leaving the main batch

[dubflyer]

hi

 

is there any particular breed(family) of pigeons renowned for breaking away from the main batch on race days, ?

[just ask me]

not being smart but good motivated pigeons that have good management i wouldn't think there is a particular strain that does it

[Guest Owen]

This is all down to motivation and training. It takes a very special pigeon to do this repeatedly. Prey species like pigeons naturally want to fly in bunches to help them protect themselves from predators. Many pairs of eyes are better than one pair. If they find themselves in a strange place they are torn between two opposite pressures. The pressure to get home and safety and the pressure to stay in the comfort of numbers. I think that some pigeons have been bred to take the risk and are more likely to try it alone. It is probable that a lot of these get themselves picked of by predators. Us humans think of racing pigeons as competitive creatures. And I think it is OK for us to carry on kidding ourselves, but I am sure that the pigeons are only concerned with their own safety and getting home. So if you can find one that is abnormal and wants to fly alone, you will have found a rare bird and probably a nut case.  

[paul10121968]

like mine. ;D ;D ;D

[REDCHEQHEN]

I've got plenty that do that  

they let  the others go in front (evil)

[dubflyer]

Thanks lads

[just ask me]

i think watching your birds in training might tell u something what u dont want is birds to circle even on the first couple of tosses i dont like them to circle  

[Guest Freebird]

I think you could breed for this just like you can breed for everything else. Some tumbler breeds only fly to their best alone so must have been selectively bred for this where other breeds fly beter in kits. I suppose if you trained birds on their own you would soon find some that were "comfortable" leaving the mob, then it would be down to selective breeding etc. Just a thought.

[Guest IB]

It's a very long time ago, but there was a family of pigeons well advertised as breakaway birds in the 1960's, I think they were named 'Swing Clear' and flown by a chap Slade?

 

But I agree with the others who have posted. Nice to be able to train birds to breakaway from the batch, preferably in the right direction tho   I too would be interested to know how it's done.  

[Runt3]

I've got plenty that do that  

they let  the others go in front (evil)

 

Me to ;D

 

 

[Guest Owen]

I only keep 12 widowhood cocks. 6 yearlings and 6 mature birds. The yearlings are raced to the coast and the mature birds are sent over the channel. So most of the time it's every other week for them. I like this because both sets of birds get a rest and are fresh when they are sent. I train my birds single up from about 30 miles to get them used to traveling alone. What I have noticed is that when they are released all together, they leave the basket and more or less head straight for home. They may dog-leg a bit but they never circle.

However, when I release them singly they don't like it at all. They will circle and try to wait for the next bird. Pigeons hate to be forced to fly alone but when they do I have noticed that they get up really high before they will leave the liberation site. Perhaps they are trying to get to a height that enables them to see and deal with the falcons better.

[jimmy white]

hi

 

is there any particular breed(family) of pigeons renowned for breaking away from the main batch on race days, ?

 

i would say ,,no ,,,, i think singling up yb,s helps as ob,s , but a very super fit , motivated ob , would be inclined to do this,,,,,if," bang on the button"

[Tony C]

 

i would say ,,no ,,,, i think singling up yb,s helps as ob,s , but a very super fit , motivated ob , would be inclined to do this,,,,,if," bang on the button"

 

I would agree with and add its my belief if you have two or more pigeons up in the leading batch they'll pull out that bit quicker and race eachother home, often a loft in form will get two, three or more pigeons together.

[Guest]

good pigeons!!! is that a breed lol

[jimmy white]

It's a very long time ago, but there was a family of pigeons well advertised as breakaway birds in the 1960's, I think they were named 'Swing Clear' and flown by a chap Slade?

 

But I agree with the others who have posted. Nice to be able to train birds to breakaway from the batch, preferably in the right direction tho   I too would be interested to know how it's done.  

 

going back a bit now ;D  the chap was called  george slade and his birds called the" swing clears" he did have a famous chamion pigeon named "breakaway",, i think he mainly used this name "the swing clears" for adverising purposes, as he used to sell a lot of birds,, this was at the time of the stassarts , wegges, barkers, gits, hansenes etc  ,, my goodness, youve took me well back in time here ;D ;D ;D

[Tony C]

Think there's a G Slade Swing Clear trophy given out for the fastest velocity in the UK on a given day.

