pigeon359

Ta bj appreciate it:)

You cannae understand why I wouldnae phone the number? Read the posts mate before you try to criticise or nit pick! I said a couple of calls were made without success. I happen to work nights and sleep a lot of the day. Finding the right time to call someone so it doesn't disturb their home time is the thing. I have other more important issues in my life than running about after strays. I do what I can for them, more than I can say for a lot of others, and if that's not enough for you mate then tough! You worry about your strays and I will worry about mine.

Power to you mate. Sadly everyone is not like you.

Didn't say it was, I said some unions. Our own fed told us this year that we had to use telephone rings or wing stamps which I did and others didn't. Anyone else want to rip into me for doing the right thing?

I am sure that 2215 wont be the only stray from Aberdeen to go into a strag basket at any of the Scottish clubs tonight so they will all be in the same boat. You cant blame decent fanciers for doing the right thing and not knowing when your fed has finished up? At least WILLIEDOO has the information beforehand to make any necessary phone calls. The rest of the birds will need to ride it out for a while I guess????

In an ideal world I completely agree with you. Sadly this is not an ideal world. Many have to use them because of UNION rules and some who do use them are greatfull that they don’t get EVERY stray reported to them or it would break the bank. Some breed more than they need just to cover losses and what you say is or was true a few year ago perhaps? Only those who bothered to use these rings wanted them back and the reason they put them on in the first place. I don’t think it’s the case these days though when UNIONS are forcing the use of these rings or wing stamps. Fanciers in certain unions are having to use these and those breeding rubbish year in year out are not interested in ANY of their lost birds being reported and the expense they are about to incur. Many fanciers are not interested in birds that have went into another loft either so the phone call to them makes no difference. They had to use these rings. It was good in YESTERYEAR when only a few used these rings as you know they wanted their bird back with a phone call before you even made it. It also I think was the cause of some being kept and not reported at all by the less scrupulous. If you had a stray then there was a good chance it was decent bred if it carried a phone ring and that was the other side of the coin. Like I say though, I agree with what you say in theory but in these days where unions make members use them then sadly it’s a different case. JMO.

I think telephone rings are fine if the bird is found by a member of the public as it gives the finder direct contact with the owner instead of them having to search for information on how to trace an owner, and they may not know where to start. As far as pigeon fanciers go I don’t think they make that much difference. I usually call all numbers and then end up chatting away for longer than necessary and sometimes my call is as much as it would cost the owner to get the bird back via the strag basket lol. It can also be frustrating at times when there is still no answer after several attempts of calling. One or two strays is fine but if you get in quite a few then the personal phone call bill can be quite high. A couple of phone calls were made in this case without success and a quick post on pb usually is enough to let the owner know at least where their bird came in about. Which is about as much info on the bird that you would be able to tell them on the phone anyway. Like I say, they are a godsend to joe public but don’t think a lot of fanciers pay too much attention to them these days. With so many losses its so many calls they would have to make. Its like paying all your club/fed fees etc and a separate fee each year for reporting strays. It doesn’t really bother me financially but I think in general that cost would be high for those least able to afford it. I think the strag basket is a godsend for some and financially better for owner and finder alike. If you can let an owner know to expect a bird soon and where it went in about through another channel like pb then the jobs a good un.

No problem. Nice pigeon, good condition too

Just thought I would let the owners know that there are 3 strays away in the strag basket tonight that all came in at Edinburgh. DK.GRIZZLE SU 13 AB 2215 ( plus telephone ring.) LT. CH. SU 13 L 16233 BLUE SU 13 L 4437 ( wing stamped NEWMAINS )

SORTED:)

Awaiting a call from owner now thanks.

Owner now been in touch thanks.

Black w/f Hen SU 11 AV 83. This pigeon tried to come down to my loft about 6 weeks ago but missed the top of the loft and ended up amongst the ferals a couple of rooftops away. Saw it on my rooftop once or twice since then but it wouldn't come down so was surprised to get it in today. A little down in body weight and a touch of mite infestation on the chest but otherwise in fairly good nick. No ETS, no rubber, no stock or phone ring and no wing stamp. Could it be someones stock bird?

LAWHILL CLUB, DUNDEE RED CHEQ HEN SU 13 DF 682. NO WING STAMP JUST ETS.

Amazing! Can understand your way of thinking m8 but exceptional birds like that are few and far between. Top marks to both of you, nice one

Yes a OLR is a bit different than flying from home I suppose and there aren't any options left for Billy in this situation other than offering it back to the owner like I said. Personally I don't think there would be many fanciers flying from a home loft that would risk sending this distance when a bird was lost at the training stages, unless they were hoping to just get shot of the bird, but in this situation its a case of having to send and hope for the best. I would love to see it make it as the JSL lads entered 12 birds at a cost of £1200 and not a feather made it past the training stage. What a coup that would be for it to go all the way and win lol. I will be following the results and keeping my fingers crossed for these lads:) A wee story to end with......... Was talking to the owner of FIRS LOFTS recently and he was telling me that he had mistakenly sent a stock pigeon to a race which looked very similar to another pigeon he had and ring numbers almost identical with the same figures. The race was just short of 200 miles and on race day he went into the loft when the birds were due back and saw what he thought was a bird he had entered into the race.....but minus its rubber. On making further investigations he realised he had sent the wrong bird and had sent a pigeon bred for stock that hadn't even been out the loft! Nothing exceptional in this itself but the pigeon did home and was 1st club, 2nd Fed! I have no reason to disbelieve this as he is a genuine guy with nothing to gain from the story. Like I said though, everything is possible in the world of pigeon racing and I will be keeping my fingers crossed for the JSL bird

I know what you are saying and hope you are right for the pigeons sake, but it was lost early on in training stages and hasn't even been on a transporter yet. A big jump from under 37 mile to 248 mile but stranger things have happened! Has it been gaining experience though or sitting in someone elses loft? Perhaps sitting under a bridge not too far away from home? We will never know but I think probabilities and the way young bird losses are this year it will take a good bird to get home at this stage. Everything is possible in the world of pigeon racing though and I hope your right. I would like to see it make it and I will be rooting for it:)

Well the SOLR have had another 5 birds return and 2 more on Wednesday. The 5 are in training now and preparing to race again. Havent checked them all but like mine, one was lost before the first race belonging to JSL SERVICES. No one knows if it was lost first time out or lost training but whichever it was then what a jump the bird has now! If it is going this week then that's 248 miles according to google maps, or if at Peterborough next week then up to 267 mile. Where it has been all this time or what it has been through I cant imagine, but I dare say this will be one that wont be seen again! Not a lot Billy can do with it at this stage of the game though and hardly worth holding till the final auction under the circumstances. Personally I think he should have notified the owner to see if he wanted it back to use for stock, free of charge, rather than just throwing it away at that distance. Just my opinion:)

I seem to be having a little difficulty understanding between the lines on this post Bill so perhaps you could enlighten me on what is spot on in your eyes? I have thought and thought and for the life of me I cant find anything at all! Perhaps you could give everyone more facts as you seem to know them all but like Billy aren’t sharing them with us? Please tell us everything that is spot on in your eyes about how this sham has been run? Even the latest race result sheet is ridiculous. What is wrong with a real print out like the earlier 2 training tosses had? How do we know this is even a true account of the race, a child could have typed this out! Not saying this is the case but come on mate this is meant to be done on a PROFESSIONAL level! There has not even been an exact distance given, only a guesstimate at the beginning. There were 3 different guesstimates on the first race of between 120 to 140 mile! There has been no mentions of any velocities except in Billys comments on this weeks race of perhaps beating some of the local clubs! No exact distance of race even mentioned so that people can work out themselves what there pigeons velocities are and perhaps compare them to the UNC results to see for themselves where their pigeon faired? The result sheets are a joke mate but I expect you think they are spot on too?

