot

not real sure I f I will ever fly my birds again . I had to buy a new flock because of it .....

 

[sourland]

Rollers are very prone to hawk induced overflies. When I started with this strain of birds I lost several kits to overflies. Rollers as a breed have poorly developed homing instinct. In addition to selecting my breeders for rolling ability, I also selected for homing instinct. I rarely lose a bird to overflies now, but I just can't stand putting them up to be butchered by the hawks. I love flying birds and watching them, but it is becoming impossible for me to justify putting them in such jeopardy.

 

[OzawkieBantams]

Quote:
I hear that totally. This is why I am thinking about breeding my flyers to a straight blue bar color. as I read they (blue bar) have less hawk attacks due to their color. Not real sure there is much truth in this but I will tell ya it is worth a shot if I can fly my birds.

Daren

 

[sourland]

My birds are mostly "selfs" or solid colors. Primarily black, black white flights, recessive reds, blue checks, blue bars-- what gets killed first? The birds that are performing best because they ae the most tired when they come in. I have a lot of grizzles and splashes in my homer crosses, and they don't get caught any more frequently than the solids. Hopefull flying bluebars will work better for you. One of my best performers and producers was a bluebar c*ck that I actually saved from a 3 hawk attack. I watched him outperforming everything in the kit one day and said to myself, "I should stock that bird." When the kit came in a hawk was right on their tails. Bluebar #1069 hit my utility shed, and a hawk hit him. Immediately a second hawk hit the first. I ran over as a third hawk entered the fray and off they all flew. "Mr Bluebar" lay there on his back apparently dead. As I stood there mumbling to myself he slowly opened one eye. The rascal was playing 'possum. I scooped him up and off to the breeder loft he went. I gave him away the first time I divested myself of most of my birds.

 

[sourland]

Well, things have not improved at all. Every time that I fly my crosses they sustain hawk attack and loss. It is primarily a mature male Cooper's hawk. Oddly enough this is the first time that I have had problems with a male. Usually it is juveniles or large females that take my birds. A decision has been reached. I am giving away all of my rollers. I have been approached by a fellow BYC member, and hopefully he and a friend will be taking the birds. If not I will list them in the sale section. I first saw rollers when I was 4 or 5 years old--trust me that's a long time ago. I still remember being entranced by their performance and crying when we had to go home. The little boy that resides within feels the loss from giving these birds away, but I can no longer justify putting them up to be slaughtered. The tall trees that surround my yard create a killing field for the rollers. My roller/homer crosses have more of a chance against the hawks. There are even a couple that do short rolls and flips so there is some performance to be observed.

 

[sourland]

The hawks win. Birds are listed under "other poultry, birds & eggs". An opportunity to get good birds for free.