ilikepigeons
Songster
I've got two Birmingham Rollers I might be letting out in a week or two.
They're a pair, 5 months old, Birmingham Rollers, had them for a bit over 4 weeks, semi-had a clutch (incubated eggs but didn't raise chicks).
I did let the cockbird out once, I opened the door in the morning, he came out, got excited and immediately took off. Landed on the lawn with one of my other free ranging birds, when my other bird flew off he tried to follow, then decided not to, and landed in a tree. He then got spooked, flew and landed on my lawn again. Explored the roof and the rest of my place a bit, then the wind got up and he did a lap, but the wind kind of forced him away because he had almost no flying strength. Didn't come back for a few hours. But eventually he did, went back in the door and I locked him in. I'm not sure if he'll still remember this or not. The hen has never been out.
Two mistakes I made though, he was full and I had trained no recall, so next time they will be hungry and know that shaking a can equals food, so hopefully a recall.
They're just going to be free range like the rest of my birds, choose where they roost, go, etc but they need to know where food and water is for their own good. I don't need them to go back inside their 'coop' (just a kit-set chicken coop with a flight pen on it), but if they choose to the option is there, and they know how to get back inside. There's an area in a shed with perches and stuff I have for my other birds, some of them come back there at night (some prefer the trees), so they also have that option here.
The main thing though, is the way he immediately took off, and they don't know the way home yet. Is there any way I can stop them doing that? I know you're supposed to let them out young to help stop it but they were already 4 months old when I got them.
They're a pair, 5 months old, Birmingham Rollers, had them for a bit over 4 weeks, semi-had a clutch (incubated eggs but didn't raise chicks).
I did let the cockbird out once, I opened the door in the morning, he came out, got excited and immediately took off. Landed on the lawn with one of my other free ranging birds, when my other bird flew off he tried to follow, then decided not to, and landed in a tree. He then got spooked, flew and landed on my lawn again. Explored the roof and the rest of my place a bit, then the wind got up and he did a lap, but the wind kind of forced him away because he had almost no flying strength. Didn't come back for a few hours. But eventually he did, went back in the door and I locked him in. I'm not sure if he'll still remember this or not. The hen has never been out.
Two mistakes I made though, he was full and I had trained no recall, so next time they will be hungry and know that shaking a can equals food, so hopefully a recall.
They're just going to be free range like the rest of my birds, choose where they roost, go, etc but they need to know where food and water is for their own good. I don't need them to go back inside their 'coop' (just a kit-set chicken coop with a flight pen on it), but if they choose to the option is there, and they know how to get back inside. There's an area in a shed with perches and stuff I have for my other birds, some of them come back there at night (some prefer the trees), so they also have that option here.
The main thing though, is the way he immediately took off, and they don't know the way home yet. Is there any way I can stop them doing that? I know you're supposed to let them out young to help stop it but they were already 4 months old when I got them.
