swilcox

Funny Chris i was just looking through the loft book and thinking the same thing, is there a trend, not really, i have ybs that have flown 8 races and continued to win as old birds, in fact Champion Blue Leader, Little Blue, Sabrina, Catrina and the Tours hen all flew every race as a yb without making a mistake (8 races), yet maybe 20 or so others done the same and have done nowt or gone down, a few others including my best Yearling this year only had 2 races and the hen that i timed from Tarbes was only trained as a yb and only went over the channel once as a yearling!!! Ive come to the conclusion that if they have it, they have it. I do somehow think that big winners tend to be lighter raced pigeons esp on easier days, yet your consistant and well raced birds always come through esp when the weather is bad. I will again juggle things giving the odd bird a lighter load and the majority the program and check my notes again next year. Stuart

Best would be Frans Zwols and going back the Hession Van Reets. Worst would be Gabys and Wim Muller pigeons in the early 90's but i was probaly too young then to know how to use them. Stuart

well done mate, will send pm today!!! Stuart

It sounds mad i know but i let them stay together Thursday then split them on Friday morning so they are nice calm again when i basket them on Friday evening, it works a treat.

Touch wood i have managed to train my ybs out to a good distance with only a couple down which is no mean feet as we are overrun with percy and i have a fair few ybs. Just a couple of points i have noticed. 1) The earlier you train them in the morning the better, probaly because the air is fresher?? But the birds seem to clear quicker giving percy less time to spot them. 2) If everyone in your area is training down one road dont be scared to train somewhere else as Percy bunches around certain routes. 3) Dont let other fanciers know where you are liberating as again they become feeding grounds. 4) Ongoing have 3 liberation points and alternate them daily so you dont build up a pattern he can work out!!! Stuart

1st International Barcelona, raced by Hagen Brothers

I have theory on why but i would get shot down if i said it!!!!! There are people winning with them in the south west ofcourse but the big guns had them and they didnt aclimatise that well. Cheers Albear, as you saw on your visit everything in my sheds are raced!!!! As for the selling side i really enjoy it and get a real buz out of Auctioneering!!!!! Stuart

Lads during 2004-2005-2006 i purchased 15 pairs of Gaby pigeons for my own use, these were raced in 2006,2007 and 2008. I had them from 2 english sources, Anton Ruitenberg and direct. From the 15 pairs i ended up with 4 consistant breeders, 3 cocks from Anton Lightenberg and a hen which was bred from Mel King. The best of the breeders was an 02 Dutch cock called Smart George, i still have 2 good dtrs of him and one has bred 2 x 3rd Combine last year crossed Frans Zwols!!!! But on the whole they were disapointing and i have culled 26 of them. of the other 4 i sold Smart George who was the best one on this site last year (to a friend of Black W/F), the other 3 are at Mike Whites a friend of mine as i do believe they are decent pigeons, from probaly 200 or more bred i would say 10 are left and they contain the blood of these 4 pigeons and are now crossed. As for other fanciers yes some are doing ok but they havnt made such an impact as many expected just as they havnt in the West Midlands but and i have said this before there are enough people winning with them to suggest they are very very good pigeons, they just didnt make an impact in this area. Stuart P.S. Black w/f you sent me a pm and the answer is ofcourse yes, there are some babies coming away soon and im sure i can select a very good pair from them, its taken time as i had to breed a bigger team than i expected and i had a few orders to fill. Get the lad to pm me.

The truth is family names mean little its whats in your shed that counts. Stuart

Most from R Moleveld and the following; A=Short Frans Zwols-Joop Koch-B Ferris B=Middle Arien Verreckt-Koopman/Van Dyck-Boudewyn Jonckheere-N Templer C=Long Jan Aardens-Wijnands-Volkens-B Denny And Hopefully Sid Miles

You can only go by the pigeons in your area and in our area where they have to fly against the wind most weeks the VDB havedone very well, and from Brian Ferris they have done extremely well and still do not only for him but mant others!!! Most people find faster because they make there own pigeons slower!!!! I spent £1000s on Gaby and found them to not suit me or my area yet some on the east side say they are the best they have, its a fact that different pigeons suit the West of the Country than the East!!!! In the same way if i wanted very fast channel pigeons i would not go to the UNC even though its probaly the toughest competition in the uk. Horses for courses. Stuart

Black w/f lots of people just re-badge the same birds, for instance Houben was very famous in Belguim, now the front runner is Arian Verreckt, where did they get there birds (50% from Houben) but nobody calls them Houben. Frans Zwols are Camphuis crossed with Leideman (Yskout x Koopman x Minderhout) but to most they are Zwols!!!! To add only a small number of fanciers ie The Bert Hessions of this world have the skills to maintain a family, most have one bad year probaly due to health or something and instantly grab for something new!!!! Brian Ferris is amongst the very best sprint/middle distance fanciers in this country with Van den Bosche x Houben!!!! Results speaks volumes!!!!

I will actually go one step farther and say that the Frans Zwols pigeons i own are super fast, the only pigeons to live with them are Ferris Van Den Bosche pigeons so i have introduced 3 hens to stock myself and they are out of this world. Stuart

Mate if it possible basket them at night and take them 1st light the next morning they will come much better, im up at 5.00 am liberate at 6.00am and all done and off to work by 7.00am. Morning training will reduce the losses. Stuart

The best in my opinion would belong to Brian Ferris of Bristol not only because he has won many many Feds and Combines upto 6000 birds but the fact he has bred so many winners for others around the area, most are inbred to his Champion Endeuver and Jublilant, he has crossed a bit of Houben into them. Endeuver won 12 x 1st. He also won 1st Fed Saintes 410 miles last year with a van den bosche. Stuart

Unikon for me, its robust and easy to use, every Friday we are all marked and in the bar before Bricon has even started!!!!!!

