Roland

Asking a bit much there mucker aint you.... golly you'll be suprised next that commonsense like the post above is ignored each week, each year. Too many thing that by breeding vast numbers the law of averages says some will be 'Good Un's' and if they send 60, to 200 like some ;Names' do that one will be on song and a high % of wins will follow. Never crosses their mind that it is tosh, crap and just feeling up the towns more and annoying some! one you missed though... Inbreeding and most only do it because they hear 'Top Fanciers' do it, full stop, and 80%+ don't even know how to do it, or how it works. A good stockman will of course get better results by having 2-3-4 different strains and all out crossed.

Quoted from swilcox In truth a sprinter has an hieghtened ability of homing as it has to be in the loft quicker and has less margin for error. Well of course, but that doesn't in the least mean that it has an heighten homing ability. A heighten incentive, motivation etc. maybe. Like when you has say a hen sitting tight and you wish to hieghten her desire to home via keeping putting her ouside the loft, because she returns instantly, or you close the traps and she'll bob and climb over all the wires trying to get in. That is motivation / incentive and not homng ability surely.

Good post that.

Loverly looking bird there greenlan, send her down here any time lol. Just a reminder, that some may remember me posting. Do a trial first and be suprised. Put some Listerene - Mouth wash - ina spray container, just a norma' 1/2 pint size like. then go outside, in garden, around the car etc. where you see any smidges, gnats, moths etc. and just spray the air. Hey Presto the pee of quick! Now also try a solution of just 3% parazone and spray that into the loft. You'll be suprised. Rid of creepy crawlies, and any flying creatures. Take a note, and stock of the effects as to their' ability. very cost effective too. Like when on a picnic, walk of the fields, or waiting for the birds... a spray of listerene makes it a smidgen free pleasure with no gnats etc.

Agree Jimmy, but for me the first is their 'Constitution'. Both needed each other of course to be up there on the day. I feel though that - like I often say - pigeons don't often get lost, they just bugger off, or don't care... Want home enough. JMO

Was called 'Street Races' also I think you will find. Only knew of one such like race... and that was a contrived affair. It was put arranged so my Dad could actually have a winner I believe .... well it was his only winner, and others were timing in an hour later. Dad took 1st and 2nd as I recall, and went to his departure happy that'd he'd won a race. Was a good club man etc. like a lot of the no hopers were.... indeed what sucessful clubs thrived on. First there, last away, dreams and whims of prayers, nothing too much trouble and still found a place of belonging in the club. Family do's and a social meetingS. Just enjoyed the banter and love of thier pigeons. Sorry for distracting, just throws up the 'Good ole days' eh lol.

Pretty much like the birds do flying into Antwerp Belgium. and a vast drag splitting at last throws...

Had them Both.... Was also a great one advertised on here a while back.... bet I have it stored somewhere, highly recommended. I'm on Bullguard now, so go figure. Mind I used to go on Limewire etc. Torrent sites, and the Freebies were quite good enough to hack it... Don't use them sites now lol, ;D ;D ;D

Oh and have 3 left of the 5 I had Off Tony W. they are shaping up well, and looking nice.

Yes, me. Have bought in extensively and had some this last season from Albear too. A few of Frank - Dooman too. haven't raced or trained any yet, so have some 2 yo's and several yearling to test this season. The reason :-/ Well I went 12 years with out an introduction. Raced them to 3 different abodes in 8 years. Then after the 'Protien Toxin' set me back big time, and then the introduction from a 'Name' flyer that had Samonella, I struggled to get them back in shape and good constitution. I Flew them a Frazerburgh, a Lerwicke, or Thurso and two bergeracs in 5 - 6 weeks. Yes timed well, but behind. So constitution is good, but they are not any longer up to it. Did a Feed Only the year before, and sent two races... was 1 & 2nd in one club with only day birds, and was 2nd 3rd and 4th in another with only 4 day birds... and two day birds I never bothered to time in. Only have abot 5 left now.... 3 Delbars and two Picking Jansens. Guess I lose them this year. So now will see if the time and investment are worth while... or be looking out to start again next seasons end. that will mean they will be upto 3 yo's. A full race team, open hole and a year or two just wallowing about in the hotel grounds. Most that don't want to be here will have flown off the top by now... the undecided with abscone quite quickly I guess.

