Kyleakin Lofts

Enjoy your last hours of holiday Michael.

It has to come Alan, but it is a thorny subject. The good news is that the long awaited computer system is due for release 2019 and this will be much more user reliant. Once it is released and we see what it looks like and just what it is capable of doing, perhaps then costs may be able to be cut.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . or maybe just trying to get fanciers to change their thinking.

Probably the most honest advert ever seen.

The ‘Double Slit’ Experiment by John Clements The famous 'Double Slit' experiment where a single electron is able to pass through two slits at the same time and turn itself from being a small particle into a small wave is the basis of quantum mechanics. This mind blowing theory casts doubt on all conventional thinking about everything. Of course in the world we all live in the we independently measure almost everything but what the double slit experiment exposes is there is another deeper reality underpinning our universe of which most are not aware and our mere presence looking at it interacts and affects the system. This reality appears to be only applicable at a very tiny microscopic level so we tend to ignore it and the implications that might arise from it but it is there nevertheless and it is very important. Measuring Everything In the big world we know about through our senses we measure time - we measure weight, width and length - we measure worth and cost by the device of money. We have even taken the doubtful step of measuring our own intelligence. In the quantum world nothing can be independently measured simply because the act of measuring affects the experiment. Pigeon Quality In the pigeon sport supposed independent measurement has been adopted in the form of calculating speed or creating a velocity but this measurement to determine the winner of any race is dubious to say the least. (Lofts are in different locations). What we fail to measure is a measurement of homing ability or homing excellence rather than speed. We don’t do this because it would upset the market if we found one strain or family was more reliable than the rest and was better at homing than the rest so we turn to supposed speed to determine pigeon quality. Quantum Entanglement Homing excellence may well be a quantum effect where some pigeons are more tuned in than others. Again we don’t measure it because finding out real number reliability would upset those who sell a lot of pigeons. Certainly DNA alone can’t do it but this double slit quantum world might provide deeper answers to our questions. The ability to Home might well be a quantum thing. A really top pigeon might be more strongly quantum connected to it’s home than one that relies on the flock to show it the way. There is a scientific name for quantum connectivity - it is called ‘quantum entanglement’ and it really works. Two quantum particles can be instantly entangled across vast distances so why not a pigeon being entangled with it’s home loft ? The conclusion of all this is that because there exists many things in life that cannot be measured the double slit experiment and the quantum conclusions that derive from it might well be a more important to our existence than the things we can independently measure. Migration One thing is sure - because the double slit experiment is counter intuitive and does not rely on our five physical senses to get a grasp of it, objective thinking rather than subjective thinking is absolutely necessary to comprehend it. As we all know subjective thinking occupies fanciers minds far more than objective thinking so as far as I know the double slit experiment is hardly ever discussed. Yet, the quantum world and ‘quantum entanglement’ may be connected to pigeon homing. Homing may have a connection with migration in birds - in fish - eels - insects and animal migration throughout the world. They may all be quantum based. The Future of Earth Civilisations There may be an alien species out there that is millions of years more advanced than ourselves. This species may have a quantum life so advanced to be able to do without a physical body. They may view Earth civilisations as going through a money or possession stage that has already destroyed many civilisations on other planets during their development. Civilisation survival may well be a natural ‘survival of the fittest’ or survival of those who can adapt. If Earth civilisation manages to survive through this money or war stage without destroying itself and the planet we can than advance to another stage. Watching us ? These advanced alien people are probably watching our progress in this regard. The next early stage may be to do without coinage - coins will probably disappear in the next ten years. Then the stage after that is to do away with bank notes. This will probably be achieved in the next twenty years. The stage after that is to do without possessions. All these ideas are not so far fetched as they first seem, indeed the survival of our species may well depend on adapting away from war or somehow curbing the gangster threatening mentality in all of us. Thinking Fanciers In the meantime thinking fanciers are lucky to be involved with the practicable business of pigeons and homing. Attempting to understand pigeons on a practical level can act as a springboard for deeper theoretical thinking while those without a nature hobby, such as ours, cannot hope to. We all should not waste this golden opportunity even if we came into the sport just for the money, the prestige and the fame that boosts our ego’s. Those that do waste the opportunity will go the way of all materialistic thinkers, they will disappear from history and leave nothing behind. They will certainly not advance to the next stage. Being aware of the ‘Double Slit’ phenomena and its implications may be the key to all our futures. It may enable us all to become connected with the energy of the entire universe. They mental energy connected with pigeon homing from huge distances may be just one small part of it.

