Message Pages

News and Updates

Jun-16-2023

GOOD MORNING!

Good Morning Breeders!

Birds were happy to go out and enjoy themselves this morning. I pulled the 10th flight on Wednesday and was very happy with how the birds looked. All erings were correct and I didn't find any non functioning bands. I did pull one bird for a possible pox lesion on his eyelid, so I will keep a close eye on that bird. All the others I didn't find any issues. The 9th flight is about 3/4 of the way in on most birds and many of the birds were more than happy to give me some wing time this morning.

Wednesday was a nice cool day with a high of around 72. I was able to get through all the birds in about 9 hours from the time the first bird was scanned to the last. I have made the process as stress free as possible for the birds. Birds are locked inside the loft the night before and then are moved through the loading chute and into a small catch pen in groups of about 50. Then I scan each and pull flights and they are released out into the aviaries. Any one bird may stay 20 minutes in the catch pen.

We have been having some cooler night time temperatures down into the low 40s, so appetites have definitely increased. Birds will continue to loft fly at will until the 1st of July and then I will make sure they are all up and moving. Road training will start around the second week of July.

Have a great weekend.

Lucas

Lucas Cramer

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

Jun-06-2023

GOOD MORNING BREEDERS!

Good Morning Breeders!

Birds enjoyed another beautiful morning out and about stretching their wings. Birds are continuing to do great on their morning loft flying. The majority of them will head out and fly well first thing and then they tend to come back and hang out on the roof. As the morning progresses, the red tail hawk usually makes an appearance and then the majority go back up and fly some more. All morning there are small groups that get up and head out and then come back.

Birds have the option to bathe a couple times week and are moltng steady. The 9th flight looks to be coming in well. The 10th will be pulled around June 15th. Road training will start around the second week of July. I like to wait until that 10th is the majority of the way in before I start short tosses.

Everyone that sent birds should have received a hat this year...if you haven't received one and would like one please let me know, so I can check my shipping list and get one on the way.

Appettites continue to be good and the birds seem to be content in the loft. We have had a couple days of 90 degrees and the birds have been enjoying baking in the aviaries. Primalac and Ropa B continue to be in rotated in the water.

Everything is going well here at the loft. I hope this finds everyone well.

Have a great week!

Lucas

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

May-27-2023

GOOD AFTERNOON BREEDERS!

Good Afternoon Breeders!

Beautiful day here in Central Oregon. Birds are doing great. Each morning they are let out around 7 and locked out until about 10 or 11. Birds are up and down off the loft all morning, with groups heading out in all directions. We have had a couple visits from the prairie falcon this week scattering the birds but the birds are getting used to dealing with all the raptors. The red tailed hawk pair makes a visit daily but the birds got them figured out.

Each day I run a "missing/lost" report so any bird missing from that particular day will be marked "missing" and if missing a second time it is marked "lost". There have been a few injuries from birds running into things or raptors. Overall, the birds are flying great. Pulling the 9th hasn't seemed to affect them much, which is great to see.

This next week the trailer will be going in for some minor repairs and maintenance. Once back, I will connect the trailer to the loft and let the birds have free access to loading and unloading. The flock started their first respiratory treatment yesterday with Doxycycline/Tylosin.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Take Care

Lucas

Lucas Cramer

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

May-18-2023

GOOD EVENING!

Good Evening Breeders!

Full day of pulling flights for me today! I am extremely happy with how the birds feel. They are chunky and have put on a lot of muscle since arrival...perfect for this time of year. They all had baths yesterday in preparation. I saw birds just dropping their 1st flight to birds that have already dropped their 8th...which is crazy fast molting in my opinion. I did pull two birds for being underweight and I am hopeful that they will make a full recovery with a bit of TLC. I also pulled one bird with an eye issue that I will be keeping an eye on. I did individually treat 6 birds for mild respiratory issues.

The last group of birds have been trap trained and are now with the main flock of birds. Birds will have free loft tomorrow and will not be forced out...I will not run the clock. Friday should be back to normal with birds all being forced out and clock running. Weather has been warm and sunny with an occasional thunderstorm. We are all loving the summer weather.

