2019 Season

[sapper756]

As the 2019 racing season gets nearer, when do fanciers begin to train their race teams?

 

How far and how often do you plan to train birds in preparation for the first race of the 2019 season?

[BANDIT]

Once i get mine loft fit and they are doing 30 to 40 mins each fly then ill think about training about 2 weeks before my 1st race 2nd week of april.fitness around the loft is more inportant to me than chucking birds in a basket for the sake of it.

[alex young]

I fly my birds throughout the off season,so just give them 3 short tosses starting 2 weeks before the first race usually 8-15mls by road.

[greenbar]

The birds,must be fit to go training,not to training to get fit.

[andy Burgess]

only had mine out for the first time today , not all left the new loft . had some trouble trapping most . new loft , facing a diffrent way and 20 feet away from where the race loft used to be . will keep trying them out when i can

[dal2]

only had mine out for the first time today , not all left the new loft . had some trouble trapping most . new loft , facing a diffrent way and 20 feet away from where the race loft used to be . will keep trying them out when i can

Ye that would do it mate.....my yearlings have to be broken from one loft to another every year...10ft....and that's a nightmare

[REDCHEQHEN]

Just put 8 yearling cocks in another loft last week- and paired them - trying them on widowhood - it was their first time out yesterday - what a shambles!

They did all eventually trap

 

 

We have an open race on March 30th

Not that I'm sending

First proper race is 6th April

The roundabout lofts are still on youngsters

Nothing at all went to plan this year - absolutely nothing at all!

[paddymac]

I usually start around the start of April which is about 2 weeks before the first NIPA race.

[Dave barrie]

Just put 8 yearling cocks in another loft last week- and paired them - trying them on widowhood - it was their first time out yesterday - what a shambles!

They did all eventually trap

 

 

We have an open race on March 30th

Not that I'm sending

First proper race is 6th April

The roundabout lofts are still on youngsters

Nothing at all went to plan this year - absolutely nothing at all!

 

never does redhen ha ha

[blue pied]

Been a good few times now. Seen Derek colligan traininh his to when I’ve been training 😉😉

[yeboah]

Agree with posts that fitness is the main factor

I have latebreds to train will give them plenty tosses at short distances they will just have to run the gauntlet

The pigeons that have been raced are never taken down the road

Just to get them thinking I take them to the other side of the rugby field that sits in front of me , twice from there

The good hens are just basketed and liberated from the landing board for 5 days May sound stupid to some but it works for me ,that way I don't loose good birds to the falcon

They are very easy to get fit as once the moult is complete they get very very little to eat all winter this way their condition is spot on

No liberation today completely fog bound at present

[philg50]

Old birds getting out to exercise the day they have only been out 4 times since xmas and in that time once attacked by sparry but saved it in time and also one cock lost of loft so fingers crossed ,the doos will be exercised every day at the loft now regardless of weather with the exception of strong winds ,as for youngsters i nave 1 pair 10 days old and 2 hatched couple of days ago but we will see how it goes ,8 weeks to go or first race .

[andy Burgess]

Ye that would do it mate.....my yearlings have to be broken from one loft to another every year...10ft....and that's a nightmare

 

theres a right "mis-match" of doo,s in the race loft now. after last seasons problems with builders and planners , didnt know if we were moving or not. all that can fly , will fly this season . some 2 and 3 year old hens that have only loft flown at the start of last 2 seasons will be going down the road this year ?

[bigbill]

had 6 training tosses with cocks, so far all ok, only 1 latebred missing .

[Pete]

let mine out for the first time this year just around the loft was hit by the dreaded, time for the net to come out.

 

I always let my birds loft train for 2 weeks 3rd week 15/20 mile down the road for 2 weeks then a 60 miler fly for 3 days on the trot and rest for 4/5 days before the first race.