JACK BARKEL

[carl]

Jack has kindly gave me permision to place some of his articles on the forum,please enjoy.

 

 

 

MEDICATING FEEDING AND TRAINING FOR RACING.

By Jack Barkel

 

 

There are many roads that lead to success in this particular subject, and although they all have some measure of success, there are methods that cause the pigeons to be virtually useless as racers or breeders after their first or second year. I will endeavor in a series of articles to give advice on tried and proved methods by some of the Champions worldwide. Most keenness starts with the time just before the racing season when even those who tend to neglect their pigeons in the off season are aroused

into trying to get their birds into condition for the forth coming races. I will therefore commence my article, six weeks before the racing commences. About six weeks before the first race, (if you reside in South Africa) should be near to the middle of April and all birds should if they have been treated correctly be nearing completion of the moult ready for the winter which is right upon us. Because of the inactivity during the moulting season, and due to feeding high protein fats for this occasion, the birds have put on extra weight. To rectify this one needs to feed dehusked sunflower in the mornings and a feed of Barley only in the evenings. The birds will soon begin to exercise for long periods on this diet, and only then must a person start basket training. To force birds onto the road that are not fit

is wrong, wrong, wrong, and must not be attempted at any cost, this sort of method does not make champions. It is also at this time 15th April necessary to medicate against: -

Coccidiosis, Mycoplasmosis, Canker and to clear the air sacks.

Mix one teaspoon of Tylan, one teaspoon of Emptryl, six teaspoons of Terravit (not Terramycine, it must have the vitamins), you put one teaspoon of these mixed powders onto one litre of drinking water. You then add one dessertspoon of Sulfamethazine to this same litre of water and administer for Five days. These illnesses keep occurring as often as the common cold, so for one day every four to six weeks you must treat the birds with this mixture. This should keep these unwanted invaders at bay without building up an immunity to the medication, which is a big problem throughout the world. The biggest secret about conditioning a pigeon for a race is not how to make him peak, but on the contrary how to prevent him from peaking before the Saturdays race. We are now at the Wednesday morning before the first race; we have been feeding dehusked sunflower mornings and Barley in the evenings. The birds are still full bodied but as light as a feather, and are ready for a good feed with at least 60% Maize.

Wednesday is the day, back onto the good racing mix for Wed & Thurs, morning and evening and Friday morning a light feed of dehusked sunflower seed and clean water.This if followed correctly will make the bird peak on Saturday Morning, ready for the journey home.It is now Saturday and we are waiting for the return of the birds, always have warm water waiting for them, laced with electrolytes and honey or boiled sugar water.For Saturday and Sunday feeding, because of the exorbitant price of depurative in South Africa, I make the following mixture.Take a five-litre plastic bucket filled with Barley plus the same amounts of wheat, and mix together. Take a small soup bowl and put in twelve-heaped desert spoons of Torula or Brewers Yeast. To this you add one glass of FRESH Lemon Juice, this will take about six medium sized lemons. Pour the juice over the Yeast and stir until it looks like gravy, you then pour this over the wheat and barley and mix well in. Within two hours, there is no trace ofthe yeast and lemon juice; it has all been absorbed in the food. The reason for

this is simple, I do not believe in purging but purifying, therefore Epsom salts and Dicestal is old fashioned and has a detrimental effect on the pigeon. The modern scientific method is to purify the blood and get rid of the toxins, which build up in a birds system. All racers if not on a depurative of some sorts will become sluggish and cease to operate at peak performance. We have now dealt with Saturday and Sunday, Monday and Tuesday Morning, dehusked sunflower again and evenings Barley. A normal ration per meal is one cup per ten pigeons, do not let them make you feel sorry for them, because if you exceed this ration, you can feel sorry for them when they have to fly home on Saturday, and sorry for yourself when your more strict competitor beats you once again. When I raced in England, I used to give Mycosan T in the water every Monday, because our birds do come into contact with birds from unhealthy lofts.It gives moulting problems in our climate so I had to change to Two teaspoons of Furasol and Two teaspoons of Oxyvital on five litres of water. I understand that these two African products are off the market for some mysterious reason, but that there are Substitutes. They were recognized as two of the best products in the world by there overseas competitors by the way ( Makes you think doesn't it ) One day per week of Garlic is also good for the pigeon, but I feel I must make you aware of one other very important factor.Pigeons that have regular medication in the water are known to decrease their water intake, any racing pigeon that has a reduction of 10% water over a period of a week will have a reduction in performance of about 40%. This can also knock you out of the prizes, so what I am saying is this, where we can put medication or treatments on the food, please do it this way and leave the water as clean as we possibly can.

In South Africa we fly approximately twenty-one weeks old birds, this program will be good for the first seven weeks with slight variations as the season gets warmer and longer. Depending on the interested reaction to this method, we can carry on through the whole season, with many scientific reasons for losses etc. Just to mention in closing, I feel that a bird should have as many sixty kilometre tosses per week as possible, and those who do not race any particular weekend must get at least a 150 kilometre toss to keep it up to scratch. I also believe that static is more to blame for losses than illness. If the bakkie or car or truck that you use for training is not earthed for to dissipate static electricity and you do not degauss you pigeons, then you are up the creek without a paddle. This could be the first of many articles depending on whether it draws a reaction, for no person likes to compile articles without the acknowledgement that they are getting through to people in a favourable manner. I must state that for some this will shed a new light on the sport for them, whilst others will already either be using this or at least know all about it. I do this for the new starters in the sport, for we must be prepared to enlighten our new members into the hidden mysteries of the nature and science of our great sport and hobby.

