Bird’s metabolism

[motty]

We had four nights of frost lately in my area, I/we have manged to decoy pigeons onto the rape and are getting larger bags.

Could it be they are hungrier due to the cold weather.

The short answer is yes, a bird needs more food if we have a few nights of frost on the bounce to maintain its body weight.

Sorry, I don't follow your logic. Where is the correlation between a few frosts and pigeons starting to eat rape?

[Highbird70]

Sorry, I don't follow your logic. Where is the correlation between a few frosts and pigeons starting to eat rape?

That happens in human behaviour too, been proven many times, that if you expose an animal of any kind to a colder environment, the body of that animal, will react, trying to assimilate more much calories than usual, when it/he/her lived in a more mild temperature, so Ap logic makes sense, as per, even a bird will try to fatten up, by eat more often or in more quantity, if its body detects a change of temperature.

 

Mark

[Actionpigeons]

Sorry, I don't follow your logic. Where is the correlation between a few frosts and pigeons starting to eat rape?

Try reading the post from the start, if you still have a problem ask some one to explain it to you very slowly

[motty]

Try reading the post from the start, if you still have a problem ask some one to explain it to you very slowly

I think you need to read my post again. Where is the correlation between a few frosts and birds starting to eat rape? IE Why have they moved from their other sources of food?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That happens in human behaviour too, been proven many times, that if you expose an animal of any kind to a colder environment, the body of that animal, will react, trying to assimilate more much calories than usual, when it/he/her lived in a more mild temperature, so Ap logic makes sense, as per, even a bird will try to fatten up, by eat more often or in more quantity, if its body detects a change of temperature.

 

Mark

Read again, please..

[Actionpigeons]

As I said Motty pls try and read the whole thread

 

​I am not going to repeat it all again as I really think you will say its black when its clearly white.

You say its not due to the cold weather that they have moved onto the Rape since we have started having a few nights of frost,

well pls give us all your reasons WHY they have then.

No good saying its not with no reason, its like a child asking why and just saying because I said so, you have to give an alternative explanation.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Actionpigeons

[Highbird70]

If you asking, of why the switch foods, again, there are many answers to that too, primarily, its that one group of animals detects a change in the environment...ie: light temperature or food availability, they will switch to next easiest source that its abundant or even in season.

[motty]

As I said Motty pls try and read the whole thread

 

​I am not going to repeat it all again as I really think you will say its black when its clearly white.

You say its not due to the cold weather that they have moved onto the Rape since we have started having a few nights of frost,

well pls give us all your reasons WHY they have then.

No good saying its not with no reason, its like a child asking why and just saying because I said so, you have to give an alternative explanation.

As Penelope posted earlier, it sounds like a complete coincidence. Did the frost last all day? I doubt it. Are the pigeons still feeding on the rape today? I would imagine they are. Has it been a whole lot warmer during the day just lately? YES!

[Actionpigeons]

As Penelope posted earlier, it sounds like a complete coincidence. Did the frost last all day? I doubt it. Are the pigeons still feeding on the rape today? I would imagine they are. Has it been a whole lot warmer during the day just lately? YES!

As a friend of yours quoted

"'it's fine to disagree but it's not fine to be disagreeable"

You still have not given an alternative explanation as to why

I am happy to disagree, but if you are saying I am deferentially wrong pls tell me why.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Actionpigeons

[motty]

As a friend of yours quoted

"'it's fine to disagree but it's not fine to be disagreeable"

You still have not given an alternative explanation as to why

I am happy to disagree, but if you are saying I am deferentially wrong pls tell me why.

You've lost me.

[Actionpigeons]

You've lost me.

No motty what you really mean is you have no alternative explanation, because the above is in plane English.

Or should we say you are just being disagreeable

[motty]

No motty what you really mean is you have no alternative explanation, because the above is in plane English.

Or should we say you are just being disagreeable

I clearly wrote that this is just a coincidence. Nothing more and nothing less. Do you really believe that these pigeons have started feeding on the rape (and leaving whatever it was they were feeding on before) just because of a few overnight frosts?

Where were the pigeons today, after no frost and being around 13 degrees? I bet they were still on the rape.

[fenboy]

Is rape not suppose to be a poorer diet nutritionally wise ?

 

Therefore if a pigeon needs to put on weight to cope with cold weather , why would it forsake maize / acorns etc for rape ?

