pjc

says in last weeks BHW lots 16 to 322 will be on elimar for pre bidding 20th to 30th Oct

JMO but i think widowhood cocks will get overwound in the basket for 3or 4 days before lib where as natural hens will be calmer and more relaxed.

20th

what did they weigh in at? In english please not grammes!

personaly i would have a seperate team/loft kept on natural for 700m. I would also give more attention to the hens rather than the cocks, race them in a few club races for training the NFC for channel experience in preperation.

As Gareth say's just let the moult finish, let the birds rest and then think about how you are planning to race them. Natural, Roundabout or Widowhood? If Natural find out the dates of the target races, decide how you want to send the birds, sitting, feeding etc so that you can work out when they need to be paired to be in the right condition. Also are you planning a series of preperation races prior to the big one or just training from the coast etc?

16oz's was the ideal weight told to me many years ago, never weighed any to find out, let my hands tell me if they feel right or not.

You can be a member of the RPRA and get rings but it doesn't mean you can turn up at a club and send your birds without being a member otherwise nobody would bother to join clubs.

Very good point about the marking station times. I remember having to take the day of school, to catch a bus to Oxford and then a bus to Reading for National marking as my father was working but still wanted to send! There is no real reason why marking can't be evening into the night if needed giving members time to get there after work.

This is the whole point Game Keeper thats being made. The union's won't change until there hand is forced. If the union's set the boundry's for clubs and federations then all members within that are will belong to that club, nobody to be refused. If a member in that club then causes problems there are rules to deal with them, but how many will cause problems knowing there isn't another club for them to race in?

it depends on which area John, I use pigeonforce.

Sorry to hear the sad news Pete, shout if you need anything and hope the cctv gives you some answers.

is parastop just for prevention, i've never used it or felt the need to use it but if you suspected a bird had para, i.e a drop wing would it cure it?

But that is the only way to force the unions hand and make changes. Do you realy think that many would pack in, yes they may not breed many that season but wouldn't be paying fees either?

I think what showman is getting at is nothing to do with raptors! If I read it correctly and following other thread, if we kept the birds at home and paid no fees would it make the Unions sit up and listen then reorganise the whole system as has been sugested for the better and future of the sport. Sorry Showman if i've missunderstood your thread though. Phil

my point about limiting clubs, they won't have another to run off to!

until something is done there will be more leaving than joining. Another problem is a social problem, look at new build houses, pocket hankerchief gardens and many have covenents preventing any livestock being kept. How many allotments have dissapeared or don't allow lofts? But whats being done about any of these problems?

totaly agree Ron, but the majority of officials within the unions just bury there heads and hope somebody else will sort the problem out!

the only way forward is for members, clubs, feds and combines to work together and that will never happen!

nice bird Fletch.

i hope as many locals as poss will suport it and show that fanciers are not only interested in these events but maybe willing to mentor any interested students.

Hopefully Ray will update us on how it goes and then hopefully it can be introduced into other colleges. When its a success the RPRA will claim they instigated it ;D ;D ;D

try this link http://forum.pigeonbasics.com/m-1236256771/

Natural hens would be my choice, but with natural you need to know your birds, some fly better driving, some sitting 10 day and some to a youngster, the art of natural flying is knowing what makes individual birds tick and having them in the right condition for there tardet races. Widowhood is easier for conditioning a team but not always easy to motivate them to fly 500+ obviously depending on the correct breeding as well of course.

Sure i can find you a couple of pretty youngster next year Tony but I would also sugest contacting Ian McKay on here as he is running a school project that i'm sure would be of great interest to the school and its pupils. Phil