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Kitboxes - Adrian Gasparini |
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One of the most important tools you will need to manage your Rollers properly is a Kit Box. There is no ideal design, but unlike breeding lofts they are not as varied in size. Imagine a box approximately 3’6” wide x 3’6” high x 3’ deep and fitted with legs. Twenty rollers, known as a Kit, will live happily in this small space because they are liberated on a regular basis. The confined space is necessary for many reasons. The following are a few. Ø It will familiarize birds with each other and therefore promote a tighter kit of birds in flight. Ø The birds will stay quite and calm thereby conserving their energy until they are released. Ø It will aid in there mental conditioning. Ø It provides fewer opportunities for birds to mate up. Some important requirements for a good Kitboxes are ventilation, dryness, light control and perch space. I will use my own kitbox design as a guide only, but as with any design the individual should look for ways to improve my design and modify it to suite their own location, climatic situation and more importantly their own management techniques. VENTILATION Ventilation and dryness go hand in hand and are paramount in importance because of the confined space. Having a pitched roof and placing vents in the gables will greatly aide ventilation. I have also installed one continuous vent positioned along the bottom of the back wall at tray level. The birds’ high body temperature and the droppings from the tray will warm the air in the kitbox. This air will naturally rise to the top of the kitbox where it escapes through the gable vents. As it rises it draws fresh air in through the bottom vent, which in turn is heated and continues the cycle. Avoid placing vents directly opposite each other and at perch level. This will create a draft and will make for sick birds. LIGHT CONTROL Not all kitboxes require light control, as many fanciers do not believe that controlling the light available to the birds during the day is necessary. I however believe that it is an important tool in getting the best performance from my Rollers, although I do not keep them in darkness all day, every day, preferring instead to use the manipulation of available light as a stimulant for their nervous system. My design caters for both camps and easily allows the handler to decide for himself which path to follow. I would recommend experimentation. PERCHES
Perch space is important for the birds’ mental well being. A pigeon’s
natural survival instinct drives them off the ground and up to the highest
perch space available to them according to their pecking order. I have
installed a set of 25 boxes perches 1 inch off the rear wall and also a
few inverted ‘V’ perches on the sidewall to maximize perch space. The
rear box perches seem to work the best as it keeps the birds calm in there
own little pigeon hole, its easier to catch them when required, and they
are able to exit the kitbox quickly as they are already facing the right
way. If you make them out of melamine lined particleboard and keep them 1
inch off the rear wall it will be easy to clean them. Perches take up all
the available back wall space leaving no ledges or hiding places for the
birds. POSITION Because the Performing Roller will be flying in and out of the kitboxes, position is critical. It is best to try and face the front of the kitbox towards the most favourable weather conditions. There should be no obstruction in front of the kit boxes as the birds will come out of the box very quickly and in a tight group so there will be little time for the rear birds to dodge obstacles. Keep away from trees if at all possible. It is also preferable if the birds can clearly see the kitbox while they are in flight. SIZE
and NUMBER A single kit box is barely enough. Two, or one double, being the recommended minimum. My design is for a double kitbox and it will be seen that building a double kitbox is not that much more costly or difficult than building a single box. When designing the kitboxes I kept in mind the standard sizes of ply sheeting. The kitbox is 7 feet long x 3 feet deep x 4 feet high and is on legs 3 feet off the ground. There is a ¾ inch thick partition in the center which makes two kitboxes 3’6” wide. Framing is kept to a bare minimum to save costs, and also so there are less crevices and ledges to clean. Wherever possible framing is on the outside of the box. BASIC CONSTRUCTION Flooring; The floor is one inch square welded mesh, which allows most of the droppings to pass through it. The mesh also makes it harder for pairs to mate up. There is a pull out tray 6 inches below the mesh to catch the droppings. When placing the mesh in position insure that the wires running front to back are the uppermost wires, as this will make scraping easier. Walls; I have used sheets of 3/8 inch thick construction plywood without any wall framing. Use galvanized screws and seal all joins with silicon sealant. A rail is fixed along the top of the rear sheet to fix the roof sheet to, and also along the front and another forms the ridge. A rail is fixed at floor level, front and the back, to support the mesh floor. The legs run up the outside of the kitbox for stability. If you live in a high wind area it is best to peg the kitbox down as it is top heavy and so will be blown over easily. Roof and Ceiling; The kitbox has a pitched roof to aide with ventilation and also to match the breeding loft. The rear roof pitch is very shallow and much larger then the very steep front pitch. I have used ¼ inch fiber cement sheet as a roof covering. The front sheet is a standard 8 feet x 18 inches and will not require any cutting, likewise with the rear sheet which is 8 feet x 3 feet. After a performance the birds should be encouraged to land on this roof or the breeding loft roof if it is nearby. To simplify construction and make it an even more attractive landing board, the pitched roof can be replaced with a flat roof sloping slightly towards the rear. There is no ceiling in the kitbox. FITTINGS Water; The control of water intake is another tool that the handler can use to get the best from his Performing Rollers, for this reason automatic waterers are not necessary. Food; The control of food quantities and grain type is the single most important tool the handler has at his disposal. Feeding times and amounts need to be controlled. The birds need to be fed as a group and in such a fashion that all birds have equal access to the limited grain at the same time. Some fanciers use large trays that they place on the floor of the kitbox while the birds are out and then spread the measured quantity of grain in this tray on the birds return. I prefer to use a purpose made trough which keeps the birds shoulder to shoulder while feeding, thereby restricting their movement. The troughs or trays are removed once they have finished feeding. DOORS Doors need to be as wide as possible so the birds can exit quickly on release. The doors are made from ¾ inch thick plywood without any framing. I have used two doors per kitbox, one large door that has a wire window cut into it and one narrower door only 15 inches wide with a bob trap fitted. Cut out the window from the larger door and staple some wire to the inside of the door. Then refit the off-cut from the door back in the hole using hinges to make a shutter. Simply close this shutter during foul weather or when you want to control the amount of light available to the birds. The smaller door is used when removing feed trays and water containers or when you need to reach in and retrieve a bird for inspection. Because it is narrow your body will fill the open doorway, thereby making it difficult for birds to sneak out. When releasing the kit both doors are swung open giving the maximum exit opening. The bob trap is used for allowing access to kit birds that have run into some difficulty due to weather or falcon attack and are late returning. Normally the kit is called in through open main doors. All other times the traps are kept closed. If you are pressed for time and cannot wait for the kit to land so you can call them in, you have the option of placing the food in the kitbox, closing the main doors and leaving the traps open. When the kit does land they will enter through the traps to get to the food, but are unable to get back out. This is not a good option for many reasons and I believe should be avoided if possible. SUMMARY Whether you intend to fly in competition or just enjoy watching your kit perform while having your morning coffee, Kit boxes are a must to be able to get the best from your Performing Birmingham Rollers. Rollers will fly out of a shipping grate turned on its side with a door fashioned from a piece of wire held shut with a bend nail. They will also return to wherever they a fed and watered. A well designed and functional kitbox which is low maintenance will require a little more effort to construct but that effort will be refunded a thousand fold with many years of hassle free flying. The birds, and the handler, will be happier and healthier.
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