Ronnie

Could be a lot of lost birds today due to an earthquake in Kent.If its true that Pigeons can sense seismic shift's then there could be a big worry to racers today. Fingers crossed all will be ok

My first year on darkness but i was on the understanding you waited till they come of darkness.Or so a few club members have told me.

they way i understand it is .If you have louvre's on one side at the bottom then they will automatically suck in air through the day due to the sun heating the air and air rising it then go's through the louvre's.now when its in the loft it will then push out excess air and gasses through the most straightforward route. which is all well and good if you have no furniture in the loft.IE boxes and perche's and stuff.because then the air can just flow in a straight line in the bottom out the top at opposite end.Now to get air to the boxes and other nook's and cranny's you need to create a stronger airflow so it creates a vacume on the way through the loft and sucks the bad air with it thus leaving room for the good air to get in.(either that or have more louvres under the boxe's and vent holes in the boxes to allow air in).Then you start going into draughts and stuff. So providing the birds have enough space to move about comfortably and the airflow is correct you could theoreticly house as many birds as you like in a loft of any size .

30 Ranging on the darkness had 32 lost 2 Got 5 more in the stock loft but they are for stock.

Look's like the middlewich two bird will be skipped then forgot about the quarantine ruling.Just getting them back from the first race will be a great acheivment for me.

Bad race this week guy's ive still got the pair i am hoping to send but lost three others and half hour behind the winner.Ive had to take a real hard look in the mirror and realise my birds are athletes not pet's.The food has been cut down and they have all been treated for just about everything.Heres looking to next week.I didnt send the hen but after the treatment and food being cut down i actually fancy her for the weekend i can allready see the difference in the bird's.

Jason i'm in the same boat mate.started with a small team and after last week (first old bird race) i'm down to 5 birds 3 cocks (1 all battered and bruised and un able to race) and 2 hens(1 hen was unraced as a young bird)on top of that i was 30 min's behind the winner this week.Same as you everyone commented how good the looked and felt but i thought they was to heavy.Anyway to cut the story short after talking to Peterpau on here and getting a few tips of him it turn's out i havnt treated my birds for anything apart from worm's.using cider vinegar and garlic i thought i would be ok.I treated them this week and now i am hopefull for this coming week.Also asked a guy to see if my feeding was ok and he advised me if i'm unsure try and keepit about the one and half ounce of feed per day per bird(rough guideline as all birds are different and all corns are) untill i got it right.Well i used that guide against what i was origianally feeding and it turns out i was nearly double that.so it may pay to look at that . As for the race programme i am going to continue (ive still got the pair i'm hoping to race in the first national) if i can get the season out of it i will be happy.My aim is a loft with birds that i can send 400miles plus and get on the day. Hope this helps mate just a few idea's .As jimmy white says it may be down to your management and not the birds.I know it is in my case ,all the best mate whatever you decide.On a side note my young birds are the main priority my yearling's are experience for myself in the hope of learning more for the future.

well its certainly not my Ronnie Dazzlers.I was no where in the club this week from 90 mile's

Nice one mate. All the best great looking hen .

Sent six had two back upto now 30 mins behind at least one flyer Just worried about the other four at the moment. .90 miles took 1hour 57 min's

Thanks alot guy's .Deep down i know there rght its just nerves and confidence i think.Its my first old bird race .Just about to start the motivation tricks i have in mind and see what happen's Good luck everyone

Just been in to check the birds for basketing tonight and noticed they all seem heavy.How do i go about getting the corky blown up feeling in them? Am i right in thinking its the food that brings them like this(corky) or is it the training or a mixture of both.I will be looking just to get the birds home this week as its the first race but as from next week i am looking to compete and aim to win as much as possible with my team of 6

what then Roland do you start the process all over again with outcross champion being the dominant male? I'm aiming to create my own family of birds by line breeding and wondered if you start again or just carry on with the new outcrossed breed. Lol i'm confusing myself

Cocci worm problem. The birds will eat as normal but because of the worm eating the gut lining it will effectively starve the pigeon.(Going light).Treat for coccidiosis then as mentioned before ,garlic and apple cider vinegar through the week .

You gotta trust them sneaky feeling mate there usually the right feeling's.

Tell him to keep positive mate .Wish him all the best

I have three stock cocks i have bought in this year and also some nice hens and i am going to line breed them .I am aiming to make three strain's from three cocks i have bought hopefully they will produce the good's.The reason for three strains is so i can create my own cross as well when its needed.Obviously the real decider will be performance's of the offspring.On paper the cock's look the part(Ones sire won two netherlands national's as did the grandsire plus numerous other prize's).But thats on paper .I am looking at two years before i will really be able to tell if i am going the right way.

My birds have had two 10 mile trainers 3 40 milers and getting another 40 today rest all day tomorrow and then in the crate tomorrow night.Nervous as hell as its my first old bird race and i only have a team of 8 yearlings and only 6 are fit to race thanks to mr hawk.

Hen just layed her first egg will she be able to race this weekend?

Ok thanks guy's .

When is it best to train my youngsters they on the darkness system and are darkend from 4pm to 9am should i wait till i take them of the darkness to train or should i start training them now?They are on open hole from 9am till 3pm everyday they are ranging really well(is this a good or bad thing?) going out of site for an hour a time at least a couple of times a day.

Thanks Pete thats some good advice they have had two 40 mile chucks this week and have come home pretty sharpish beating me on both occasions they will get another two 40 milers then a race this weekend (90 miles) i will keep the training going next week but then start to slow the training down just keep them fresh with the odd trainer here and there and a club race on saturday providing the weather holds out.On a side note i have seperated this pair from the other 6 yearlings i have to race and paired them .When i train i train them all together and these two have beaten me home on both occasions where as the rest seem to be a bit after me a check cock has beaten me once and a pied has done it twice as well but since i have paired these two they seem keener than ever to get home.

well i have Van reets ,Braspenning's and boshneid flyers and jones bro's birds in my loft.This year i have paired how i wanted to ive crossed several breeds to each other and there now my breed.Simple as that.If i win anything or produce a champion pigeon i wont be saying its a van reet cross Jansen i will be saying its a Ronnie Dazzler.Just looking forward to reading the louella pigeon world advert .Ronnie Dazzler's young birds now available all bred from direct Ronnie Dazzler stock.

340 mile ive just been looking it up .

After reading that i need to see one as well