Advice sought how to race remainder of the season!

June 5, 2007

I would be pleased to receive advice and opinions on what I should do for the rest of the old bird season. Firstly a précis of where I am today with OB racing. I started off with 19 yearlings, my aim is the channel races from 200 – 600 (I intend flying some of my yearlings out to Tarbes 556 miles).

They had two inlands and the Lessay first channel race 143 miles took 2, 3 & 4 but lost 7 out of 19, it was quite a stiff one with winning vel 1138.

I am flying every two weeks, week last Saturday 2nd channel race 226 mile took 1 & 2, winning vel 960ish, sent all 12 left and got 9 home, a good result comparative to poor returns around. Left me 5 hens 4 cocks, (and l/b cock at home used for pairing). Birds flown on roundabout, hens been beating the cocks.

Last Saturday evening took birds for 20 mile toss, let the hens go at about 7;10 all home when I got back, cocks let go at about 7;25, none returned on the night!!

Next morning two on loft one minus 3 primaries (Percy had him as a YB did much more damage then), the other fine. At about 7 Sunday evening 3rd cock landed on YB trap covered in blood, finally got him in showing him his hen, Percy had caught him but somehow he escaped, had a deep gorge in side of chest and on back, he was my ‘combine cock’, arrogant I know but I had told Henry my partner he would one day top the Combine for me!! Last night the 4th cock dropped flown out but unharmed but cooked for the season channel wise.

So my predicament is this, no cocks for the last races (which are Cholet 290 miles 9th, Saintes 23rd (380 miles), Tarbes 29th NFC (556 miles), Marmende 6th July (473 miles), all hens (5) will go to Cholet, with 2 which I Identified for Tarbes at the start of the season going to Tarbes, the other three for Saintes and Marmande. They will only go if they are right though.

Yesterday I gave the hens the nestboxes (locked in) and put the cocks in the hen section. With the intention of flying Cholet as widow hens. This is where I’m stuck and could do with some advice. One of the hens isn’t happy at being locked in she keeps trying to push out against the nest front, is this a sign that this is going to demotivate her (she had reared her only nest in the corner of the section on the floor), is she one I should leave at home??

Secondly how would you fly the hens for the rest of the year, would you keep them on widowhood or put them on natural.

If I put them on natural, I could let them run together this Thursday (basketing day for Cholet) on return let them go to nest and hopefully have them on a couple of days eggs for Saintes basketing and chipping for Marmande, the Tarbes hens would be sitting about 12/14 days on race day.

If I keep the hens on widowhood how do I handle them, the same way as widowhood cocks?? I also have one cock out of the 4 that is solid and a possible Tarbes pigeon, if he stays in the hen section and occasionally train and race him as a widower from there, will that be sufficient motivation. Or would I be better letting him fly in the YB section and probably mate up to a young hen??? Or should I just forget him until next year??

I would be delighted to hear in particular from those that have raced hens both widow and natural about their preference for the distance. But any opinion / advice gratefully accepted. One final point I know many think yearlings should not be sent to such distance. I do not hold to that theory but time will tell.

If you want to pm me please do it will remain in confidence if you prefer it that way.

Thanks

Alan

peterpau · June 5, 2007

So let me see. You have half your yearlings left. They have performed well in trying races. Half your remaining birds have been in a close call with Percy. I would be happy with that and hang on to them for next year. My yearlings will go to BICC Tours 356 miles and old hens will go to BICC Pau 624miles the same day. I currently have 22 all told 3 stock hens 10 race hens and 9 cocks. We move house soon. Should we drop one or two fine. Would like to take between 12 and 18 with us. How many do you want to take through the winter. If I were in your shoes I'd call it a day and save them for next year.

June 5, 2007

if u PM Alf quite sure he would give u some useful advice as he is in a similar position as urself

June 5, 2007

Keep them for next season

June 5, 2007

Thanks lads but keeping them for next season is not an option. Rightly or wrongly I believe a good young man will mostly beat a good older man, though I accept the older one will be more wiley. The only way they stay is if they are not right in which case they definately don't go. But if fit and well they go, with the hawk problems around my loft and en route I'm just as likely to lose them keeping them home!!

Thanks to those that pm with advice. I spoke with my partner Henry about 6ish and after discussion decided to put the cocks to the hens there and then. Put some straw in, food and let them run together.

They are basketed Thursday evening so I hope they will be keen and that they will lay by next weekend providing of course they come back from Cholet all right.

Our thinking is that they wil be sitting about 5/7 days for the next race two weeks later Saintes and then on week later the Trabes birds will be sitting 12/14 days and the folowing week the Saintes hens will be racing to chipping on or about race day. Saintes would seem to be the race with the least motivation for them and of course I need the cocks to stay sitting, not quite sure how I manage that, again any advice please?

I'll keep this thread going, I've asked advice and hopefully i can give some feedback as to how this is working out.

The first thing that has happened when I went to lock up tonight, is that every hen has cast a flight since being paired this evening!!! I will toss the hens tomorrow evening and possibly the one cock. I am feeding at the mo Gem Irish, homoform, conditioning seed and peanuts, red cell in the water yesterday and today, electrolyte with pro biotic tomorrow and clear water on Thursday. I do feel my birds will be up for it, though I am concerned mating them today may knock them off a little!!???

June 5, 2007

Thanks Rose, have you flown the hens on roundabout? If so I presume you have found them more successful paired for the long ones?

peterpau · June 7, 2007

I'd have 'em paired but then I wouldn't send a boy to do a mans job

June 8, 2007

Hi Peter, interesting theory not sure i subscrbe to the macho superiority of old gits though.

Rose thanks for that gives me a bit of heart, cause I was dissapointed when I went to basket Thursday evening the hens had lost a bit of sparkle not so tight, sparkle not there. Did after send 3 cocks, the one was going frantic for his hen, so that did concern me, this is where my instict says that he may be at risk cause he's so wotked up. Though my mate reckons he's had yearling cocks put up thier best performance mated 2 days after being on widowhood/roundabout!!

We shall see!