me Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Over the years, I have heard how some of our Aces, one in particular, Les Kilshaw, didn't feed his pigeons for a couple of days , (now and then, before mating) Seeing the temperature is rising, after such a cold snap, with a 50% barley diet, I am missing the odd feed, while the weather is warming. What do other guys think? What we should remember is occasionly non doomen/women will read these threads and I think they would be horrified to think people who proport to love them would do something like that to their birds. To deliberately starve birds for a couple of days is cruel, cut the feeding by all means, but if pigeons are fed once a day on a mixture which is 50% barley there is no need to starve them. From a pigeons point of view a COUPLE OF DAYS is a relatively long time. Remember pigeons should eat little and often and when the body is starved it begins to shut down to preserve and protect itself as much as it can. "A little of what you fancy does you good" and "Everything in moderation" maybe old hat but are still as appropriate as they ever were.
Tony C Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 What we should remember is occasionly non doomen/women will read these threads and I think they would be horrified to think people who proport to love them would do something like that to their birds. To deliberately starve birds for a couple of days is cruel, cut the feeding by all means, but if pigeons are fed once a day on a mixture which is 50% barley there is no need to starve them. From a pigeons point of view a COUPLE OF DAYS is a relatively long time. Remember pigeons should eat little and often and when the body is starved it begins to shut down to preserve and protect itself as much as it can. "A little of what you fancy does you good" and "Everything in moderation" maybe old hat but are still as appropriate as they ever were. Now I've seen your photo 'me' I remember where I last see you, you were riding Shergar ;D
Guest anto Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 i know people who do this if you think your pigeons need 2 loose weight a balenced diet and excise will soom sort that out if humans need 2 loose weight they dont starve themselfs they end up sick and so will your birds some people get good results with this method of racing these young birds dont get the chance 2 go on and mature propley there not very good as yearlings and very few will make 2 year olds racing 2 the can will get you results but you never have a exprenced family of 2 3 4 5 year old birds so you will never have a champion racer as 4 stock birds proper diet and the cock driven the hen 2 nest does the trick use of a avery people who use this method havent got the welfare of the birds in mind there only chasing prize cards
me Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Now I've seen your photo 'me' I remember where I last see you, you were riding Shergar ;D Yep and I was a good few stone lighter then but I alwas made sure he got a good feed of oats after excercise!!!!!!!!!!!
Ian Gill Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 I was in the loft of a top long distance man on Saturday past and every year he goes four or five days withouth feeding them ..its not about weight but constitution ...my own birds get no more than an ounce a day and I do skip days now and then when I think they need it...you can kill them with kindness
Guest anto Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 I was in the loft of a top long distance man on Saturday past and every year he goes four or five days withouth feeding them ..its not about weight but constitution ...my own birds get no more than an ounce a day and I do skip days now and then when I think they need it...you can kill them with kindness more like kill them with hunger
Ian Gill Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 more like kill them with hunger He times them from France for fun and has a a record the equal od any in Ireland so who am I to argue..its something ive noticed on visiting other peoples lofts and thats that most over feed ..and heres the funny part, the ones where the pigeons are over weight are in most cases the lofts with health problems
Tony C Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 I was in the loft of a top long distance man on Saturday past and every year he goes four or five days withouth feeding them ..its not about weight but constitution ...my own birds get no more than an ounce a day and I do skip days now and then when I think they need it...you can kill them with kindness Constitution is just that, you cant make it better than what it is. Did the fancier in question removed those in the loft that couldn't handle the starvation regime and this the reason?
Ian Gill Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Constitution is just that, you cant make it better than what it is. Did the fancier in question removed those in the loft that couldn't handle the starvation regime and this the reason? Anything that goes back goes out ...
frank-123 Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 i know someone who lets his birds out in the winter frosty nights no food or water just to tough them up for the season ahead and to learn there loft is really the best place to be where water,shelter and food are there 24-7 3rd open snfc alencon always on the result most years the harder the race the more he likes it
Guest anto Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 Anything that goes back goes out ... hi ian what iam saying is this method is not 4 every one this could do a lot of damage 2 new starters that dont know a lot about the sport and finish them before they start i clock from france ive won from france i won chanel ave in club if i send 10 over the water i want 10 home not 1 that might get a card i dont do it and it dosen stop me from wining might be 4 you or others but not me
nogin Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 i know a lot of fanciers that need starved for a week or even two weeeks :-/ :-/ :-/ THATS CHEECK, UNLESS YOUR TALKING ABOUT BIG HOMER 49.
