EAGLEOWL

many people go for very big lofts and wide sections ,which maybe not suitable for the birds ,plus they may think by bigger space more birds,

The best designed lofts create an environment that is so relaxing that during the day and at night-time the birds lie down on the ground or on the perch with their wings hanging loose. The compartment sizes should not be too large, but small and low enough for the fancier to catch the birds easily without chasing them around the loft. The race team is tamer and more relaxed in a loft with smaller compartments. The best size sections are 6 inches higher than the fancier, 6 feet deep and 5 feet wide.

When the air inside the loft is not as fresh as the outside air, then there is a ventilation problem. The traditional pigeon loft is open at the front and gets good race results in areas with low humidity. Such a loft requires little other ventilation other than vents on the back and side walls of the loft. Place the vents under the perches rather than at the top, so that the air does not pass over the birds resting in the perches. The flow of air over the birds created by incorrectly placed vents is referred to as a draft and causes illness by preventing the birds from resting. The creation of proper ventilation in enclosed lofts is more difficult to achieve and in dry areas it is often better to avoid enclosed lofts. However, in high humidity and very cold areas the loft must be enclosed at night to maintain the form of the fit race team, although it is opened up as much as possible during the day. The best lofts can be opened up during the day and closed up at night, when it is raining or during cold humid weather. More ventilation is required in closed lofts than open lofts. Ceiling or wall ventilation fans are often used to improve the circulation inside the loft. Vents placed on the back and side walls near the floor are open during the day and on warm nights and closed when it is wet or cold. Double-check the quality of the air inside an enclosed loft by asking an asthmatic friend to stand inside and pass an opinion as to the freshness of the air ;D ;D

bang on .but many people seem to want run before they can walk .any pigeon can win a shortrace but only excellent birds win them long ones .

what you need for them big ones is a team of them fortune ladies brilliant pigeons big hearts fly all day

i would agree with that ,but then some people get fantastic results with yearlings ,but i must admit i never sent a yearling always thought it was to much of a gamble ,me grand father used to say never send a boy to do a mans job ,

;D ;D pleased you got the bird back,if i can be of anymore help give me a shout ;D ;D ;D

;D ;D ;D

years ago when i used to fly the big ones i had some dordins and george boll and ko nipus pigeons they would flyout every day all weathers rain snow you name it they went out they where tough pigeons . but i always found i got best results with them as two year olds and always the hens ,for the big ones .

spot on frank ;D ;D

and we gota hose pipe ban ;D ;D

think this year its rained everwhere ;D yes natural form for the long ones but then each to there own ,but im a believer in horses for courses for the big ones and theres some great long distance flyers in scotland .the right birds right condition and motivation and a bit of luck they will come .

at this time of year my birds live outside in a aviary relaxing ,i race the short races no one seems intrested in the long races ,but if i was racing the long races i would not use heat for the birds ,let them come into form the natural way i always did this when racing the long ones and had good races.

tammy each to their own ,did you have the problem last year . young bird sickness if you raced them whilst they had the virus it will have spread to other birds or in which case your birds have picked it up .i dont see how young bird sickness can be got over it in two weeks and at the same time be fully fit to race. it would be intresting to know if your birds become sick when breeding from these birds next season

i have proposed this for years at the clubs agm meeting ,anyone suffering from young bird sickness should be banned for rest of the season. i would put the answer here but im afraid the webmaster and children would not like the answer.i always receive,you see these same people want to race their birds ever week they dont give a txxx about anyone else always out voted should we say.but believe me propose this at your clubs agm and see what response you will get from other members i think they work on the idea well if i infect eveyones birds i might win a card. but i love to listern to the tales of woe when they get poor returns it always goes like this conveyor wants shooting hes never watered them birds they must have clashed followed by another boat load of excuses but they never question why there sending sick birds

survival of the fittest in my lofts yet i only keep a small loft . luckily i have never had young bird sickness ,but then i couldnt tell you the last time i raced a full young bird programme due to people having young bird sickness in their lofts always the same people does it stop them sending NO chance.

tammy i dont cure them yes i cull them

bruno think iwill get shot to bits for this but here goes i think the difference from today and twenty years ago maybe people keep more pigeons now ,or i think its because people are breeding from birds which breed sick birds ,bringing in stock from lofts can be a set back unknowingly once you breed from these a couple of months down the line young bird sickness plus they keep sending them wipeing everyones young birds out . i always work on good birds breed good birds sick birds breed sick birds,yes i know i have put myself in the firing line with that statement but thats what i was brought up with. maybe its the money been paid today for pigeons,people try to cure rather then dispose of them

