change of route for young birds

[Guest]

our fed having just had four young bird races down which we now call the east coast route,have one more from tow law this saturday.we then revert to what we used to call the old west coast route for our final 2 races,these will be from garstang  & finally leyland.i am seriously thinking of stopping my young birds after the tow law race,as i do not fancy changing their route so late in the programme.am i right in my thinking or should i send to the final two races,albeit on a different route?

[Guest]

I THINK A PIGEON WILL HOME FROM ANYWHERE, THEY DONT KNOW IF THEY ARE GOING EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH THEY JUST GET THEIR BEARINGS AND GO.

[Guest WINGS 04]

how have your returns been from the 4 races you have had if they are good then you should keep going as your fed must be thinking of going to the old west route next year

[Guest]

I ALWAYS TRAIN SOUTH FOR A FEW WEEKS THEN KNOCK OFF COURSE, SAY 15 MILE EAST AND 15 MILE WEST AND THEY STILL BEAT ME BACK.

[Guest]

my returns over the four races we have had are about 50% overall.my fed are definately not thinking of going down the west route next year. we already raced our old birds down the west route,but the fed members at a special meeting overturned an agm decision & reverted back to the east coast route for young birds. because of the financial costs of going to the latter young bird races on your own,our fed agreed joint convoying for the last two races with another fed. because we are using their transporter for these two races,we go to their racepoints which are on the west route namely garstang & leyland. makes you wonder why they changed the route again!!

[Guest]

Same dilemna for me. Don't fancy the switch. Lost 18 out of 30 OB racers on west coast  route, and 7 of the 12 I have left are untested because of hawk and strike injuries. Lost 5 OBs between Garstang and Leyland races too.

Midland BHW mannie is a bit of a gem. Said they go to Garstang instead of Lancaster because Lancaster has the highest hawk concentrations on the route.

On my map, Garstang is south of Lancaster and we are north of Lancaster.  Is it a case of 'beam me up Scottie' to get the birds safely past Lancaster? Sprinkled with fairy dust perhaps? Liberated while the hawks are having a nap? Divert their attention with a special showing of 'Valiant' on a big screen?

And safely through Lancaster - what's the score for Cumbria and SW Scotland? Er, Hawks 2 ... Doos 0.

But it's nice to start right back at the beginning again every year, racing yearlings and youngbirds, innit?

And don't be too sure that the west coast isn't on the agenda again for next year. 3000 pigeons sacrificed is a fair price to pay for those who think others steal half-a-yard 'overfly' from them on the east coast.

Now maybe if they got better doos that could fly half-a-yard faster......

[Guest]

Jeez, moving course part way through the season is enough to do their little heads in. if it were me I would keep what I had left on their perches.  If you train like me you train them from a break point on the course they are familiar with, that would go up the creek without a paddle if you changed routes now.

 

If they do decide to fly west coast with old birds, start training your yearlings earlier, they will be more mature and more adaptable to the change.

 

Yep Garstang is South of Lancaster and Cumbria is Hawk Paradise.