I had planned on doing a chip check today, along with pulling flights, but I messed up the clock first thing this morning and scrapped that plan. I will do a chip check when I pull the 10th flight in about a month to make sure they are all working correctly.

Thank you all for sending great quality birds this year!

Lucas

Lucas Cramer

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

May-04-2023

GOOD AFTERNOON!

Good Afternoon Breeders!

Birds enjoyed a rainy morning out in the aviaries today and the sun is just starting to peak out. Last night and into this morning we had a good thunderstorm come through and bring a bunch of moisture with it. Everything is beautiful green today. Spring has finally arrived.

Race is now closed for 2023.

There are 3 groups that still need to be settled into the main flock of birds and that will happen over the next couple of weeks. The 9th flight will be pulled on all birds around May 15th. The main group of birds have been enjoying themselves on their loft flights and the majority of them are flocking up well. They are learning a lot on each outing and many of them are not in a hurry to come back into the loft.

Looks like we may have rain through the weekend, so birds may not get a chance to go out again until next week.

Thank you all for the support this year!

Lucas

Lucas Cramer

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

Apr-24-2023

MAY 1ST LAST DAY TO SHIP

Good Morning Breeders!

Last day to ship all birds is May 1st! Keep an eye on inventories.

Those breeders that have paid for 6 or more perch fees, be sure to take advantage of the free back up bird as stated in the rules.

Rules

We are finally getting some much needed sunshine and warmth. Looks like we might be up into the 80s by the end of the week. Birds and I are definitely enjoying it. The birds are flying more and more each time they are out and getting the hang of flying in a flock.

Appetites continue to be good, especially with the cold nights. I have had to pull a few birds out of the main flock over the week for a variety of issues, but for the most part, the birds are doing well. I always look forward to receiving the last of the birds and getting them all settled into one flock.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out!

Have a great week.

Please remember to only ship on Monday and Tuesday.

Lucas

Lucas Cramer

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

Apr-16-2023

LOFT IS FULL!

Good Evening Breeders,

Just wanted to inform everyone that the loft is full for this year. Please only ship birds that have been prepaid or that are replacements.

Last day to ship all birds...including replacements is May 1st.

Overall, the birds are doing great. It continues to be a cold spring, but we are all making the best of it. The raptors have been terrible with the cooler spring...everything is hungry. The main flock is getting out as much as possible and are starting to flock more and more. They are definitely happy to get out and stretch those wings.

I will go through today's trainer and update any missing birds by tonight. If you see a bird that hasn't been clocking and have questions, please reach out so I can take a look. There isn't an easy way for me to find missing birds at this point, so I have to go through each breeder and compare it to today's trainer. Once all the birds are in the loft, all I have to do is press a button and wincompanion will automatically generate any missing birds.

Birds are keeping me busy with day to day chores. Each morning I push the birds out into the aviaries and scrape the wire floors and Virkon the loft before they are allowed back in. Waters are changed and disinfected twice daily. Birds are getting as much as they want to eat at this point and receiving a rotation of Primalac and Ropa B in the water. Monday is my mineral day when I add new free choice minerals to all the pots and add fresh grit.

This week looks like more of the same with freezing night time temperatures and a high of 50 during the day.

Thank you all for the continued support!

Lucas Cramer

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

Apr-02-2023

GOOD EVENING!

Good Evening Breeders!

Windy and chilly here at the loft today. The weather has not been cooperating to get these birds out much, but they are taking it in stride. Thursday I was able to get the first three groups out and they did quite well, even with having two separate cooper's hawks come in on them. I did have birds everywhere and they definitely learned a lot on that outing. This spring has been cold and windy...but it looks like we will finally be getting some warmer weather next week.

There are a few birds missing from Thursday's flight, so I will be sure to update the missing birds on Sunday.

If you do not plan on sending your birds this next week, I would suggest pre paying your perch fees. I am filling quickly and I don't want anyone to be caught by surprise when I am full. The post office has been doing a good job getting birds here on time, despite the snow on the mountain passes.

