pjc

the only thing you may want to give them are electrolytes to prevent dehydration, but birds are very adaptable to heat change. Phil

if nobody knows then e-mail gail@whpu.org,uk Phil

they will normally be fine upto 24hrs unattended. Phil

anybody's guess what breed it is though! What do you want it to be? Phil

x's norm issued direct from RPRA

If you can try and feed it somewhere it can be caught then it can be kept in something like a rabbit hutch etc with food and water until the owner can get it returned. Phil

I have had them come in but they don't go out again! Saying that my father started keeping pigeons when he caught a couple of ferals as a boy and bred from them, taking the youngbirds wherever he went and not losing any of them! Phil

what i would do is to just leave the sputnik open when you are around the garden to keep an eye on them. What happens is the birds will look to re-enter the loft at the exit point so if you let him out the door he will go back through the door! The babe will soon be feeding himself if he isn't already and will also soon be flying upto the sputnik to look out. If you plan to let them out one evening then take the food away in the morning so that the cock will be looking for food when you let them out and may even come out to find you for food so that when you want him back in then call him in for food and he should go through the sputnik. Phil

you need to shut the hen in and let him find his way out. I'm sure he'll go back in to his hen and food. Phil

I always let them out before training especialy from short distances, it allows the birds to judge the position of the sun easier and takes the over exuberance out of them so they just home and don't spend hours looking around the area. Phil

Channel racing is far to cheap, if it was £10 or £20 per bird only quality would be sent by people with a genuine interest in distance racing. Phil

david, he's looking good and will soon be out flying with his dad! Phil

they only permit the use of rings from recognised unions, a breakaway may not be recognised and they would not have to accept the use of the rings! As I said they won't allow some rings that they sell, distribute and register now to be used on race birds!

but the RPRA would refuse to recognise them! They issue rings now that they register but are not permitted for use on race birds! PHil

If organisations printed there own rings, due to the small quantity the price would be higher and birds carrying those rings wouldn't be recognised by the RPRA etc so the birds would have to wear 2 rings to compete.

A few years ago the NFC, CSCFC, BICC etc formed a group and threatened to break away from the RPRA, perhaps if they had of it would have made the RPRA sit up and think!

I think there's far more to worry about than rings! Maybe this is another possibility, If a patition was raised with enough sig's ready for the new general manager of the RPRA and other unions then there should be an open meeting called with all organisations at Blackpool in January. This would give the membership the opportunity to question directly the organisations without being redirected through regions etc. If it was done in the correct manor and in a constructive way then any changes could be proposed intime for 2009 or to start making changes for 2010! At the moment we have little chance of getting to the only people who can change things, this would help put our sugestions and feelings forward. ETS has moved the sport forward, like it or not, but we need to drag the rest of the sport forward now to catch up. Phil

Every so often everybody gets a race like this, its "pigeon racing"! Many old timers would look at it as survival of the fittest which will benefit your loft in the future, some will blame others for lack of returns. How many fanciers sending birds 500m plus just send them hopeing for them to return and not full of confidence that the birds will return? How many send birds as a last chance? food for thought! Phil

I think so too! It may be worth crushing some acorns inwith the food as that will be part of there natural diet when available. Phil

Doesn't anybody look at the atmospherics before training or racing? If you look at whats been happening and changes in weather etc you would leave the birds at home. To many blaming the birds/ mothods etc and not looking at the main cause of losses. Phil

I wouldn't have wire sides Dovescot so any shavings, feathers etc don't all end up in the boot of the car. Phil

how about setting up an online patition, publicise it on all web forums etc and send that to the Unions? Phil

ok, R Cawfield & P Crawford, Amman Valley SRRPC, WHPU R Cawfield & P Crawford, Welsh SR National, RPRA Petty & Crawford, Midland SRS, EM6000, RPRA Mrs V Crawford, Swansea Valley FPC, NPA Phil

Sorry Oldfellow, why are we listing details? Phil

we're gonna make a fancier of you yet David!!