The engineer

How do you add pictures??????

Yes mate have been promising for a while i am going up there with my super duper phone so i will try and add some.

I was at an older fanciers house yesterday who was thinking of packing up due to health reasons. Would it not be an idea to advertise in the BHW and the like as all he really wants is a loft helper. I personally have read the homing world for years before restarting with the birds. If i had known i would have gladly helped him. The benefits for me are numerous advise cost etc almost like an apprenteship he would have had somebody to help out do the heavy lifting etc. Any thoughts.

on the front of the lofts has a box with wire mesh so the birds can sit in it and have a good look around. I seem to be getting both long distance and sprinters at the moment. I have Van Winkels,Soonjtens i am getting Van Loons and for the distance Van Reils and Busschearts so quite a mix that was concerning me slighlty however as you say i should not be worrying about strains. All the pigeons have very good bloodlines with them all doing well in the local area. They have been kindly gifted by fanciers to give me a good start. So fingers crossed.

Thanks for advise just very eager to get it right.

Hi All I have finally finished the loft. I now have 4 young birds in it. Any advise on when to let them out only got them yesterday 2 are slightly older than the other 2 and are starting to flap around in the section. They can make it upto the first sets of boxes.Should i wait until they recognise me and realise i am the one that feeds them. They are eating but don't seem overly bothered at the moment all 4 have drunk. I am hoping to get another 12 or so in the next week - 10 days. My plan is to race these young birds this year then breed of what is left next year. All the ones coming are all well bred should i be bothered about strains as i am getting quite a mix at the moment. Yours in sport

Hi has anyone got any baskets or training crates for sale. Thanksw

I am from Brotton. It was a disaster of a race with hundreds report in scotland. Spoke to a bloke today he is still missing 10 which is a quarter of his race team.

Thanks for the kind offer however i am not really set up to keep stock birds at present. I am hoping to race some young birds later in the season then breed from what is left. Perhaps in the future i may need to think about stock birds.

Hi All The latest update on my struggle to get restarted in the pigeon game. I have been working solidly for the last 3 or so weeks collecting and putting up the loft. It is now almost complete just waiting to fill it with some athletes of the sky. Managed to get 1 son into it working on the other 2 so fingers crossed. I am hoping to get some pictures however i am a bit of a techno phobe. If anyone out there has some quality YB's they have spare or for a small fee it would be good. I am trying to keep the costs down to stop the wife realising how much the sport is going to cost. I even pay the local corn store a few trips buying little and often to hide the cost. On the plus side the club i have got into is a 6 bird club and they have ETS which they loan to members that should save me some money. It is amazing how far everything has come on since i flew 25ish years ago. More minerals tonics and potions than ever. I think all we had was grit kirkpatricks i think black mineral and possibly pink now i am struggling to work out what to give them. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Good afternoon just in from working on loft. Should be a few days until finally finished. Can't wait. Then will start the hunt for some quality birds.

latest update the sections are now together the roof fitted and the inner section are well under way. unfortunately i have work tomorrow which will temporarily stop procedings much to the relief of my dad who is ready for a rest. I am contemplating a veranda whether it needs to be the full length of the loft. There is an old greenhouse on the new site which the wife is now calling the summer house i may need to get some homebrew on and really start enjoying the peace and quiet.

I will post some when if i get it up. Only managed the floor so far which has snapped my back. It's got a few nice touches which i will get photo's of. Venetelation grills in floor to assist airflow. Grills on front with movable perspex to close if needed. It has also got what i can only describe as avairy box;s on the front to allow birds to look around. The bloke i got it from has clearly done his homework and was a very successful flyer. Lets hope it is contagious. I may need some advise on layout inside as it has 3 sections howeverit has dowell sections so the birds will be able to see each other all the time. I know i will have to block these off but don;t want to compromise the excellent airflow.

Latest update to the saga. just starting to re level the new foundations when the parish warden came to say the same *expletive removed* had already been in the office complaining. I didn't have permission to have a loft and would need it. He also mentioned sizes of 4m x 2.5m my loft was way past this. To be fair to the bloke he was spot on he eventually agreed to give me half of an allotment away from houses and told me i could do what i wanted as nobody would be bothered. The new location is A LOT HIGHER you can seee for miles. The only down side is lugging all the sections to the new location nearly killed me. Its a wonder anyone ever gets started in this sport everything seems against us. I did 230 miles in the van and it cost more to refuel than actually hire it. I dread to think how much i will spend when training starts if i ever get that far.

That was my first thought then the wife advised calm

Just dismantled and brought loft to my allotment only to be told by the house nearby i could not have pigeons within 10 yards of her property. Just what i needed after a full day. She claims she does not want rats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now trying to resite it the worst of it she wateched me building the foundations for 2 days without saying anything. 24 years serving in the army having been to every conflict /war since Kosovo in 1999 i am now told i can't have it were i want it. To make things even worse she is a council tenant and does not even own the bloody house...

Thanks for advice they are giving me the birds for free which is a real bonus.

Picking loft up tomorrow. 2 local lads have generously offered me young birds from the stock loft. One is a distance flyer the other sprint both very successful. Letter in with club it all seems to be looking good to race yb's this year.

Just applied to join the local club so fingers crossed.

Finally found one and bought it. £300 for a 14' x 11' he is also going to through in some nest bowls and feeders etc. Clad in UPVC with extra ventelation in the floors. It comes with 40 nest box's does life get any better. i will post some pics when i have finally got it erected. Then i will be searching for some young birds any advice. I was going to go to Louella foe a kit of 6 the bloke i bought the loft off was not keen on these.

Will keep you posted hopefully everything will be ok they do sound like good lofts at a good price.

Hi all Off to look at the lofts for sale in the back of the homing world tomorrow near Goole. They seem top value fingers crossed i can finally get started again.

Having watched the series by Ross Kemp he highlights what is going on in some of the African countries and it is inhumane and as you say nothing is ever done.

Its a shame members in a club can not band together and order in bulk. I am looking to restart in the sport however prices are scary add a picture of a pigeon then double the price it seems. I have bought 3 fantails recently when i went to the local store the cheapest bag of corn was around £12 that was for maintenance! i think we need to start helping each other.

yeah its now 23 air assault and i think 24 cammando regt all changed