Diamond dave

I was hoping that the surrogate pair would continue to sit once they had felt some movement in the eggs. Surely they wouldn't leave the eggs while there is movement inside. At what stage do the chicks start to move around inside the eggs? D.D.

Posted Yesterday, 20:31 PM spin cycle, on 30 December 2010 - 20:24 PM, said: how long can you store unincubated eggs waiting for a foster pair to lay? with...say an 80% chance of succsess? - OLD Yellow - Am I reading you right and you are saying that you can actually store fresh laid eggs for 18 days..........?

Festive greetings to everyone. Can anyone tell me how long the time lapse would be before its unsafe to underlay eggs to another pair - I have a pair that have been sitting for 6 days and I want to underlay them with eggs from a stock pair that have just laid but I am not sure if it is safe and I don't want to risk the eggs. I would be grateful for the benefit of anyones experience on this subject. Many thanks in advance D.D.

Hi ya PM is this the Old Comrades show your talking about. D.D.

Thanks for all your replies. Unfortunately I have just got an old single brick shed for my loft - not off the floor or anything fancy and it probably faces the wrong way. Ive put an onduline roof on it with some clear sheets on it which give me a lot of condensation but it does make it a lot brighter. I am afraid I amn stuck with it and have to make the best of it. I handled a friends birds in a wooden loft the other day and was staggered by the condition of them against my own birds - I seem to struggle to get condition on my birds and thought it might be something to do with th humidity - does anyone know if shutters would help or am I better to allow air flow through the shed. Thganks D.D.

My problem is that my loft is a brick shed which appears to hold on to damp air - would it make any difference if I put shutters up or am I best to leave it open......? D.D.

Does anyone know if there is a "desired" humidity inside the loft and what it should be. Would it be different in summer to winter and how can you control it.........? D.D.

Can anyone give me any tips on how to get youngbirds to take to a box in the widowhood race loft. In particular I have a very small young cock who is being ousted by the older birds. I am feeding them in thier boxes. Thanks D.D.

Yup, birds have been split for about 4 weeks now and they will go back together in about another 3 weeks. Its a waste of time messing about with young hens, or trying to change pairings. Only previously paired birds will lay out without any problems but then you must be prepared for about 25% infertile eggs - you just have to hope its not your best pairs. D.D.

I know the problem mate. I have a brick built loft and have had the same problem. I even tried mixing salt into loft white and covering the floor with a good thick coating - I've gone in the loft at night with a torch and the little buggers where gliding over the top of it. I think I have found the answer now which is a wash of Jeyes fluid over the floor. They haven't been back for a while now but where the heck do they come from. D.D.

Hi Shweet, I have been experimenting with the light system for the last couple of years - I can't say that I have perfected it yet, on the contrary, I have made lots of mistakes - this year I have got it wrong by just 2 weeks for getting the birds ready for the national. Whatever anyone tells you the system is easier than darkness but it does have some disadvantages. If you want to pm me I will let you know the pitfalls that I have come up against. Best regards D.D.

These birds are Majestic (nor am I a member of the RSPB). There were loads introduced to the Wycombe area about 10 - 15 years ago. I've watched them spread out over those years and have seen them up as far as Peterborough. They are absolutely no threat at all to pigeons as they are purely carrion. I love seeing them fairly close up - they are awesome birds. D.D.

I don't want to put a damper on this thread - and certainly not on Bob McDonald,- but the Ko nipius birds are not every ones cup of tea. I bought a gay pied cock off the late Bob Scrivener - it was from the Ken Kippax lines. His pedigree said that he raced Barcelona as a yearling. I then bought a hen from Bob McDonald to go with it (he was extremely helpful and gave me a hand written pedigree to go with this hen). But mine isn't a story of happy ending I'm afraid because I couldn't keep anything out of this pair beyond the yearling stage. I stuck with them for several years mainly because I bought the pair to encourage my son but found them to be completely unreliable - probably my poor management or inexperience but I finally decided to get rid of them last year. I now have the old Van Hee lines and find it hard to lose them. -Just my story D.D.

