stevebelbin

To relax and enjoy the birds

How strange, I was thinking the same this morning. I was thinking about what Ybs were lost from training for me last year and it was mainly early bred YBs. I thinks its because they should have been trained much earlier than I had started them. I can remember reading somewhere that they should be trained at 12 weeks old to develop there homing instinct, so therefore birds that are bred in late december/early January would require training in April or May. Im going to breed mine in March/April time to see if it makes a difference. And im considering leaving them on open hole to get them streetwise, as Im starting to get hawk problems near me >.

As many times as you possibly feed them - you cant feed them too much when there feeding YBs. And always make sure once they have fed the YBs in the evening that they have time to feed themselves afterwards!!

When I first started in 1996 i was left a wildermeersh cock that was 4year old, he was never raced up until the time I bought the loft. I started racing him at 4year old and he had numerous 2nd's, and would have won if he would drop. It was the best handling pigeon ive ever had and he won every show I entered him into. He also bred pigeons similar to himself and he bred me my first ever win. They seemed to just never get tired, in any wind conditions. I lent him to a mate when I packed in in 1998 and managed to get him back when I restarted in 2000, but he stopped filling eggs, so that was the end of that family :-/.

I want to be match paired to the lass on the front row :D

Ey, good luck with the future - hope you manage to get some YBs racing this year ;D

How much did you pay for the birds - Youve done well to buy a loft full of winners!!

Does flax oil not actually come from linseed?? Ive used it instead of linseed!!

If anyone wants some busschaerts I would go and and see Tommy about these birds. Ive just got two hens of him for a fraction of there worth , and Im well chuffed with them, got a hen through the famous Telly Savalas cock. There was some lovely stock cocks and hens ;D.

Not as of yet, but he has scored a few times a 3rd and 5th club last year as a yearling!! Unraced as a YB. He bred a winner for my mate last year so his future looks bright :)

I went to a mates clearance sale last year and he sold a cock known as "The Dickens Cock" and it went for £4000 :o !!! He was expected no more than £1000 for it, so I think he was a tad chuffed lol. And most of the others went for £500-1500!!!! Worlds gone mad ;D ;D ;D. That said though the Dickens cock bred numerous winners and kept the lad near the top of his club for a few years - So maybe he was worth that?? I was fortunate to know him and was given a YB through the dickens cock for nothing !!

Pigeon corn - they would starve without it ;D ;D ;D

Its the same for me. Im drawn into pigeons as Ive had them, had the buzz and now cant seem to let go. I am the type of person who wants it all, nice car, house, holidays etc etc and pigeons do and have got in the way. Ive just had to try and get round it, which means instead of trying to compete at a high level the birds are put second. Although their health is whats important to me, as long as there healthy and happy in the loft and do ok racing, thats ok for me until I have more time :-/

Refer to the "suspension" topic on this site - Enough said I think!! Bad sportsmanship!! Everyones your best friend until you beat them :-/, and I suppose were all guilty of it to an extent - Myself included :B

Exactly the same here (Teesside)!! No rain - just blue skies, but I think were in for the rain and wind again tonight!!

Ive tried a few tricks on widowhood cocks, but they seem to whind them up too much if tried too many times. eg Mirrors in the box, so the cock thinks theres another cock in the box. Lock all the cocks in the box and only release one hen. Basket the cocks and let the hens in so the cocks can see them (the cocks go daft in the basket). They have all worked in the past in sprint races, but any race over 350miles I would just simply show the hen as the cocks would be too wound up. For 450-550 miles I put the hens in two days b4 basketing and give the cocks plenty of peanuts to ensure they still eat whilst the hens are about.

The problem with keeping a few is the temptation to race them again. Everyone I know who has packed in and kept a few has ended up starting up again (including myself LOL). But the ones who have got rid completely have said its the best thing they ever did, time wise etc. There just too damn addictive ;D ;D

Agree with Wiley - get rid of them!! Dead easy, i use a product that has permethrin in and one spot on the neck kills them all. Must be better for the birds not to have them.

If you search the net for articles on Keith Mott (Think on the British Homing World site), you may be able to contact him. He has his birds in rabbit hutch style lofts due to him having PigeonFanciers lung, so he would be an ideal person to talk to.

Ken I need two busschaert hens - can you pm his number, so I can buy a few??

How much are they going for??

Just PM'd you

Ive trained mine in most weathers and they have made it home in most weather conditions. The times they have struggled seems to be when it looks like being thundery, and there seems to be a static feel to the air. Ive let them go in fog and they beat me back. Ive let them go in sunshine that turned to heavy rain on the way home and they still beat me. The only time I wouldnt train in "not perfect" conditions is when Im first starting there training, be it old birds at the beginning of the year or YBs at the start of their training. Ive started my biking training in not so perfect conditions for me and it does knock my confidence a bit, so I feel it will do the same for the birds ;D ;D ;D

I put mine in the compost bin and then use it round the garden once its broken down

I use ferti-oil on mine, mixed on the corn with some red-lightning (which is full of vitamins) and also make sure they have fresh grit and minerals (as they should really have at all times).