Race Numbers

[Guest Greenways]

Can anybody tell me why over the years the birds sent Nos. has increased so much. Years ago if you had 20 birds for racing you was called a mob flyer as most lofts only had 6-8 pair over the winter. Now you read fanciers sendind 35 upto 100 to a race what ever happened to breeding Quality or is it win at all cost?  :-/

[jimmy white]

Can anybody tell me why over the years the birds sent Nos. has increased so much. Years ago if you had 20 birds for racing you was called a mob flyer as most lofts only had 6-8 pair over the winter. Now you read fanciers sendind 35 upto 100 to a race what ever happened to breeding Quality or is it win at all cost?  :-/

 

i find your post very interesting indeed ,, and i agree with you entirely,, quality rather than quantity,  i see members now [quite a lot] breeding and racing over 100 ybs in to lofts capable of holding 25 birds , i cannot honestly see one man giving over 200 pigeons justice [ybs and obs ] i beleive pigeons are individuals and need to be looked after, as such.,, too many pigeons lead to various problems,ie,  health in the birds, and enjoyment in keeping the birds, this is only my opinion , many fanciers are putting the" cart before the horse " a vicious circle,,,,breeding plenty , because they know their going to loose plenty [this is because theres too many in the first place]  a really good ,established  fancier , who knows his stuff, can keep 25 ybs, win well[ and win pools easier ]hell enjoy his birds and know each bird well , and , indeed give them individual management,,,,,yes quality is definately better, and easier, than quantity.as i say , in my opinion

[jimmyxl]

we have bred 62 ybs the loft has 140 box perches so far i have culled 8 leaving 54 i think by the time racing starts we will have about 40 we can realy look after this amount making sure they are all 100 pec healthy it is the flock flyers that pass on desice as they can not see the wood for the trees so we have to suffer treating our birds to keep them winning but they say the big team men pay the most money

[jordanp31]

I only have a small loft for starting up this year and i will only be keeping 16 ob's and 20 yb's, will this be enough to race with??? All i am worried about is loosing say 10 birds and my season may be ruined. Do you know many good flyers that keep around this amount and do well?

[Guest Greig the doo Drysdale]

i starte racingb last year i bought up from an old boy finishing and he had about 30 old birdsI bread 50 young birds last ear and hardly lost any. Now I am left with 3 original old bird as Iam waiting on 2 from today an I have 18 yearlings so my opinion you need about 40 to 50 young birds for your first year or 2 in case you loose your old birds because remember this yars young birds are next years od birds

[Roland]

Well I have bred 18 y/b's... with one ready to be taken away. There are about six in a stack loft - never had one before and hate it ... so I feel confident I should be able to fly both ways( I am still in a South Road club after all, though I resigned from all the National and bigger concerns. They are, and have been a good club to me, and they need the pennies ... , and in three clubs one South and two North. Of course the 'Fans' can get splattered, but that happens, but nothing in this game is set in concrete.

I took a tally of my old bird 'Race Team' which will actually be 22, including the yearlings, so I will put them altogether soon, 9 hens and 13 cock birds, with a old 1 year old. They will be on their toes I bet, and should race each other home. Week after next I hope to send every week, and

[Beanz]

We only race 12 cocks, I started at my new address in 2003 young birds, and out of the 12 cocks 6 have 1st prizes minimumof 2 x 1sts at club level and some have won 1st fed, I do not want a large team, quality rather than quantity and no blind treating, only treat when they need treating that is what is killing our birds, you would not take an asprin if you did not have a headache so why do it to your birds, I know about the argument that not all fanciers keep their birds as well as you do but if you can build up their constitution they should have better natural protection, I am hearing fanciers already saying they have lost so many birds well we have not lost any, I am not telling anybody what to do with their own birds as that is their choice but just sit and think about it for a minute and you will see it makes sense. Good racing to everybody and healthy pigeons make the job so much easier.

[Roland]

We only race 12 cocks, I started at my new address in 2003 young birds, and out of the 12 cocks 6 have 1st prizes minimumof 2 x 1sts at club level and some have won 1st fed, I do not want a large team, quality rather than quantity and no blind treating, only treat when they need treating that is what is killing our birds, you would not take an asprin if you did not have a headache so why do it to your birds, I know about the argument that not all fanciers keep their birds as well as you do but if you can build up their constitution they should have better natural protection, I am hearing fanciers already saying they have lost so many birds well we have not lost any, I am not telling anybody what to do with their own birds as that is their choice but just sit and think about it for a minute and you will see it makes sense. Good racing to everybody and healthy pigeons make the job so much easier.

 

Spot on m8

[Guest Greig the doo Drysdale]

your righ Roland all  give my birds are red and black minerals grit and the odd crumbling block and in the wter aviform ultimate 7in1

[Guest TAMMY_1]

we have bred 62 ybs the loft has 140 box perches so far i have culled 8 leaving 54 i think by the time racing starts we will have about 40 we can realy look after this amount making sure they are all 100 pec healthy it is the flock flyers that pass on desice as they can not see the wood for the trees so we have to suffer treating our birds to keep them winning but they say the big team men pay the most money

 

i take umbrage at your statement of flock flyers passing on disease, i dont consider myself a flock flyer as you put it but i fly about 60 old birds and they are in perfect health, i do know fliers who do race over a hundred old birds and they also have their birds in tip top condition so dont tar everybody with the same brush

[Guest Paulo]

I have 34 yb's at the minute will have around 40 when racing starts but it is my first season and they are the foundation of my loft. Next year I will only breed a small team of 20

[Guest]

We only race 12 cocks, I started at my new address in 2003 young birds, and out of the 12 cocks 6 have 1st prizes minimumof 2 x 1sts at club level and some have won 1st fed, I do not want a large team, quality rather than quantity and no blind treating, only treat when they need treating that is what is killing our birds, you would not take an asprin if you did not have a headache so why do it to your birds, I know about the argument that not all fanciers keep their birds as well as you do but if you can build up their constitution they should have better natural protection, I am hearing fanciers already saying they have lost so many birds well we have not lost any, I am not telling anybody what to do with their own birds as that is their choice but just sit and think about it for a minute and you will see it makes sense. Good racing to everybody and healthy pigeons make the job so much easier.

