Tony C

My wife would like to nominate me

'I'm afraid that I was very, very drunk'. Actually this statement couldn’t be further from the truth. Christmas 1987 whilst bouncing my 3 year old daughter on my knee it suddenly hit me how much she’d grown. I being young, working and spending most evenings out was missing out on my kids growing up. I decided there and then no more nights out, no more drinking (still on the wagon 20 years on), no more darts and no more snooker or dogs. I was going to watch my kids grow up, be responsible for the first time in my life. I kept to my word but boy I needed a hobby that I could pursue, something to stop me going mad and something that didn’t take me away from the home. Enter pigeon racing. The last couple of years before I left home my father took an interest in racing pigeons, he caught the bug and I thought he mad. I didn’t take a blind bit of notice of em. Further forward 5 years, I became inquisitive, what did he see in this pigeon racing game! I started going round home to watch them race days, went up the club with him to see how he’d done and met a whole bunch of crazy pigeon folk. Here was my answer, I’d get a few pigeons perhaps even try racing a few if I got on with them. That was 20 years ago sheesh! Doesn’t time fly when your having fun.

PATTY BHOY if your interested in American pigeons and the way to race them go to this link http://www.pigeonradio.com/pr/ on the left you'll see archives of previous broadcasts. Perhaps you will be better able to judge yourself hearing it from the horses mouth so to speak. For what my opinion is worth many Americans go more for pedigree pigeons than performance pigeons, many strains are kept pure and are in the main Belg/Dutch imports.

If you decide to put on the clear corrugated type sheets put chicken wire underneath to stop small birds getting in your aviary.

Under the RPRA this same site comes under Bishop Auckland. Hope this helps. http://www.pigeonbasics.com/liberationweather/site13.html

There was a big issue with the black nest felts early this year, babies dying in the nest. If your going to use nest felts better to go for the coconut coloured ones.

Try and get your hands on a series of books written by Jules Gallez.

How did I start?...... 'I'm afraid that I was very, very drunk'. :B

Have a good'un Craig

Happy Birthday Rose

When I read this I Immediately thought of a one loft race (in USA) I read about somewhere else where the final race will be held from 450 miles. No doubt some young birds will make it but £ to a pinch of salt many wont. I wouldn’t enter a pigeon in such a race if someone else paid my entrance fee.

Loose would be ok, once your loft is sitting on them they'll go nowhere.

I have seen where people put a bit of roofing felt between the breeze blocks and timbers to stop any damp rising into said timbers.

This year my stock birds, old birds & young birds not treated for canker or cocci, last years young birds not treated for canker or cocci = this years yearlings & young birds have never been treated for canker or cocci period. All pigeons treated for worms. This year highest prize winner in club, best old bird flyer in fed, best young bird flyer in fed, best flyer in fed. Will I treat next year? I’d like to think I wouldn’t need to but if they had a problem then yes I would treat, I wouldn’t hesitate! The one thing I have learnt about this game is you have to be able to roll with the blows. My philosophy is there’s no right way or wrong way to do things, its more of the case of doing the right things at the right time.

3 days, hatched after 9 days, came out the egg fully feathered ;D

Spike Milligan, love him or hate him Here he reads from he's book Adolf Hitler My Part in His Downfall http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fwz6h/Adolf_Hitler_My_Part_in_His_Downfall_Episode_1/

Happy Birthday Chris, have a good'un.

I don’t think it possible to compare Albear. Two lofts could follow the same regime, race the same pigeons, give same medications and yet results could be like chalk and cheese.

There's a pedigree form that here amar http://www.iprr.co.uk/content/pedinput.php

I shanghaied mine

Found mine in the boozer

I found this very interesting (hope the link works) http://www.ingentaconnect.com/search/article?title=Racing+pigeons&title_type=tka&year_from=1998&year_to=2008&database=1&pageSize=20&index=13

Somehow it doesn’t feel like xmas is nearly on us, I guess that’s because I’ve still a £1 in my pocket. Ah well! I bid everyone a very merry xmas and a prosperous and happy new year now before I go and spend me last £1 on prezzies and go of into a sulk. Have a good’un all

Does harmony exist? If it does is it a better or duller place :-/

Not sure about the old bird averages racing into London (guess it was in the 1400's) but the young bird averages were won in the 1200's, this suggests the oldbird racing had even amounts of headwinds and with it up their bottle, the youngbirds for the most part had it on their noses.