You know, in 2005 a book came out in Belguim of National and Ace pigeons. Greatr research and detail of course over a pains taking amount of time. This took into account, size, wieght shape, stance etc. etc. etc THE only certain thing to transpire was that all classes, distance / sprint etc. come in all size wieghts and shapes. System does of course play a great part, no two ways about that. Pierre Dordin spent a fortune following and expiermenting pigeon, how they fly and what not. Some findings I have posted on one or two occassions. Pigeons DON'T race, to think that would be ludicrous. they set of at a speed that they are comfortable with, a speed well within themselves. They have an 'Reserve' that means they can - regardless of what you may think when the whizz overhead - another gear that they can change up to. This is thought to be in case of any hazards, or hawks etc. Now as time goes on, some fall away. As time goes on, some behind for keeping the same speed, wingbeat, may well at a later stage overtake.... but NEVER do they see ahead and spurt to over take as some give the impression. They fly in an Arc from A to B - like a Bow. And do actually zig - zag, though often over the short spnse that we often see them in full flight it may well like straight. Tis another reason that they don't, can't have recognised Breaking Points, and are purely for the fanciers own whims, believes.... that doesn't matter actually because it is getting the mileage under the wing that counts. So one tosses ate at night, just allowing time before dusk to home.... As a matter of interest, to some anyway lol in WW11 Canadian was the foremost in Night Training pigeons... In a darkness release they homed 200 - 300 miles at night. So we now get back to feeding, and the fuel that is taken aboard regards sprinting / Distance. This is of course first most 'Race Wise'. Ricky Mardis used to just race the birds.... never trained or allowed out except to race.... did very well, very well indeed acyually, and it was / is all done with 'Feeding'. I did the same in 2006... they only had one race. Thurso was a stinker! Was only two day birds in one club, and 234 out of only 4 day birds in another club. This was via feeding mainly, and loft exercise. These birds constitution was back to good.... but have since parted with them as they simply were 'Past Sale by Date'. But that's another story lol

Never mind what they may hve taken, was great watching parts... as was all that was shown, but overall the best side - like the Irish Rugby side and deserved to be 'World champions'. Nice for England to have a world champion team.... been scarse of late... the rugby side was of course the previous one. Well done girls, we all proud of yer! 8) 8)

Yes.... mix into a paste and then add to a 5 litre container. Remember that the birds are not as heavy as a horse.... I usually put just one squirt per 5 litre drinker.... and leave till gone. Of course as always best to have water left standing over night.

In reality, and no disrespect to some of the above names, indeed Bristow I class a good friend indeed etc. But would personally stay away from the 'East Coast Club' brigade. And Louth, is mostly a wind up the tail and not really a great test etc. - Yes of course the have to beat their competition, and I'd say that that is fierce indeed ofcourse. But is the hardinest bred in? or indeed honed to what a good hard distance racer needs? :-/ :-/ I have reservations in that regard. Me, I'd be looking for birds in West London, Wales, Devon etc. for the more hardier pigeons.... Mind Frank Bristow also flies a good bird South now, and no one, but no one has better stock pigeons ANY where, with perhaps the exception of Ron Williams. I'd put it this way, if two birds released from Thurso say and one heading to Lowerstoft Way and the other Aberystwyth on a normal day - with the inevitable West in wind, you could get a bet on the birds in lowerstoft timing in first... exaggerated grant to show the point. But some birds fly with at least a side wind nigh every race. Example, I was doing 1960 from a Frazerburgh race. Clus in the 12 miles or so in the East were doing nearly 2100... the east coast brigade were 2300 plus. So obviously even in easier races, the wind still plays a major part. And if a crack fanciers does his utmost to beat thge wind, and a crack fancier his utmost too to win.... Wind wins. Yes we can't harness it... adjust our sails maybe a little. But if the East coast boy does also, and let's face they will, do and have to to win... Andrews Bussearts take all the beating.... Turner's Bussearts are purple, no two ways about that. JMO.

