expat1

Rose you say what has changed over the years, It should be what has not changed Most lofts are overcrowded, and too closed in with the failacy that widowhood Cocks must not get an abundance of fresh air, If a fancier races natural a lot have too many pairs in a section hence less air space per pigeon Young Birds are Bred by the boat load and each round the parents breed the young birds get weaker simple reason the parents get no break hence losses are higher so more are bred to compensate plus many more things but these few come to mind as i write Steve

Yes, we trained them up to 50 miles. and once there they had about six tosses at 50 miles before they went to 225 miles about three times a week So it took around three weeks from the start to the race of 225 miles Once they have had a fairly long race as soon as they are back to there normal body weight, we start to prepare them for the next race, Normally they do very little for about 10 days after a long race, except normal loft flying and we do not bother how much flying they do Take this last weekend we were at IRUN about 590 miles, by rights we should have timed on the day of Liberation quite a few did, but we did not, but the first one came in at 6.27 the next morning, by 8.oclock we had 5 of our 6 sent and the last one the next morning, they Won three prizes but not one of those pigeons tried and we were not happy with there performance, When they homed all they did was to sit on the loft roof and Coo, no interest in the loft at all except for one Cock bird, They did not look like they had been to a 200 miles race let alone near 600 miles, So they will go back again in 14 days time to St Vincent 584 miles, but they will have a few training tosses before to liven them up

Rose the Brive National 425 miles was a month before Barcelona. but in the 3 to 4 weeks including the Brive race they had covered a 1000 miles racing. This race was there last one before going to Barcelona the brive race was a fairly tough one with the earliest birds taking 11 hours to fly it so it set them up. Then we paired them up as i said to get them sitting on the first round of eggs this year, Once they had Laid and of course they did quite quickly about 7 to 10 days all were sitting after this we took them 40 to 50 miles about 7 times before Barcelona Marking I anm not a fan of pigeons flying around home with no road training I always think that if you have say two widowhood sections or two paired secrions by the time you have let them out for one hour, you can basket up and take them 20miles or more and the pigeons will be back home about the same time as you give them free flying around home and you know then they have had to fly at a good pace so it to me does them a lot of good. We did this in England and we have not changed anything over here in Belgium In fact We gave the Barcelona pigeons a 20miles toss the day before basket

Sammy,we do not do anything out of the ordinary regards the pigeons holding there flights, It is a trait i suppose in the family, One factor could be that we do not bother about getting pigeons in racing condition early in the year, our season will start in about the middle of May we train mostly in the car to get the pigeon fit then the first race about 170 miles or thereabouts then Bourges 288 miles onto Brive 425 miles, it is for the long races of 500 miles to near 700 miles we really work on them, As i said we did not pair them up until about the 10th June for the first time this year Last year when we sent to the Perpignan International 578 miles we sent six pigeons, we had the good fortune to win six prizes this race was the first weekend in August. On return from the race 5 had there second Flight half way up and the other one had cast his third flight in the basket, So i hope it works out this way for this year Nothing is given to hold back the moult of flights, indeed i do not know of anything that will and if there was a product i would not use it, we let things run there own course but with a little tweak here and there

Sammy No Race Bird in our loft had cast a flight until the 26th June This is just a normal thing with our birds it matters not if you pair them up in December so long as we do not let the hen lay a second round of eggs and incubate then the pigeons will hold the first flight well into june our last longest race of near 600 miles is about the 5th August

Congrats, Speed bird and many more to follow i hope expat

Sammy The Pigeons were paired up about 5 days after the Brive National 425 miles for the first time in 2007, and then sent sitting on the first round of eggs this year, We managed to float a few eggs under the Breeders to hatch out just in case any of the Barcelona pigeons came okay, then if they did we had a young un from them

When we prepared our Barcelona team they had the following Preparation Races distances appro in Miles Gien 225miles Vierzon 375 miles Brive 425 miles Racing Prior to Barcelona 1000miles Then Numerous Training Tosses of 40 miles or there abouts expat1

I thought Epson Salts were used for humans for an upset stomach etc Pigeons cannot become constipated so why use them, Probably do more harm than good. Put a good Electrolyte in the Drinker, feed light for a couple of feeds only then bring up the body weight as fast as you can, On a Short race they should not need to bring up the body weight only talking about middle to long distance, But even on a Sprint race a drink of Electrolyes will not hurt them

Roland, agree entirely with your post, Spot on for Distance pigeons

I reckon a decision will be made by the RPRA some time this next week as to whether it is viable to go ahead and challenge Defra, But if they do not then the BICC can go on if they so wish to As regards Racing on the Continient it still goes on, Today we are waiting to here when the Marseille International Pigeons, now at replaxcement racepoint IRUN in Spain will be let go, Not up at 7.oclock this morning so if they let go it will be a job to get them home today at around 600 miles plus Next Week the International Yearlings St Vincent race 584 miles to us will also go to IRUN as will the Narbonne International Pigeons next week Well, they are booked to go at this time Steve

You Would think that way, And i am far from being emotional person quite the opposite, perhaps you think the same way as Johno

Johno Are you saying that the Fanciers of Europe must not fight back against the Likes of Defra and Such in other countries, Would you have the fanciers Sit back and do nothiing. Providing what they do is within the Laws of the Land then they have every right to take the likes of Defra to court Its not viglante, its a democratic way of doing things, that is through the Law Courts I myself have wrote three times to the KBDB since i lived in Belgium on excatly the same thing, Is that wrong of me to do so, should i bow my head and doff my Cap so to speak and just accept what i am given without putting up some resistance but within the laws of the Land All i can say is i am glad i am me, and not yourself expat1

Yes Roland But only those who wish to be cowed down, Its well time the fanciers reacted against these jumped up little men in white collars and fight back. Okay they may not beat them but it can bbe made very difficult for them If it should go to the European Court they will have to provide evedence that pigeons are Carriers and a Threat to Other Wildlife Chickens etc and Humans, We too will have to provide the same to say they are not but the Way it has happened up to now the fancier has a good as chance as Defra of doing that Its not possible tfor the Fanciers in Britain, Scotland Wales and Ireland to say Bugger off we are going over to france regardless because they would not be allowed on board the Ferries The french just load up and Drive thats the Big difference, But to sit on ones back end any more without putting up some resitance is becoming intoerable for the fanciers in Britain Steve expat1

That answers my Question