peter pandy

Having paired up 6 days ago 4 pairs laid to-night so I am of to a good start and hopefully the rest will lay soon. I have counted 22 built nests. late bred Cocks are finding their way and are slower in commanding a box but thats nature for you. With racing starting in 18 days I will miss the first couple no doubt and will start them at 120 miles in 39 days time.

Now I never said you were tighter than a duck's *expletive removed* !! it wiz yer Mrs So as I have a spare yin in guid nick I will send it doon tae ye..

Dulux Trade Center have superior professional scrapers at around £8 + vat.. maybe a bit rich for you John !!!.

I have more Cocks than Hens yet a couple of old hens are insisting on pairing to young hens so looks like I will have a couple going to the distance with their first live eggs in a couple of months, cannae wait tae try them..

PM sent.

Two women were passing my gate this afternoon stopped and asked if the pigeons on the loft roof were fighting and why ?. When I told them they were having sex one replied they should not be doing that in public. I was stumped for an answer without being impertinent so replied that I would tell them off and they went away shaking their heads then the dog they were walking stopped and £hit on the pavement. Naw they did not pick it up either. Hopefully I will see them again..

Never tried Fibre Glass but if I was you I would try a bit then check for condensation on it first thing in the morning.

Three days into pairing and its not only bedlam more like pandemonium. Blood and snot from some wanting more than their fair share yet others have quietly went about their business as if they were old age pensioners [i know aboot that]. Not to worry though as it will be all right on the day and they will settle down on eggs shortly maybe !!. Some have been quite content to forget about a nest box and are quite happy to burrow into the "aubiose" bedding adding straws to make a nest where they will lay and breed, hopefully I wont stand on them, I recall reading many many years ago about a Mr Timmerman who never cleaned out at all and his loft had no boxes or perches where his colony nested and roosted on the deep litter of droppings which had transformed itself into a deep carpet inches thick. Every square foot had a nest in it and they were never parted. I had promised myself to go over for a visit but never had the opportunity which was my loss. The birds are out every day on open hole and apart from a couple of Cocks are looking good. To-morrow I will start throwing down straws for them to nest build and will take notice of those who are interested in gathering which builds a bond with the loft as they usually give a performance later in the year. Another Post about deep litter had me wondering and although I am sure I have tried them all the worst had to be plastic flooring as it retains moisture and when damp its slippy, Easy bed I found would have been better if seasoned wood was used as it appears to be fresh and gives off a resin fume, Straw Is too short now that the combine harvester is cutting and baling, Shavings blow about and get in the birds eyes, Aubiose at the moment I like as it forms a carpet and is dust free and I lift the droppings from under the perches with a stable fork but if I was fitter it would be the scraper and hoover overy day.

I said to the Mrs I will probably make a nuisance of myself when I started NATURAL and of course she replied you dont have to start anything as your already a nuisance. Even C.J. said something similar when I told him off for letting his dog into the loft, He kind of changed his mind when it buggered off with one he was handling and swallowed it. Their was no way I was getting to grips with it as it weighed in about 20 stone and was more a pony than an English Mastiff. The Romans used them as war dogs and for hunting lions and he wanted me to rescue the poor bird that was already down its throat !! Yes I might be a nuisance but am not stupid.

Thank's for the encouragement Del am only sorry I did not realise George was a new start and thought he was taking the Mick [Nothing to do with the Irish]. I had one back yesterday that I lost Y/Bird racing in 2014 minus its ets ring and in its place a yellow plastic ring so if whoever had it would care to get in touch I am sure we could come to some arrangement regarding your upcoming funeral ..

You are making it quite obvious that you are neither observant nor knowledgeable regarding my/your birds. I have at all times especially feeding time am aware that the pigeon that does not want a feed or one who might only take two pieces of feed are the ones in super condition and it is the opposite when they are not one hundred per cent ready, so are never sent racing.. A system is an organised scheme or method ie W/Hood, R/About, Natural. and naw ah dinnae count them every day..