[Highbird70]

I have found some interesting reading, that might help both views

Edited March 6, 2014 by Highbird70

[Actionpigeons]

Is rape not suppose to be a poorer diet nutritionally wise ?

 

Therefore if a pigeon needs to put on weight to cope with cold weather , why would it forsake maize / acorns etc for rape ?

Yes fenboy you are right, but it is the only real crop out there in abundance is Rape when they need more food.

[Actionpigeons]

I clearly wrote that this is just a coincidence. Nothing more and nothing less. Do you really believe that these pigeons have started feeding on the rape (and leaving whatever it was they were feeding on before) just because of a few overnight frosts?

Where were the pigeons today, after no frost and being around 13 degrees? I bet they were still on the rape.

so that's your answer, its a just a coincidence

Not really worth debating anything with you is it!

 

I can see you answering your children, if you have any, when they ask you a question.

" because I said so"

No explanation or theory

 

PS. I am not going to start going on about the weather, but its always warmer in the day after a frost, clear sky's and all that.

That's why people get sunburn while skiing.

Surely you know that, or are you being disagreeable again .....lol

Edited March 7, 2014 by Actionpigeons

[motty]

so that's your answer, its a just a coincidence

Not really worth debating anything with you is it!

 

I can see you answering your children, if you have any, when they ask you a question.

" because I said so"

No explanation or theory

You are pathetic!

[Actionpigeons]

You are pathetic!

maybe, but I do manage to put a point over without insults unlike you.

Have a nice day.

[kitchrat]

I have a farming friend in Beds, who had 136 acres of rape in one area over 6 fields last winter, they hammered the lot, but there wasn't much else about and as you know it was bleeding freezing. The only stuff that grew to any length over the winter was within a 30yd radius of the gas guns.

 

Trying to get on terms with them though was another matter. I spent every Saturday from mid Jan to the begining of March there. Always pigeons about though.

 

Whatever the outcome of the lack of cold weather/hungry or not/ acorns or not/numbers of birds "debate" I have strirred up here, Penelope's post shows that this year is different to last year! This year a single gas gun will clear (maybe only for a while) a medium-sized farm plus half the next farm. Last year you could not keep them off.

I say this (in my area) is due to reduced overall bird numbers and that they are not HUNGRY hungry. Maybe the reduced numbers mean they are on other food sources and the reduced numbers mean these sources are adequate but of the 250 birds I have shot this winter, only 4 have had a crop full of anything, most are nearly empty. The 4 were stuffed with rape, on a cold evening roost shooting. The average crop has a bit of wheat or maize or berries (few acorns in my area), some had a bit of rape. Most were shot over rape, which didn't really decoy them well, they were "just looking". The ones that do decoy well are Nobby-No-Mates, I suspect they are looking for company more than food. Yes they are "topping up" on rape but not much more.

Therefore I still maintain, for whatever reason, pigeons are not very hungry next year.

Now, battle on Gentlemen!!

[Actionpigeons]

Whatever the outcome of the lack of cold weather/hungry or not/ acorns or not/numbers of birds "debate" I have strirred up here, Penelope's post shows that this year is different to last year! This year a single gas gun will clear (maybe only for a while) a medium-sized farm plus half the next farm. Last year you could not keep them off.

I say this (in my area) is due to reduced overall bird numbers and that they are not HUNGRY hungry. Maybe the reduced numbers mean they are on other food sources and the reduced numbers mean these sources are adequate but of the 250 birds I have shot this winter, only 4 have had a crop full of anything, most are nearly empty. The 4 were stuffed with rape, on a cold evening roost shooting. The average crop has a bit of wheat or maize or berries (few acorns in my area), some had a bit of rape. Most were shot over rape, which didn't really decoy them well, they were "just looking". The ones that do decoy well are Nobby-No-Mates, I suspect they are looking for company more than food. Yes they are "topping up" on rape but not much more.

Therefore I still maintain, for whatever reason, pigeons are not very hungry next year.

Now, battle on Gentlemen!!

Now then Kitchrat, that's a bit of sitting on the fence and putting the bullets in the gun....

 

Cant really take this debate any where, every thing has been said.

