Castleview

I haven't noticed much watery droppings today since I put some salt in the water. So it could have been a salt imbalance

The droppings do not smell and it's not cocci so I've ruled that out. As for canker, that could be possible but there's no slime and no smell. As shadow said it's easier for them to pump them of water. As for Vitamins, they have maize every evening which has most vitamins in, they have sand now and a regular supply of bird grit, which they didn't have before. There droppings have improved alot, but now and again I get the odd watered down one. I helped them feed the youngsters by giving the babies some peas and maize to help their growth, I left a little of the crops empty and allowed the parents to feed them the water. Within a few days the youngsters droppings improved 80% with them being more tough than watery. I'll see how they handle their second round because it was their first ever youngsters.

Got food all the time. They're on the second round of eggs now. Droppings did toughen up, but become watery again. This time I have sand on the floor so that soaks up the water. Their youngsters have come on well and there droppings are ace. It's only these pair so I'm guessing it's just stress.

I had a similar problem, but I found that the oldest of the two was 'picking' up so I fed a small amount of hemp (about the size of a 10p) to each youngster. Within a couple of days they were eating from the pot because at the bottom I put a small amount of hemp in so they were tucking in to find the hemp. I had a spare box for my weaning though, and both parents and a spare hen fed them through the bars. A blue cock has begun bullying them, but he bullies everyone, now they just fly to the perches. They are about 30 days old.

After a week on sitting youngsters, a pair of my pigeons have begun showing watery/slimey droppings. I think it could be stress because they are yearlings and this is their first round of youngsters. Rearing them has drained them alot, they've lost alot of weight but the yougsters are looking great. I did notice that they were rummaging through soil in the aviary, which I have sorted now, and since then they've had this diarrhea. I've been treating them with Coxiod, since none of the pigeons have been done anyway, and now they are showing signs of improving. I think it's mainly stress related but I also think I've had a bout of cocci with them as there were droppings near the soil they were rumaging through. BackYard Fancier did say that it's expected with youngsters.

Lost - White Cock - WHU 07 T 10159 - Dudley Area Lost him around 11:30am Sunday 11th May. Attempted to break him, but his attraction to his hen was not as strong as I thought. Flew around the loft for a couple of minutes but went across the house and dissappeared. If found by anyone on Pigeon Basics, or a friend of yours please contact me on 07816015007.

Can't believe no one has answered you question Blackswan. I thought Jack Barkel would have popped by and answered you question, but you made the classic mistake. You started a topic on eyes and everyone on here has posted other eyes and not answered your question...NO OFFENCE LADS. WE ALL KNOW WHAT EYE TOPICS ARE LIKE I enjoy reading them myself because some crackers pop up. Okay Blackswan, I myself have a couple of bull eyes. I asked Jack about them and he told me that you have a 50/50 chance of being a pearl or and orange. As for the effect on breeding well I would suggest to find out what colour bull eye you have, first pair it to an orange and then a pearl. If I remember correctly (although I will be quoted on it) the offspring of an orange and orange will produce orange and vice versa for pearl eyes. Bull eyes can be strange because they will pop up often in birds with a lot of white, say a gay pied. Anyway if you put your bull eye to an orange and the offspring are pearl and orange then you can safely say the bull eye is a pearl. As for its value of breeding look into the eye of with a loupe. My bull eyes have complete circles, yet one has a flat iris and the other has a raised iris. They may do good a breeding then again maybe not. It's what they produce for you that will tell you it's value at breeding.

I've used sputniks before and thought they were rather good. Stall traps on the other hand are ideal for someone who's not used to catching pigeons, for example my fiance. If I were racing and had to work then I would use a stall trap so she could clock the bird, but we're planning on getting her used to the birds. If you get the birds used to you enough you can remove the sputnik and go for the fastest clocking ever...open door. The birds, if trained correctly, should never drop on the shed but go straight through the door and into the box. My granddad mastered well, but her put his stock section on the wrong side of his shed and lost valuable time because of them having to land on it to enter the door. He installed it on the east side of his loft when the best place would have been the west (he was a south road flyer)

At least you are left with the best!

I totally agree with Les. Adam has some fantastic pigeons, I bought two myself from him and I give him credit where it's due. There are so many pigeons sales today that you don't know whether you are buying good quality stuff or stuff that been bred of strays. I'm a new starter myself and I have purchased some pigeons. None have any true pedigrees, although Adam did send me his base strain pedigree sheets for his Camiel's and I've got to agree that they are quality birds. The others I bought of Vallance and I know that if he had the pedigree's he would supply them, but the bird I purchased from him was from Geoff Clare (A Janssen Cheq) and after doing some research I can see that Mr Clare is an excellent flyer with many wins in the North Road CC over the last couple of years.

Mmmm....Kiddiminister is not that far, 10 mile or so. I'll look into that, thanks

What a shed! Very nice, something i would like if I had the space

Considering the NFC is supposed to be National, there's not many race points in the UK, they all seem to be 'International' being that the 2008 race programme is mainly all France. Shouldn't it be called the International Flying Club. I'd love to have a go at National but unfortunately we cannot drive all the way to Sheffield to mark (talking in the future here) Why don't they open more marking stations? Perhaps when a National race is due a club offers to mark for them - if there are national members of course.

