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would you say  young bird losses could be put down to the way we  feed them

i dont race but drive for the kent cosmo and find most losses are down to lack of training or sh** birds tbh m8  .



bernie

Well you did ask  

For my money most losses are due to poor health.

I was talking to an old mate of mine recently, and although he doesn't race these days, he commented on the lack of "pigeon racing flocks"  that that were  the norm in the earlier days. Some weeks we would know where pigeons were heading. We could honestly say, There go the Fed birds, or even Southport birds, most weeks. Ours always were liberated a bit later than theirs, and if you got one , in the lull before the storm. you were on a winner. Then they would pass in droves! with our own birds ( the also rans) dropping out of the  passing flocks. These days, we dont see the flocks passing over here, only the odd idividual racer. What has happened? Are the birds using the eastern motorways to their advantage?  Strange but true. Vic.  

Remember well loads of twaddle spouted in many scenarios about feed. like 'Ah if you race .... then you must only feed .... and heavy' etc.
A pigeon is a pigeon! If it wants home it will come home! If contented at home that is, mind Cod Liver oil on jellied eels might be a bit off putting lol.
Of course not mucker. They return from many races hungry... not many pop off to 'Trafalger Square' for a quick snack
So simplely put, off course not!

There is a few things that are down to the losses, i dont think down to feeding would cause the losses that you hear about.

to be honest i think if it were just 1 problem it would be sorted by now. from what little i've seen i think to many birds come out of the basket ( training or racing) with little or perhaps no knowledge of where 'home' is due to a lack of roaming  experience. then the other problems kick in clashing/ dehyration etc. i also don't believe feeding is a cause. just my opinion  

Quoted from karl adams

would you say  young bird losses could be put down to the way we  feed them

although most have dismissed this - it rather depends on how, what - and how much you feed them - before this is dismissed
I was quite disgusted when I went to a moot - to find a 'top' flier only gave 60 youngsters 50 ounces of feed

don't believe all you hear at moots etc!
Do you think top fanciers are going to tell you everything?

Phil

Quoted from REDCHEQHEN

although most have dismissed this - it rather depends on how, what - and how much you feed them - before this is dismissed
I was quite disgusted when I went to a moot - to find a 'top' flier only gave 60 youngsters 50 ounces of feed

On Thursday before Friday marking maybe! lol.

Perhaps you could say that the way we feed is a reason why we dont seem to get pigeons sitting on the loft the day after a bad race the way we used to but I think not. I think the pigeons we race today are powder puffs, in search of speed the pigeons constitution seems to have suffered. They just dont seem to have it in them to get up the following day like they used to.

I think this is just a case of people looking for more excuses!
It's easy to blame everything but themselves and if they take a look at there own methods, hygene, amount of training etc then they may find more reasons for losses!

Phil

Quoted from pjc

I think this is just a case of people looking for more excuses!
It's easy to blame everything but themselves and if they take a look at there own methods, hygene, amount of training etc then they may find more reasons for losses!

Phil

  I don't need to look for excuses! i started training 34 ybs and have 31 ready to send to the first race, and ten of these were squeaking on their first chuck, 10 days ago.  I must admit I have had losses, but still have 24 darkies upfront.I must also admit, they ain't been further than Hale shore, about 10 mile by car.  

Many things, but i still say that lack of water the biggest problem. Lot of fanciers won't feed them on a friday, so unlikely to take too much water then in a basket til Saturday morning or later then expected to fly a few hours! Stressed, no bloody wonder!!! Decent birds that know where the trough is on the basket will get thru the season unless they other bad luck.

i can never understand why people push ybs so hard.  they are only babies its the future you want them for not one season yb racing.

chose not to p*ss everyone off

As regarding drinking training, all birds and animals will find water IF it's there, when thirsty. Basket water training is bunkum as far as I am concerned.

The thing is your dealing with a living thing and we all know us humans are all different so too the doo. If the birds are in good health, fit and well educated i.e. have been doon the road at various stages then the only thing against them is weather and I don't just mean at liberation but all weather from A to B ( shap fell ). Of course the last time I raced a bird was in the early seventy's when we didnae pamper them! Just a thought but we still had our share of losses which were all put down to weather so I may be wrong (not the first time). I always gave my birds a light feed / water prior to basketing.

Quoted from Vic

As regarding drinking training, all birds and animals will find water IF it's there, when thirsty. Basket water training is bunkum as far as I am concerned.

So when a stray YB (or any stray) enters your loft what is the first thing it usually does? Have to say that the last sentence is the worse quote i have seen on any pigeon forum.