 

 

 

 

Jack Barkel

 

 

[carl]

CONDITION AND FORM FOR RACING PIGEONS. Part 1

 

By Jack Barkel.

 

These two words are the two most misused and misunderstood words in the history of our sport. If we ask the average fancier what is the difference between condition and form, they either say that they are the same or they struggle to give a meaningful answer. Those that are in possession of my video “It’s All In The Eye” or have attended some of my lectures, will know that there is a great difference between the two and can be explained as follows: Condition is a monthly cycle and is visibly recognizable, it is mainly detectable by the down feathers and many fanciers go to great lengths to search for these and from which pigeon they are discarded. This is unnecessary as one can see the time of the condition cycle by looking for these on the side of the birds rump where they grow and are discharged monthly. They start as a bare patch in this area, become shoots, and discharge as a fully grown down feather in this cycle when at peak condition.

 

Pic 1 Showing the bare patch  

 

When the pigeon is at the bottom of its cycle.

Pic 2. Showing the pigeon at the

 

midway position of its cycle.

 

Pic 3. Showing the down feathers fully open and ready for casting, this is when the pigeon is at its best monthly condition.

 

PIC 4

 

PIC 5

Pic 4. and 5 show the condition that the fancier is looking for, but is advised against doing. The condition can be recognized and adjusted to No 5 without disturbing this very important feather cover.

 

          PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB THESE BREAST FEATHERS.  

 

********

 

The rosy pink in the mouth is also a good indication that all is well with the pigeon, for me it is a much better indication that all is well with the blood condition than looking at the pigeons breast, which can also be a dietary condition. Rather do not look at the breast and cause disruptions of feather cover in this sparse region. There is also the elusive red spot that sometimes tracks along the keel bone, some times it is there and sometimes it is not, I discard this as completely unreliable. Many birds are hyper active when at this monthly peak, and is another observation to look for, whilst a bird that is quick to go to the water drinker whilst it’s companions continue to gorge themselves at the food tray is another indication. All of these signs and many more however, all coincide with the cycle of the down feathers, which I believe to be the best visible indication of all, and that is why when I am asked to explain, I start by making the statement. CONDITION IS VISIBLE. Most of South Africans, and I would think New Zealanders and Australians fly the first eight weeks of the season on condition, because unless one knows how to cheat nature, there is no way to induce form in June and July in these countries when it is the heart of there winter season. This week we will concentrate on condition and the next article will be the one to explain form, so that it can be used to greater advantage than condition. I mentioned earlier that it is better to look in the mouth than the breast, and these are the reasons for this statement. If you look in the mouth of the bird and it is a very pale pink, then all is not well, it is showing signs of Anemia. If it is not illness causing this, a course of Red Cell will rectify the matter quickly. Many fanciers will part the breast feathers to see if the breast is pale pink or whether it is deep purple to blue and scaly. If your birds are fed on depurative at the beginning of the week the breast will be pale pink. Should you feed high protein right through the week, the digestive system becomes sluggish and the breast will become blue in colour with a blue tip on the tongue also. The grains we feed, and when we feed them are a science as I explained in article No1, believe me there are people who are winning with these archaic methods, but none of them are world champions, for champions progress with modern science. It is very bad practice to open up the breast feathers on a racing pigeon, this is the only weakness on a pigeon as they have no body feathers in this region. Nature left it void of feathers in this area to get the eggs next to the skin and up to body temperature for incubation. When humans developed the racing pigeon to fly considerable distances they did it without this in mind, and still today we interfere with this condition that the bird needs and tries to look after so meticulously. The racing pigeon spends a lot of time weaving these breast feathers together so that they will not open up in long forced flights. If you feel inclined to open these feathers to see if the flesh is pink, then you are left with a bird that can take up to thirty six hours (depending on disturbances) to weave these feathers back into place. This subject can cause arguments, I do not wish to get involved, my only desire is to make all aware of it, then it is up to the readers whether they accept it or reject it. Some will say what if the breast is blue or the tongue is blue? This is usually from wrong diets, and is a simple eating/blood disorder, which a strong dose of garlic in the water will soon put right.

 

Many will know of fanciers who are leading the points averages and suddenly the birds take a dip in performance and are out of the clock.

 

Panic sets in and they start throwing all kinds of junk at the pigeons to get them back to where they were. Most of the time the fancier is so desperate to keep them on top that he/she, unwittingly starts giving the birds too much of a good thing, in the hopes that this show of vigour will last, but sadly it has the opposite effect to what they are trying to achieve.

 

Here is some good sound common sense I was given many years ago, by a man who although dead and gone is a legend in the sport.

 

When you see an excessive drop in performance on a Saturday in your race team on a whole, the Tuesday following give garlic water twice that day, and NO FOOD. This is a forced fasting, and will rest and clear the digestive system. On the Wednesday you start the build up again as I explained in the previous article and your birds will be back to their successful winning ways on the Saturday. There is no need for this panic, RELAX and do it the commonsense way. YOU know your birds are good, YOU know your birds are not ill, YOU have just been too kind and over indulged them a little while chasing points.

 

In conclusion I ask that you the readers of these articles keep the question and answer column alive at the end of each article. Even if you have questions that are off the subject, we can use them to help others.  

 

We will endeavour to publish all fair questions and comments that we feel are of benefit to the Pigeon Fancier. Next week we will write about the magic and creation of Natures Mystery :- FORM.  

 

Written by Jack Barkel 2000/05/22

 

[carl]

CONDITION AND FORM FOR RACING PIGEONS.

