Blue Chequer

Some lofts now offer DNA profiling to ensure you get birds from the correct stock. I think the Asians are rather keen on this as they pay astronimical figures for pigeons. Everyone knows generally speaking pedigrees are not worth the paper they are written on.

Once again Mr Vasey, if Speight wishes to copy something from your site I don't see how you can stop him. Maybe if you were Mr Moderator on this site you would be able to do something about it but as it is, I would suggest you just concentrate on looking after the so called UNC site. Blue Chequer.

Why not try Richard Henderson at (B.Leefe & Sons) they advertize regularly in the fancy press and still do clock repairs. If they haven't the lead and printer they may be able to advise where to get them from. Good luck. Blue Chequer

Hi, So it's o.k. for Chris and Ian to plagiarize but not for Speight to do it.

Chris, Why not??????

Question for Henrik, what makes you think NEHU will accept e.t.s. in 2007 ????

Quite professional, many congratulations. Are the Cannon pigeons the old Barkers? Blue Chequer

Apparently because of the Belgian equivelant of DEFRA. I am only quoting what a friend of mine heard from his mate who lives on the Continent. Blue

Hi, The cocks have been penned and I have tried to ration them but it still happened with the odd one. they are Pomeranian Pouters. Someone suggested that the best remedy is Hopper feeding, but I think it would not be a wise move now. Perhaps I should put them on the hopper as youngsters and let them stay on it after that? Blue Cheq.

Spring Exchange is a couple of hours from Antwerp, Leir Market about half an hour from Antwerp. Last weekend the Leir Market was not allowed. But who knows by next week. Have a nice trip. Blue

Speight, I did hear last week that Leir Market is not being allowed at the moment, this of course may change.

Does anyone have the answer to the problem of the large Pouters over eating and becoming crop bound. I know they can be hung up in a sock or rolled up in newspaper to get the crops to clear but how can this problem be prevented?

They always wait until after 2nd part of AGM which was 17th Jan. so that any rule changes etc. can be included. Should have yours in time for the first race!!!!!!!

Hi, I BOUGHT ONE ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO, i CAN'T HEAR IT BUT YOUNGER VISITORS TELL ME IT EMITS AN AWFUL RACKET. i DO NOT SEE MANY CATS BUT THATS POSSIBLY BECAUSE I HAVE TWO DOGS, WHICH IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BOTHER ALTHOUGH ACCORDING TO THE LITERATURE WHEN I BOUGHT IT, IT SHOULD. SORRY CAN'T BE MORE HELP BUT I AM NOT CONVINCED ABOUT THEM. Blue Chequer.

Hi Mick, We have just started paying the Public Liability but I have been sorely tempted to take a chance but knowing my luck somebody will walk in and slip on some pigeon muck and make a claim. I see our friends from the States don't insure their clocks but the culture of claiming damages has certainly been inherited from that side of the Atlantic. All the best. Blue Chequer.

Hi, My club also insure with RV Wallis & Co. and had a massive hike last year in the rate. We too have clocks in a brick building on the allotments. However, I think you are over insured, new T3 clocks are £285 x 40 is £11400. and I don't expect they would pay out the full price. We have 25 baskets which new cost £150 each but some of them are 10 - 15 years old. we had these insured for £3000 which cost £22.50. You don't mention on your posting wether you have Public Liability included. We are covered for £1,000,000 and this cost us £70. We do not insure our cups and trophies and we have no clocks valued over £500. It really hurts to pay this out but it's the way things are going these days. Our members pay £2 per clock towards the insurance. According to my calculations your clocks are valued at £380 each, roughly. Blue Chequer.

I have had pigeons for over 50 years and never wore a mask at all for the first 30. I then realized that almost every Friday night I was developing flu like symptoms and had difficulty breathing. My first allergy blood test came back negative. My condition became worse, always had a snotty nose and poor chest. Started wearing masks from ARCO (must be for fine grade of dust) they were about £25 for 10 and I was much better but they steamed up my specs. I then lashed out and bought a Bradwest which blows filtered air over your face. One or two members in m y club use masks but not many. We all hear the usual comics of "hes wearing a mask so he don't scare the kids" etc. but at the end of the day it is the difference between keeping pigeons or not, without masks mine would have had to go. My last blood test showed that I was allergic to pigeon dust.

Can anyone explain to me how John has had his fancy pigeon rings (Blue with dark blue lettering) for a few weeks now, they can't be from the NPA as they don't post out until about 3rd/4th Jan. Maybe they are for Rollers or something like that?

Carl, A good analogy to this would be "I may send to Bourges this year, but there again I may not" . Best of luck for 2006. Blue Chequer.

Most members in this area fly to allotments and would for starters be unpreparad to leave anything of great value that could be vandalized. Also many are now in what could be called the senior stages and just would not be prepared to spend on a new system when they have a perfectly adequate system which has served them well for the past 50-60 years. Part of pigeon racing is handling your birds and trapping them in and taking off the rubber ring and getting it in the clock. Take that away and some of the excitement of the race has gone. I really do fear for the future of the sport .One loft races I can understand having this system of timing but even that is not infallible. The syndicate I had a bird in was given a lower position although clocked at the exact same time because the computor then sorted it alphabetically.

You all seem pretty confident that this is the way forward. I forcast that the introduction of ETS by the RPRA will see a massive exodus from the sport not an increase. I know for a fact in my club at least half a dozen would say stuff it.

I have 16 pairs of racers and have more recently acquired white Pomeranian Pouters (5 pairs now with a recent introduction of a pair from Germany) I will be reducing the number of rings I get this year for the racers as I find the show people are better prepared to accept being beaten than the racing men and not so greedy. I am what you might call winding down with the racers after having them for over 50 years, but won't get rid of them altogether as they make excellant feeders for the Pouters.

Prizes for 2005 (to be confirmed) thats what it says. Alright it was for fun but prizes were given out in 2004 obviously they were what had been begged stolen or borrowed from pigeon businesses but nevertheless nice just to cap it all off.

With the prizes????????

Can anyone throw any light on what happened to the winners list and prizes. It would have been nice to have a list of the winners plus their prizes especially when the event attracted entries from all over the place, Rumania, America, Canada,Australia etc. I was the lucky one using the name "Big Al", I enjoyed the comp. checking the result every week but I will have reservations about entering next season. Blue Chequer.