 

This is exactly my aim. I'm pleased to see that you are proof that it is possible.  

[Guest WINGS 04]

We only race 12 cocks, I started at my new address in 2003 young birds, and out of the 12 cocks 6 have 1st prizes minimumof 2 x 1sts at club level and some have won 1st fed, I do not want a large team, quality rather than quantity and no blind treating, only treat when they need treating that is what is killing our birds, you would not take an asprin if you did not have a headache so why do it to your birds, I know about the argument that not all fanciers keep their birds as well as you do but if you can build up their constitution they should have better natural protection, I am hearing fanciers already saying they have lost so many birds well we have not lost any, I am not telling anybody what to do with their own birds as that is their choice but just sit and think about it for a minute and you will see it makes sense. Good racing to everybody and healthy pigeons make the job so much easier.

 

that is ok saying you have 6 winners in your loft but what is the birdeg you are racing in your club as i was at a sale with bird having more than 4 wins to it name but was only racing no more than 40 birds in a race and up to 300 in the fed i think birdeg has a lot to do with wins if it is not a distenc race  

[Beanz]

Wings 04,

              Birdage of 150 to 200 birds, members 10 to 12, in the fed birdage 1800 to 2000 birds, we won first 4 races in club and in the fed we did not figure in first race, in second race we were 1, 2, 3, with 1801 birds, third race we were 1st, 2098 birds, next race we were 2nd 2066 birds, hope that answers your question.

[jimmy white]

won supreme ave midlothian fed ,,at that time 5,6000 birds ,,,,9 cocks,,,nearly all trophies in club inc ob ave.  5 to  600 birds per week,[every one had won at least one race ,some 6 or 7 races] thats quality not quantity,  

[Beanz]

Correct Jimmy

[frank-123]

would think it would be difficult to race like that nowadays jimmy  with the hawk problems

 

i think you must have a large team of Yb's to start with gone are days of starting with 20 Yb's as you would not have many yearlings left

 

iam starting with forty this season

 

take for instance i have a hen well bred as a yb it was hawked had to stop it

now as a yearling hawked again stopped again

this bird is untested a few years ago this bird would have raced the full Yb programme and as a yearling out to 250 miles

 

we are breeding of untested birds that is our problem in today's racing would you not agree

that's why most fanciers with big teams can see out the full programme

 

 

[Guest]

Would say that we are maybe causing our own problem, Bart. Most of the hawk attack posts on this forum this year were all attacks on youngsters - early youngsters.

 

Options seems to be either breed more to feed more hawks and lose more because pure numbers crunching means we are breeding more inferior quality birds -  or breed later and breed fewer from, as you say only proven birds, proven racers, or proven breeders, or for those like myself trying to get a family of birds together, birds that are at least showing some potential..

[Beanz]

Wings 04 just another update for you 1st club 1st fed again last week 97 members 1645 birds.

[harky]

Wings 04 just another update for you 1st club 1st fed again last week 97 members 1645 birds.

 

excellent beanz well done espescially as you have a small team nice to see a small team flyer holding there own :)

[Guest WINGS 04]

Wings 04 just another update for you 1st club 1st fed again last week 97 members 1645 birds.

 

WELLDONE ALL I WAS TRYING TO PUT ACROSS IS THAT THERE IS SOME WHO WOULD SAY THEY ARE FLYING A SMALL TEAM OF PIGEONS BUT WOULD NOT SAY HOW MANY BIRDS THEY ARE RACING AGAINST

[Ronnie]

I have 4 yearlings (only 2 to race now after injury's) 4pair of stock birds.Ive bred 35 young birds this season ive lost two and the rest are in a darkness loft 14ft by 7ft. the old birds (including stockers) are in a shed 16ft by 7ft split into 3 section.

I will be dissapointed if i lose more then 10 through the training and racing.

[jimmy white]

Wings 04 just another update for you 1st club 1st fed again last week 97 members 1645 birds.

 

excellant beanz,, fantastic flying :)   

[jimmy white]

would think it would be difficult to race like that nowadays jimmy  with the hawk problems

 

i think you must have a large team of Yb's to start with gone are days of starting with 20 Yb's as you would not have many yearlings left

 

iam starting with forty this season

 

take for instance i have a hen well bred as a yb it was hawked had to stop it

now as a yearling hawked again stopped again

this bird is untested a few years ago this bird would have raced the full Yb programme and as a yearling out to 250 miles

 

we are breeding of untested birds that is our problem in today's racing would you not agree

that's why most fanciers with big teams can see out the full programme

 

 

i agree with you bart ,, but this was obs i was on about ,, , i do think you have to breed more ybs , but enough that you can handle with ease, these 9 cocks were the result of 4 years elimination , to finish up with 9 cocks that had each won a race ,,  

[Beanz]

Wings I am not getting at you but I put on a post here before and Vic Questioned the same thing about birdage etc, and I reposted the result with all the details, I agree with you that there are fanciers who to be honest do not put numbers and if you look in the results section of the BHW or RP you will find the reasn why as you said poor birdage and if you look hard enough some of these fanciers are selling youngsters at top prices, in fact I applaud you asking the question because a lot of fanciers don't and pay the price.

Good luck to all for the rest of the season.