bullcock

Grunting ? Handle her and look inside her mouth, if her throat is gapping and larger than a normal bird, send her back from where she came from and shame on the fancier who sent it like this, if this is not possible there is only one place for her!!!! JMO

It's not your judgment I am worried about, but every year between 130 - 200 mile is when I lose most of my yearlings, I think it is because of the widowhood and clashing, if they do clash, the widowhood birds just keep going, even in the wrong direction and are sitting in London before they know it, JMO, this year I am all natural so we will see how they go, It is always around this time that the North road feds are overlapping the south road feds, next week we should have daylight between us and all will be well again. (Hopefully), I will be sending some yearlings but will jump most next week, I have FAITH in them lol.

I'm sure you will do your best and make the right decision, if we don't get a race will we jump into Newark the following week? I have a load of yearlings that weren't out last week, so jumping from 100 miles to 180 miles, I'm worried about clashing I might leave them to the following week, but that's a 140 mile jump, decisions,decisions.

There's lots of North road feds up this far now, Clash city.

Thanks for that, how much does it cost and how long does it take?

my base unit is playing up, it keeps uploading from the clock and telling me the battery is low, does the base unit have a battery?

I think your talking about the touch pad on your lap top, it is very sensitive and if you move it over an APP it sometimes thinks you selected it,watch you aren't touching it with your wrist or palm when typing. hope this helps.

All right John, I got a new Laptop for Xmas also and find windows 8 a PAIN in the @rse, pardon the pun, your touch pad will probably have an on off button in the corner which you have accidently pressed, windows 8 takes a bit of getting used to, press the "windows" key on the key board to take you back to the main window if you lose your way, it all works with APPs, but you will have a desktop APP, if you select this it will take you to your desk top which will be almost the same as your old computer and everything works the old way. When in Windows 8 move the cursor to the corners and you will get different options, watch the you tube videos to see what they do. I still prefer the old system, but you will get used to it. Hope this helps.

That could work, but with our own transporter why do we have to "catch up" the world is our oyster and we can do what we want within reason, training starts tomorrow but I am certainly not ready, last year the training went ahead and very few got the benefit from it and we all paid for it, I think this year will be much the same (I hope not), time will tell. then birds going to races unprepared.

Looks very professional, great stuff.

The problem with that Stuart is if you decide to not go, will the program freeze or carry on, missing a race? Forcing birds to jump the following week.

I would have liked the program to be put back at least one week, most people wouldn't have had their birds out for the whole of march, I don't think they will be ready. Regardless of this years weather, I would like the program moved 1 or 2 weeks every year, the world we live in now is not what it used to be 20 - 30 years ago and we need to move with the weather. I'm fed up waiting on birds in near winter conditions for the first few races with a wooly hat on freezing, there is no pleasure for me or the birds.JMO

Great Transporter's well done to Gareth and all how supported and help make this possible, good luck to all how race from these transporters for the coming season.

Yes cocks and hens should be basketed separately,in all my years in this sport this has been the case.

My experience is in short races there isn't much time between the 1st and the majority of the birds, but when the 1st birds arrive any cock and any hen will run together happily until there own mates come home with no effect. When flying young birds on a similar system, we just reared them early in the year, encouraged them to pair up and go to nest, then split them up about two weeks before the 1st race, then every Friday we just let them run together for a while before basketing, with great results.I hope this is of some use to you, good luck and hope you do start back up.

I used to add a tiny drop into the stock birds drinker once a week, for years and saw no harm, but I don't do it now my brother doesn't like the idea, but I think it sterilises the drinker and the birds throat.JMO

the exact same has happened to me this year, we let the birds out and the bird was off! then a couple of days later was back again, lost as a young bird, someone has had it in all winter and is now letting there birds out and it's going back and forth. ( it cant be that far away ). a@s~ Ho{es !!! a waste of a young bird

As some have said, it is a lot of work, but hens set up right can compete with cocks on the roundabout system, but it is a full time job.

Birds lightly fed or slightly hungry will fly, as someone stated the secret is routine, the birds must know what is expected of them and if they get the same routine every day and the time flying is built up over a few weeks, they will be waiting to get a light feed then waiting to be let out and expect to be let out at the exact same time every day. This goes for fed or unfed before being let out. Routine, Routine, Routine....

Cheers mate

We got made redundant last year and both have new jobs working 12 hour shifts, so this has forced us to give up the widowhood system, but this will be the best thing for distance flying, so for this year we are natural and going to be concentrating on the National races and hope to send to all the nationals bar the 1st inland, and hope for an early arrival and good returns, winning Section F in the gold cup would be our main goal and anything else is a bonus. Good luck for the coming year to all PB fanciers. Morris Bros.

Between now and end of March is deadly for Sparrow hen attacks, they are fatting up for sitting there eggs, once there down on eggs they tend to go for prey they can carry back to the nest, and leave The pigeons alone.

Nice one Stuart, looks good, it shows a good doo on the day can do it, it's just a shame you missed it homing,I bet your good lady winds you up all the time about it.

Will give Newbury a Miss, the last 5 years the 1st inland national has been a disaster and we still haven't learned anything.

Well said