[Guest IB]

I only keep 12 widowhood cocks. 6 yearlings and 6 mature birds. The yearlings are raced to the coast and the mature birds are sent over the channel. So most of the time it's every other week for them. I like this because both sets of birds get a rest and are fresh when they are sent. I train my birds single up from about 30 miles to get them used to traveling alone. What I have noticed is that when they are released all together, they leave the basket and more or less head straight for home. They may dog-leg a bit but they never circle.

However, when I release them singly they don't like it at all. They will circle and try to wait for the next bird. Pigeons hate to be forced to fly alone but when they do I have noticed that they get up really high before they will leave the liberation site. Perhaps they are trying to get to a height that enables them to see and deal with the falcons better.

 

I've noted similar behaviour in my own birds; if allowed to sit for at least 10 minutes after arrival at the release point, and then released as a group they'll do a half-circle in the sky then head homewards. Single-up birds act completely differently, my last one was with a handful of birds at 35 miles, given the same 10 minutes to get their bearings, only the first bird cleared north (in direction of home) and only after circling for around 5 minutes, and gaining a fair height. The other 5 headed south (towards a nearby town) and I quickly lost sight of them and I did not see any of them pass northwards again.

 

I've watched single-up pigeons clear to almost every point of the compass, and I think they need a minimum 10 minutes gap after losing sight of the last pigeon before you release the next, otherwise they arrive home together.

 

 

[whiteflighted]

i was told if u let your bird out 1 at a time on a toss it will learn them 2 brake

[Guest]

 

I would agree with and add its my belief if you have two or more pigeons up in the leading batch they'll pull out that bit quicker and race eachother home, often a loft in form will get two, three or more pigeons together.

 

i think this is as near to birds breaking away that you get its not so much breaking away as the fitest/motivated pulling in front of the rest say starting maybe 100 from the main convoy then the fitest of them will continue to pull in front of the others but even at 500/600 mls they will fly most of that with others birds, then motivation will determin the winner

[dubflyer]

so for someone whose loft position is slightly off the track of were the main batch of birds go, should i when i get started , train always on my own? maybe then they will just keep going in the right direction rather then being pulled away on race days? or train on the local transporter with the majority of birds.

thanks

[little sam]

What breed was "Champion Breakaway" ?

[billy wilson]

i think the guy who owned it was called ron green cant remember the breed,but when it was lost he said someone must have took it out of the club pannier

[thunderboult]

so for someone whose loft position is slightly off the track of were the main batch of birds go, should i when i get started , train always on my own? maybe then they will just keep going in the right direction rather then being pulled away on race days? or train on the local transporter with the majority of birds.

thanks

 

if you train your birds from were you want them to brake before hand, first of all in batches then single ups ,this will give them a line and confidence. after you've done this you'll also need to train with the club/other member's so your birds learn to brake away from other pigeons. once this as been done it should help. remember it's the leading birds which determine what line they take, so your birds have to be in top notch condition as well.

[dubflyer]

ye thats alot of sense

 

thanks

[pjc]

 

I've noted similar behaviour in my own birds; if allowed to sit for at least 10 minutes after arrival at the release point, and then released as a group they'll do a half-circle in the sky then head homewards. Single-up birds act completely differently, my last one was with a handful of birds at 35 miles, given the same 10 minutes to get their bearings, only the first bird cleared north (in direction of home) and only after circling for around 5 minutes, and gaining a fair height. The other 5 headed south (towards a nearby town) and I quickly lost sight of them and I did not see any of them pass northwards again.

 

I've watched single-up pigeons clear to almost every point of the compass, and I think they need a minimum 10 minutes gap after losing sight of the last pigeon before you release the next, otherwise they arrive home together.

 

 

 

There was a study carried out by Oxford University and that showed birds given the chance to get there bearings homed faster. Birds liberated from a dark box took time to get there bearings before they would leave the lib site!