Owen, may it be that the price paid dictates the regime they are put to? So- as Gary says' a bird wins two feds races within 3 weeks, and the week after next is the second leg of the Gold Cup, bird is on song still, 'Do you Send it'? Answer of course. If it is in condition and rested up why not? Who wants to win with paper bags? Answer most will gladly take them! But who wouldn't swap those two paper wins of 175 miles and 200 miler for a hard 600 day bird? especialy a winner... Answer Most, but fortune favours the brave I believe. One mustn't place all eggs in one basket, nor keep fit birds home to decorate the loft either. System counts a lot regardless what a bird costs. Further, if it hasn't 1. A love of home, 2. contented. 3 feels safe and comfortable in the loft you will never motivate that bird. Further, if a bird hasn't this, then it will never be 100% fit, indeed a long way from it. And, a sentence I was repeatedly told by my father regards fitness.... 'Fit men train to get fitter'! let me add a little toi that 'You can't train to get fit'. the last part should in reality be the first sentence, but never said. Took me many months of pondering to get the gist, and it is so simple. Well know umpteen that never dreamed off, let alone sent / send a Busseart over 450, and that at a push. Hurst, Kev Shipley got them in great time from Bilco's 1000 miler from Rome! Mr Andrews Bussearts won the Club at the distance most races, most years 'Bussearts. 2 years past he won Lerwicke on consecretive years , one a hen, the other a Cock bird to win Club, Fed and Algamations... indeed was timed in an hour before birds flyer a lot less... and in hard races they excell. Like I say, I used to - untill recently - only ever had others castoffs and freebies. Flew the distance both North and South no problem.... mostly, last years Thurso was a disaster and a bad smash (C**p happens) Cast off have flown A Frazerburgh, and Lerwick (or Thurso) and two bergeracs inside 6 weeks for me. No didn't win, but all were there abouts. With a few problems etc. I'd got their constitution back to GOOD, but they just weren't good enough.

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-fennel.html Sounds like a Quack' from out west with their bottle of 'Cure Everything' lol.

Well saw it endorsed as a great, on another pigeon site, so I just pasted Fenel Tea on Google... clicked the UK only of course. Have to bear in mind that any site coming up will inevitably be someone selling their wares etc. of course.

Yep breed a few. Leave them an open loft... 8 in morning to 4 - 30 in afternoon. Talk to them and call them in. Give them a couple of chucks if you must. You can use the exercise to watch them on the roof tops, the art of observing. Those that you lose off the top of the loft, change ther parents pairing. They weren't happy with your set up. Next year, treat them to a couple or so races, or more, as far as you wish.... Be great for the birds and even better learning curve for you.

Hear this is great also for prevention / cure for y/b sickness... A sweet, mellow blend of calming, relaxing herbs to help you unwind and soothe away the stresses of the day. Perfect for grounding and balancing nervous vata energy. Any views?

Yes, all in all the nations - for once - finished in the order of merit they deserved. If... if only ahhh ;D ;D

Never mine the 'Luck of the Irish' they have shown heart, skill and perseverance, tact and a mite of wisdom over the past while. Please for them.

Well you talk the talk, and I for one wish you every sucess.

Locked.... By the way before we do I'd just like to stir the pot a wee bit and say .... :P ;D ;D

Was there another law regards the protection of 'Hawks / Raptures etc after the 1955 one? :-/ That was just for 2 years, and I feel it hasn't been recinded, and THAT that is the one implying their protection. If this is so.... then revert back to the common denominator, and they aren't protected!!! Now IB time for you to get looking at that side and the legalities... or lack of.

Know Sam had the same last season...