Roundabout

[Tony C]

Is your team made up of mainly yearlings?

[johnkdownes]

Half yerlings and 2yr olds

[Tony C]

To keep a team on song through say 12 weeks of racing is a hard task especialy if this is your first year flying this system. Take a look at your race program and mark of the races you'd like to do well in, if they're the later races I'd pair up and have them sitting for the first race and send them in that condition then split them after that race. If you want the earlier races pair up by the coming weekend.

[Guest]

To keep a team on song through say 12 weeks of racing is a hard task especialy if this is your first year flying this system. Take a look at your race program and mark of the races you'd like to do well in, if they're the later races I'd pair up and have them sitting for the first race and send them in that condition then split them after that race. If you want the earlier races pair up by the coming weekend.

 

sory i thought it was roundabout but if he does that tony he wont be on roundabout it will be nat.

[Tony C]

Would put them on roundabout after the first race FrankDooman if it was the longer races he was after. I was just trying to highlight that it would be a tough ask for him to hold their form for that long as he is new to the system.

[Guest]

Would put them on roundabout after the first race FrankDooman if it was the longer races he was after. I was just trying to highlight that it would be a tough ask for him to hold their form for that long as he is new to the system.

 

fair point tony

[NW USA]

Try finding an article on roundabout by Jack Barkel. Should give good explanation of the system.

[tskyes]

PAIR THEM BACK UP 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE FIRST RACE,THEY SHOULD LAY WITHIN ABOUT 7 DAYS LET THEM SIT FOR 5 DAYS THEN TAKE THE HENS AWAY AND LET THE COCKS RUN THE EGGS,THEN TAKE THE EGGS AND BOWLS AWAY AND GOOD LUCK

[REDCHEQHEN]

I don't understand why you would want to pair them back up

 

we raced roundabout for the first time last year - winning first and last race (and one in the middle) with hens

 

we didn't pair them back up - hens saw the cocks before basketing

[tskyes]

I don't understand why you would want to pair them back up

 

we raced roundabout for the first time last year - winning first and last race (and one in the middle) with hens

 

we didn't pair them back up - hens saw the cocks before basketing

 

IF YOU HAD PAIRED BACK UP YOU MIGHT OF WON THEM ALL !

[REDCHEQHEN]

They're being split this weekend - haven't took youngsters away yet - first race 4 weeks on Saturday so not enough time

we also had 3 x 2nds and a few 3rds with the hens

[mark proctor]

PAIR THEM BACK UP 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE FIRST RACE,THEY SHOULD LAY WITHIN ABOUT 7 DAYS LET THEM SIT FOR 5 DAYS THEN TAKE THE HENS AWAY AND LET THE COCKS RUN THE EGGS,THEN TAKE THE EGGS AND BOWLS AWAY AND GOOD LUCK

 

im not interfering or anything but ive tried every different method with rounderbout over the years ive had pigeons ...i no its everyone to there own..but this is what worked best for me...most wins that season that is,,,, pair back up 5 weeks before the first race..my 1st race is 18th april..same as is ...so pair back on the 14th march..so by the 26th march should have both eggs...thats 12 days...give and take a couple....let them sit 10 days ...5th april..take hens away ..get them on a 50/50...race mix/ barly...3/4 oz to 1 oz...so they dont start nodding at each other...let the cocks sit a further 3 days then they should get fed up and leave them..this should be 8th april..give and take a day.....take nest bowls out and PLASTIC EGGS...you are now on rounderbout....that gives you 10 days to let them out twice a day and practice whats going on...plus have a dummy race a week before your first race,,,,,,...hope this helps...it works for me but it might not for others....all the best mark....KEEP IT SIMPLE................ :)

[Guest shadow]

Still whant to know when to put together first race 18th Aprill many thanks

 

you don't put them back together after the first 2 races just show the hens for 5-10 mins in cocks compartment,  basket whichever birds you are sending(cocks or hens) then put the other birds back in their own sections just find a system that suits you

 

 

[johnkdownes]

Thanks for all your help i now got the gist of it all

[speedbird]

how hard is it to send both sexes to the race does anyone find by sending both makes it harder for them to trap ie 2cocks and a hen come together or do you only send either the cocks or hens only also is there any tips for roundabout some say showing of the hens too much upsets the cocks and also you can never upset the hens doing vise versa so whats the happy medium

[Guest]

how hard is it to send both sexes to the race does anyone find by sending both makes it harder for them to trap ie 2cocks and a hen come together or do you only send either the cocks or hens only also is there any tips for roundabout some say showing of the hens too much upsets the cocks and also you can never upset the hens doing vise versa so whats the happy medium

 

I never had probs with cocks and hens coming together, the hen will usually trap the first tho! I did used to send cocks one week hens next for 1st couple of rcaes til they on it.

 

As for tips i would say (and some will disagree) i found best way was when only time the hen traps into the race section is race day (in their own section all week), and always make sure (wether it be cocks or hens) their partner is there waiting!

 

 

[Merlin]

Raced it for last two season,no probs trapping Cocks and Hens dropping to gether,unless its a pair,have found hens will perform better on this system,anyone else find likewise

[Guest]

Raced it for last two season,no probs trapping Cocks and Hens dropping to gether,unless its a pair,have found hens will perform better on this system,anyone else find likewise

 

Yes agree Merlin both trapping together no probs though my birds aren't prepared for the sprintsI flew roundabout only the one season 2007 with yearlings (first OB season down here)my hens beat the cocks every race. I was interested in TOny C's comments (because he is a top man and well worth listening to)about extending form. I mated second week in Feb they reared a pair and I probably let them sit 7/8 days and split.