Overall, the birds are doing well despite the weather. I am keeping them well fed and they spend most of the day out in the large aviaries enjoying the sunshine when it comes out. They have enjoyed a couple baths on sunny days and many of them are in a heavy molt.

I hope this finds everyone well and thank you all for the support.

Lucas

Lucas Cramer

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

Mar-20-2023

GOOD MORNING!

Good Morning Breeders!

Wet and windy this morning. There are just under 400 birds here at the loft. There are two groups (red and orange) trap training and learning my schedule in the main loft. They are ready to get out and fly...just waiting on the weather. Birds are color coded by week they arrive, giving me a better handle on organizing each group.

Birds are doing well and getting used to my routine. It has been a cold spring but the birds have been taking it all in stride. I am definitely looking forward to some warm sunny days. Appetites are good and birds are receiving either Ropa B or Primalac in the water each day. They also receive Kastle Youngbird Developer on the feed a couple of times a week.

I am looking forward to another busy week. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Have a great week!

Lucas

Lucas Cramer

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

Mar-05-2023

GOOD MORNING!

Good Morning Breeders,

Snowy morning here at the loft. I had a good first week with 117 birds arriving and settling well into quarantine. A few of the shipments were a bit late with weather delays, but the majority arrived in good time.

A few reminders...

I do not accept birds with POX, so please do not send them...I will not hold them in quarantine.

Please remember to put some absorbent bedding in the bottom of your boxes...your babies will be more comfortable and less dirty when they arrive.

Please remember to include your perch fees with your birds, it helps me immensely.

Please ship Monday and Tuesday. Our post office is closed on Saturday.

This next week will continue to be chilly with night time temperatures in the low 20s and daytime highs in the low 40s.

I hope this finds everyone well...always feel free to reach out with any questions.

Have a great week and thank you all for sending birds this year!

Lucas

Lucas Cramer

503-510-2661

CrookedRiverChallenge.com

Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B

« Previous 1 2 3 4 [5]6 7 8 9 10 Next »

