mealybar

In my spare time :P Its something to think about :)

Come in the side door and you miss whats going on in the hallway :)

With France and Spain not looking good this year, would it be progressive for one of the big clubs to offer to organise an International race from Thurso or Lerwick; see how the Belgians, Dutch and Germans fair with the sea crossing and real terain No honestly I think its an alternative that we should try (defra) and offer our continental freinds

Spain : see latest View from the Reddings (news page)

I wouldnt call mine a loft coat as much as a trapping coat. When racing and expecially with the ybs I have a light coloured jacked whenever I feed or see the birds. In the morning I'll go in with this on and turf them out for exercise, closing the door behind them. I'll clean out and do the waters (without leaving the loft - birds cant see me) once I'm done and want to leave the loft for a brew, or usually I go and read the BHW in the sitting/corn store - I change to a dark blue jacket. The birds soon know if I'm in the blue I'll chase them from the loft and they must fly. Once I'm ready for them to come in I change jacket (light one now) and go out and open the door and stand not too far away and call them in. Works like a charm :)

I completely agree with you for recruiting members; however I think the school visits act as probably the best place to defeat the flying rats steriotype. If the visits are backed up with a pigeon representing the school in a one loft race with regular updates I think we would get quite a few armchair fanciers :) - not having birds and maybe never getting them, but they have an interest and an awareness of pigeons and pigeon racing. However organisation of something like this on a sufficient scale would have to come from the powers at the top; maybe a job for the new pr person

The nestboxes look great Birds in good nick too :) Looks like you got this pigeon game sorted :)

What a responce! Well done Carol

I think it should be a post fullfilled by all of the unions as one. Through the confederation maybe? I dont think many would notice a couple of quid added to fees.

The distinction needs to be made between feral and our pigeons because there is a world of difference. Feral pigeons can and will have some things wrong with them (look at their condition), just like all feral or wild animals. [if I lived on the street I'm sure I'd have something wrong with me :)] Regarding the diseased spread through the droppings, yes, but are you get close enough to catch any of these?, I'm sure you'd get some nasty things from rat droppings, and mans best friend, the dog, its droppings can cause blindness! Its just people getting on the anti-pigeon bangwagon, where it should be the anti-feral pigeon bangwagon, yes?

Disgusting. I recon if the TV cameras (the like of animal hospital) were there the RSPCA would have been there within 5mins.

The Courier: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/ I cant find the article on their website, but its basically the same as the one in the Scotsman: http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=328462006

A couple must have hit the press this morning http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/04/nflu04.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/04/ixhome.html http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=328462006 Also one on the racing season ahead: http://www.northumberlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1117&ArticleID=1373314

Happy Birthday

I've seen some nasty breaks (wires very close to the loft), if its the lower part of the leg I dont have a problem, even if the leg rocks when held still, just pop a couple of matchsticks each side and strap it up. Leave the bird in a nest box (I've got a hospital box away from the other birds) with ample food and water. After 2 weeks take the splint off and put back in the loft. Higher on the leg is much harder; I've had one just above the elbow joint which was hard to strap up, and hasnt healed perfectly (crooked). I also had one with a break right up near the body of the bird, so close there is no chance of a splint, basically 4 weeks of box rest away from the other birds saw this young grizzle back in the loft section, he still has a slight slight hobble. A real bummer is when you get a bird come in with both legs broken, they seem to lose the will to get right again without the mobility given by even one leg.

See page 173 of Flying Vets Pigeon Health and Management

Welsh national no problem Like Scottish national Aint it strange how we aint got an English National (by name - I know we got nfc, bicc, etc)

The BBC sounds like an international to me then, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and the Channel Islands. If a club is open to any fancier in a country (radius) then its a national, there are a few which accommodate England, Wales, and more countries in name. Is 'Midlands National' a contradiction in itself?

Great to see everyone chipping in A great responce to a tragic event only a few days ago, take me hat off to you guys....well done

Well done Archie The birds really looked the business, was purdie in amongst them?

Still a bit rough from last week, but getting there slowly I'm here till Easter when I'll go home for a wee while and check if the birds have emptied their hopper yet ;) lol

Hartlepool, Cleveland, but also St. Andrews Fife Welcome, broken 500 members now

Whenever I've got a single youngster in the nest, I make sure I leave a pot egg in. Take it out around 14 days I'd guess, but it doesnt really matter. Had a small problem with angel wing (or what I thought was angel wing) one year, putting the egg in seemed to sort this too

Thanks all shhh Ray I'm not quite 21 yet ...lol

I've never seen birds turn when flocks come nearabouts. As jimmy says north are at a different height to south, and I dont think a bird would do a 180 turn to break one flock to join another. Where I think clashing will occur is when flocks are going more or less the same way, just different distances or variations at the end of the route. Clashing at the liberation site I think is a seperate issue, as these birds havent yet got their bearings and are looking to tag on to something to get them going. One thing for sure 10 or 15 mins between libs aint enough :-/