Back garden fancier

Hi, I intend using the light system next year. The advantages seem to be that the birds moult out, including primaries. So they are not flying as old birds with baby feathers. Also you don't have to modify your loft with shutters or curtains. If you work shifts or can't be at the loft you don't have to worry about opening/closing shutters. The disadvantage is you need power to your loft for the timer/light.

I had a phone call from a woman non fancier 200 miles away reporting a pigeon on her drive, and she had managed to catch it. After a minute I recognised her voice, and it was my brothers mother in law!!

My point is how do Louella know which their best breeders are? Unless people ring them and tell them they've had a winner, they have no idea. Therefore they must be selling good birds without knowing which they are?

Thing is, how do Louella know which their best birds are, as they don't race? Logically a racing fancier will not sell their best birds unless packing up, so you have more chance of getting a good bird from Louella?

Teach your birds to drink in the basket. People say "mine are basket trained", but have they spent several days in the basket feeding and drinking? No. Well they're NOT basket trained then. If you train them, you don't need to pump water into them. As well as basket training, I have my loft doors made up with wicker and hang drinkers on the outside just like the fed baskets. The birds don't like sticking their heads out between the bars, but this way they get used to it in the loft.

Louella have updated sale list today, what ever you think they sell fast. There are some nice looking birds, I like the look of the Marcellis but they seem to be out of fashion now?

There seems to be a snag with ETS I've not heard anyone mention yet. Most clubs have a "snowball" or "buster" whereby the nominated pigeon has to win the race to win the pot of money. Sometimes it goes for weeks not won and gets to a good amount. Imagine your horror if more than one pigeon arrived and the ETS clocked the "wrong" pigeon first!! With a normal clock, you'd clock your Pool/nom pigeon first, but ETS wouldn't know. It will happen to someone soon no doubt.

It was my first season last year, and I ended up with raced and unraced yearlings. There was no difference I could see as old birds. This year all my young ones are racing though.

I used a Larsen trap and got over 60 magpies in the first year. If you can't get a magpie to get you started, build a false birds nest in the trap and put some eggs in it ( any will do, or make some from plasticine!) One thing to remenber though, is that magpies and crows keep sparrowhawks away, which can be worse! Good luck.

I agree! We had a smash this week, with some fanciers having only 10% of birds back. If they are in the loft at the end of the season then they've done their best, and deserve a place

I bought 6 last year ( Van Hee ) and still have all six in loft. Raced last year as youngsters and this year as yearlings. Will be getting more next year.

If racing young birds to the perch, on Friday have one less perch than there are pigeons. They'll fly home fast to get a perch!

Hi, pigeon fans, I wonder if anyone could shed some light ( no pun intended!) on the lightness system? I work mega weird shifts and the darkness system is out. But I've heard of a lightness system that uses a timer, which would be ideal for me. Question is... when do you start and how many hours is the light on for? Would be pleased if anyone can help.

Hi, I use Milton at the stated dose with no ill effects. I use it for crop diseases such as canker and it seems to work. Cost to treat is pence, which is a bonus!