Diamond dave

Just got back from Donny - Was wowed by the Louis Cormans pigeons of Bob Fennech - Stunning birds fetched proper money.- Any body keep them.......? D.D.

I was fortunate to have a weekend away in Rome this year and seeing the streeters over there, I was embarresed to be a pigeon fancier. They were just like rats over there. I saw people having lunch that walked away from the table because some 20 -30 dirty streeters came and took over the table while they were sat there. They were everywhere people where eating outside - over table cloths and shitting over cutlery. Its no wonder joe public have this perception of our birds. Anyone going away to Rome would come back with the same feeling about them D.D.

I am so pi--ed off. I am begining to think that pigeon racing is the biggest waste of anyones time - ever!!!! I had 8 lovely late breds which I have bred to replace birds that I have lost racing. I have been so careful with these babies and nurtured them so well and was really, really chuffed with them. They've had 6 chucks up to now only from 5 miles in all directions. Today was a lovely morning, clear skies and temps of 13 degrees. Took them for a chuck again from where they had been before, -watched them climb and circle nicely only to be see them on the horizon hit from below by percy. Its now 5.45 and totally dark and none of them are home!!!! - What is the point to this game...........

Like many fanciers, I have lost a good few birds this year. I only usually keep 10 widowhood cocks in a small backyard loft and have mostly lost my widowhood cocks. I was thinking of racing natural next year and using the hens that have been kept widowed over the last few years. These are birds that have been in hen boxes for the most part of the racing season and then in their own section over winter. Can anyone tell me if they have succesfully brought hens out of this "retired" state and done any good with them. They would have all raced as young birds up to around 140 miles. I would like them to race up to maybe 350 miles in thier first year back and maybe 5-600 miles the following year....... D.D.

What do you think it is that makes the Barcelona International the Toughest race in the World. After 3 days there are less than 2000 pigeons verified throughout the whole of the international pigeon fraternity. This out of an entry of 25,000 pigeons. I don't think it is necessarily the distance because for a lot of the other countries the wind was with them for most of the way. Do you think it might be the Pryanese mountains or perhaps the lunchtime liberation - after all the Tarbes National suffered a similar fate with a lunchtime lib. Be interested to know anyone elses thoughts. Incidently, I am still awaiting my single entry but you have to admire those fanciers/birds that have made it back. D.D.

Think its turned out to be a good race after-all. Got to give some credit to the race control team - It was looking a bit dodgy there for a time, - I got 4 out of 5 in just over an hour. (South East Section). D.D.

Hi all. I am wondering if the weather for the first part of this season is carrying out a form of natural selection for us fanciers. In years gone by, there was no way of forecasting the weather and people used to send thier birds every week not knowing whether it was going to be an East wind or whatever, so it could be that the pigeons then were tested every week and were actually "tougher". For about the last 20 - 30 years many fanciers may have only sent when the weather is favourable and may have to some degree "molly-coddled" thier birds. Now when all we have had for the first seven races is tough N.E. winds, we are suddenly losing pigeons left, right and centre. - Could it be that these current birds don't have the same constitution as thier forebears - would these pigeons or thier parents or grandparents have been lost anyway if the families had been "tested" earlier in their make up. It would be good to hear other opinions on this subject. Best of luck to everyone, D.D.

6 out of 8 from Poole yesterday - waiting on 2 latebreds and would like both of them back please. Trouble is with weather as hot as this i don't expect to see them again. (Living in hope and watching in earnest). At least I got all my Queens Jubilee entries all back without any stress on them. D.D.

If I may I would like to add another angle to this thread. When I first started with the doos about 9-10 years ago, there was a fella in the club who used to excell at the distance. However, if you saw the condition he used to put his birds in the basket you would be disgusted - as I was. The problem was that I was very green at the time and didn't know any different but no-one else in the club seemed to be concerned about it. His birds went into the basket as skinny as rakes - as though they hadn't been fed for at least a week if not 2. But let me tell you this guy always used to be there or there abouts. I guess his policy was to leave all of the feeding to the convoyer and the birds would put on condition for the 4-5 days that they were in the basket on route to the race point. I suppose it goes to show that you don't necessrily need to worry too much about what you feed them before hand because what they get on route would be enough anyway. Incidently, this is not a policy that I have adopted. D.D.

So sorry to hear this sad news - will miss his posts and his sense of humour - sincere condolences to all his family. D.D.

Looking at the times from the MNFC and NFC your birds could've been swept up by latecomers out of the french national races. - Hope you might get them this morning. D.D.

Did anyone send with the MNFC and the NFC - I couldnt send this week but wondered what the returns were like for these two big races......... D.D.

Ah such bad news Helen - what sort accident he had? Send him all our best. He's always thinking of us now we all thinking about him. Wish I was closer to help you both out. DD

The one clock would do you for multiple races mate - you would not need 2 clocks. Nationals or otherwise, you can put several races on the one day and even go training too. In our secretaries absence this week I set and struck off Tauris, Unikon, Bricon and Mega Ets clocks and to be absolutely honest they are all much of a muchness and once you understand the simple procedures, they are all a piece of P***. The one thing that I have noticed about the Bricon "speedy" though is that the "beep" is not very loud when putting the birds through and one or two birds in our club have been missed because of it. Mind you with the ageing pigeon fraternity we are all deaf old bastarbs anyway!!! D.D.

Yep, looking ahead at the weather it looks like it could be another tough one especially for you guys down on that East side - I think your section took a bashing at Carentan didn't they? I think at this moment in time I'm just looking to send 2 but I would like to send 6 if things improve. - Are you sending.......? D.D.

4th North Section/42nd open (this on the provisional result). I was pleased with that considering the wind - there weren't many clocked on the North Section or the East Section. I had to smile with the Libline - they didn't give the wind in miles per hour they gave it as Gale Force 6 to 7 I have to say that I was well impressed with the condition of the birds when they came home - someone should be congratulated on that after they spent 4 days in the baskets. D.D.

Might get lucky and get a lib later tomorrow morning - fingers crossed. D.D.

Birds have been brought back from Bedhampton (South Coast)- Adverse weather conditions for the whole weekend

Yes mate - I only sent 2 in the end. I was gonna send 6 but I didn't want to give em too much of a bashing this early in the season. They're either gonna be in the basket for 3 or 4 days or they're gonna be let up in a very strong East Wind - Either way they're gonna get a bashing. Good luck to all. D.D.

Still a fantastic programme Lee. Do you know much about the convoyer and race controller - have you seen the weather over the channel this weekend.....?

Make th most boys - this is probably yer summer!! D.D.

Yep. 14th April for our fed too - sounds like there's going to be a lot of birds in the air that day - I wont be sending me yearlings or latebreds until about 4 or 5 races in and when I can be sure that an early lib is not going to be too cold - Even I was freezing this morning until around 10 0'clock. D.D.

I'll keep them in the shed then. Thanks everyone D.D.

Does the weevil take the goodness out of the beans and does it carry any sort of germs or anything that will affect the birds? D.D.