Fair Play

Maybe the members should set up their own protection of pigeons society and try to protect own own. I think I already told you about clearing out the local church tower, nobody wanted to go to church with pigeon sh** running off their Sunday best or the tower pure white or getting your hair covered with red mite or rotting the rafters in the tower. Lay people have no perception of pigeons in general they class all the same not that the fancier treats his pigeons all year takes them to the vet when sick(well the champs)and pay a fortune to feed and house them, all most were concerned with was that I done nothing untoward to these poor street pigeons no ill (aye right!)

I don't think the ordinary fancier will ever get rich selling his pigeons he may well make enough to keep him in corn but no fancy holidays unless you have a loft full of Champions. For me the end of the season comes too fast I would like to see some races for latebreds or young pigeons that may have had a setback along the way that is unless you keep your latebreds for stock off your best racers. Bring on the comeback races for old hens and later bred birds!!! then I could see what to keep and what to let go.

Plastic perches ideal for loft hygiene - easy to keep clean

No, but they will get one if they ever turn up ;D ;D Very true always stopping kids in the street asking for info but when they get it on a personal basis they tell you there must be a witness > > >

It would have been good to hear the views of other Lanarkshire fed members on what they think and any reservations they may have. Was the change because of hawks, bad race route, poor weather horrendous bird losses or did they just vote for change .Homer49 put the post up for discussion (Ithink) or was it a statement of fact come on Fed members what do you think you have set the tone and other Feds may follow you down that route (safety in nos).

Whit cockerels :B :B :B :-/

Chrissy is right about the insect life we used to give it to the dogs to keep the tick off

Makes them taste better and tenderises the meat ;D ;D ;D

Give yourself extra time for the journey as it's the end of the school week and the roads could well be busy and check out for road works. Last year i went down to Warwick end of English school week took me 7hours from the Blackpool turn off nose to tail the whole way only respite was the toll road but just the same when we joined back up

Chrissy is right about the hike and it's not only grain a bread roll went up from 17p - 20p and this is only the start of the knock-ons

Homer49 is talking to Alf on holiday but i must admit it's turned into a cracking post a lot of good information make available. It looks like Lanarkshire are going to have to fly through nesting areas of hawks and there is bound to be casualties so what do you do give up racing to accommodate the RSPB and for sure some of the birds flying in the Lanarkshire fed are of more value than a hawk in my opinion. I may have diversed some what along the way but pigeons in my estimation have been of more value to the U.K. than a bloody hawk. I still say the postings have been of the highest calibre with no real negatives. I flew the West coast a good number of years ago with Glasgow Fed. and it was hard I think Lanarkshire are looking for the best option as there were a lot of negative postings regarding the East coast route. Sorry if I have diversified again :'( :'(

Seagulls - yes all out streeties are vegetarians

Sentence should fit the crime

Will the birds have a dodgy immune system as the only way to fight infection is to be exposed to it and build up an immunity

Tammy - throw down a bag of chips for the "streeties" and see how fast they go hot or cold makes no difference. Not sure if they prefer tomato or brown sauce they all go ;D

Back to wartime diet search and scour the hedge-rows, toast crumbled up some of the fanciers used to make their own pigeon cake with simple ingredients. :(

WOW Vallance Lofts your first fan - all together "Ain't no stopping you now" kidding aside nice gesture.

Just to put a bit of perspective on it G.White of Dumbarton recently took second prize in one of the one loft races with one he bred I just wonder if it had been flying up here how it would have fared. The one loft races may be the way to go as it is a level playing field and a chance to test your birds against the best.

Never had any wouldn't whether to fly them or eat them Is there no info on the louella website they usually do a bit on the strains that are still popular. Pigeonpete was selling some, some time back

Very few are ever remembered for being second "Always the bridesmaid but never the bride" I can remember Matt White of Paisley winning a National in the West and A? Hart of Dumbarton won the young bird National, anybody else?

Classic example (for us Scots)" New potatoes" increase in price of chips did it come down did it heck just went back when new spuds came back again - a small bag of chips £1.00 Plus :( I think corn will be the same on the up and up

Pigeon racing is for "sportsmen" and supposed to be fair years ago we had the debate, channel racing - mid day liberation so everyone was on a level playing field with the birds staying out a night and we flew the West Coast so that the prevailing wind pushed us to the centre right heading North, flying East Coast with the prevailing West wind tends to push the birds up the East Coast then the dogleg back across the country heading West into the wind. I know most of this is old hat but it would be interesting to find out the percentages of national wins Borders v East v North v West. I don't think you would have to be a "Rocket Scientist" to guess the outcome

The good Duncan Orr Ewing may well owe his very existence to one of the war pigeons maybe not directly but by information provided. It is all very well to say breed pigeons with white rumps (it would be like Watership Down) rabbits in the sky. The whole thing is about balance nobody is saying that the indigenous raptors of the country don't deserve a little help but not to bring birds from all and sundry and release them into the countryside their own success will be the downfall of the RSPB as there is a shortfall of blackbirds, thrush, sparrows, starlings and other native birds. Maybe the time has come for the money raised at the big shows was put to use for the benefit of the sport and pigeon fanciers after all "Charity begins at home"

All about the harvests and according to unconfirmed reports China is buying everything(recently you couldn't even buy a fence panel) it can get it's hands on so we are slap bang in a sellers market. The price can only go up :'( :'( :'(

Was talking to our local pet shop owner and was told that all corn prices go up officially on 1st Oct. it coinsides with the start of the show season,that coupled with the reported grain shortage we could be in for a tough winter peanuts just went up £8.00/bag not sure of the size.