Guest IB Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 These methods are archaic, yonks ago the BHW carried an article from turn 19th/20th century about one of the old Belgian names that didn't feed at all during the winter: article described the visitor's shock at seeing birds dead & dying in that loft. Nowadays that would be termed cruelty, and you would be done for it. My understanding is that starvation would also undermine the immune system. Gut bacteria die off too - and give pathogens a chance to take hold.
frank1 Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 I was in the loft of a top long distance man on Saturday past and every year he goes four or five days withouth feeding them ..its not about weight but constitution ...my own birds get no more than an ounce a day and I do skip days now and then when I think they need it...you can kill them with kindness i watched a dvd were a guy never fed them for a week just watered the ones that lost waight got nuted its a bit extreme like
Guest Vic Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 I believe that any healthy winter bird. Will go at least 2-3 days without showing any stress whatsoever., providing they have access to water during this time. (also, the temperature comes into it). Simply don't attempt it, if the water is frozen. Pigeons are a lot harder than most fanciers think. Vic.
wilkins Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 when u have wh cock in top race condition u are wasting you time trying to feed the day of basketing because thay will not eat however most say fasting is good for them so y not before competition agree thursday is the key day , if right a teaspoon small seed only about 3pm to get them to drink ( up to 200 miles)
Roland Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 Was you riding him just before he was reportedly shot? :-/ Yep and I was a good few stone lighter then but I alwas made sure he got a good feed of oats after excercise!!!!!!!!!!! You mean 'Your Oats' i bet LOL ;D ;D
andrew gooch Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 agree thursday is the key day , if right a teaspoon small seed only about 3pm to get them to drink ( up to 200 miles) yes maybe a teaspoon of buggie seed if needed have had good ruslts from lowest vol to the highest hard days easy day right through the program
Guest Vic Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 agree thursday is the key day , if right a teaspoon small seed only about 3pm to get them to drink ( up to 200 miles) Although no Inland flyer, I often put other members good winning w/h cocks through the ringer, with full crops on marking nights. So who is kidding Who?
Ian Gill Posted January 13, 2009 Report Posted January 13, 2009 hi ian what iam saying is this method is not 4 every one this could do a lot of damage 2 new starters that dont know a lot about the sport and finish them before they start i clock from france ive won from france i won chanel ave in club if i send 10 over the water i want 10 home not 1 that might get a card i dont do it and it dosen stop me from wining might be 4 you or others but not me The loft in question is a former National winner,hall of fame winner and the name most would look for in the result, so who am I to argue with what obviously works for him. I wonder does Ricky Htton sit down to a big plate full of pie and mash for the last couple of days before a title fight or does he eat virtually nothing at all ?? I suppose you could say that if a pigeon hasnt got the constitution to withstand a long fast it would not have the constitution to face a 14 or 15 hour fly from France.. You mention it being a bad thing for new starters to try out but id rather see them fast their birds for 4 days as overfeed them for a year ..over feeding is the root of all evil in this game from health aspects to performances.Its all to easy for pigeons to look like film stars when theyre sitting getting pumped with the best of grub but put them under a bit of stress and you see the real pigeons..the ones that look exactly the way they did before you started or the ones sitting humped up like hedgehogs ..which would you have faith in sending?
W.D. Posted January 14, 2009 Report Posted January 14, 2009 A 5 day fast is quite a common thing on the continent,sometimes includes no water as well for some?! Selection being made after it.I have a mate who gives his birds "a day off per week" as he calls it during the close season,and he's won 2 inters amongst many other top prizes. One of the best sprint men I knew gave his cocks 1 soup spoon of feed on their return after taking the hens away and no more till the following evening, when was the 1st time he went back to the loft to see to them since the race day.And he could send 4 or 5 birds take the 1st 5 in the club and fed nearly every week.I used to hate flying against him he was a right wee cocky git! An old fancier once told me his grandad used to select his yb's after the moult by putting them in a basket for a week,one at a time,fed and watered in his bedroom!!!His reasoning being he wasn't going to waste his time waiting on channel birds when they couldn't take the stress before they were released.
Guest Paulo Posted January 14, 2009 Report Posted January 14, 2009 Ive seen people do that and see how the birds are hanging on to the wire of the aviary soon as they see someone for food where they are so hungry Personally i think its a disgraceful thing to do to the birds and if thats what it takes to win id rather be a loser Going without food the odd day ok same as for you do you know harm not having food long as you got water but a week no cant see that Cruelity and bad management in my opinion. A pigeons like a car it needs fuel i'd soon as train the fat off them then starve it off under the pretence of cleaning their system. Maybe a day or two would be alright providing they had fresh water but a weeks a urine take
fred x Posted January 14, 2009 Report Posted January 14, 2009 When you starve the pigeons for any number of days, Do you let them out for exercise, If so would'nt you be afraid their may pickup all sorts to eat from gutters & the like?? I would tend NOT to let them out!
wilkins Posted January 14, 2009 Report Posted January 14, 2009 Although no Inland flyer, I often put other members good winning w/h cocks through the ringer, with full crops on marking nights. So who is kidding Who? i can only say what works for me even on the long races i dont feed much on marking days
wilkins Posted January 14, 2009 Report Posted January 14, 2009 When you starve the pigeons for any number of days, Do you let them out for exercise, If so would'nt you be afraid their may pickup all sorts to eat from gutters & the like?? I would tend NOT to let them out! no feed them light for first day then back to normal day after before letting them out
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