by Duane Terry » Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:38 pm
It would be nice if many others here became interested in the adanas. I see that they are starting to raise the babies well for you. Anyway here is how I trained those birds for the diving from the cupboard. This method may not be suitable because of weather conditions or predators_varmits in some areas. In the late 90's I built one of those boxes with wire flooring. Starting with squeakers that could not fly much at all is the best. Then only 5 or 6 of them is enough, because too many birds are hard to control getting them use to the box. The birds are placed in the box and let out daily to eat for 2 weeks. The first few days is tough getting them back inside the box_but they learn quickly. After the two weeks let the birds out and take one at a time and hand toss it from a short distance_the bird must be able to see the others when hand tossed from a distance. It will instantly fly back to the others. You can hand toss each bird daily or every other day in the same manner. Do this for a couple more weeks just getting them use to responding to the cupboard. Then it is time to fly them. Make a flag out of a broom stick with a rag nailed to one end_any type of flag will do. Take two or three birds from the box and toss them on the ground. It is important that all other birds be out of their sight_anywhere around them. Gently wave the flag over them or at them enough to spook them off the ground. If this doesn't work toss the birds in the air and wave the flag at them. Here is where many give up as the birds refuse to fly no matter what. But sooner or later you will have one or two that will take to the skies and the others will follow. If they take to the sky on the first try have a dropper at hand or be ready to pull one from the box_else let all birds outside. Some the youngsters when they go airborne don't seem to know when to stop climbing upwards and upwards. So have a dropper ready if this happens_else let all the others outside. The bird or birds will respond instantly to this. You will get very fast diving from them using the cupboards but plan on loosing some birds no matter what. I lost a whole kit of youngsters once_probably because I was flying far too many birds at a time. I sent them up with a flag_all had been trained to the cupboard as written above. They went up and up and they were gone. I used a dropper and what was left in the box to pull them down_but this did not work. Several minutes later one of the kit came screaming down from the sky, but the others I never saw them again. I think a hawk may of spooked them or something_but a big loss here. It is really best to just fly only two or three birds and not let them get out of sight before dropping them. I noted some the men in adana keeping a constant watch on the fliers and when they got to a certain height they made a dash for the cupboard to pull the dropper. Others kept a dropper under their coat or at hand and they knew when to pull the birds down. The cupboards probably will not work for many in the USA because of our climate and predators_varmits like around here. But the birds dive very fast flying them this way and it keeps the male adanas from fighting. They are very protective over their nesting area and oft will drive the hen very hard to the nest with heavy pecking. Also the birds become pure pets and I am sure you see the young boys teasing them in those boxes over there_youtube videos.