 

By Jack Barkel

 

In part one we mentioned form, but concentrated on condition, I have kept them separate as they need two entirely different approaches to make them work for you. As I said in the previous article, when I am approached to explain condition my opening statement is CONDITION IS VISIBLE, and when asked to explain form, my opening statement is FORM IS INVISIBLE. Once a fancier can accept this, he is well on the path to using both to his best advantage. The reader must understand, that there are many who will, and do disagree with what I am about to reveal, but let me assure you these people have never really mastered the art. They take short cuts and say, they still reach peak form, or that they fly widowhood ( a future article) and even make such remarks as, they fly Semi- Widowhood. Before continuing let me say there is no such thing as semi or half widowhood, one either follows it fully with the variations or it will not work, no matter what the critics say.

We explained that condition was more or less a monthly cycle, whereas form is an Annual cycle and has a time of the year when it will manifest itself naturally, but can be made to manifest itself at a time which is best to the pigeon fanciers advantage. It will increase this form over an average period of Seven Weeks, but can be increased to ten weeks. Once it is gone it is gone for the year, and nothing tried in this day and age or previously has ever been found to bring it back again that season. When a pigeon has reached its peak form, you can usually see an immediate decline in performance from then onwards, the more you practice this art the more you will come to recognize when it happens and when the decline is going to happen. The bird at this peak in his period of health will give the performance of his life if it has the necessary attributes. To send it again after this supreme effort can destroy its kidneys and liver and even the heart for life. I often wonder how many of us have butchered our best bird in the urge to get that extra win.

In the Northern Hemisphere the races usually commence in the Spring and Old Bird races last plus or minus eight to ten weeks. This allows N.H. fanciers to race one team and also to allow them to come into form naturally all at the same time, unless some are only earmarked for the long distance races and then must be brought into form a little later than the short to middle distance birds, The fancier who thinks he can do the latter in the one loft is kidding himself, and is not racing on form but condition. There will most likely come a time when a pigeon in a loft like this will hit form by accident and the owner spends the next couple of years trying to ascertain what he did right. Preparation for me is the be all and end all of great success, have you noticed that the classics are dominated in good lofts by the same pigeon at the same time of the year, several years in succession. Show me this fancier and I will show you a fancier that has mastered the art of pigeon racing. When he is accused of being a mob flyer he sends one bird to the National and beats all his critics. This happens , I can quote many cases that have been written about and recorded, I have every respect for the fancier who wins a National or scores well up in the prizes, but the person who makes a habit of it is the person to whom we must try and borrow a leaf out of their book. Unfortunately very few of these greats are prepared to make the same effort to help others. I once asked one of these great fanciers the reason for their silence, he explained that while they do not attempt to help they are respected by all, but once they try to tell others how it is done, they are subjected to verbal harassment, ridicule, insults and much more. Well, I am not one of the greats, but I am in possession of some of the greatest secrets known to the pigeon racing fraternity and will be prepared to volunteer this information to the people who would like to come along with me on these weekly articles.

In the Southern Hemisphere the pattern is very different, June ,July and August are the winter months and that is the commencement of our races also. Because it is very cold the birds do not wish to mate and some have not fully completed the moult, we can not go through the process of breeding young birds to follow straight on after the old bird races so we usually have twenty or more Old Bird Races. Because of this we need to induce three separate teams to hit form at three separate times slightly overlapping each other, one seven weeks batch or team taking over after the other. The S.H. fanciers that are not aware of this form pair up all their birds at the same time and the majority of these will then come into form at the same time. The records will prove me right that the fancier who fits this category will specialize at the period of ninety days after they paired up their birds and the rest of the season they will only have moderate success. If one only has moderate fanciers in a club or Federation it does not matter much, but if the competition is of world class standards then such a fancier can have no more than 40% highs and no less than 60% lows.

All of this may sound long winded, and I have tried to keep it interesting, my main object being to try and induce the fancier to see that we are using the knowledge available that we can liken to the tip of the iceberg. The other 66 % of the iceberg is where we need to be if we are to progress much further than we are already. In next weeks issue we will reveal how to make this all happen for you at the time you need to make it happen, in other words, you will be in control completely of which races a particular bird will give you of its best. This will take out a lot of the guess work of when to have your birds come into form. In the weeks ahead while still on the subject of racing we will cover Natural Methods and tricks, widowhood, Roundabout System, Celibacy, jealousy, purging, purifying, before eventually moving on to breeding techniques, eyesign, and many many general everyday tips. I do not profess to know it all, but I will reveal the knowledge I have gained in my sojourn through the pigeon world. This article may appear to contain very little of value, but I feel that without this prelude or run up to the next article, we could easily miss the importance of form and its preferance to only racing on condition.

 

 

 

jack barkel

 

 

[carl]

METHODS OF RACING PIGEONS.

By Jack Barkel

 

The methods used to race pigeons are many and varied, all of them giving some measure of success, which will be acclaimed the best way, by the person who uses successfully any particular method. What seems to be omitted is that a person chooses a particular method because of one of two reasons. Either it is the only way they really know, or it is the best way to suit their available time or loft design. Sixty years ago, when I first started pigeons at the tender age of four years, everyone in my area raced the birds on the Natural System, as it seems to me to be the oldest accepted method, I have decided this is the place to start.

 

THE NATURAL SYSTEM.

