Retirement

[jupiter_19630]

when do you guys retire your older pigeons?

[Wiley]

what racers 3 yr old!

[jupiter_19630]

Thats a very short racing career.

[sapper756]

I raced a cock last year who was 7years old, now retired to stock.

[Wiley]

not really if a pigeon hasnt done anything by its even 2 yr old in my opinion it will never do anything. A pigeon in really should be in its best condition of its life at 2 yr old. By 2 year old it has had 3 seasons. However if the pigeon was a good racer id continue it to 3 year old. After 3 year old every thing has to come out of the loft no matter what the pigeon as won. Because from my experience 4 yr old you will get good races from them but i want pigeons that will have good races every week! and i dont think a 4 yr old can do that there very inconsistent. But 4 year old for a distance loft is not a uncommon site but myself personally i am majoritly interested in sprint and middle distance. At times if a pigeon hasnt performed in the yearling stage i even begin to question it then, as then it has two seasons!But if a pigeon has preformed exceptionally well after 3 yr old it will go straight to stock! No pigeon over 3yr old will be in my racing team!

[Guest]

I retire my sprint to middle birds at 3 years old as I do believe like wiley that after that they are past their best for racing and should have done enough to join the breeding team. If they hadn't they wouldn't have gone past the two year old stage.

 

My long distance birds retire at 5 or 6 no later. I know some people that fly birds later from the distance but I think if they are still there at 5 or 6 then they have done enough to go to the breeding loft. All inferior stock should have been lost or shown that it is no good by then. I wouldn't want to race my channel birds later because there is always that race to far.

 

 

[Guest stevie-b]

my best pigeon this year was 4yrs old if you know your pigeons the pigeon will tell you when its time to stop racing it.

[jimmy white]

good distance pigeons treated as so can score up till 8, 9 years old, but the norm is about 7 years ,, sprint birds are usually done a long time b4 this i.e.4 y,o

[jupiter_19630]

Thanks guys for all your views.

[me]

"not really if a pigeon hasnt done anything by its even 2 yr old in my opinion it will never do anything. " - Wiley

 

No offence Wiley mate but the above is nonsense. If I had culled some birds using your guidlines I would have disposed of some the best birds I ever had the privilege of owning.

[stevie]

5 yr old ten stoped

[Wiley]

"not really if a pigeon hasnt done anything by its even 2 yr old in my opinion it will never do anything. " - Wiley

 

No offence Wiley mate but the above is nonsense. If I had culled some birds using your guidlines I would have disposed of some the best birds I ever had the privilege of owning.

 

 

no offence taken mate everyone to there own, but to me if a pigeon hasnt scored or won anything after two year old, i personally dont think it will do anything, like i said mate my opinion.Its to agree or disagree but if a pigeon is there after 2 year old it has had 3 seasons of racing and hasnt picked up a card i havent got much time for it in my loft,like i said only my opinion. Good luck ya to ya 'Me' hope ya success carries on many road lead to rome and the above is just one of my roads!

 

p.s maybe the orignal quote you quoted me on i must not have read it thoroughly as i beleive after the 2 yr old stage! As like i said a 2yr old pigeon should be in its prime and if it doesnt do anything after this stage!

[Wiley]

maybe i should rephrase that quote, from it wont do anything, to I question if it will do anything!

[markbrown]

For Info:-

As for racing:-

Our Cheq Cock Nr 33, bred 2003...Raced in 2003, kept on as part of yb team.

raced 2004 never timed - kept on cos short of cocks & yb showed promise

raced 2005 timed in one club race when he came late in day, very hard race

Kept on cos his yb from 04, scored a few minor prizes in strong club.

 

In 2006, he won:-

1st club, 1st fed 1st combine 172 mile approx 1300ypm

1st club, 1st fed, 1st combine 370 mile approx 1200ypm

 

Sire of 2 x winners & Gsire of 1st club, 1st fed, 1st combine 172miles

now retired to stock.. ;D ;D ;D

 

Maybe he was just a slow maturer, but definately worth the wait - VINTAGE??

 

But i do agree with most posts, very few and far between..

[Diamond dave]

Wiley,

I agree with you mate that everyone has there own opinion but I cant help from thinking that you may be disposing of some good pigeons.

You said that a pigeon is in its prime as a two year old but some pigeons dont reach maturity until they are three year olds.

I am inclined to agree with "me" on this subject - but thats why we're all different.

Good luck for 2007 mate.

 

Diamond.

[Wiley]

Wiley,

I agree with you mate that everyone has there own opinion but I cant help from thinking that you may be disposing of some good pigeons.

You said that a pigeon is in its prime as a two year old but some pigeons dont reach maturity until they are three year olds.

I am inclined to agree with "me" on this subject - but thats why we're all different.

Good luck for 2007 mate.

 

Diamond.

 

Not all of the pigeons are disposed of,like i said dave i question there ability if not achieved anything by 2,but if i have a fancy for them like 2 cocks i got this year that havent achieved nowt but are here at the 3 yr old stage,but they have to do the damage and prove me right.These pigeons havent got a card under there belt, while alot of the 2yr olds in my loft have done something, same with alot of the yearlings here. I have a couple more 3 yr olds that are good pigeons and 2 if they go through this year will be going to stock! Its just how we all do things different i think.Wish you the best dave for 2007

[Guest CS]

if you know your pigeons the pigeon will tell you when its time to stop racing it.

 

I agreed, mate.

[Guest speckled]

;D well worth the wait there. mark thats what ya call Vintage, ;D lke thay say horses for courses,  but some are worth haning on to .Speck

[rockinrick]

on the subject of racing old birds , rubbish i think speck will still be able to race until she is at least same age as jimmys top cock ok her feathers could dop with a bit of plume spray and she maybe could do with bit of excercise  but she still good old bird lmao

;) ;) ;) ;) :P :P :P

 

 

 

ps love you specks   ;) :P

[DEEJAY]

For sprint birds there is an old saying, the light that burns twice as bright lasts HALF as long, so i really don't like the sprint birds that much, but rather the long distance racers and try to get a nice middle ground 300, 400, and so forth, a bird that can only fly fast at 100 starts to fall short as distance takes a toll, so i would try to stick with those birds that have exceptional homing abilities from distance and then build on the clock speed of these birds, this gives a well rounded foundation for a loft, you may not be in the top 10 at 100 miles but may have a better chance when distance separates the men from the boys! JMHO!   Every Fly-er has to decide for him or herself what type of bird he plans on racing, we know some types of birds are built and bred for the short races and some the long races, and still others which prove very capable of flying both short and long distances, these are the type of birds that I myself like to fly and make no mistake it takes a lot of time building a flock which can go both ways!