Start Up After Lock Down

It is often shocking how bad even your best kit can look on their first release especially after an extended lock down. It is almost like starting over again with young birds on their first few liberation. You can with some patients work through this much quicker then what occurred with these same birds when they as youngsters were being released. For the new guy don't get discouraged and understand you will go through this aggravation every year after extended lock downs.

Don't ya just love it!

“The first few times out after any multi-month lock down, you want your birds hungry, because you don't want them wandering, landing on neighbors' houses, etc. Better to have them fly five minutes than 50 minutes. I feed my kits 30% to 50% whole barley during winter lock down. The warmer the nighttime temperatures, the more barley. So I don't have problems with lots of fat on the birds in the early spring. But you will find that they need to be brought down with slightly lower rations for 5-7 days before their first release. You can't just hold back feed for one day before releasing them, or you won't have them under your control.

The first day or two, avoid releasing your birds in a big mob kits. If you have say, 25 birds, crate them up in three crates of 8-10 birds each. Release one crate to let them fly. They're unlikely to fly more than ten minutes. Let them come down comfortably, in their little kit. Then release another batch from the next crate. Don't open the next crate in the company of the birds that have just landed, for fear of scaring them up again. Instead, take the crate around to the other side of the house or 70' down the field, to release them. By doing this, they will fly in smaller kits with less confusion and less likelihood of rolling down or bumping either when initially released or when landing on the roof.

Some will fly solo, away from the kit, with very fast wing beats, like homers racing. Don't be bothered at this; they'll kit better after a few more releases.

If there is any likelihood of Cooper's hawks lurking, try to get each batch to trap in before releasing the next batch. That way, there are fewer targets for the BOP and, if they're attacked, you have fewer birds exposed at the same moment. Smaller kits have an easier time avoiding attacks, when landing (Coopers) or when higher in the air (falcons).

Your principal problem will be that many yearlings (last year's young birds) will have "come into the roll" while on lock down. That is, while they were on lock down, they reached their personal age or maturity level at which the roll impulse comes over them hard. So they haven't yet learned how to cope with this impulse. The result is that they feel overwhelmed by this compulsion that comes over them as they fly…” – Tom Monson from Earl’s Roller List