This is the system by which people took the natural course of pairing up their pigeons and racing them to certain times of their natural urge to procreate. We will refer to these times as we go through each peculiarity of the system. When pigeons have been mated together for approximately one week the cock bird starts to become impatient and starts chasing the hen to nest in the hopes that she will lay eggs. This as most of us know is called the DRIVING PERIOD, and many races have been won with a driving cock. However to send the hen to a race at this time is bad practice as she is about to lay has been deprived of food and water up to a point and can be lost or damaged in the process. We then have the pair sitting ten to fourteen days on eggs, this also has shown good results with cocks and hens. Following this is the period known as chipping eggs, when the youngster starts to chip its way out of the egg. Both parents have shown an urge to race at this time although some will say that because of the type of milk (liquid protein) that forms on the parents during this period, it will go sour before they get the chance to regurgitate it for to feed their young. My belief is that as this is high protein the parents will use this for their journey home, and nature sees to it that it is not wasted. There are several tricks that are used to increase the urge to return home during these periods. When the pair have been sitting about fourteen plus days and no sign of hatching, you can hole out one end of an egg, and insert a live cricket or something similar,( jumping beans have been used) and seal the end. The parents will feel the movement and presume that the baby pigeon is about to hatch, this can produce a fast return home, for the bird has a retentive memory. If the eggs are chipping and you have babies just hatched elsewhere in the loft, you can borrow that baby and slip it under the pigeon to go to the race about a half an hour before you basket. This also brings results, for a quick return.

During the various stages of the baby's growth, you can use a hen by tricking her into thinking she is feeding the baby herself, when letting the cock feed the baby while the hen is out exercising and hiding him away when she is about to return to the loft. This way the cock is doing most of the feeding, and the hen the most of the worrying. The writer won a race this way many years ago as a young man in the Up North Combine in The North of England, from Lille in France, even forecasting the time of arrival to all and sundry with accuracy within ten minutes. We must remember again, that this breeding process will bring about the dropping of the first primary flight, and the pigeons will start coming into form. Previous to this we have just raced on Condition and little incentives as described in the previous articles and I now suggest you refer back to these articles and make this Form you have just learned about work to your best advantage. Please remember the cardinal rule, Never Send Your Best Birds After They Have Peaked, be patient and wait till next year, and you will do it again at the same time.

 

 

Celibacy. This method is exactly the opposite to the Natural System, in that you suppress the urge to procreate. In other words the cocks and hens are kept separate, which means they even exercise separately. One of the advantages of this method is that there is very little fighting and no stress whatsoever. One of the little tricks with this method, is to chase the hens along the passage, about fifteen minutes before you basket (all lofts should have a passage or corridor), this also gives a little incentive for a quick return, because all boys love girls and Vice Versa.

We must remember that once again these birds are racing on condition not form, therefore each bird will have to be watched separately and noted in a book at which date they drop there first primary. This will give you an indication of there natural time to develop form, I do this with all my yearlings to see when it is their time for natural form. It is a great help when using them as two year olds and upward, to ascertain which team to put them in to their best advantage. The writer has won the fastest race from the shortest distance in the Union since its inception with this method and has not been bettered in the Union since it happened in 1995. This short fast race was won with a long distance pigeon, which went on to win a long distance classic later in his career as a widowhood cock.

 

 

Racing Hens. This method also has met with some measure of success, Even though the writer is of the opinion that it is a waste of good cocks, just as the widowhood is a waste of good hens. The disadvantage with racing hens is that even if you use all the tricks to stop them pairing together or getting broody and laying, you will have a continuous struggle to prevent this from happening. One can never be the complete master of hens and once they show interest in each other and start hooting in a corner you will not win a good competitive race with those hens. It is also my opinion that when your hens show an edge over your cocks and all things are not equal anymore that ones loft is deteriorating. I have proved many times that the deterioration of a loft, family, strain, commences in the male line of the family first. I do not need to get involved in discussions about this,

I have done in the past and if a person is set in their ideas there is no way I will shake them from what they believe, even if they continue to buy, beg, or borrow cock birds, they will deny it to their dying day.

I can only say, that I have saved many good lofts from extinction with these observations. (Part of a future article).

There are two more methods of racing that I will deal with in the next article. They are a particular method of widowhood where only the cocks go to the races, the other being the "Roundabout" system where cocks and hens are used and worked to equal advantage. To mention it here would take too long, and I do not wish any reader to become bored with what I believe to be the Ultimate in racing old birds.

 

 

 

jack barkel

[carl]

THE ART OF RACING WIDOWHOOD COCKS.

 

By Jack Barkel

 

Introduction.

The art of racing widowhood has been practised by the Belgium fanciers for over 60 years, I myself started using this method in 1954, when there was but a few of us that flew this method in England. My brother and I had great success with this method, much to the astonishment and dismay of our rivals, who could not believe we were not up to some malpractice or other. We lived in the North East of England at that time, and widowhood was to arrive much later as common practice in that country. I can show you written articles from countries such as Australia and my land South Africa where well known fanciers say that widowhood will not work in these countries. I have developed a method of widowhood that will work in all countries and it has already been proved in the Southern Hemisphere since my revelations about acquiring form. There are several reasons for failure with people embarking on this method for the first time, which we must mention first or we will be doomed to mediocrity and give it up as a poor method.

The first requirement for widowhood is the right pigeons for the job. You need pigeons bred from those that have been flying widowhood successfully for several years. To try and convert your existing family that has been strangers to widowhood for generations, will prove very disappointing.