Andy Parsons Certificate of Merit Part two by John Clements Continuing from my article in part one about 'Proud Mary' the Andy Parson pigeon of this year that won an NFC Certificate of Merit, there is much more to say and discuss but I made a mistake in Part one. The previous Parsons Merit Award winner was a Dark Cheq pigeon called ‘Big Sam’ and not the pigeon I mentioned ‘Red Cloud’ which is as it happens a pigeon from a previous multiple Merit award winning fancier - Alwyn Hill. I hope we all make mistakes at some time or another but this unconscious mistake, has, if by some godly will joined two fanciers - both Cert of Merit award fanciers in the same article. The pigeon world is stranger than we can perceive. Certificate of Merit Pigeons also have qualities of reliability beyond our limited understanding. There is no one who can say for sure how one might breed such pigeons. Certainly money can’t buy information of this kind. Crossing the Rubicon into Long Distance Getting back to the Parsons story and how Andy crossed his personal Rubicon to decisively decide in 1988 that National Long distance racing was going to be his future direction. As we now know a whole new world then opened up at the time. . This whole new world had to be further explored. One essential idea was to somehow learn from those who were already doing it. Already Andy had made contact with George Burgess who helped him a lot but he wanted more. Fanciers who have read Part One will know this friendship with George Burgess is ongoing for indeed a pigeon from George Burgess is in the pedigree of 'Proud Mary' but Andy was ambitious and newly fired up so there needed to be even more successful fanciers to learn from for his learning process to continue. One of these was the partnership of Mr and Mrs Cannon of Wormley. The Cannons The Cannon’s were the right choice for not only were they dedicated fanciers who targeted longer races they were also a couple who had dedicated their lives to the study of breeding and realised it was not just a matter of buying or importing the most expensive pigeons but of developing a family of reliable pigeon that could home repeatedly from long distances. The study of breeding is and always has been the creative side of the sport. Many fanciers have said - Racing is ‘Silver’ but Breeding is ‘Gold’ - this statement is as true as it always has been but many either can’t or do not have the patience to put a study of breeding into practice. Racing is still the only priority for most fanciers. Andy found it difficult to get a response from the Cannons until Reg Jarvis the then secretary of the NFC and a friend of Andy intervened on his behalf, but even then for the first two visits he did not enter the lofts. Individual pigeons were brought into the house for inspection without going to the loft to see them. Finally an unattractive youngster was presented that Andy was told “would do him some goodâ€. Andy was not particularly impressed but took it nevertheless and true to the word of Eric Cannon it did breed some really good National pigeons in races over 500 miles. Creating a Breeding System Initially the Cannon pigeons and the Burgess pigeons were kept separate. This separation of the two families lasted for three seasons with little racing success from either. Andy then tried a move that was to prove not only inspirational but magical. He moved one Burgess pigeon into the Cannon family and one Cannon pigeon into the Burgess family. These crosses worked like Magic - immediately the offspring began winning and losses reduced dramatically - it seemed as if a magic spell had struck but the truth is much more usual. This was a crossing of two inbred families resulted in two breeding lines - The Burgess with one Cannon and the Cannon with one Burgess. These two lines were the Parson ‘Red Line’ and the Parson Blue line. As a breeding plan this was a master stroke for it meant the two families could continue producing top pigeons that would score from Tarbes for many years. This was of course providing each initial inbred family was numerically dominant and subject only to a single cross from the other. The Parsons Racing loft The Parsons Racing Loft is unusual - There is a Brick built loft housing the nest boxes at the rear and an aviary in front almost completely covered with Louvres in front. A trapping is done through the aviary. I suppose the louvres help to deter interest from Hawks. Contentment without Complacency Breeding and the cultivation of top long distance pigeons by understanding the intricacies of breeding is is a private passion for Andy Parsons. He has made a study of it and his results show he has made great progress but he is not complacent for he knows this aspect of the sport is not an exact science any everyone who tries it is feeling their way. Nevertheless Long Distance pigeons - Breeding and the study of how to improve is a source of containment . Andy Parsons is certainly a contented fancier. One example of his thinking is the case of an inbred hen that returned on the Monday when the race was won by the previous Saturday. Because she was an inbred pigeon Andy immediately recognised her value for future breeding. She did of course fulfil just what was expected of her. She bred many top Tarbes pigeons when crossed - pigeons that were much better than herself when it came to racing but vastly inferior when it came to breeding. Most fanciers find it difficult to think in these terms. Most fanciers find it difficult to think in the long term where not everything is known or understood but this kind of thinking it is necessary if you are to be consistent and successful over many years. ‘Merit Award’ Fanciers There are a few British fanciers who do think in this way and strangely enough a consistent thread amongst most of them is that many have won an NFC ‘Certificate of Merit’ in their careers. Many of these have made a notable contribution to the Parsons loft. Fanciers such as Len Painter - Keith Bush - Eric Cannon and John Wills. Strain Building Today This is no coincidence that reliability and top pigeons are connected. Those who notice such things also note NFC Certificate of Merit pigeons are now ridiculously cheap when compared to the thousands of Euro’s spent acquiring supposedly superior Continental birds. The new creative fancier is no longer over influenced by market hype - He is a down to earth fancier who has a long term breeding plan. This is certainly not the gangster method. Andy Parsons, earning his second ‘Certificate of Merit’ within five years, is probably one of the foremost examples of this new emerging creative - strain building fancier today.

Happy birthday.

Good morning all.

I agree with this Davy, but it seems the market rules. The worst culprit is NWHU. They release them really early. The other Unions have decided to follow suite and the SHU would be the "odd one out" If you add to that fact that our rings are more expensive then the decision to release them earlier becomes more understandable. I don't know where it started, but SHU only has two income streams of any significance. Membership and Life rings. If the cost of rings was reduced, membership would have to increase to cover the deficit. It seems a balance has been struck and now a new balance is required. Market forces, pure and simple. In reality, it probably won't be any different since we always struggle to have the rings delivered on time.

Good morning all.

Happy birthday.

Happy birthday.

Good morning all.

Good photos Archie.

Hope you all enjoy.

Happy birthday Jim.

Good morning all.

Good morning all.

Welcome to the site.

I know it was banter, so was mine, but a bit on the dry side.

Cannae help the school your parents sent you to. It all depends on where you live or whether they had the finance to cover your education. I am sure that despite his education, he has the best intentions towards his Federation.

Looking good.

Good to see the photos.

Looking good.

Good morning all.