Full or Empty baskets

[Guest CS]

When your birds are loaded on the transporter would you like them to be in full baskets, or less than half full? And for what reasons?

Normal thinking would say that the less pigeons there are in a basket the better oppertunity they will have to reach the food and water and less chance of injury by other birds pecking them.

There is another school of thought though that would think that in "empty" baskets the birds will use up more energy trying to stay warm during the drive and lay over at liberation points.

 

Your thoughts

[Guest]

I've been told that a fuller basket is easier on the birds during the journey - less likely to be jostled backwards and forwards when lorry is stopping, starting, cornering etc.

 

But one study at least has shown that the number of birds in the basket has a bearing on their welfare, and causes heat stress and behavioural problems.

 

In our last YB race while loading transporter we noticed a bird covered in blood in a basket containing our normal 28 birds. Scalped head & neck in less than two hours in basket. Fed Pres agreed bird should be removed from race basket, and I took it up the road and tended to it overnight & owner collected it at clock meeting next day.