The widowhood cock must also be selected for his individuality, his calmness and fearless attitude to all around him, human or otherwise and a strong mental outlook that relieves him from stressful situations. This is a special individual with characteristics that set him apart from others of his species. The hen also must have these similar characteristics with an ardour for her returning mate that is indescribable, until you have seen and experienced it for yourself.

 

 

Pic 1 Widowhood Loft doors closed During Racing Season

Pic 2 Widowhood Loft Doors open After Racing Season.

 

The Loft.

The design that I prefer and find the easiest to control is a loft consisting of four compartments, with a corridor along the full length of the front. This enables you to have three compartments for cocks so that they can be brought into form at two or three separate times of the racing season, depending on how many weeks the old birds are flown in a particular area.

 

 

 

Pic 3. Showing the widowhood hens section.

 

The other section I have separated by a store room, for I prefer the hens to have a space between them and the cocks, not so much for the voice sound, but the body odour. The first three compartments from left to right are for widowhood cocks (see pic's) the "v" shaped section in the centre of the loft is a store room, then two widowhood hen sections.

 

I have also proved for myself that widowers have become telepathic after spending a couple of seasons together. Some of you will say I am going senile, but my wife and visitors will bare me out that I know within 15 minutes when to prepare for my first bird to arrive. The tranquillity is shattered by a phenomenal performance from the cocks that have not been to the race. They know that the first arrivals are within a few minutes from home, it can be one -o- clock in the afternoon or 6-0-clock in the evening it will happen every week just at that short time before arrival. The know it all's have tried to come up with other answers, but it seems to be the only logical conclusion. I am convinced that our good birds have superior gifts to mankind, and if they do not show this superior gift I try to replace them with birds that do. Observance is one of the great keys to unravelling the hidden mysteries in our sport. This is another first that I have not seen in print by anyone else but I expect will soon be acclaimed as common knowledge as has happened with the explanation of condition and form and also some of my revelations on eyesign (another future article).

 

I have a method of using the smell of the hens without showing them to bring these athletes to the peak of expectation for things to come. This will be explained next week in the racing of cocks and hens on the widowhood system referred to as "The Round-a Bout".

The hens section must not have box perches or shelves where there is room for two birds, I have found that inverted "V" or single perches are the best to prevent the hens for mating with each other.

If you allow this to happen the magic will go out of the system and those hens will not be amorous on the return of their spouse from a race.

 

The cocks section must have nesting boxes made in such a design that the hen is able to rest inside and wait for her spouse while there is sufficient room or landing for the cock bird on his return. This will ensure a perfect trap every time as he comes to recognise this as his own apartment to which no other intruder must have access during his absence.

All compartments must be closed as you take out your widowhood cock for basketing, his mind must be clear that no other male will take over in his absence.

 

 

Pic 4. Showing compartment door in forward position, while the bird is away from home.

  

Pic 5. Showing compartment door in the halfway position on the Widowhood cocks return home.

 

 

I also believe he can detect that an intruder was in his compartment during his absence. Could it be his sense of smell ???

 

 

 

Pic 6. Showing the widowhood cocks in there compartments in the off season, when you will notice, that the box fronts are slid up on top and hold no restriction to their whole compartment.

 

 

 

The cocks in the off season are fed communally from food trays on the floor, but in the racing season they are fed from small plastic pots, each in their separate compartment. This ensures that each cock gets one heaped desert spoon of food morning and evening, whereas if you feed them all together the fastest eater gets the most and the slowest eater gets the least, neither of which is a satisfactory situation.

It is imperative that each bird gets an equal measured amount of food, or you teach him to be a glutton. In the moulting season when the bird needs an abundance of protein at all times you can even hopper feed, but never for short to middle distance racing where the build up must be controlled at the right time. The hens are taken out of their communal section and put in separate semi darkened compartments from a Wednesday. This method increases the ardour of the widowhood hen and when she is place in the cock's compartment just before his return she virtually smothers him with love and affection. The hen that shows lack lustre for the cock on his return is a hopeless useless individual. Never ever allow the cock to return from a race or training toss, without that hen is waiting for him. Having said this however, if it should be a training toss, never let the cock into the inner chamber with the hen. Only and I mean only on a return from a race do you allow the pair to get together. Many widowhood flyers may and will disagree, but I can assure you, I have made all these mistakes, I also used to believe that there was such a thing as semi-widowhood, this is a fallacy. To be a widowhood flyer you either carry it out to the letter or not at all. There are many variations, but no half measures, you must be OBSERVANT, you must be STRICT, you must be DEDICATED.

Next week I will write about the Round-A- Bout widowhood system, more photos and many more notes and tips on flying widowhood. Remember once again, the only stupid question is the one not asked, so keep your questions coming and I will endeavour to keep the articles up to date. We would like your comments also, or suggestions for a particular subject, I do not profess to know it all, but I am prepared to give all what I have tried and proved for myself. The articles are from my book, the photo's are from my own set-up, I am a do it yourself person who is willing to share my experiences, even if I have waited a little late in life to do so. Let me say however, that I found that the older I became, the more people were prepared to listen.

 

 

jack barkel

[bewted]

this is brilliant stuff to digest,,,,,,thanks jack and carl,look forward to more,,,,ted

[Guest Silverwings]

excelent material well worth the read.....ray

[carl]

i will add some more of jacks articles here soon as possible,well done jack

[carl]

THE ROUND -A- BOUT SYSTEM

(A method of flying cocks and hens on widowhood)

By Jack Barkel.