Lewis, ya cheeky devil If the truth were known it was old Hens that could not wait fur a Cock [figuratively speaking] that laid, not the yearling Hens.. Thoroughly enjoyed your latest in BHW and when ye come tae dae mine am gonna set the dugs oan ye.. :emoticon-0140-rofl:

Number will be forthcoming after deliberation and OBSERVATION :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Andy, I have spoken to many top men over the years and have discussed this very subject with them and it is a fact that the first ever eggs from a yearling Hen are the best she will ever lay.

George, If you read my posts I did say that I only give them 12 grams of mix and they make up the rest of the feed with layers pellets in the hopper. At this particular moment I mix 200 grams Barley with 600 grams Mixture and whatever is in the loft can help themselves when I WHISTLE them in so first in gets more than last in of Mix. Sorry if you find this difficult to understand but I cannot think of a simpler solution.

Who won it last year Andy ? I thought I was in with a chance with a 4th Fed I think..

George, One night I was 10 short the next I was 2 over and that's sometimes the way it goes when their is 6 lofts in one hundred yards radius. Not counting the couple of hunded streeters.

70 doos in twa sections and do you think you could get them all to stand at attention while you do a head count ? Naw !! ah dinnae think so. They are a team and its a team effort I want not one individual. That comes when racing commences.. When you take 24 late breds and over the winter some have a night out and some return after a week away I could not really care as long as they turn up eventually. When going through them the other night for electronic ring fitting their was a hen that I dropped over a year ago back in the loft so that could be interesting in the future. They all went to-gether to-day and picked their own mates resulting in a bit of bedlam..But that is what I do and it has been successful in the past. If you check your records you will find that the biggest number of winners come from the first eggs a yearling lays. Food for thought !!.

Just encourage her at the right time Wattie and good luck tae ye..

In the past when I have birds building nests larger than the average in the racing season I get my money on them and encourage them as much as possible by making more material available. thats the beauty of natural and they dont let you down. TWA feet Wattie !! whit size of nest boax hiv ye goat. :blink:

Was doing a head count to-day I appear to have dropped 4 birds since Vaccinating 2 months ago, Perhaps taken when ranging or hit by a Jumbo Jet as they tended to fly quite high on occasions. This has upset my plans for equal pairs to-morrow when all will be to-gether after the 6 month separation. Other problems encountered over the last few days with the weather being so kind is that some hens have paired to each other and I have 14 eggs in their end with nests burrowed out of the deep litter ! Not to worry though as the dogs will enjoy the omelet I make out of them. I read in another post where someone was enquiring if their was a safe time to let the birds out ?. When I worked for C.J. I was always on the look out for the pests and came to the conclusion that we were always hit between 11.00 - 14.00 and I was never without Ward & Sons at those hours. I was always ready if a pest flew bye maybe East to West as I could guarantee it would come out of the sun about 15 minutes later. Oh what sport it was !!!. A great excercise for all and no need to train them..

When I was Federation Secretary In 2000 I organised a pre race dinner in a top class hotel with Rod Adams the guest speaker. It attracted 100 fanciers at £20 per head and was extremely successful garnering nearly £1,000 for Fed funds. Prior to me taking over, the annual Dinner and Dance was always held in working mens Clubs which would only attract about 40 guests but on moving up market it was a sell out. When I was removed they went back to the old locations and are struggling to flog a ticket at a fiver.

Aye Martin its not much fun but if it gets one of mine it will be its last meal !!!

Well I suppose it had to happen one day, The Cocks were out and had been flying well and were at the muck about stage for an hour or so. I was at the dining room table when they all took off from the house roof with a large degree of urgency and on looking out the window three feet of brown wings went sailing into next doors garden with a blue in its talons. I was taken aback for all of two seconds before rising and opening the window to whistle and clap my hands loudly [not in applause] but the bassa took no notice of me and stared up at my Terror Eyes Balloon, Hastily running as fast out the room and negotiating the stairs as quickly as my gammy knee would allow me I had the dogs rush into the fray but the bassa escaped and the Blue went too, Later on he was back esconsed in the loft none the worse for his ordeal. I am convinced if the balloon was not there to attract the bassa's attention I would be one cock short bur he never lost a feather and is in fine fettle. Happy ending for him..

C'MON the BAIRNS stuffin the Gers 3-2. Hibies next :emoticon-0136-giggle: