stevebelbin

I just did it as an experiment, as i had stopped racing. During racing I would lose a few per season to the hawk. But the open hole method seemed to work the opposite way, they became wise to the hawk and would strike off etc! Each to there own though eh ;-)

I had some on open hole last year and I only lost one, the pigeons were just a lot happier ;-). No substitute for that choice to be able to get out when they want!

Put them on open hole or out in an aviary and toughen them up, this is better than any immunity booster.

Aye I would say twice the weight!!

I have a microscope that I no longer need, if anyone local to Middlesbrough is interested, PM me. Collection only as its too heavy to post ;-)! Great for testing the birds droppings etc.

Maybe a good idea to get the droppings tested then, to be on the safe side. If the birds are carriers of something, you may experience high losses when racing!

It could be something simple, like if this is your first year in racing and your excited about seeing the new offspring, you may be disturbing them too much by checking the eggs etc. Only you will know if thats the case and only you will know if theres a difference in your birds health etc! Also the hens diet when they were paired can have an effect on the YBs hatching out.

I would say its nothing to "fret" over

Forgot to mention, this cock also had a 2nd club bourges (550miles), arriving really early the next morning.

I cant be 100% sure, as the bloke who bred me sire of him refused to tell me once the sire started winning for me, he just told me he was bussheart blood. The dam was a pigeon that a bloke called Tommy Napper bred me through his Billy Napper pigeons.

Bought to the top, to show cheq cock in the first picture (next to the fan) thats for-sale in the Sale Section.

Cheers for putting him up Paul, much appreciated. Theres a picture of him in the Members Photos thread, under SteveBelbins birds and he is the chequer cock in the 5th Picture down.

Used it and would 100% recommend it ;-)

Food - without it and clear water they would die ;-) LOL

Oh yes i forgot you got one of the Van-Reets I had. Ill have to pop over one weekend to see the birds

Not the flipey, the one in the piccie above, you added a piccie while i was typing haha

Is that last blue tick eye the one I bred you Paul?

People will only make money out of you if your daft enough to put your hand in your pocket and pay the prices ;-)

I have one with a fan that ive never used. I got mine from Boddy and Ridewood

I did it in 2005, as long as the old loft is easily accessible its easy. Pair them up in the new loft, only let one sex out at a time. When they return to the old loft get them in and take them straight back, do it a few times and one or two will start to learn the new loft position. After a while they will all learn. NEVER feed them in their old loft though as their new home should be the only place they can get food. I raced mine on widowhood and they would fly two and frow between the lofts and were fitter for it, and I got some good combine positions with them to. Not that I condone violence, but I was told a story of someone settling a loft full of pigeons in a day by simply taking them to a new loft and when they returned to the old loft scaring the hell out of them, not sure exactly how though!!

I know a bloke who has a stock loft full of the Dark Bushies, all purchased from Ray Forbes, all directs, he's no longer racing these days and would probably part with them. PM me and i will give you his contact details.

Just leave them on open hole for a few hours a day, they will do their own search of the area, and they will be hard to lose when you do start to train them.

Hi Peter, the hen 900, funnily enough recently dissapeared off the loft, she was on open hole so I guess a hawk must have taken her. The cock bird I got off you is still here and is a belter.

Note:- Piccies of the birds to go are in the Members Photos section, ive just noted in the page which ones....... Plus there are some younger bred birds to go through Pigeons of PeterPau on here....

Pictures 2 6 & 7 show the birds that im offering for free.