 

This system has been the most satisfying method I have used, as each bird is flown at peak fitness and allows for the hens to be as competitive as the cocks. They also share the same incentives without the worry of hens going into egg or losing the lustre that happens with most other systems. Many fanciers will say they have not got the time for the round a bout system, this is also misconstrued, as you need less time for this system than any other I know of. Again you will need widowhood boxes of which I prefer two specific types.

The reason I prefer two types are, should a widowhood cock go into the wrong section that has compartments the same as his own, either he or the occupant of that particular compartment could be dead or so destroyed that one or both of them could be ruined for ever. The following photos illustrate the two types that I personally use.

 

Pic 1&2 Showing boxes in normal nesting positions.

    

 

Pic 3 . Showing the closed position at the time for the mate to return

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Pic 6, showing the box fully closed as in Pic 4

 

This is the basic requirements for a widowhood and round- a -bout loft, nothing near as elaborate as this one can be used. I have the space so I made it to suite my three teams racing 21 weeks from 200 kilometres to 1000 plus kilometres. Each of the three sections being brought into form for a 7 week period of racing with the following example, based on the articles I wrote on condition and form, if one wishes to refer back to these to tie everything in together.

Although I do not compete anymore , let us take my own area and Union as an example for this the year 2000.

Section 1 would be treated as the midwinter birds with tail feathers pulled as illustrated three to five weeks before the 3rd June which is the date of the first race.

Section 2 Would be paired on the 29th April which is 90 days before their 1st race on the 22nd or 29th of July depending on their signs of form.

Section 3 Would be paired on the 10th June, their races starting on or about the 2nd of September and earmarked for the long distance classics.

To give an indication of time taken with the birds on this system, let us start as I would at 6:00am Monday Morning. I would let the hens out for one hours flight, from their "V" perch section See Pic 7.

 

 

 

Pic 7 Shows the hens just being released for morning flight 6:00 am

 

Once the hens are all in the sky, we close the doors, then we enter the loft, and go to the three cock sections, open the sliding inner mesh doors and chase the cocks into the passage. They soon learn the drill and run along to the hens "V perch" section ( the hens are in the sky exercising). Please follow pic,s 8,9,&10 as illustrations.

 

 

Pic's 8 & 9 shows the cocks running along the corridor into the hens section.

 

 

Pic 10 shows the cocks very excited, but settling down for their hours stay in this the hens section.

 

Up until this time only 5 minutes has elapsed at the loft and it is now 6:05 am.

There is no doubt in my mind, that these cocks can smell their hens when they enter this section, one can not mistake the joy and excitement that prevails at this time of the Widowhood Day, just as you will find when the hens after their flight return to the cocks sections where they previously brought up their young.

 

This is the time when I now take a bath, have breakfast and return to the loft at 6:55am. We now open the doors to the three cock sections and the hens dive as one for the loft, they have previously brought up babies in those sections and know where they belong so there is very little sorting out to do. Each hen is given a desert spoon of food in a plastic galley pot to ensure that they all eat the same amount.

 

Close the cock sections outer doors, open the "V" perch hens section and let the cocks into the sky. Only minutes have elapsed and the hens are ready to be chased out into the corridor and down to there own section. Empty each galley pot that has not been completely emptied, taking note of which bird did not eat its required amount. We then replenish the galley pots for the return of the cocks at 8:00am.

 

Remember it is about 7:10am, and if you need to go to work or whatever ones wife or children can get the cocks in before they go to school. The job in itself has taken no more than 15 to 20 minutes, so the next time you here the story that so and so would fly widowhood but they have not got the time, you know they know very little about the system.

 

One of the biggest mistakes by fanciers and biggest problems created is UNREST. I therefore preach to potential widowhood flyers, ONCE YOUR JOBS ARE DONE STAY AWAY FROM THE LOFT. This applies to the racing season, the off season is the time to be constantly with your birds and make friends with them.

 

From a Wednesday when the birds have had their morning feed, I close the heavy curtains and louvered windows, and it remains that way until the birds are ready to go to the club on Friday for marking. From Wednesday, I allow no visitors to the loft no loud talking or shouting and if you were to peep into my lofts at this time of the week you would find just about every athlete lying down resting. This peace and tranquillity is very noticeable in a well organised loft.

 

Another important point, when these birds are about to be let out, they need about 20 minutes of light, before you open the doors so that their eyes will adjust from the semi-darkness effect.

 

Remember a good fancier puts as little medication in the water as possible during the racing season.

When your birds make a dip in performance, if you throw medicine at them like it is going out of fashion, you will never make the competitive league. The following Tuesday, just give plain water and nothing to eat for 24 hours, this forced fasting will put their systems right again and Wednesday you can start your build up as normal. It is the cheapest and by far the most sensible way to correct the birds system and it does no harm. Saturday usually sees the birds all falling together from the race after this treatment.

 

An important point with the round-a bout system is that if the hen go to the race the cock must be waiting in the box on her return. Never race a mated pair the same week, the racer whichever sex must meet an ardent lover on its return. Please do not be clever and take shortcuts that seemed to be a good idea at the time, nine times out of ten you will fail, I think I have already made most of the mistakes, you can learn from mine. Why make them yourself?

 

In conclusion, please re read the other articles as they all tie in together to give you a very comprehensive idea about how to obtain the best from your pigeons.

 

If one looks carefully at the photo's you will see the mesh ceiling, the grid flooring and the louvered windows that can be regulated. All these little additions have a special purpose, some to regulate a near constant temperature morning and night, while at the same time eliminating the chance of bugs and vermin making the loft there dwelling place.

 

I have seen this system successful with very small lofts, as long as the design and method is correct there is no restriction on size.

