pjc

He would be happier with a hen, don't worry about a population explossion as when she lay's you can replace the eggs with dummy eggs which won't hatch. The birds will sit contented but you won't have to worry about youngbirds until you feel ready. Phil

Sure it will sort itself soon and hope that when you have moved the Basics fund will help towards a new loft. Just post when your ready and I'm sure it will soon be filled! Good luck Phil

We used to use strong creosote around the pheasant pens, they don't like the smell! Phil

firstly the RPRA should report birds to the owner if not why do we have to register them with them! How many people buy birds at Lier etc, send the ring cards to the RPRA but don't register them with the Belgium union? If the RPRA refer the finder to Belg then they will only notify the original owner/breeder if not registered! Secondly, in regards to saddo, he was very quick to acuse members of letting him down because they hadn't GIVEN him youngbirds quickly enough! A lot of members have given him birds and taken a lot of trouble to get birds to him, maybe he's just got to many now but should have the courtesy of letting you know! Phil

which is prob why the person who has had it didn't report it and threw it out when he finished with it or it escaped! Many years ago I brought a cock from a clearance sale, he was only a yearling, broke him out after i'd got a couple a rounds of youngsters, he stayed and I decided to put him on the road. He was training well then made a mistake and ended up back at his original loft. The loft was still there and the guys son rang me to say the bird had returned and his son liked it, could he keep it. I had told him to train it up and see what happened, he lived next door to the original loft. I was told that the bird was flying well etc etc, two years latter I was stood in the garden and a bird hit the loft roof, i instantly knew what the bird was, opened the traps and he was straight in. I still don't beleive to this day that the bird was allowed out, even though he was broken to me he clearly had bonded to me and my loft! Phil

gangster the bird clearly has been in and the owner will know that when/if he has it back. My point was will he beleive that its not you that has kept it locked in for breeding? Phil

looks great racer, is this your only loft as they are widowhood hen boxes and not nest boxes. Phil

gangster, the owner prob thinks you've had it for 2yrs and been breeding from it!

If he's going to go, he's going to go! If you can get a shed then great he should settle to that without a prob. Imthink now after this period of time he has bonded with you and if he goes out and you call him he is likely to come to you for food etc, especialy if you use the peanuts as a treat. I wouldn't rush to get him an adult hen as that would have to be kept in. If you are able to get a shed than I would have a couple of youngbirds that will settle easily. Phil

I agree with the above! The other problem is that with foreign birds finders realy don't want the hassle with trying to get the bird back to its own country if the owner wants it! I was with one of my members at the weekend, a friend of his in Wales had an irish stray come in, he reported it and the owner said whatever you do please keep it in and i'll get it picked up, he rang back to arrange for a friend to collect, the bird was left in a box and not collected, after another phone call another day was arranged and again the bird wasn't collected! The finder rang him and told him he wasn't prepared to be messed about any more and chucked the bird out down the road. Its cases like this that stop people reporting birds! Phil

With pigeons you will never stop learning, if you do you die! Phil

has he been allowed to fly outside yet David?

Small pointed snips do the job, snip top and bottom of ring on 2 sides and the plastic comes off the snip through the alloy, its very soft! Lennut, yes you can get different size rings but if you intend showing or raceing them they must carry a recognised ring which will be a specific size. We have larger rings for show racers now but we can not race them with show racer/ size C rings on. Phil

Jimmy, in most cases show racers are not fat as you say they have been bred to exagerate the body condition and muscle! They are not judged to standard as there is no written standard for show racers as you refer to them. They are actualy show pen Racers! Phil

try phantom flyer, you'll certainly get a better service!

Keep up the good work and stick to whatever your doing, it's working, make changes at your peril! Phil

have you got sorted Numa?

well done but vic will prob calculate it as an improbable velocity!

to many threads are ending up the same way!

only when they get lost and you have to fetch them back! Now don't start squirming about costs you know she'll get what she wants!

just think about the work involved in a release though, travel, baskets, etc etc. When you work out the time involved and the service offered then its not expensive! You won't get a decent photographer for under £800ish and they won't spend much more time than is involved with the release.

its like anything with weddings, if you want it you'll pay for it, on the day and the rest of your life!

set up cctv!

I see another advert has appeared from somebody who doesn't seem to contribute! Has this not been resolved yet?

i remeber winning a smash by over an hour, under those rules it would have been disqualified!