The only person having any strong opinion has thrown his toys out the pram and has no explanation or theory

[motty]

Whatever the outcome of the lack of cold weather/hungry or not/ acorns or not/numbers of birds "debate" I have strirred up here, Penelope's post shows that this year is different to last year! This year a single gas gun will clear (maybe only for a while) a medium-sized farm plus half the next farm. Last year you could not keep them off.

I say this (in my area) is due to reduced overall bird numbers and that they are not HUNGRY hungry. Maybe the reduced numbers mean they are on other food sources and the reduced numbers mean these sources are adequate but of the 250 birds I have shot this winter, only 4 have had a crop full of anything, most are nearly empty. The 4 were stuffed with rape, on a cold evening roost shooting. The average crop has a bit of wheat or maize or berries (few acorns in my area), some had a bit of rape. Most were shot over rape, which didn't really decoy them well, they were "just looking". The ones that do decoy well are Nobby-No-Mates, I suspect they are looking for company more than food. Yes they are "topping up" on rape but not much more.

Therefore I still maintain, for whatever reason, pigeons are not very hungry next year.

Now, battle on Gentlemen!!

Thing is, it was a fairly mild winter, last year. it just so happened the natural bounty was not so abundant. That's why the pigeons hit the rape hard. A lot of farmers i shot for lost some rape to slug damage as it was so wet.

The year before last was a cold one, being -16 for a few days.

[Actionpigeons]

Thing is, it was a fairly mild winter, last year. it just so happened the natural bounty was not so abundant. That's why the pigeons hit the rape hard. A lot of farmers i shot for lost some rape to slug damage as it was so wet.

The year before last was a cold one, being -16 for a few days.

Motty my friend, I am not being disagreeable, Fact: it was not a mild winter last year, we had it fairly mild up to the start of dec. We had some of the lowest temperatures recorded.

One day in Jan it was -13 in this area. we had snow on the ground from the 12 of Jan until the 26th Jan without it thawing and odd days before and after that.

I keep a sporting diary and I can tell you the wind direction temp and what I shot and where on any day, sad I know.

The picture below was two clients on the 19th of Jan, Mild, I dont think so.

The day was cut short as the guy on the left was too cold.

Maybe this is the reason they hit the rape so hard last year, a long cold spell.

Oh thats the point i am trying to make, it needs to be cold for them to feed hard on the Rape,

Edited March 7, 2014 by Actionpigeons

[Penelope]

I agree, I didn't think it was particularly mild last winter, in fact IIRC, we had the coldest spring (Feb-April) for 50 years; I know we had heating problems on the upper floor of the office building I manage which had not been an issue in recent previous winters. IMO that, coupled with the lack of availability of better more nutritional food sources lead to the hammering the rape got, it's all there was.

 

This winter has been the complete opposite.

 

Motty my friend, I am not being disagreeable, Fact: it was not a mild winter last year, we had it fairly mild up to the start of dec. We had some of the lowest temperatures recorded.

One day in Jan it was -13 in this area. we had snow on the ground from the 12 of Jan until the 26th Jan without it thawing and odd days before and after that.

I keep a sporting diary and I can tell you the wind direction temp and what I shot and where on any day,

sad I know .

[matty*]

Pigeons seem hungry near me at the mo. Have been for a while.

Edited March 8, 2014 by matty*

[kitchrat]

Now then Kitchrat, that's a bit of sitting on the fence and putting the bullets in the gun....

 

Cant really take this debate any where, every thing has been said.

The only person having any strong opinion has thrown his toys out the pram and has no explanation or theory

Sit on the fence and load other's guns??? Dead right, I have nearly as much sport out of this as shooting the few pigeons I have managed!!!!

[motty]

Motty my friend, I am not being disagreeable, Fact: it was not a mild winter last year, we had it fairly mild up to the start of dec. We had some of the lowest temperatures recorded.

One day in Jan it was -13 in this area. we had snow on the ground from the 12 of Jan until the 26th Jan without it thawing and odd days before and after that.

I keep a sporting diary and I can tell you the wind direction temp and what I shot and where on any day, sad I know.

The picture below was two clients on the 19th of Jan, Mild, I dont think so.

The day was cut short as the guy on the left was too cold.

Maybe this is the reason they hit the rape so hard last year, a long cold spell.

Oh thats the point i am trying to make, it needs to be cold for them to feed hard on the Rape,

Absolute garbage. I shot on another field of rape today that has been hammered down one side. I don't think it's rabbits that have been feeding hard there.