 

At the end of the season I let each pair bring up a youngster as a reward and it also helps throw them into the big moult. I do believe that to deprive them of this essential and natural function in life can reduce their natural or unnatural drive in the future racing seasons.

 

Our birds can be trained as well as most circus animals, we ourselves need to acquire the skills to make them perform as we wish them to.

 

This was to be the conclusion of my articles on The Art Of Racing Pigeons. However a letter from Mr Norman Cox of Yorkshire England has prompted me to write one more, in request of this father son partnership who's letter I repeat at the end of this article.

I will then give it a couple of weeks break before starting on other interesting topics, while I await your questions and comments on these articles.

Any constructive suggestions of what you would like to see and read about will be most welcome during this period. In the meantime I shall try and make a little more progress on my book.

I thank all those who have written in and therefore participated so far, for you all are responsible for keeping these articles coming and for making it pleasurable to me.

Yours in Sport,

Jack Barkel.

 

Letter from N.Cox

Firstly, what great articles and information. I fly in partnership with my son in Yorkshire Middle Route Fed in England. We are fairly new to the sport and although our old bird racing will be over in a few weeks I feel we will fair much better next year if we take on board and use the information help and advice given in your articles. Our young bird racing starts the end of July and I wondered if you will do a suitable article before it begins.

 

 

 

 

[carl]

TRAINING AND RACING YOUNG BIRDS.

By Jack Barkel.

 

I was about to leave out an article on young bird management until I realized that this is probably the most important part of Racing Pigeon Management, although not as intensive as the other aspects, it is equally as important.

 

The baby pigeon spends the first four to six weeks on a very high protein feed supplied by its parents for the first four weeks and then for another two weeks during the weaning period when it must learn to take in its own food.

 

Once the young pigeon is able to fly up to a perch (the terminology is start perching), its protein fat content must be reduced. Its body craves this type of food and if they are allowed to have access to it, they will gorge themselves like naughty children and put on weight, which creates several problems for young potential athletes.

 

Firstly they are not receptive to being trained to respond to the way you wish them.

 

Secondly they become lethargic which eliminates the desire to fly and exercise in a vigorous fashion.

 

Thirdly they will go into a heavy moult too quickly unless they are very active and do not have an abundance of protein.

So, once the youngsters start perching, you must reduce the protein content by adding 30% to 40% barley, to their daily intake. This will keep them light and retentive to do your bidding.

 

Once the young birds have dropped their first primary flight you must start their training tosses. They should if you have fed them the way I have explained, be ranging well away from the vicinity of their lofts.

If they are not doing so, you the trainer are not in agreement with what I have stated above or at least not putting it into practice.

All young birds that have been treated this way show the desire to explore and have an abundance of energy to do so. This means that they will range for thirty or more miles away from home, returning at break neck speed from time to time to see if you are about to call them in to eat. Remember like children the uppermost thought on their minds is, what is there to eat.

 

To race young birds successfully I once again would prefer a special loft to control them to my satisfaction and although it is not imperative I do think I should explain my reasons for certain preferences.

 

 

 

Pic 1. The Young Bird loft closed while birds are at exercise.

Pic 2. Showing the sliding doweled doors closed when birds have entered.

 

Pic 3 Showing the landing board at the rear of the Trapping Section.

 

Pic 4 Showing the side entrance flaps where a bird can enter its section.

 

Let us start with the loft, I prefer the young bird loft where there is a compartment at each end to house the birds with a trapping section in the middle. The birds trap onto a landing platform which has a flap door, one in the left and one in the right, through which the birds enter to get to their food. Always have the food ready and waiting for the young birds when they come through this fold down flap. You must never let them in until this chore is completed, if you ever let them in and their food is not there waiting for them you have lost the most important part of an immediate swift trap with young birds. No circus trainer will fool around with that part of the basic training. Your birds have come to expect that food to be there and I must insist it must be there on every occasion. I only wish you could see how they rush through to gobble up the food as quick as possible. You can see they enjoy it and they are always ready for it.

We must strive to keep this magic in the loft for the whole young bird racing season, the trapping is phenomenal better than any widowhood return I have ever seen. How they never kill themselves with their break neck returns never ceases to amaze me.

 

 

 

Pic 5 Shows the living and eating area on the left side compartment. Plus the entrance through the drop flap to the section. The same type compartment is on the right side.

 

The reason for two compartments is, that as the season progresses They become less and less like babies and start to behave as adults. We then need to keep the sexes separate or then again the magic starts to go out of the system. I recommend that one try to keep the sexes separate right from the weaning stage. Another good idea with youngsters is to but them in a basket for a half hour every day for a week at least before one gives them their first training toss. I recommend two or three, five kilometre tosses then on to one at ten, twenty, thirty, forty and fifty. Each should be liberated in batches of ten as the back markers fly into obstacles when in large packs. Once on the one hundred kilometre mark and you are sure the birds have no more fear of being released in strange areas, you must try if you have the time to spare to start releasing them two at a time.

This will help them all become individuals instead of leaving the direction finding to the front flyers. Please remember to leave your birds for about ten to thirty minutes before releasing to settle down and orientate themselves, the longer the better.

 

Now we come to racing and how to treat young birds on a return from a race. There are many theories on how to feed a bird on its return from a race. With old birds it has been my experience that, they have a strong constitution, with a mature stamina that allows them to be able to thrive on being purified on their return and as all my readers are aware that is the way I feed them on their return (see previous articles). The young birds are another proposition altogether, they have tremendous amounts of energy, fly at maximum performance without any thought of conserving energy, muscle or anything else. There muscles a lean and supple with very little reserve to counteract their mental attitude to what lies ahead of them in the race.

