MsPigeon

I start training them before they are roaming on there own. I start getting them used to sitting outside in a basket as soon as they know how to trap. Then start letting them out of the basket within sight of the loft, and start working them out. So our difference in traing practices probably has a lot to do with the age of the pigeon we are training. I think it also depends on where you live and the lay of the land. I make sure they are routing before I take them out of our valley. But there is lots of training both in traping and getting used to coming out of the basket before they go down the road over 10 miles.

When it comes down to not being able to keep your pigeons any longer, you will wish you had worn a mask.

Well, I can understand that. Here in the US or at least in our club, clocks are kept by their owners. We meet at the "pigeon building" at our fairgrounds to ships pigeons and our crates are usually stored there except durring the fair. I never thought about something happening to them, hopefully the fairgrounds have insurance. At any rate we could sure use new crates, wouldn't say I would mind if something happened to our old ones. :B : :X ;D

What could be better than pellets designed specifically for pigeons. I put my faith in the companies like Purina that invest their resources into finding the best ingredients to fit the needs of each animal type. The pellets contain what pigeons need in the correct amounts. It is a "complete" feed.

Happy Birthday James! Enjoy your special day!

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A healthy pigeons tongue is usually pink, but a dark tip can indicate a respiratory problem due to the blood not containing enough oxygen. Some birds do however have a naturally pigmented tongue, so it is a matter of knowing your birds.

Gosh, Our club struggles to make ends meet and still keep members fees low. We don't have any insurance. We also don't have our own trailer anymore, but that is the only thing we ever did insure. I would be curious how many clubs do have insurance.

Carl, I learned of a new pigeon pellet made by Purina here on the forum. I had to order it as no feed stores around us carry it. It came a few weeks ago just in time for the breeding season. It comes in two protien contents, Green label is higher % for breeding season. Not sure about the other one. But the pellets are round like a pea and about the size of popcorn. It smells wonderful, good enough for us to eat, like cookies or graham crackers. It cost me $20 per 50# bag. But they are big bags since the pellets are relativly light weight. Never to old to learn new tricks, this year I'm using pellets mixed with their grain 50/50 and milk in the water for the rearing of YB's. Thanks to my friends here on the forum. Carol

Wow, thats great T-T, only 20 miles out! I think thats the way of the future with gas prices so high.

When do you breed your YB's slugmonkey? Maybe it is the early bred birds that are mating up. I think if they are kept on a busy training scedule they are also not as likely to mate up.

I agree with Hyacinth, I like to make sure traping is secon nature and get them used to the basket with several tosses within sight of the loft. Then like Hyacinth, just a 1/2 mile working slowly out. I train in all directions in our valley and on the hills around our valley and then the big scary toss that is out of our valley which is only about 25 miles. If they make it home from that toss I've got it made. I train them at least 60 miles but really like to get them out to the first race station. But start young, don't wait for all the rounds to be ready. Carol

Well...I have been playing catch up on the forum for some time and just got around to reading this thread. I would very much like to donate but I too live in the USA. Maybe the USA members could donate and just bid on other USA birds. I guess it's too late for this auction though. I sure would appreciate some kind flyer donating a pair for me. Yours in the sport. Carol

Extrodinary! Linda, I love it. Looks like you and Steve have been dabbling in pond building for a while. Where does the water come from? Is it the same water recycling? If so how often do you need to add water?

Amen...

Linda, Winspeed did place them in numerical order but the quirky thing is it gave more points to the lower placed bird. And then funnier yet it gave the third place diploma to the one listed second and the second place diploma to the one listed third. I went in and manualy gave them equal points and diplomas at club level, as they should be equal.

I also had two pigeons clock in at exactly the same time twice last season useing Unikon ETS. The 12 inch sensor pad they cross over actually has two readers side by side. Carol

Yes, I do happen to send mine to the first race. But I know some who don't and if I were in their position I wouldn't either. That is when you are on the short end and the race is to short for your hot to race YB's. They will just shoot right over with the main flock headed another 50+miles north! And it just may be the last you see of them or they will be flying a 200 mile race instead of 100. Mspigeon

I breed from both. I slowly worked from breeding from prisoner birds when I first started to only keeping birds I raised for both breeding and racing, No Prisoners! I liked this very much, they seem healthier and happier, well happier, when they can all get out and fly. But as someone mentioned it can be tricky. It seems like by the time you know you have a pair producing winners you have lost one or both in the OB race season. But I have a hard time not racing good racers. And when you get the winners out of the unlikely pair as mentioned well this is magical as stated by another. And they seem to come from the pair that mated in the corner, unnoticed in the loft. The ones that you didn't pick to put in the breeding loft. And since I only breed from proven stock if I get new birds, well, now I'm back to keeping prisoners. And like slugmonkey said keep good records, compare notes, and breed back family members. And I hopefully I still have some relation to those good breeders I lost. Carol

Webmaster please move my photo over. Thanks Carol

I raise racing homers, but I only keep racing homers that win races or fly home in clocking time. Carol

I started out many years ago natural. I enjoyed it very much in my first tiny loft with a handful of birds and each one named. But as I began reading and learning more about racing and motivation I went on a modified widowhood system flying both cocks and hens much the same as roundabout. This is what I have flown up until a year ago when we, (me and my sweetie) went back to natural. Mostly because Bill wanted to try it, being new to the sport. I enjoyed natural so much that I doubt I will go back to another sytem until I some day try widowhood. Yours in the sport. Carol

I don't know or recognize half the names of racing pigeon strains these days, they seem to be doubling every year I race. I believe it is good to add some new blood every so many years. But along the lines of another thread on instinct and pigeons homing when they have never been trained or flown, I think that it takes a few years of breeding to develop this. It is sort of like they know from the time they are in the egg where home is. And to take it a step further they also know the handler and your management system, it's in the breeding, passed on from the parents some how. So it just takes a few years to get established, and often new stock does not race as well as it breeds for you. And new stock should be mixed with your established stock so as to get the best, hopefuly, from each plus the established homing instinct of your own strain or family. So I don't have any basis to comment on Louella pigeons, but when I buy a pigeon to mix into my strain I would rather get a stack of diploms with it rather than a long fancy pedigree. I think it is hard to go wrong in the breeding loft if you just keep breeding your best racers to your best racers with a better racer thrown in every now and again.

The IF (International Federation of American Homing Pigeon Fanciers) have PINK 2006 bands! This is the first time in the 16 years I have flown that I have seen pink used for either IF or AU. Sorry to hear about your plight Linda of Red Rose Lofts. We have ARPU bands ordered from the AU as well. Carol

I use 5in1 by Vita King and spray for lice before breeding and racing seasons. Yours in the Sport. Carol