peter pandy

This year I bolted a 16ft 2x2 onto the loft wall with a gallows at the top. Ring screws on the ends of the gallows and down the 2x2 with plastic coated washing line attached to balloon adjusted to what height suits you. Another year with success, simples.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

:emoticon-0136-giggle:

Cocks one day Hens the next weather and wind permitting. Bath whenever they want as its always filled [rain water]. Will not be out again now until round of young taken April / May pending house move.

Up here in Central Scotland we have about 6 hours daylight and dampness in the air 90/95% on the hygrometer most days and it will be worse up North. I found Blackpool to be quite nice in January. However when working in the London area I was wearing shorts most of the time in the winter months due to the climate and longer daylight hours. When individuals pair up is their perogative and I only intended to put over the point off years gone bye within my dotage and living in the distant past. Perhaps Stevie should consult his father on how they could retard the moult to benefit the last Y/B races as done in our day.

Wiley, I must appologise as I have never read so much tosh in all my nellie puff, I introduced in the past 18 months birds from 5 different lofts and bred 4 rounds of youngsters FROM THEM without experiencing YBS or any other ailment and regards Blackpool streeters and all other streeters the lights are on all night long for goodness sake.

We have been banging on about YBS and yet fanciers are breeding out of the natural season. Donkeys years ago nobody in this neck of the woods paired before March and you want to start thinking when reading about the guys down South of England where the weather is kinder. Please dont reply and tell me Darkies will beat normal natural youngsters because if that was fact then all the entrants on Darkness would all be home before a natural and I have never encountered that fact yet. As far as I am concerned you are only encouraging feed bills for three months needlessly.

Why anybody should want to pair up at this time of year is beyond me.

Well looks like the knee replacement I had done back in February has been unsuccessful and am finding it more difficult with each passing day to climb the stairs at home without pulling myself up, So it looks like a change of house to a level I can easily manage is on the cards. Before the op I was walking 3 miles daily now its difficult to manage 300 yards without reaching for the Tramadol pain killers. My son Barry lives 200 yards away and is keen for Mary and I to switch houses but the lofts have to go as well as he has a different house in mind. Any willing volunteers will be most welcome. LOL.

Read somewhere thats how they sex chickens on the conveyor belt.

Yes, I know the type of bottles you use and to be perfectly honest I dont believe removing the top lets enough Chlorine Gas escape into the atmosphere. Perhaps using a bucket would, and will make a differance.

Well the original question was can we prevent YBS ?. Their has been quite a few differing posts yet none have mentioned the drinker.I cannot remember the last time I gave my birds water straight from the tap in the past 40 years after reading about CHLORINE..Perhaps this is the reason why some contract it and some dont. CHLORINE is in all drinking water and their must at some time when you have filled a kettle and smelt the gas from the water !. It is one of the reasons our family use "Brita" water filtration at home. My water for the birds is firstly put into a 10 Litre open plastic tub stirred vigorously and left for 24 Hours allowing the CLORINE GAS to escape into the atmosphere. Its really quite simple that if you fill your drinkers with tap water the Chlorine not only kills e'colli but all the good bacteria in the crop and gut if the tap water has an slightly excessive amount of Chlorine added at the pump station which seems to be a regular occurence. There are times especially when you know the water board workers have been working on the main pipes and all the brown gunk comes through when they are pressured up again and we have been drinking the stuff WELL my family and birds dont.

Anyone's birds contracting YBS has my sincere condolences as I would wish it on nobody. Martin has the right idea and have all YB races from 100 miles as it gives those with the problem time to recuperate and get them back to strengthening their homing ability after all they are only babies. Down South many Federations only race week in and out from 100-110 miles Old and Young Birds so you dont have the problem of playing catch up and it gives birds the opportunity of rest with fewer losses to club and Fed incomes. Second rounders are able to make a couple of races half way through the programne with it being beneficial to all. Why we have to increase the distance every week is not the way forward in my opinion.

We might be called "THE BAIRNS" but we are giant killers at fitba. :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Martin, If you were using FlightPath every month and still had YBS you should contact them and ask why they are missleading fanciers with their advert. I was under the impression that imoxicillan was to treat resistant bacterial infection.

Before I reply to your question I will have to mention that I have a brand new team and 2015 was the first young from them. They are Aardens from House of Aarden, Dennis Ford, Padfield Bros, T Gilbertson. Paired full moon 5th March. They were all vaccinated on leaving the nest and treated for Canker at the same time. Samples were taken from crop and droppings sent to DeWeerdt on 8th July and results came back slight canker so all birds treated for 7 days then given FlightPath. Their first toss was 12 miles and I sent 24 with 21 returning. next toss 21 miles with 21 sent 20 returned. Next 35 sent 35 home, Next day 35 sent 35 home. Race 1 sent 17 = 14 home 65 mls. race 2 sent 22 = 22 home. race 3 sent 14 = 14 home. race 4 sent none. race 5 sent 5 = 5 home. race 6 sent 8 = 8 home. race 7 sent 1 = 1 home. Now some had a couple of races and some only had one with some having nothing other than a 50 mile toss. I am only a member of Almond Valley Fed and compete for Fed positions only. I am not one who fills baskets and sends everything that has a pair of wings and select and send only those which I am confident of returning in their learning process. As you will have noticed they are bred for the distance and endurance and quite surprised me by taking 4 Fed and 1 Open position.

Got murdered by the moult as I dont send them when the fourth flight is out. From 56 trained and raced I finished with 48. Hardly dropped a young bird racing.

Yes, I have to admit it has been an experience not having exhibited birds for about 50 years. What a grand bunch of guys up there who like nothing better than slagging you off before buying you a cuppa with salt instead of sugar, Ask you if you would like a pie and you end up having to buy them yourslf along with all the cronies at the trestle table. Off course I am only jesting although I always left at the end feeling as if my pockets had been picked. Being a masochist I will return as the "mannie" said for the sheer enjoyment and camadre next year.. Wishing you all a Very Merry Xmas and Prosperous 2016 so ye's can buy yir ain fekin pies.. :P phhrraapp.

I was working in Wales at the time and kept a couple of chickens and their was an article in a Chicken Magazine regarding Microbiodevelopement for chicks and investigated via the internet coming across trials by pigeon fanciers in 2004, So it must have been 2005 when I first started using it and have done ever since.

I can honestly say NO Derek nor Old Birds.

Once per month all my birds get FLIGHTPATH on their food and have done so for many years since it came out. It states in the advert Lofts that administer FLIGHTPATH have never had YBS and I can endorse that fact.

Finally.

Yi nearly goat yin Andy

Yi nearly goat yin Andy

Beans, Maples, Tares in the nest box. A handful of Hormoform with Clay blocks crushed only refilled when empty.