Questions Guys...

[tango_kid]

Hello all,

For christmas i asked for a racing pigeon book so that i can research more!! In two days i have read it thoroughly and have these questions for anybody who has an answer!!

The first is, if male any female are trying to mate constantly and even if they only mate once a year they still produce alot of young. Now if you only have a reasonably small loft and naturaly you don't want overcrowding so how do you keep the numbers down?? Also if you fly widowhood, how much exersize do you guys give to your Hens??

Thanks all. belated Merry Christmas and a Hapy new Year to all readers,

Mike.

[ribble]

Swap the real eggs for dummy eggs.

http://www.everythingforpets.com/category/use.dept.201/

[pjc]

If you don't want eggs to hatch then replace them with dummy eggs to prevent overcrowding.

Some fanciers don't allow there widowhood hens to fly out they are just kept for the cockbirds but others allow them to excercise daily it all depends on your set up and being able to let the hens out without the cockbirds knowing they are there!

 

Phil

[tango_kid]

I know about pot eggs but ive read in the book AND on the forum that the birds should have raised one offspring before the season begins and if you have a race team of 10 cock birds and 10 Hens then you have 10 YBs which can easily overcrowd a smallish loft.

Mike

[ribble]

You could always give them away on here, or to club mates.

Nothing wrong racing them dry though.

[Guest IB]

In addition to not having to raise every round laid (use dummy eggs) you don't need to breed from every pair, you use some as feeders. So if you have 5 pairs, choose which you wish to breed from, say 3 pairs, 2 rounds = 12 youngsters, float one of the eggs from the breeder pair under a feeder pair, every pair sitting on 1 x real and 1 x dummy egg. Make sure you keep a note of who is sitting what. On hatching, your youngsters will be single reared, just make sure you leave the dummy egg in the nest with the youngster for 7/10 days for support and protection, and you will end up with very robust youngsters.    

 

And although you may breed 12 youngsters, there is no guarantee that you will still have 12 at the end of the season, you will suffer OB and YB losses from various causes - provided you limit your breeding, the numbers will probably balance out.

[tango_kid]

Thankyou that makes alot more sense!!

Mike

[tango_kid]

But to fly widowhood every cock needs a hen?!?! Doesn't he?

mike

[Guest asha]

Hey tango,that`s a sexist heading,rose is a lady so in future you should remember no sexist comments called for..ie...

                   " Question Guys and Gals" sounds better.

[tango_kid]

I'm sorry if i have offended but that was not my intent the sole reason for writing was a thirst for information. By putting "Question Guys..." as the heading i did not mean guys as in males but guys as in this meaning taken from wikipedia: "Plural of guy; Persons, irrespective of their genders; A form of address for a group of male persons or a group of mixed male and female persons"

Thanks,

Mike.

[sammy]

Hey tango,that`s a sexist heading,rose is a lady so in future you should remember no sexist comments called for..ie...

                   " Question Guys and Gals" sounds better.

 

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;Ds---- stirrer ;D ;D ;D ;D

[tango_kid]

Thankyou for that!

Mike

[REDCHEQHEN]

I'm sorry if i have offended but that was not my intent the sole reason for writing was a thirst for information. By putting "Question Guys..." as the heading i did not mean guys as in males but guys as in this meaning taken from wikipedia: "Plural of guy; Persons, irrespective of their genders; A form of address for a group of male persons or a group of mixed male and female persons"

Thanks,

Mike.

 

well said young man (evil)