Pompey Mick

Decided to visit the Spinnaker Tower since I'm help paying for and I wanted to get my residents discount. It wasn't a brillant day weatherwise but I managed a reasonable picture of Southsea Common where they liberate the birds.

I use open door and a bob-hole for the widowhoods and a sputnik for the Young Birds. As a thought would Linda's trapping system be considered OK for use in Scotland, are the sensor pads deemed to be inside the lofts. In view of earlier posts on this subject there could be conflicting ideas.

Down here on the South Coast getting 500ml on the day from across the Channel is still regarded as an achievement, in fact getting a race when the birds are allowed to fly 500mls on the day is an achievement. Are you saying Roland that every bird you have had has the capability to fly 500 mls on the day, have you lost none as yb's or yearlings or at any of the stages that have to be reached before a pigeon is prepared for the '500miler'.What percentage of the birds you have bred go onto achieve the 500ml on the day status, It will be interesting to see because I might be interested in buying some birds from you, because they're rarer than rocking horse s**t in my loft.

Hi Wiley, I've got a member- to- be with me now, his name will be the 'Maltese Falcon' can you do him a badge please.

HERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXTRACTS FROM A RECENT REPORT ON THE DURABILITY OF AVIAN FLU, THE SECOND ONE IS INTERESTING IN RELATION TO DEFRA'S STANCE ON 'MECHANICAL TRANSFER' ‘Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Bird flu viruses are unlikely to survive sewerage and drinking water treatment systems, making it doubtful contaminated faeces could infect plant workers and spread through tap water, scientists at Cornell University said..’ ‘Avian flu viruses don't survive well outside of a host, the Cornell researchers said.’

It is good to see a selection of feeding methods being explained but it is no good decrying one system against another because there are an awful lot of successful flyers who take a more detailed approach to pigeon racing and carefully prepare their feed. I suggested Jack Barkels articles because they contain a lot of good basic information in them which could be of use to a novice widowhood flyer. I accept that hopper feeding beans is a self regulating method of feeding and control and I may add its a bit of a lazy way of doing it. I should know ,as a working fancier, it is the method of feeding I practise and wholeheartedly endorse. But saying that I and many others, get beat regularly by fanciers whose birds have never seen a bean and they're not all Jokers. When I retire I shall hope to try different and more scientific methods of feeding when I have the time to do so and compare performances. No system is the be all of pigeon racing, it would be extremely boring if there was it is up to every fancier to use the system that fits his situation best and he feels happiest with.

Try Jack Barkels articles, www.allpets.co.za/jackbarkel

Is this what happened to the Alf Baker strain, all but disappeared from the racing scene, yet he was one of the greatest fanciers of his day. Was it more the man and his methods with Alf Baker than the birds. Take Norman Southwell, a similar era to Alf Baker yet his birds are still revered today, yet when you hear of his methods,how his birds were semi-wild it could be said it was more the birds he produced and history seems to have proven it.

Here's a couple of photos from the last Club Show for the Milton Homing Society, it was the Card Winners Championship Show held just before Xmas at Club H.Q. Brian Wall of Gem Supplements judged it and he generously presented a selection of his products as prizes. One photo is Lee willett with his winning pigeon with Brian and the other is Bomber Mellis studying the opposition during penning. See full result in Club Section

Here's a list of the badges that Wiley sent me and I've made them up for collection at Blackpool at Stuart's stall Ace,Alf,Aarden,Beauty Homer,Collect 500,Dave,Don,Ferry,Gangster,Marky 5,Mitch, North Wales Novice,Paddy Mac,Pigeon Pete,Pompey Mick,Raymond Moleveld,RockinRick,Rose,Sapper 756,Schouwman 71,Schyphos,Speck,Swilcox,Tammy,The Fifer,Tony C,T_T,Wee Fifer,Wiley If your names not there and you want a badge for Blackpool, PM Wiley and he will produce one for you. Not only will the badges allow us to meet one another they will be advertising Pigeonbasics.com

I think every fancier wants to establish a base colony or 'strain' of competent pigeons, then you can try judicious crossing of your birds without losing your foundations, You need this to judge the quality of crosses and how they fare under your methods.