Putting birds in again next year lol. You know, Billy knows, and everyone else knows there will never be a oneloft race next year, at least NOT from that site! As far as I am concerned the lack of information and couldn’t care less attitude towards the people financing this farce is NOT the actions of a seemingly knowledgeable businessman taking on a new venture and paving the way to a successful business next year! These are the actions of a knowledgeable businessman who KNOWS his new venture has collapsed and there will be NO next year! Billy now only wants to get this thing over and done with asap and get back out of it what little he can before riding off into the sunset. I may not know the financial outlays on whatever it cost to get this fiasco underway but I wasn’t born yesterday mate and a blind man can read between the lines of any actions taken or not taken in regards to this sham. All very well you saying you would put birds in again because you still have a pigeon in the running! Would you be saying the same thing if you didn’t even get as far as a race and lost them all training from under 37 miles with one toss of 50 mile? I doubt it very much mate! I threw £400 down the drain that I would rather have given to charity and many many others are in the same boat including 2 who threw £1000 and £1200 away!! Do you think that if this fiasco did manage to get underway next year then you would have a full house next time round lol. Where will all these entries be coming from do you think? Anyone with half a brain who has entered it this year wont be coming back next year….. except maybe the likes of yourself, no offense meant:) Do you think that by mentioning the RPRA oneloft race then this fiasco will now be seen in a better light? There is NO comparison as far as I am aware. So the RPRA had one BAD race and lots of birds awol? The SOLR has had BAD returns right from the word go training at less than 37 mile and then stacks of birds missing in BOTH its races or hotspots. Did the RPRA lose 65% or more of its birdage training too? Havent checked the site but I doubt it very much! Since Billy hasn’t had the decency to come on this site personally and you seem to be acting as his spokesman, then how about giving facts or figures when they should be given and stop all this cloak and dagger stuff and reading between lines in one or 2 sentence posts. Say it how it is and stop comparing to other oneloft races that have been better organised from DAY ONE!! We have ALL experienced bad races and getting slaughtered whether at club, fed or any other level but we are not just talking about ONE race here. We are talking about the SOLR from DAY ONE!!! Like you said though, pay your cash and take a chance. Shouldn't that have been pay your cash and never hear another word about any of it again! I paid my cash all in advance just like many others, only to find out 5 month later that it had been received and no more. Nothing else, zilch, zero, f*ck all! No notification whatsoever, be it personally or on the SOLR website. Did my birds vanish from the loft first time out? Were they lost training? Did the local bop take them? Did they get injured or die from some illness? Nothing, no word whatsoever! Yes pay your cash and take a chance but at least have the decency to let people know if they still even have a pigeon in the loft and not have to wait 5 month to see that it has not been put on a list and to assume from that I don't have any left.

Typing in error there. Should read DF 40 is Blue and DF 1429 is Red:)

Know what you mean about a feed mill Andy. I face onto one about 500 yards away and you couldn't count the amount of rung birds up there!

They are everywhere this year Andy. Be nice to see a few more ring numbers go up from stray baskets though as lets the owners know to expect them and also where they went in about. I only get the odd ones in myself but 3 rooftops away from me there must be easily 30 rung birds amongst the 80 or so ferals that use that rooftop. That’s only the tip of the iceberg as that’s ones which chose to stay with the ferals on that particular roof. I have seen stacks more that have either headed home soon after or joined up with other ferals on another rooftop. Cant understand why I don’t get more of them coming in with my birds but there ye go? They are everywhere mate!

A total of 4 strays went into the stray basket at the club tonight that all came in to different lads at Edinburgh. RED COCK SU 13 DF 40......DOWNFIELD BLUE HEN SU 13 DF 1429......DUNDEE&DIST BLUE HEN SU 13 DF 2797......DOUGLAS&DIST The first 2 of these birds you could shave with. Don't know if flown out or medical but apparently eating ok so????? The 4th pigeon was a yearling........DK.CHEQ W/F SU 12 NE 3543. This bird seemingly came in about 2 weeks ago and was tossed a couple of times but returned to club member.

Thought I would put up a list of the birds going into the stray club basket tonight. No info given as you know when birds are returned this way so lets owners know that they came in at Edinburgh and are on the way back via stray basket:) MEALY PIED.......GB 13 S 33620 LT. CHEQ.........GB 13 S 32262 LT. CHEQ.........SU 13 4413 LT. CHEQ W/F.....SU 13 L 11535 BLUE.............SU 13 AF 2431