If my birds done 3 hours around the loft Percy would be a fat bugger!!!

1 mile (not really sure why but always have) 3 mile 2 x 5 miles 2 x 10 miles 2 x 15 miles and then 20 miles 4 times a week unless they go on the trainer later in the season when the mornings are darker!!!! Done this the last two years and my ybs have broken records and twice won Champion Yb 07 08, Runner Up Champion YB 07,08 and Young Bird averages 07,08 upto 5000b. It not so much the distance you train its the whole package and most of all health, dont think this years ybs will match my past two years mind!! Stuart

Yes he has filled his eggs, 2 weeks ago a pair hatched from him, i moved them under another pair, the hen is quality too and raced all 8 yb races as a baby, i will post a pick of her and more detials on her mother tomorrow. Stuart

Joner is from a pair of Staddon Brothers Haltermans, his sire won 1st WOESRC Newton Abbot 7,440b. His dam is bred down from Frank (frank tasker) and 311 3 x 1st from Captain Paul, Filmster Lines

Champion Joner 96 Z 82425 Halterman Probaly the best pigeon i have ever owned, he was a super racer and breeder to match, he is getting on but i have 6 ybs from him this year, he will be offered with a dtr from 2007 of Pheonix and opening bids at £50 and i would say you buy the hen and the cock comes free, she is a nice blue hen with a strong eye and good balance. Joner won; 1st Club Rennes 1st Club 25th Com Saintes 2730b 1st Somerset & Avon 2bird Nantes 2nd Club 12th Com Nantes 4790b 17th Open CSCFC Nantes 3111b 59th Open CSCFC Messac 4353b 135th Open BBC Nantes 2691b 183rd Open Ramsgate. He is sire of scores of winners including 1st Club 1st WOESRC Saintes 400 miles and 14 hrs on the wing, plus many many more, a grand dtr last year race 9 yb race the last two being Faliase 220 miles 4th Combine and Tours 310 miles 160th Nat, she was runner up Ace yb WOESRC as well with 6th Combine Littlehampton. It will be sad to see him go but i have keep many good children off him and its time now to allow someone else the chance of a lifetime. Opening Bid £50 finish 8pm 19th of July 2009

Champion Pied Pheonix 00 N 36232 This cock is a dream in the hand and has a super breeding eye to match Super Breeder, flew Saintes on the da 15 hr 28 mins the day his son won it and was put in the stock loft. Sire of 1st Club 1st Fed Saintes 468 miles on the day. 1st Sect 1st Single Bird Nom 7th Open Bergerac National 1st Club 17th Combine Saintes 468 miles 19th Sec 90th Open NFC Tours 21st Sect 468th Open NFC Pau 633 miles Sire Pheonix Ace Racer and 2 x RPRA award. Dam De 62 direct Gylesbrecht bred from a son Laureaat Barcelona 1st International Barcelona when paired to a dtr of King. Opening Bid at £100 ends Sunday 19th of July 8pm

T3 Pheonix and Pied Pheonix

CHAMPION PHEONIX 98 E 72592 Alfons Bauwen x Gylesbrecht 2 x RPRA Award winner for Long Distance, Ace Racer and breeder of winners up to National Level. 22nd Open National San Sebastian 639miles 45th Open National Nantes 5522b 367th Open National Pau 633 miles 454th Open National Saintes 468 miles 901st Open National San Sebastion 639 miles (flew San Sebastian twice in 2 weeks) 2 x RPRA award winner 2001 & 2002. Sire Pied Wampie, Same line as Pest 1st Nat Angolume, Didget 1st Nat Nantes and Dabber 1st Nat Rennes, son of Minnie Mouse 3 x 1st and 1st Fed Rennes and Blauwe Wampie. Dam Nadine g-dam of 1st BBC Poiters and Pheonix from Parel (son of 4th Nat Barcelona) and Zwart Deny from Tee 1st Barcelona and 1st Nat Cahors. Sire of Champion Pied Pheonix and g-sire of Champion T3 Pheonix Including; 1st Club 1st Fed Saintes 468 miles on the day. 1st Sect 1st Single Bird Nom 7th Open Bergerac National 1st Club 17th Combine Saintes 468 miles 19th Sec 90th Open NFC Tours 21st Sect 468th Open NFC Pau 633 miles 19th Sect 368 Open NFC Angers 6th Open WOESRC Chale 3300b 1st Club Fareham 430b etc. This cock has never missed an egg, he has bred 6 ybs in 2009. Starting Bid £100 closing Sunday 19th July at 8 pm.

2 years ago a chap in South Wales asked me for a proven breeder of 600 mile pigeons, i picked him a 1997 dark pied cock that was reasonably well bred, he said to me that it was old and the pedigree stated he was a g-son of 1st Nat and he only dealt in direct children. I told him that a proven bird would have to be older and as for pedigree this pigeon had bred at least 10 long distance prize winners up to 10,000b i.e 125th Nat 201st Nat etc. I charged him £150 for the bird. I phoned him a year later to say a child had been 3rd Nat Limoges 580 miles from 13,030b, he said he wasnt suprised as the cock had bred some real crackers, to which i replied "see some pigeons write there own pedigree" Stuart