I fly on my own but I am very lucky in that my wife does an awful lot of work for me during the day when I am at work. I relly don't think I could compete without her help. She looks after the YBs entirely during their formative months, ringing them, having them out during the day allowing me to concentrate on the OB Racers when I get home from work. As YB racing approaches I do get more involved especially with their schooling. Without her it would be an impossible chore as I am away at work for a minimum of 12hrs a day normally. When I used to work Sat morning she clocked in as well.

Thats very true Roland, as I mentioned the Persian Carrier played a very large part ,but they were carrier type pigeons not the modern racing pigeon we see today. It is generally accepted that the modern pigeon is the result of cross breeding between several types of carrier pigeons and the rock-dove to produce a more racing shape and Mons Ulens was one of the pioneers of pigeon racing as we know it today, his birds are the basis of many of the early Belgium strains. This happened about 200 yrs ago. I woiuld like to know when the last time another species of pigeon was crossed into the 'modern racer' or are all racing pigeons today descendants of those early cross bred racers and the strains we talk of today are variations on a theme.

How close is every Racing Pigeon related? When you consider the origin of the racing pigeon in the early 1800's when Mons Ulens of Antwerp crossed the Rock-dove with other pigeon breeds, the Persian Carrier, the Tumbler and others, the original basic strain must have been quite small. The Ulens contributed greatly to the great Belgium dynastys. There were other types of racing pigeons developed in Belgium including the Liege and Verviers pigeons which were all eventually crossed to produce the modern racing pigeon we know today. How long has it been since the last introduction of a different type of pigeon to improve the racing pigeon as we know it? The crossing of pigeons today is simply between fanciers, is it possible to obtain a true cross today where there is no blood relationship.

You're more than likely correct schouwman, as it's certainly a glossy publication, but being a Janssen man I think you would find something of interest in this book.

One of my Xmas presents is the book 'The idea of Jos Thone' It is primarily a book intended for the Jos Thone enthusiast as it is basically a reference book of all his principal pigeons with photographs, performances and breeding details. The racing methods are summarised in a single page, his feeding methods cover a total of six pages extolling the value of Beyers products but it does include some feeding plans which could be utilised. It is a very good quality book with plenty of good quality photographs and even though I'm not a Jos Thone enthusiast I could be converted after reading this book. I was not disappointed by this addition to my library.

A happy,healthy,prosperous & successful New Year to everyone and look forward to meeting Forum members at Blackpool.

does anyone know the resignations per section, I know that a lot of local Section B members have called it a day especialy after the Chale decision when only approx five members in the Section flew further than 40mls.

Not quite sunny Southsea as it's wet & windy now, just getting the birds in cause its getting rather gloomy.

IF greyhound racing is recognised as a Sport then there is no reason why pigeon racing shouldn't be.

With racing & training becoming ever closer I thought the members would find this weather website of use. It is very handy for anyone racing from Portsmouth or Fareham as the weather site sits just to the North of these racepoints, Hopefully it will be of use. www.clanfieldweather.co.uk

Welcome back Darran, it seems as if you've never been away. We need input from pigeon-minded members such as yourself.( Any advice about women wouldn't go amiss) Hopefully as we get into Racing Mode the Silly Season will be a thing of the past.

I remember the NFC Nantes may years ago when they were held to the following Thursday and the opinion was they just as well liberated on the Saturday. Birds escaped on the original day and made it back to their lofts which didn't help. The late Freddy Mellis of Portsmouth got one of the escapees back in good time on the Saturday.

I don't go back till the 8th Jan, Thinking about a change of plan and pairing the birds before I go back.

I would say that pigeons today are taught to race rather than home, training methods are more bulk than individual, allowing birds to fly home in large groups using a combined homing ability rather than developing individually. To me, bulk training can result in bulk losses. When racing nowadays the birds seem to come in flurries, with empty gaps in between, which indicates to me that the birds are arriving in the area in large batches, even later arrivals. They seem to want to stay together rather than breaking off on their own. Living near a Lib point I often watch forlorn batches of pigeons crossing back and forth aimlessly all day long. My thoughts on the lack of second day arrivals,especially young birds, is directly attributable to the early morning libs which gives ample time for young birds to fly themselves out before darkness forces them to stop.