My birds started to hit form over the cahnnel (only 143 miles the 1st channel race to us but a 100+ miles of water; prior to that we fly to 120/160 east to west in preperation). I feed Irish mix right through cause I'm only interested in the channel races, my birds scored very well in the 143, 225, 304 races. On the saturday afternoon inland race before the next channel race I took cocks and hens about 12 miles for a toss. Let go seperatley (5 cocks, 5 hens), hens came home but cocks attacked by hawk lost a few and one back badly injured (none on the night 5 pm toss).

Was stuck so had some spare l/b and stock cocks and paired the hesn up to them and raced the hens, knocked them for six, went straight off from. I thought it was cause I repaired them, I flew one years widowhood previously in Yorkshire and repaired for last race and that knocked them too (the cocks)!

However goging on what Tony says maybe I had put them down to early, and it's nowt to do with repairing??  I flew total widowhood right through in 2008 not repairing and in my last races first weekend in July I was 1 & 2 at 473 mile and 78th open 556 miles NFC, which were my target races, I paired Feb 14 (this year I have paired 5th March).

The most important thing for me is to stop the hens laying and I have a cage built inside the hens section , wire floored above the main floor and this helps with widowhood and roundabout. From what I had read in the past about identical sections etc I thought I would never be able to fly roundabout but when I saw my ex partners set up, I realised it was possible.

If I had the resource to fly any system I think my choice would be roundabout. With lack of resource it would always be widowhood.

Good luck with roundabout don't make it complicated, simple routine, that the birds get used too, so they know when they get liberated there will be the opposite sex waiting and more importantly the nest box.

[Guest Vic]

Albear, nice  to see you back with your most informative posts. I have never raced the round-about system, but have decided only recently, to give it a try. I was intending to  put the clock back and try the natural, which I was not too bad at, in years gone by. But a couple of years ago, I added a new hen section behind my w/h cock loft, simply to make it easier for myself. It runs the entire length of the main loft, with a central aperture, to make it easier for my creaking bones.  However! This thread has rekindled my keeness and I will have them on this method until I re-pair them for the last two long ones. I paired in late January, but removed all hens  before they were sitting seven days. I'm looking forward to this season with more expectancy than normal. ;D       

[Guest]

Albear, nice  to see you back with your most informative posts. I have never raced the round-about system, but have decided only recently, to give it a try. I was intending to  put the clock back and try the natural, which I was not too bad at, in years gone by. But a couple of years ago, I added a new hen section behind my w/h cock loft, simply to make it easier for myself. It runs the entire length of the main loft, with a central aperture, to make it easier for my creaking bones.  However! This thread has rekindled my keeness and I will have them on this method until I re-pair them for the last two long ones. I paired in late January, but removed all hens  before they were sitting seven days. I'm looking forward to this season with more expectancy than normal. ;D       

 

Hi Vic thank you for the comments, I appreciate them. The only thing I would say is restrict the hens room to mate and lay, the wire cage I have is 8' x 3' and the wire is quite 'wide' the wider the better as long as their feet don't go through because it is to wide, with single perches. I let my cocks out for an hour in the morning, and then late afternoon the hens for two hours, then the cocks for another hour. All locked out never bothered about them flying! They would knock my head off to get in when I opened it up. One very important factor was I stayed out of site until I went to get them in. They always knew when they saw me they could get in to see their mate (possibly) more importantly the hens would have a minute in the cocks section before they were transferred back in to their frugal section.

The only concern I would have Vic, and I may be talking through my backside, is whether older birds will take to it? When I flew it they were yearlings with no other experience. I don't know how older birds will adapt. If you do fly it hope you will let us know

Best wishes

Alan

[wilkins]

how hard is it to send both sexes to the race does anyone find by sending both makes it harder for them to trap ie 2cocks and a hen come together or do you only send either the cocks or hens only also is there any tips for roundabout some say showing of the hens too much upsets the cocks and also you can never upset the hens doing vise versa so whats the happy medium

 

would like to add to the above post , how many times does a bird perform over 200 miles if its rturning to a empty box if its partner is late home

[Guest]

 

would like to add to the above post , how many times does a bird perform over 200 miles if its rturning to a empty box if its partner is late home

 

Can only speak from imited experience in 2007 but my hens were first home on the three channel races before the hawk attack, the fact that they were home before the cocks didn't seem to matter, the nest box seemed to be of = importance?

[swilcox]

My hens stay in there section all week and my cock excercise back to the box all week, Alternating them from each section daily ive found makes no differance and only gives extra work.

 

Stu

[Mark Bulled]

Im trying roundabout for the first time, well cocks and hens anyway not sure about roundabout.

 

Babies are ready to part, but as yet no eggs laid.

 

Do you think it is important to let them go back down on eggs? or part with the babies like Ive always done with my widow cocks?

 

First race next week 12 April but more concerned with the channel races in the summer

[Guest]

Mark are your repairing for the channel races? Mine only laidonce before racing then away, some not even with babes, first YB was when they were racing.