 

The highly tuned fragile constitution of these young birds can be ruined for the rest of their racing career if we use the same treatment and preparation as we do with the old birds.

When your young pigeons arrive home they unlike their seniors have depleted their reserves and depurative can have a detrimental effect on them. The secret of this is to reverse the treatment of the old birds, so apart from the electrolytes and glucose, you must start the build up immediately and by Tuesday night they will be ready to fly like the wind once more. This is when you go back to the barley and wheat mixed with the pigeon yeast, Friday night stamina levels are high, energy levels are high and your young birds are ready to attempt to break the sound barrier again. Make sure all residents in the loft that did not go to the race are full and will not share in the spoils you have waiting for your arrivals.

Young birds that are treated this way will not moult further than their fourth primary and will not go into the big moult, if you disagree then you are not sticking to this system.

The writer is aware of the lighting system, also the darkening system and they do work, but I say this, "that there are many more youngsters spoiled or wasted on these systems than the simple one I have just given you." I treat the young bird racing season as the training ground for greater things to come when these birds mature. I do believe that you must train young birds in their first year, many South Africans who do not fly the young bird races, as they feel the weather is too hot and rightly so I feel, will neglect to train them until they are yearlings and still call them young birds. Although these fanciers fly fantastic with their old birds their yearling team let them down and they wonder why.

We must train our babies to be our flying machines of the future, if we neglect this duty then we must be prepared for an average season with inexperienced yearlings. Please remember this system is for birds a few months old and not for Yearlings and Old Birds.

 

This is the final article on this series, there will be a short break then articles on Breeding Techniques, Physical Attributes, The Secrets of The Eye. Medication in Moderation, and many more.

I hope you have all enjoyed this series and that you will all become regular visitors. I will be doing loft visits and hope to put articles up with photo,s on several top flyers in South Africa.

We have many ideas for the future and I would personally like to welcome aboard Bob Rowland of Florida.USA. I have read many of his articles and I find them most enlightning and helpful. Do not forget to click on Articles by Bob USA on the opening All Pigeons page.

We are honoured to have you Bob.

Jack Barkel

26th June 2000.

 

 

[bewted]

i have some real work to digest all this,but,brilliant reading,,thanks again jack and carl,,highly appreciated,,ted

[Peckedhen]

I'm really enjoying reading this and learning lots (well, that wouldn't be difficult would it!! LOL  :B ;D)

 

Thanks guys.

[carl]

Glad everyone likes jacks articles,when i came across them i was amazed at how intresting jacks articles were,i find the round a bout system and his youngbirds methods very very intresting,im going to try his round a bout system next year for my oldbirds and i have allready started on his youngbird methods for this season.

 

Jacks a sunderland lad and i fly agains some of his family in my fed,so to listen to a master like jack and to pass infomation like this on to others gives me pleasure to be from the same area as jack..

 

 

Well done jack

 

 

I think hyacinth said he had a book out so im going to try and get it.

[Guest]

Carl,

 

I don't think Jack's two books are available in the UK

 

The way the pound is against the dollar you could go to the following link and order from the States, at a reasonable cost.

 

http://www.barkel-usa.com/

[carl]

Carl,

 

I don't think Jack's two books are available in the UK

 

The way the pound is against the dollar you could go to the following link and order from the States, at a reasonable cost.

 

http://www.barkel-usa.com/

 

 

 

thanks very much,i will have a look now

 

[jimmy white]

exellant articles,,,,well worth the read, jack is obviously a very knowledgeable, and  thinking fancier, very interesting indeed

[MsPigeon]

YES!!! I agree!!!! Superb! Wonderful read! GREAT information!

MORE... MORE... MORE...

Thanks for the link Hyacinth, I would love to have his books.

Carol

[paul l]

excellent reading alot there to take in and learn thanks

 

                                                               paul

[mO]

Thanks Jack for allowing Pigeon Basics to publish your work, as usual it will raise as many questions as have been answered.

I think Jack is working on a DVD which is hoped will get a global launch, having visited him and his good lady and will be returning again this autum I will pass on personaly all these positive comments and urge him to press on with his next project ie a DVD.

yours in sport

mO.

[MsPigeon]

Hi Jack,

I recently purchased your book and I am enjoying reading your views and theories, it gives a whole other perspective to think about. But I have one little complaint. I have not gotton far into the the book but have run across a couple type o's. One in particular was the treatment for herpes virus. The first line is just not there. So although you give detailed instruction on how to treat, what you are using is left out. Could you fill me in on what your using?

Yours in the sport.

Carol

[Jack Barkel]

Hello Carol,

 

I had the book published in Saudi Arabia, and by the time we got the books into South Africa we found a paragraph had been missed out.Sorry about that.

The product is Virkon S and the dosage is in the paragraph on treatment page 41.

 

I nearly missed this one, sorry for the delay in replying.

 

Best Regards

 

Jack

[mO]

Vircon S is readily available in the UK approx £3:50 / sachet

mO.

[MsPigeon]

Thanks Jack,

Not a problem I have not been on here much myself these days. I'm busy keeping our pigeons fit and in perfect health!

Carol

[jimmy white]

i have thought more and more of the oppertunity of jack barkels writtings, and would certainly like to buy his books, can anyone get  them,,i would have no hesitation in paying the costs,, i find the man quite fascinating,down to earth, and pulls no punches, a very gennuine man indeed,

[speedbird]

great reading jack