;D ;Dpmsl ;D ;D

doves buy a heater High humidity risk lofts: Lofts near water (ocean, lakes, rivers, waterways, drainage channels, swim pools). Lofts adjacent to large open low lying areas (grassy areas, foggy areas). Lofts without sunshine to dry the ground (under trees, in valleys, on the wrong side of the hill and no sun until late in the afternoon). Lofts in high rainfall areas. These lofts require a loft design that stops the outside humidity (moisture) entering the loft. Insulation is the first step to controlling fluctuating temperatures and high humidity inside the loft. It is the moisture drops of condensation appearing on the inside of uninsulated walls and ceilings that increase the humidity inside the loft to the very high levels that predispose the race birds to restlessness and respiratory illnesses. The insulation of the walls and ceiling will stop this condensation and allow you to control respiratory diseases with the minimal use of medicines. In high humidity areas, shutting the loft up at night or when it is raining is a good method of controlling the humidity inside the loft (louvres are commonly used), but the air circulation and the air quality inside the loft must not be compromised. Too often the loft is completely shut up with no thought about air circulation. The resulting stale loft makes the race birds lethargic due to lack of oxygen. Heaters at night are beneficial for the race team. The healthy team remains in top form when the loft is closed at night by keeping it warm and dry. However, it is better to have a very open loft in flocks recovering from respiratory disease to prevent the "respiratory" germs accumulating inside the loft from re-infecting the race birds. Oil based bar heaters are safe and effective to use when the temperature drops below 12 degrees Celsius and are used to prevent a loss of form by keeping the air and dry. Dehumidifying machines are also available, but the noise may prevent the birds from full rest. Hygrometers can be installed to monitor the humidity within the loft, but often the salts in the grit or mineral powder are equally effective in monitoring humidity above 65%. These salts attract moisture. For example, F-vite darkens and becomes granular when the humidity is too high and grits become dark and wet with moisture. ;D ;D ;D

To protect the fit racing pigeon from losing form, the temperature in the loft must be above 10 and below 30 degrees Celsius, and the humidity kept below 65%. These are the conditions that favour continuing health and known as the thermo-neutral zone for the pigeon. In most lofts, it is the humidity, more than the temperature, which determines whether the birds rest or not at night. Humidity measures the amount of moisture in the air, irrespective of the air temperature, but it is the high humidity (greater than 65%) associated with a temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius that most affects the pigeons ability to rest. The pigeon loses form and becomes susceptible to illness when it does not to get adequate rest. The droppings in the loft are the best indication of the humidity levels. In the healthy loft, a low humidity (less than 55%) gives a consistently nutty brown dropping, whereas a higher humidity (greater than 65%) will produce green watery droppings. At night-time, when the pigeons need to rest, there is always a rise in the humidity, because as the temperature drops the humidity rises. This explains the droppings turning wet and green the morning after a cold humid night, but which then turn nutty brown by the afternoon as the day warms up and the humidity drops. No two lofts, even if they are identical, will have the same humidity levels, because the humidity inside the loft relates directly to the humidity outside the loft. The controlling factor of humidity is the location (or geography) of the loft. Often fanciers will re-create their previously successful loft design when they move from one house to another but find that they are no longer successful flyers. The only difference is the location of the loft. hope this helps you ;D ;D ;D

yes most pigeon suppliers will sell these rings ,try ebay you might find some on there ;D ;D ;D

im intrested is it a hen to go with this cock,need to look close for third leg to much shadows . ;D ;D

1 i have never called you a con man 2 i pointeds out where confusion can arise from statements ,like im a new stud not racing no more due to constant hawk attacks 3 you say mr barratt at HMP SHEFFIELD 4i asked where hmp sheffield is why because theres never been a hmp sheffield . so you can see from peoples statements where people get confused ,

1 i have never called you a con man 2 i pointeds out where confusion can arise from statements ,like im a new stud not racing no more due to constant hawk attacks 3 you say mr barratt at HMP SHEFFIELD 4i asked where hmp sheffield is why because theres never been a hmp sheffield . so you can see from peoples statements where people get confused ,