	News and Updates
	Jun-16-2023
GOOD MORNING! Good Morning Breeders! Birds were happy to go out and enjoy themselves this morning. I pulled the 10th flight on Wednesday and was very happy with how the birds looked. All erings were correct and I didn't find any non functioning bands. I did pull one bird for a possible pox lesion on his eyelid, so I will keep a close eye on that bird. All the others I didn't find any issues. The 9th flight is about 3/4 of the way in on most birds and many of the birds were more than happy to give me some wing time this morning. Wednesday was a nice cool day with a high of around 72. I was able to get through all the birds in about 9 hours from the time the first bird was scanned to the last. I have made the process as stress free as possible for the birds. Birds are locked inside the loft the night before and then are moved through the loading chute and into a small catch pen in groups of about 50. Then I scan each and pull flights and they are released out into the aviaries. Any one bird may stay 20 minutes in the catch pen. We have been having some cooler night time temperatures down into the low 40s, so appetites have definitely increased. Birds will continue to loft fly at will until the 1st of July and then I will make sure they are all up and moving. Road training will start around the second week of July. Have a great weekend. Lucas -- Lucas Cramer 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
	Jun-06-2023
GOOD MORNING BREEDERS! Good Morning Breeders! Birds enjoyed another beautiful morning out and about stretching their wings. Birds are continuing to do great on their morning loft flying. The majority of them will head out and fly well first thing and then they tend to come back and hang out on the roof. As the morning progresses, the red tail hawk usually makes an appearance and then the majority go back up and fly some more. All morning there are small groups that get up and head out and then come back. Birds have the option to bathe a couple times week and are moltng steady. The 9th flight looks to be coming in well. The 10th will be pulled around June 15th. Road training will start around the second week of July. I like to wait until that 10th is the majority of the way in before I start short tosses. Everyone that sent birds should have received a hat this year...if you haven't received one and would like one please let me know, so I can check my shipping list and get one on the way. Appettites continue to be good and the birds seem to be content in the loft. We have had a couple days of 90 degrees and the birds have been enjoying baking in the aviaries. Primalac and Ropa B continue to be in rotated in the water. Everything is going well here at the loft. I hope this finds everyone well. Have a great week! Lucas 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
	May-27-2023
GOOD AFTERNOON BREEDERS! Good Afternoon Breeders! Beautiful day here in Central Oregon. Birds are doing great. Each morning they are let out around 7 and locked out until about 10 or 11. Birds are up and down off the loft all morning, with groups heading out in all directions. We have had a couple visits from the prairie falcon this week scattering the birds but the birds are getting used to dealing with all the raptors. The red tailed hawk pair makes a visit daily but the birds got them figured out. Each day I run a "missing/lost" report so any bird missing from that particular day will be marked "missing" and if missing a second time it is marked "lost". There have been a few injuries from birds running into things or raptors. Overall, the birds are flying great. Pulling the 9th hasn't seemed to affect them much, which is great to see. This next week the trailer will be going in for some minor repairs and maintenance. Once back, I will connect the trailer to the loft and let the birds have free access to loading and unloading. The flock started their first respiratory treatment yesterday with Doxycycline/Tylosin. I hope everyone has a great weekend! Take Care Lucas -- Lucas Cramer 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
	May-18-2023
GOOD EVENING! Good Evening Breeders! Full day of pulling flights for me today! I am extremely happy with how the birds feel. They are chunky and have put on a lot of muscle since arrival...perfect for this time of year. They all had baths yesterday in preparation. I saw birds just dropping their 1st flight to birds that have already dropped their 8th...which is crazy fast molting in my opinion. I did pull two birds for being underweight and I am hopeful that they will make a full recovery with a bit of TLC. I also pulled one bird with an eye issue that I will be keeping an eye on. I did individually treat 6 birds for mild respiratory issues. The last group of birds have been trap trained and are now with the main flock of birds. Birds will have free loft tomorrow and will not be forced out...I will not run the clock. Friday should be back to normal with birds all being forced out and clock running. Weather has been warm and sunny with an occasional thunderstorm. We are all loving the summer weather. I had planned on doing a chip check today, along with pulling flights, but I messed up the clock first thing this morning and scrapped that plan. I will do a chip check when I pull the 10th flight in about a month to make sure they are all working correctly. Thank you all for sending great quality birds this year! Lucas -- Lucas Cramer 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
	May-04-2023
GOOD AFTERNOON! Good Afternoon Breeders! Birds enjoyed a rainy morning out in the aviaries today and the sun is just starting to peak out. Last night and into this morning we had a good thunderstorm come through and bring a bunch of moisture with it. Everything is beautiful green today. Spring has finally arrived. Race is now closed for 2023. There are 3 groups that still need to be settled into the main flock of birds and that will happen over the next couple of weeks. The 9th flight will be pulled on all birds around May 15th. The main group of birds have been enjoying themselves on their loft flights and the majority of them are flocking up well. They are learning a lot on each outing and many of them are not in a hurry to come back into the loft. Looks like we may have rain through the weekend, so birds may not get a chance to go out again until next week. Thank you all for the support this year! Lucas -- Lucas Cramer 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
