Speckled Jim

Anybody tried raw lentils? I'm trying to up the iron content in my young bird mix, I've started mixing them at around 5%, twice a week. However I did read the following online which is alittle concerning: Lentils also have some anti-nutritional factors, such as trypsin inhibitors and relatively high phytate content. Trypsin is an enzyme involved in digestion, and phytates reduce the bio-availability of dietary minerals.[10] The phytates can be reduced by soaking the lentils in warm water overnight. They are also very high in protein, which one would have to take into consideration, but good easily digestible protein.

Thanks guys, It would be nice just to have someone from the Philippines to chat to, and get an idea of the race system and how it all works here in the Philippines. Thanks

thanks for the links, had emailled some of these before with no reply, websites look old maybe they not using them anymore??

Hello, I'm looking to set-up a racing pigeon loft here in the philippines, I have raced birds before but not in PH, so was wondering how everything operates here eg whens the moult,breeding season, racing seasons,etc there are no clubs where I live but will just look to breed ybs and maybe send to someone in manila to race for me. Im looking to buy quality race birds to breed from, can anyone suggest a good person to buy stock birds from here in PH, Im guessing most good breeders will be in manila, im based near davao city, but am travelling to manila frequently so it's not a problem. Salamat

thanks everyone might try some of your ideas out

Anyone out there got any ideas on homemade Grit/minerial feeders, have tried a few things but nothing really working, stores here dont really supply such a thing.

Have recently bred my first lot of race birds which are racing now in young bird races and doing quite well, have been thinking about possible pairings for end of season, but most of my birds are breed off cocks and hens ive got from all over the place, so I suppose you would call them all crosses, should i just be breeding best to best at end of season, have read crosses dont make good breeders?

Yes I would have to agree, Gem Products package looks alot better, cheapers not always best and with new technology like this some support you can call or email that will reply will probably come in handy.

With the speeds a pigeon can travel and distance its covering alot can happen in 3 Minutes, I would prefer to get the unit that records every 3 seconds to get a better look at whats going

I think you can only download info once bird is home, if it doesnt arrive then yes ya moneys gone......

Anyone tried this GPS system out yet, or know of anyone who has got it?

Recently purchased some new stock birds, dont really want to have to keep them as prisoners, going to pair them up soon, would it be ok to let them out of loft once they have layed or have young? or will they fly off into the sunset never to been seen again.

Just got myself some new blood for my loft, and noticed when I let them into a section Ive got them in, instead of going striaght for the food and water they got stuck into the grit? They had been on an over night courier for 12hrs with no food or water. Anyone know what might be up here?

Did a little more research on this and found out unpolished rice is also known as Paddy rice because its the rice that comes direct from the paddy fields before the husks are removed and it is cleaned up (polished). I noticed Versele-Laga have it in some of there grain mixes.

Anyone got ant ideas on keeping sparrrow numbers down around loft, I have a problem with sparrows entering loft thru boob wires and helping them selves to food ive left for birds coming home from tosses.

Anyone else got any thoughts on this?

Yes, a healthy bird should have more chance of winning a race than a not so healthy bird, but I have witnessed recently birds with pink keels and blood spots perform poorly, and birds with scaley pale blue keels perform well???

Yes, a healthy bird should have more chance of winning a race than a not so healthy bird, but I have witnessed recently birds with pink keels and blood spots perform poorly, and birds with scaley pale blue keels perform well???

Just wondering how many fanciers think that conditon of the Keel has alot to do with race performance.

Use a car battery, What you need to get is a dc/ac power convertor, one that you would use in your car if you wanted to run/charge a laptop off car battery, they plug into cigarette lighter. you then need a cigarette lighter socket with a pos and neg alligator clip leads connected that clip onto batt terminals. simply plug conertor into socket thats clipped onto batt terminals plug power socket of clock into convertor and clock away. All these parts should be available from a good electroincs store. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-AC-Anywhere-Power-Inverter/dp/B0001GYNHO You can get them cheaper than this if you shop around. Also you need to recharge car batt regulary after clocking

Anyone using this as a feed, have read in an old pigeon racing book its a great energy-producer and replacer?

Which one of the various Loft Management Systems(LMS) link up with the Bricon ETS, Ive heard some LMS systems do and allow the user to downlaod race and training results into LMS for recording

anyone got any tips on Basket Training young birds, what I mean is introducing basket to the birds putting them in it for the first time.

Whats best Clear/Transparent or smokey, was wondering if birds might get spooked if they could see hawks etc thru the roof?