Kyleakin Lofts

Good offer.

Good morning all.

Happy birthday.

Well done Lewis.

Great read Walter, but better now that you are back to the National races. I'm sure your time will come in one of them, especially with all the knowledge you have.

Good morning all.

Great read Walter. Now I know it was you that promised me these YB's, I can stop pestering Eddie for them. I wondered why he had went to Malta. Thought it was to get away from me phoning him every year.

Happy birthday.

Good morning all.

Great Walter and you have us all hanging on bated breath yet again.

This is the natural way for pigeons. They field and return, thus we harness this to get them to return from further. Where are they fielding? Is it local or are they learning their whereabouts as in ranging? Would it be worth your time giving them some tosses? Hopefully, someone experienced will answer your question and also mine.

Good morning all.

Happy birthday.

Great Walter. Keep them going. Your stories are always interesting and you seem to know when to leave us hanging, ready for the next episode.

Robert, I couldn't see anything in the Constitution regarding the Issue of Life Rings, except that Secretaries must keep and register a record of to whom they have been issued.

I think breeding early requires the use of lights to ensure the parents are able to feed the youngsters. If they do not have long enough light time then the youngsters do not receive enough feeding and this could be the cause of the fretted feathers, this not discounting the matter of heat. I think yearlings are more prone to lifting from the nest. Some use both heat and light, I believe.

Allan, it appears that if you pair early, but prevent them from sitting the second round for more than 10 days, then the moult will not start. This is only important for your racers, it doesn't matter with stock. At that time of year they usually lay the 2nd round eggs when the YB's are around 3 weeks old. A lot split them then, or just prior to laying the 2nd round eggs and leave a YB with each parent. If you then re-pair around race time to have them the way you want them for the particular races, they should hold their wing. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong Robert, that's why I checked.

Happy birthday.

Good morning all.

Pat, the SHU have to be done with the approved Benzing units, so contact with the SHU office is essential to allow a unit to be given to the official in that area. It is the Federation officials who carry out the work on behalf of the SHU. I presume for Calder Boy it will be Dougie Bald or John Bird.

Just off the phone to Linda at SHU. I am correct and 1st January is the earliest issue of SHU rings by Club Secretaries. Apparently 7th used to be the date, but this was changed some time ago.

Go on Walter. Love hearing all this lore.

Enjoy your break Roly.

I believe the rings are collected at the SHU show or very soon after. This is usually around 10th December. Once in the hands of the Federation Secretary, they have to then distribute to the individual Club Secretaries. I understand that all racing pigeons, like all race horses, are born on the 1st January and as such the rings should be available from then. Allan, assuming I am able to collect the rings timeously, then they will be available for you to collect. It is then your responsibility to ensure they are not distributed to your Club members before 1st January. Availability of rings having now been dealt with, could some of those more knowledgeable fanciers advise regarding early mating and the removal / splitting of the pairs to ensure the 2nd round eggs are not laid. I was informed that it is the laying of the 2nd round eggs that starts the wing moult. Have I been misinformed?

When the SHU went through the exercise of GPS measurements Federations were given a list of all individual members, from their area, who had contacted the SHU and were asked to do them at that time. You would now have to contact the SHU office to allow them to have a local official call on you to pinpoint your loft and then request your distances for the National racepoints.