Wiley

Moons in the sky doesnt bother me, as its always in the sky, what i dont like is milky skies, without a break in the sky,

Ill be honest i dont like much air exchange, the only air exchange i like is above the birds

Cheers for the comments lads

At dads mate

Some photos of the new loft here made by ecco for us. Ecco come very highly recommended their craftsmanship is excellent, made to exactly how i wanted it. 30 ft x 8ft

Very nice buddy just had a new loft put up myself

If you are sitting out more then 7 days IB, in my opinion the lofts you are reffering to sitting out the young bird programme, have a different ailment then the adeno virus

If i was doing it neil, the barley would be in the box yes, but their main feed would be in the hopper. Birds that are fed in boxes are more fussier with the grains they are eating, and personally i like the birds to eat all the grains i put down to em, and being fed in the hopper i find they are more competitive for their feed.

20 grams up until tuesday would be fine, Tuesday 30grams, Wednesday 35grams, Thursday and friday all they require for 30 mins. They will fill themself up early in the week if they are hungry with the barley infront of them for sprinting. Distance takes a little more thought and im just shooting from the hip on how i would do things. But it all depends when u basket if u basket on a thursday for distance id like protein completely out by the week before basketing day.

Mcnicholas would have barley infront of em with nothing else added from sat to tuesday, wednesday was only day when a good mix was introduced and that was 1/2 n 1/2. Thursday barley removed and only good mix infront of the birds. Friday good mix infront of the birds and a teaspoon of equal parts canary and hemp.

Id never use beans, maple peas yes. This you could supplement with ur measure of gerry on a Sunday with higher percentage maples say 70 to 30 Gerry. Then Monday swing it round 70 gerry 30 maples, then no added protein at all. What i must say is neil i dont race this way it is just the way id do it. As the distance increased barley would still be infront at all times but the measure for the first 7 days from a 14 day build up would contain more protein, and the last 7 days being fats and carbs.

If it was sprinting neil, barley infront at all times, and various different of measures in the week building upto a thursday and friday as much of the gerry as they require.

Neil, if i had to race this way, i would have barley infront of both teams at all times, and use a good widowhood mix, for the once a day that you could actually feed em. Barry McNicholas discusses a similar method in Loft Stock and Barrel

Back up from what John?

Really is young bird sickness a major problem? The 15-16 years experience of it, after the illness the young birds always hit a major form and continued that way to the season end?

many years ago i used to use fish meal actually on the grain for my breeders, my hands was constantly stinking so i stopped but the young birds reared was excellent, but they was equally as excellent without it also

Del, im being 100% honest here, the first signs i look for in ybs is the youngsters go dumb, they dont listen, when i stated that i had none in two years hand on heart it is the truth.

If you was to do this treatment inject and then pair you would have many infertile eggs. They must have a minimum of 4 weeks! I personally do not inject for paratyphoid, however i do treat for it once a year, and i rotate the products i use. As i told Ian McKay in his survey, the last two years ive had no young bird sickness, while prior i was plagued every year after the first race, and the only thing i had done different the last two years was treat my young birds a week after weaning for paratyphus as adviced by vetinery.

What size car would be needed for this?

done ian

Did Ian McKay not do a survey on young bird sickness last year? What where your findings Ian?

Plenty of fresh air, if you have an avairy lock em in there for a week. If its still there you have more of a respiratory problem and treatment would be best

Sorry Valliant you must excuse me 'sweating there bollocks off' was just an expression used down south and was not meant to be taken literal, as most fanciers would be aware that pigeons regulate their tempreture by their air sacs, as you quiet rightly said they have no glands for sweating.

I think your living in the past peter...Ask George Baird what he feeds up in Bonny Scotland as he feeds what this southerner feeds all year round.Ask Tommy Bhoys what he feeds in the winter im sure its 100% barley...Modern upto date WINNING lofts!!! True say these are not national men but they are amongst the winners consistently upto 300 miles, and with lofts like this they need the form to be there from word go and all season, and not just in june july when the distance men come to the fore past 300 miles. A thick covering of down in these months and when ya birds are racing down south in our glorious warmth they will sweat their bollocks off like if you was wearing two jackets, a three piece suit and sunglasses and a wolly hat!! Maybe tou can answer what the TOP distance men of modern times feed up in scotland then we might be getting somewhere closer to the answer you are seeking?

Peter if you believe in thick covering of down, why do most fanciers look for a good steady drop of down, and give products and natural remedies to make the down come away? I remember reading i think it was an old hand book that it is important for the birds to lose their winter down as it restricts them when flying?