TRAINING

[jimmy white]

FOR RACING UP TO 360 MILES, HOW OFTEN WOULD YOU TRAIN THEM, AND WHEN WOULD YOU START, OR WOULD YOU BE HAPPY TO SEE THEM DO 1HOUR ROUND LOFT AM AND PM , OR ANY OTHER,   :)

[Guest WINGS 04]

JIMMY THEY DO 1 HOUR ROUND LOFT AM & PM

[jimmy white]

i would much prefer that myself wings, maybe a couple of warm ups b4 racing , and maybe a toss if they missed a race, otherwise if the results were there , i would leave well alone [it can be a long season[ all the best for todays race]

[jimmy white]

:) no body answering training for our yonger members, or is it a  SECRET  ;D ;D ;D

[TheSaddler]

It took me 20 years to learn not to train old birds.

 

For me it's cheaper, easier and better to watch the birds exercise around home.

 

Young birds are different - (I think) - Because I cant perform half as good when I exercise these around the loft.

[Guest]

My widowhoods get 5 x 15mile chucks back to there hens only on mild days to instill a bit of confidence into them then the first few races are used as training for the channel races.

[Guest shadow]

This year none of my old birds saw a trainingg basket due to my health and have performed very well 4th club from the first race and won club last week by 65yds They do however fly very well at home doing over 1 hour morning and evening.

[Keepsmilingqueen]

what if you cannot make the birds stay airborne for an hour morning and evening, im lucky if i can keep ours up for longer than 20 mins, as the loft is placed in our backgarden and we live in a large housing estate, the birds tend to either land back on the loft or if i put the flags out then they just sit on the surrounding houses not doing any work - to try and counter act this i have been taking them 20miles down the road 3 times a week and keeping them up for as long as i can. any suggestions most welcome lol, ps thease are raced on the natural system, we started the season not too badly with 4th and 5th club, but since them we've not even been close  :'(

 

my and my mum ae totally new to the sport having taken over my fathers birds when he sadly passed away in feb of this year

 

 

xxx

[Guest shadow]

Its the natural system that is the problem, they do not exercise well around the loft the only way is a lot of road work for them I fly roundabout that is why the fly well around the lofts and need very little roadwork

[Guest]

Agree with Shadow, if you put them on widowhood they would fly much better, and if you go roundabout then you can still race your hens. I fly behind the house and my birds fly the full hour if I make them, but Im currently only making them do 40mins, until the distance increases. I would never flag them though or they wont treat it like home anymore, all i do is let them out and keep out of site, because the second they see me they try to dive in.

[Guest]

Can't see much point in forcing birds to fly around the loft. Agree with Rose, good to see the birds go out freely & solo during 'open days'. If they don't want to fly I reckon the best way to force them is to take them 20-30 miles down the road in any direction.

 

My first race is on Saturday 29th. Forecast says winds turn North.

 

The temperatures here only broke into double figures last weekend. My own temperature 'test' is if I can go about the garden in short sleeves, its warm enough to start training.

 

'Single sleeveless T-shirt time' from Sunday last. So training this week from Monday to Thursday, hens & cocks day about. Winds are fresh Westerlies & gusting around 15/20mph, so the birds are going 20 & 30 miles East and certainly working to get home.

 

Have one hen down, and one cock slept out after a tussle with a hawk [middle of tail and some secondaries (in one wing) missing, otherwise OK: did everything bar a victory roll dropping in this morning and straight back out for a 'duet' with his nest mate].

 

Fed transporter training starts Tuesday next, once a week, 40/50 miles, East. Going for it, but probably only for birds that haven't raced the previous Saturday.

 

And after May 1st, will be paying Fife (Dunfermline / Kirkcaldy or Cupar ) and Dundee ... 20/30/40 miles North East of me, and Glasgow ... 30 miles West of me ... the odd visit too with trainers.

[snowy]

hyacinth, has a good system, on her website, training young birds, ours used to fly a maximum of 20 mins & the bloke down the road an hour, we have now started the flagging system, which has worked 100% for us so far, its a bit of hard work to start(running up & down garden with flag on pole isnt it westy ) but well worth it, me & my son have noticed its a winner for us!

now as soon as they see the flag, they fly & fly. but as soon asits down, and out of site, the corn tin rattles & they are in.

good luck.

[mealybar]

If the birds on natural are only flying 20 mins, dont force them, just have them out a few more times a day, they will clap back up and do another 20 mins or so each time

[snowy]

westy

[Guest]

Ive never had problems with young birds exercising, and certainly never needed to force them. I put them out early morning, alone, and they clear off out of sight for an hour or so. After 10 minutes, I then let the old birds out.    

[jimmy white]

good photo westy ;D ;D   your getting organised now ;D ;D the flag man from alcatras ;D ;D   [spelled wrong ;D]

[speedbird]

i fly roundabout hens do 45mins am & pm sometimes with a training toss if i feel they need a bit extra cock had about 15/20tosses before racing now do 45mins am & pm no more training all training before racing was only upto 15miles most at either 5 or 10 giving them confidence coming home to hen

[westy]

God dont know what snowy is like twice this picture is posted on the forum the other on in snowys pics it is embrrasing enought doing the flagging in the garden but the pic on the forum that is too much, dont worry i will get him back...

[Guest]

My widowhood hens had 3 20 mile tosses week before first race and now just fly 2hours a day round the loft. These same hens were 2nd, 4th and 5th club first week and now 1st last week. No more training for them.

 

Same with the cocks gave them 3 tosses in last 2 weeks 25 miles and no more now.

[rockinrick]

all birds get up to 50 mile tosses up to 3 days before ffirst race ,then they get 30 mile tosses everyweek  to keep em keen

[Guest TAMMY_1]

OLD BIRDS FLY  40/45 MINUTES TWICE A DAY TWO WEEKS BEFORE RACINGAND THEN THEY TRAINED FROM EDINBURGH TWICE A WEEK 40 MLS UP TO RACES OF 250 MLS  AND AFTER THAT ONCE A WEEK. YOUNG BIRDS DONT GET A LOT OF TRAINING BUT THEY DO GET A LOT OF BASKET TRAINING AT HOME AND THEY NEVER GET TAKEN FARTHER THAN 5 MLS MAYBE 6 /7 TIMES BEFORE RACING AND THIS WORKS GREAT FOR ME BECAUSE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS YOUNG BIRDS HAVE TAKEN MOST PRIZES IN CLUB ,WON YB AVERAGES 3 TIMES ,R/UP THE OTHER TWO. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE START TRAINING YB'S ONCE THEY START RANGING BUT I LET MINE GO UNTILL TWO WEEKS BEFORE RACING THEN THEY GET THE FEW TOSSES.  IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT IF I COULD DRIVE BUT I CANT SO IT WONT.[AND THE OLD BIRDS HAVE TAKEN MOST OF EVERTHING IN THE LAST TWO YEARS ].