Has anyone been on Google Earth and keyed in thier Longitude and Latitude......? I done it with mine and it says my loft is nearly 150 Yards closer to the next fancier than it actually is. -Surely this aint right!!!! If his loft is marked wrong in the opposite direction there could be a difference of 300 yards. - Can anything be done about this........?

Anyone know whats happened to the MNFC birds from Tours - I was expecting them at about 4.00pm into Northamptonshire but there aren't any verified yet and its now 6.45..........

Hi Red Chequer - can you tell us where to go for this test, give us an address or phone number.......? Thanks in advance D.D.

Hi all - does anyone know how long the battery will last once the warning symbol starts flashing........? DD

Hello mate - Put it somewhere its mum can get to it. The only reason it has flown into you is because it is a fledgling which is absolutely normal - it's just gone off inthe wrong direction. Don't even try to do anything with it just let it's mum take care of it - It is it's best chance. Even the RSPCA can't mimic nature. Above all do not give it worms. Good Luck DD

Northants is dull and overcast and quite cool. There were a good deal of birds missing from the NFC Messac race yesterday. I hope they make it home. After the seering temperatures yesterday I think it would help them to have a bit of rain this morning. DD Any of you guys on the south coast give us a report on the channel weather..........? DD

Wow - thanks for that JPH. I did have mice around the loft in the winter but soon got rid of them and thought no more of it. I don't want to use antibiotics but will make an exception for this one pigeon, however, I want to be sure that it is Paratyphoid before giveing it. I will have his droppings tested to find out for sure. Whatever happens he has now missed part of the build up to the big one so if necesary I will treat him and put him away for next year. Now, I have one more question - is there an alternative to anti biotics for paratyphoid. DD

JPH. The bird is Van Hee but I dont see why that should be important. I have seperated him now and I think I have accepted the fact that he wont be going this anywhere this year. Before I do anything drastic, I am going to give him 3 or 4 weeks to see how things develop. I think I will give him his hen and let him go out with her to see if his flying improves. One thing I would like to know now is what are the danger signs to look out for, for the next stage of paratyphoid so that I can be sure I am doing the right thing. One other question I would ask from anyone that knows is whether it is possible for birds to be too inbred that they suffer from arthiritis or something like that. Thank you all for your help. DD

Stuart, Thanks for your input mate - when you say that lots of other people have this problem, do you know anyone whose birds have got over it. I have seperated him now and will try BigDas ideas of rest and hot baths for a while before doing anything drastic. One thing that is interesting is that mant of the other posts refer to Paratyphoid but you didn't mention that in your obsrvations - have you illiminated that......? - Glad of any help mate -positive or negative.

Oh dear you guys - I am gutted by your replies. This pigeon was 2nd yearling section in the MNFC from over the water - last year as a 2 yo he was just outside the first 100 open in the MNFC Bergerac. I only have 8 race birds and only 2 of them will do the distance.I have put so much emphasis on this bird that to cull it would be heartbreaking in fact if I can't get him to Tarbes this year, I feel as though I would have wasted the last 3 years!!! This is the only pigeon I have had that has shown any signs of any potential at the distance. He was going to Tarbes this year then Barcelona next year. GUTTED DD

Thank you guys - Bigda should I do that every day for 10 days and which parts should be massaged. Dal2 - I dont think he needs a rest, that race was only his third race this year so I don't think he is "puggled". D.D.

Can anybody identify a problem that I am having with a 3 yo widowhood cock. He is my distance candidate for the NFC Tarbes and I am worried that he is not going to make the starting line. The problem is that after a stiff 220miler in an East wind accross the water he seems to have "stiffened" up. He is not at all keen to go out and setles on the house roof when all the others are flying. When he does fly he flies very stiffly like a very tired stray. Now heres the twist, his droppings are absolutely perfect, he still wants to fight everything in the loft and has a clear and sharp eye. There are no outward signs of injury. I have been setting this bird up for this race since he did well over the water as a yearling and I will be gutted if he dosn't make it so any help will be very much appreciated. D.D.