	Apr-24-2023
MAY 1ST LAST DAY TO SHIP Good Morning Breeders! Last day to ship all birds is May 1st! Keep an eye on inventories. Those breeders that have paid for 6 or more perch fees, be sure to take advantage of the free back up bird as stated in the rules. Rules We are finally getting some much needed sunshine and warmth. Looks like we might be up into the 80s by the end of the week. Birds and I are definitely enjoying it. The birds are flying more and more each time they are out and getting the hang of flying in a flock. Appetites continue to be good, especially with the cold nights. I have had to pull a few birds out of the main flock over the week for a variety of issues, but for the most part, the birds are doing well. I always look forward to receiving the last of the birds and getting them all settled into one flock. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out! Have a great week. Please remember to only ship on Monday and Tuesday. Lucas -- Lucas Cramer 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
	Apr-16-2023
LOFT IS FULL! Good Evening Breeders, Just wanted to inform everyone that the loft is full for this year. Please only ship birds that have been prepaid or that are replacements. Last day to ship all birds...including replacements is May 1st. Overall, the birds are doing great. It continues to be a cold spring, but we are all making the best of it. The raptors have been terrible with the cooler spring...everything is hungry. The main flock is getting out as much as possible and are starting to flock more and more. They are definitely happy to get out and stretch those wings. I will go through today's trainer and update any missing birds by tonight. If you see a bird that hasn't been clocking and have questions, please reach out so I can take a look. There isn't an easy way for me to find missing birds at this point, so I have to go through each breeder and compare it to today's trainer. Once all the birds are in the loft, all I have to do is press a button and wincompanion will automatically generate any missing birds. Birds are keeping me busy with day to day chores. Each morning I push the birds out into the aviaries and scrape the wire floors and Virkon the loft before they are allowed back in. Waters are changed and disinfected twice daily. Birds are getting as much as they want to eat at this point and receiving a rotation of Primalac and Ropa B in the water. Monday is my mineral day when I add new free choice minerals to all the pots and add fresh grit. This week looks like more of the same with freezing night time temperatures and a high of 50 during the day. Thank you all for the continued support! -- Lucas Cramer 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
	Apr-02-2023
GOOD EVENING! Good Evening Breeders! Windy and chilly here at the loft today. The weather has not been cooperating to get these birds out much, but they are taking it in stride. Thursday I was able to get the first three groups out and they did quite well, even with having two separate cooper's hawks come in on them. I did have birds everywhere and they definitely learned a lot on that outing. This spring has been cold and windy...but it looks like we will finally be getting some warmer weather next week. There are a few birds missing from Thursday's flight, so I will be sure to update the missing birds on Sunday. If you do not plan on sending your birds this next week, I would suggest pre paying your perch fees. I am filling quickly and I don't want anyone to be caught by surprise when I am full. The post office has been doing a good job getting birds here on time, despite the snow on the mountain passes. Overall, the birds are doing well despite the weather. I am keeping them well fed and they spend most of the day out in the large aviaries enjoying the sunshine when it comes out. They have enjoyed a couple baths on sunny days and many of them are in a heavy molt. I hope this finds everyone well and thank you all for the support. Lucas -- Lucas Cramer 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
	Mar-20-2023
GOOD MORNING! Good Morning Breeders! Wet and windy this morning. There are just under 400 birds here at the loft. There are two groups (red and orange) trap training and learning my schedule in the main loft. They are ready to get out and fly...just waiting on the weather. Birds are color coded by week they arrive, giving me a better handle on organizing each group. Birds are doing well and getting used to my routine. It has been a cold spring but the birds have been taking it all in stride. I am definitely looking forward to some warm sunny days. Appetites are good and birds are receiving either Ropa B or Primalac in the water each day. They also receive Kastle Youngbird Developer on the feed a couple of times a week. I am looking forward to another busy week. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Have a great week! Lucas -- Lucas Cramer 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
	Mar-05-2023
GOOD MORNING! Good Morning Breeders, Snowy morning here at the loft. I had a good first week with 117 birds arriving and settling well into quarantine. A few of the shipments were a bit late with weather delays, but the majority arrived in good time. A few reminders... I do not accept birds with POX, so please do not send them...I will not hold them in quarantine. Please remember to put some absorbent bedding in the bottom of your boxes...your babies will be more comfortable and less dirty when they arrive. Please remember to include your perch fees with your birds, it helps me immensely. Please ship Monday and Tuesday. Our post office is closed on Saturday. This next week will continue to be chilly with night time temperatures in the low 20s and daytime highs in the low 40s. I hope this finds everyone well...always feel free to reach out with any questions. Have a great week and thank you all for sending birds this year! Lucas -- Lucas Cramer 503-510-2661 CrookedRiverChallenge.com Crooked River Challenge is a proud user of Primalac, *Topigeon clocking system, and Ropa B*
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