Hi Dave, I'm from Walsall, well was live in Dudley now. First thing you have to find out is whether you can have racing pigeons on your property. If you live in a council house you might have to ask the council for permission. If you own the house you should be okay and nothing to worry about. Choose your birds wisely too and be prepared to pay a little for you stock. There's a few on here who have good quality birds and are willing to breed or part with some towards the end of the year. I've had some ace birds from Vallance Lofts, although the one will have to go back because of her being loaned. Just ask and we'll all help.

I used to clip my back in 96. I used to do both wings except the last two flights on the wing. My grandfather always said if you cut the last two flights you'll but the quills blood vessels. How true it was I do not know, but it stopped the birds flying. They were like chickens fly three feet up and drop.

Unfortunatly no. We have only one and that stays in the car.

I was reading through one of the fancy presses and it stated "Loft Location's done by GPS is not accepted. They have to be done on an ordance survey map" Well correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the OS Maps have '52 degrees N and 2 degrees W' (not included the minutes here) the same as GPS gadgets like the SAT nav? I worked out my loft location to the exact using the wife's sat nav. I stood infront of the shed and took the reading. The RPRA just does it to the house (I'm guessing) because you never see anybody come around and map where you loft is in you garden. They might do in clubs but not as an individual member. I think the reason they are sticking to the maps is that they can make money from it. If every member could do their own loft location then the RPRA wouldn't make it's £2.50 or £5.00 for non members.

I clean it in the morning and evening, but I only clean their boxes once a day.

Here's some pictures of my pigeons and the shed. The Chequer Cock (Blue Cheq) was purchased from Vallance Lofts (Chris). He is an excellent cock that was bred by Geoff Clare. The Red Hen is on loan from Chris, she's also a good pigeon. You can feel class in them when you hold them. The two white's I got from Jak Jak. Unfortunately their first eggs were unfertile, I;m hoping the second round is better. And then there's my shed.

Andrew, you have two choices with the pigeon. Your first choice is to accept all the shots being fired at you, bite the old tongue and take it like a man . Continue in you efforts in trying to sell it. So it has no pedigree and it might be rubbish, but to some new fancier it looks like a perfect cock for sitting his prize eggs as a foster parent or it can be used as a fancy pigeon. The second choice, which I don't think you want to do, is accept the pigeon won't budge, if you need space that badly...nut it and bin it. I'm not saying your a conman because I don't know you but there's an old saying my mother always told me....There's a mug born every minute. If someone buys it, good luck to them if not bad luck for the pigeon.

Contact you RPRA Region Secretary. They should help you out. Miss Edwards (RPRA West Mid Region) did for me. I sent the form without any members signing. This does make you an individual member, but at least you can have your own loft number and the rings you do get can be transferred to you. And you say you don't know any pigeon members! There's loads here! I'll sign for you ;D If you get to be an individual this year you can always race some youngsters in the Open races in your area (if they are ready) plus you don't have to pay any other fees until you join the club other than your £10. On light of the club I joined and they held an emergency meeting the following Wednesday night (this was back in 96) I was signed on instantly. I was not racing, but I helped out at the club alot. Marking rings, sealing baskets stuff like that.

They're scruffy, never really liked a pure bred Indian. Crossed one once with a homing pigeon, reduced the fantail size alot. I used to keep White Tippler Fantails (Fantails were half the size of the Indian and their heads didn't go back). They were nice. I loosed them out one sunny day and they were high up in the sky for 10 Hours. Best high fliers I ever had.

Nice shed. I've been looking to convert a garden shed (when I get another one) and it's the front that's my problem. I can only have space for another 8 x 5 so I'm going to split it into two sections.

Strays breed strays!

One thing that bugs me about this and I would never do it. If a bird drops on my shed and comes in with the crowd, just from exhaustion, he is a 'Stray'. I would never breed from a stray because 90% of the time strays breed STRAYS. If people think "I'll breed a couple of that, he looks good" then expect the youngsters to fail because he dropped on someones loft. Exhaustion can be partly blamed on management around the loft because the bird wasn't prepared for the long flight. For heavens sake, never breed or accept a stray into your loft! As soon as you've caught it, put it in a basket away from your colony. If you have a 'Hospital Hutch' put him in there until collection, because for the love of almighty god he might be carrying an INFECTION or DISEASE. Pigeons that return home are in tip top condition or near enough, those that drop most likely have something up with them, whether it be the wrong preperation for the race, cocci, worms or even paramyxo. These are just my thoughts of course. But when you have reported him and the owner says 'You can keep him' get a ring transfer because then the bird is then yours to do what ever you wish. If it was just exhaustion then help the bird back, but if he is ill you can give hi medication and then say "I'll breed some of him" because then the ring is in your name and break it when it's on the nest, use nature to the advantage. Or you could just bin it. I used to let strays into my loft back in 96, and kept them their until the owner contacted me. Guess what, he said "Keep It". And low and behold I had problems with the pigeons. That was my mistake, and never again will I make it.