Old Hens Darkness

[wayne77]

Seen this mentioned on Secrets of champions dvd. Just wondering how it is carried out. I have never done darkness with ybs but plan on in 2008 but will need to alter it as working hours. Be something along lines of get someone to open loft up at dinner time then when i'm home from work I exercise them and close loft down at 8 or 9. Could this be same for hens? Is the system used to help with moult or just to motivate as in birds kept calm and less pairing together?

Are they paired same as wid/roundabout hens at begining of season to sit and rear or flown celebate?  Cheers for any answers to this.

[Guest shadow]

personally not heard of racing old birds on darkness and can not see any advantage

[Guest TAMMY_1]

personally not heard of racing old birds on darkness and can not see any advantage

 

same here,  was always just under the impression it was to help young birds keep thier feathering to get through the seasons races

[Guest j.bamling]

the idea of darkness with oldbirds is to hold back the form for later on in the season when the main races is on !!

[Guest REDFOXKRAUTHS]

i saw it to ask frank tasker hes the man mate, and if you find out from him let us no  

[Wiley]

Racing old hens on the darkness is basically a preventative of bringing your hens into form to early in the season, 3 weeks prior to a big race you take them off the dark as they will come into super form.However if your race programme has an old hens national the advantage also comes for them not to start the moult as you require to race them in the old bird and yb season!

[Guest j.bamling]

thats correct mate !!!

[Ronnie]

So what about widowood cock's on the dark?would that not work in the same way?

[Wiley]

ronnie yes it would if you took them of 3 weeks prior to a big race! But thing is majority of organisations do not have an old cocks national run in combination with the young bird programme!