stevebelbin

I wouldnt let mine out in bad weather for my sake not the birds. But I wouldnt force them out, just open the door and clean out around them, if they want to stay in then its up to them (in my loft anyhow) until race season then there on a strict routine!!!

Yeh mine always do the same with tobacco + I dont think any bugs can live in the tabacco so its also good for them . I like to put it on the grass and watch them go to and frow collecting it, which keeps them fit and happy .

Keep the hen locked in one side of the box and the cock bird on the other for a day. Then the next day lock all the others in there boxes and leave only that hen out and now then cock locked in the box so she has to go back to him when he calls, she will soon get the hang of where the box is. Some hens are a pain in the ar-e and will always take to the floor and really the only way to combat that is not to have any sawdust down etc!!!!

Going with my old theory that you need TIME to motivate the birds and "yourself" ;D ;D ;D

Wouldnt they get a bit sea sick on the way LOL LOL ;D ;D ;D

I wish I could pick them from the nest, as generally when I pick a Yb out that I like it seems to dissapear and the pigeons that you wouldnt expect to still be there at the end of the season generally are LOL. I wait until there two years old to decide if they are to stay ;D ;D

I read a system a few years back abt it - the bloke who did it only used 6 spare hens on the system at the start of each season. He kept them locked in boxes and apart from when they were flying. They would each be paired up as normal and be allowed to sit eggs so they were kean to a box. On basketing day they would be kept locked in the box and a cock (the same cock each week) would be allowed into the corridor so the hens could see him cooing about. The bloke apparently won a lot of races this way and they left the cock birds for dead in the early races especially on cold days with head winds etc.

I think Craigs postings are very useful and informative - he has spent a lot of time looking through pigeon sites to get his info and has simply bought it to peoples attention. No one is forcing anyone to read it or use it, but its always interesting to read about other peoples systems etc. Any novice should always read read and read some-more and make there own mind up etc. But at least they will have a good understanding of what to expect when racing if they have an understanding of the way others race there birds ;D ;D ;D

I use heavy chippings on the floor so it would be impossible for me to blowtorch mine unless I renewed the chippings every week!! I do disinfect the loft B4 pairing and also b4 racing - then once a month during racing when I renew the chippings.

Dont see the need to do this - Just leave them alone as they know whats right and wrong better than we do, let nature take its course etc

Plenty of time - without it you are already in 2nd place.

Crisp blue skies here again now ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Just what I wanted to see while eating my sandwiches LOL LOL

Just keep them locked up for a few more days and let each pair out at a time and make sure the hen cant get back into her old box each time you do. It will take a bit of time but they will soon get with the system ;D

Spoke too soon lol - Cant see a thing out of the window now for freezing fog - So glad im sat in my nice warm office :-)

It was foggy all day on monday for the North East - but its been blues skies yest and so far today - Blooooooooooooooooooody freezing though ??)

;D ;D ;D

Police are urging ne1 in ipswich wanting s-x b4 xmas to hurry up - while stocks last ;D

Could it not have been simply because the bird was on his last flight. I had one similar last year and it was because the flight hadnt formed properly, so I just pulled it out and waited for another to grow. He was fine after that. Vets just administer antibiotics just to be safe in my opinion!!!

The panicking started already and were not even into 2007 yet ;D ;D ;D

Once the eggs are laid I give them 2days on multivits then treat them for canker with turbosole and then a few more days on multivits.

TIME !!!!!!!!!!!

Peanuts

Thought I wouldnt see an egg till march time but I noticed this morning that a late bred that I thought was a hen (turns out its a cock!!!) has paired up to one of the hens and there now sittng LOL!!!

Why would it whind you up to see the aftermath ?? This was for peregrine LOL