Diamond dave

Thats the trouble Tooshy it ain't cold. Its 17 degrees which is plenty warm enough. Its also sunny with clear skies when you look up but if you look across to the horizon its as hazy as anything. Is it this haze that makes it difficult for the birds?

Thanks - I'll keep em in then. D.D.

Whenever there is a Light East wind, there always seems to be a very heavy haze with it. It seems to restrict the visibility considerably. The temperature is up to 17 degrees and the sun is trying to break through the haze but it lasts all day. The question is - is it ok to train latebreds or yearlings in these conditions......? D.D.

Do you loft fly your birds in fog - are they likely to injure themselves on TV aerials and wires etc.? D.D.

I've just bought a couple of bags of Tic Beans and it has about 15% of the beans affected by Weevil. I only paID £7.00 per 25 kilos but I don't know whether to give it to them or not now I have seen these weevil. Will the affected beans harm the birds in any way......? D.D.

I kept the Ko-Nipius pigeons for around 6 six years and couldn't keep any of them beyond the yearling stage. Admittedly, I was learning as well and I would put a lot of the losses down to my inexperience but it did become very noticable and I eventually ousted them. These were bred from proven distance stock, so I guess the same principle could be applied - Perhaps I asked too much of them as YBs and yearlings. D.D.

No guys, I'm afraid not. I'm wondering if it might of been a rat hole instead of a rabbit hole. I'm gutted, I dont have many racers and now its one less - and one of my best. One chuck - One less - I hope its not the way the seasons going to go. Do you think I should continue training from that spot - does Percy always hit the same spots or was it just a chance encounter...? D.D.

- AMAZING this - Itook my birds for a 12 mile chuck today. One of them, a 5 year old mealy cock was a little bit slow out of the basket. The birds circled a couple of times and then they was hit by Percy! It singled out the Mealy who turned like a spitfire doing a nose dive into the ground closely followed by Percy. I think the mealy must've spotted him soon enough cos he appeared to hit the ground before the Bop although they had just gone out of site behind a spinney. I took off accross the field, expecting to see Percy on top of Mealy eating him alive and what I found was the mealy scampering through bracken and undergrowth with the Bop in hot pursuit. After shouting abuse at the Bop he scurried off but the mealy kept scampering through the undergrowth. I tried to call him to settle him down but he just kept going - no sign of blood so I guess the BOP didn't get him. I caught up with him and was just about to make a grab for him when he disappeared down a rabbit hole - clean out of site. I waited for about 1/2 an hour calling him but he didn't come out, so I had to leave him. If you are reading this do you think he will come out of the hole and do you think I will ever see him again.......?

This is just my opinion but I don't reckon that lime in the loft is any good for you - let alone the pigeons - I think (no medical back up)that lime might contribute or aggrivate pigeon lung disease. Stands to reason that it can't be good for you breathing it in and if you are brushing it into the floor it is inevitable that you will be breathing it in......? I've stopped using it anyway. D.D.

Will keep a look out for him - how far do they usually go when they are prisoners - they cant be very fit? D.D.

Just one word of warning mate - you will get condensation in your loft with clear perspex/plastic sheets - Nice to have it a bit brighter but it does drip off the sheets and make your loft damp. - Speaking from experience D.D.

Had their first chuck today - Beautiful day. Took the w.hood cocks along with 4 latebreds. Only went about 4 miles just to show the Latebreds the ropes. - I think tomorrow (Sunday) is going to be a good day too so I think they will go again then. - BRING IT ON. D.D.

Why is it that Pau is more expensive than Barca when Barca is further......? D.D.

Kevin, Thanks so much for your offer to help. The problem was with my PC not the disc. Someone has given me a download that has allowed me to read the disc. I am now using your list to set it up. - Will pm you if I get stuck - thanks for your help mate - you are a real gent D.D.

Craig,Thanks for your reply mate - maybe I have been a bit hasty to make a judgement based on the trailer alone but I still stand by what I have said that the trailer hasn't got any content that will endear youngsters. If that is your target audience, the trailer isn't doing you any favours. - Again. this is just my opinion - it would be great if a few more would watch it and give an honest opinion - not just because it is a film about pigeon racing but whether they think it will help to promote the sport in any way but particularly to young people.......... D.D.

Hi Craig, Look mate, I really don't want to be a kiljoy here but I had a look at the trailer and I don't think this is going to promote pigeon Racing to anyone, let alone the young. I'm sure this might be controversial but I don't think that old blokes in cloth caps is going to do anything to promote the sport to young people. I don't want to spoil your thunder mate and I say this with the greatest respect but based on the trailer I don't think your film will go any further than u tube. It looks brilliantly well filmed, edited and put together but all I saw was the same old stuff that you see in the commercial DVD/Films. If you want to do something to promote the sport to young people it surely has to be viewed from a completly different angle with a view point from a young person. I can't say I know what the answer is but I don't think this is it. I'm sorry mate I don't mean to be rude but I have to say what I see. Before anyone jumps on me I have to say that this is just my honest opinion. D.D.

Hey Tooshy mate - Your sense of humour just went straight over my head - please explain....?

Thanks Blackdog - you are a very nice man - I already have a disc, my problem is uploading it to the PC. I try to open it through windows media player but I keep getting a message saying that a suitable DVD Decoder is not installed on my PC........? Do you need a special code to get into it? Any thoughts would be most welcome D.D.

WOW - Thanks for taking the touble to put all that in a post Blackdog that is very comprehensive. I'm a bit of a technophobe and need an idiot guide and will print your post to keep as a reference. But.... the only trouble is, the disk for the PC doesn't want to load up for some reason. I thought I might need a special code or something. I have 2 discs one for a club set up and one for a fancier set up. I don't need to know about the club set up but need to get the fancier disc loaded to be able to make a start on your list. - Do you think I have missed something else? Thanks for your help mate D.D.

Can anyone help with setting up a 2nd hand Tauris Compakt ETS. I picked it up off e.bay but havent got a clue how to set it up. I cant even get into the instruction disc - do I need a code or something? - Be grateful for any help or advice. Frustrated D.D.

Black minerals - Black minerals - Black minerals - Black minerals - Black minerals - Black minerals - I cant emphasize it enough without shouting!!!!! D.D.

I Have taken all the hens away now along with their babies. so all that is left in the shed is cock birds. They werent mature enough to pair up in Dec/January when I had spare hens in the shed with the other pairs but I guess they could be now. - They are August bred.......? Do you think that if they were flirting somewhere the older birds might have gone with them? D.D.

Just wondered if anyone has any ideas on why two out of 6 late breds cocks that when I let them out with the rest of the old birds keep clearing off and don't come in with the others. I have to go off to work so they have been shut out very day this week? I thought I had lost them to a hawk on Monday and was pleased to see them back when I came home from work. Do you think they might just be "ranging" and why aren't the others going with them. thanks D.D.

Hi Sasha, I've had a couple like that. I put mine down to young hens that keep coming off the nest and the temperatures that we have just had at crucial times when they are just hatching. The other night was minus 12. D.D.

Don't forget to add in a percentage of your club/fed fees and RPRA subs etc. D.D.