Naturual Widowerhood!

[Roland]

Logical…?

A natural ‘Widowerhood’ system, one that is based on a ‘Round – about – system.

I did set it up, but wasn’t able to race and see the results of my endeavors.

But was the best youngsters reared condition wise, and am sure that they would have flown 100% with all the motivation ever needed, with out employing any jealousy.

Quite simple and easy manageable.

I feel has the added merits to the celibacy system.

Now I am retiring shortly I may well give it a 100% shot starting next season.

Don't believe any one has actually tried this. I have, but didn't get to race them.

 

[Darnaway]

Roland,

           can you expain your system in more detail if possible

 

[bewted]

yes roland would love to hear all about this one if you dont mind !!!

[JOHNNY WISHBONE]

Natural/widowerhood. This sounds like a load of bull****

[OLDYELLOW]

Johnny you cant say it's crap unless (a) you already have his system and tried it  ( you have tried a similar system © you know of a top flier thats tried this system . But i like the other would like to know what this system involves , as i cant see how they could be natural if flying on a widhood system , as you cant rear and race at the same time and the nest state wouldnt come in to a widowhood bird , as it would be natural.

[JOHNNY WISHBONE]

Johnny you cant say it's crap unless (a) you already have his system and tried it  ( you have tried a similar system © you know of a top flier thats tried this system . But i like the other would like to know what this system involves , as i cant see how they could be natural if flying on a widhood system , as you cant rear and race at the same time and the nest state wouldnt come in to a widowhood bird , as it would be natural.

 

It was the title I was refering to, not widowhood or natural racing. (spelling correct)

[OLDYELLOW]

lol

[bewted]

Natural/widowerhood. This sounds like a load of bull****

 

i would say at one time all methods were bull****,,,,,look how many methods there are now !!!!!

 

and as for you saying that,,,are you an expert then wishbone ????

[Ronnie]

Could be a system where by you let pairs rear young and seperate the hen and one youngster when youngsters are ready for weaning(preferably the cock if able to decide) into another section of exactly the same layout so they would have there own boxe's still and let them fly for the box but being seperated from the cocks they still regain the fitness lvls and vigour of a widowooder?? Just an idea but am hoping you will share your system with us Roland.

[Ronnie]

By the way Roland i think you would do extremely well with the above system.They would be motivated by love of home and youngster they could be flown like widowhood round the loft twice aday say.Then the added bonus of youngster learning of the parent.The only downside i can see is you couldnt put the youngsters on Darkness but if your not worried about darkness youngsters then i think this system will have a lot going for it.

[Roland]

Well in essence this means that both can race motivated at any given week – Hen’s circle taken into consideration. Unfortunately one only has 3 weeks tops… till next chance.

Mate as norm. Now one must decide what their’ goal will be or is… A round of early youngsters and a later round during the later part of the season, distance season.

Or just a late round, or if a stock loft is in operation. Remember two things here, the moult starts 6 days after the first second round egg laid, and also the Dark system can work just as well for old birds as it does for young birds in regards form and their’ moulting.

 

Now when and how one does it work? Simply the basis is the same.

Mated up, eggs, and young hatched… after 5 – 7 days take the hens away in mid morning and put them in an adjacent loft section. - Remember these birds have / or could have raced to eggs…

Leave the cock birds with their youngster(s). Then let the hens out to fly and put the cock birds into the adjacent side… like one does for the ‘Round about system’. The hens will soon feed the youngsters on return, as do the cock birds. Seem that they work a little harder too and more keen.  Do the same each day… once or twice as suits. Only time they see each other is after a race.

Had many points put up against it when I did it, but though I never got to race them, I certainly had well fed and contented babies.

Now we have added motivation of feeding youngsters… Now be careful to watch birds on their return, for one, or both may well be peeved and have a go at it’s mate for desertion on it’s return, like they do when eggs are used in  such like manner … or really play up to them, now if that happens, fit celibacy rearing parents are a boon. I often feel that hens are more genuine and easier to motivate than cock birds.

Great for a race team rearing just one… but fear they’d smother it and over feed it lol.

Ps. just seen Ronnies, and last posts, so will read them now lol, as I was typing out on the Word document when they were put up...

[Roland]

Hope I filled a bit into that for you Ronnie. Was going to mention that about Identical Lofts that a great flyer used to do... But didn't want to complicate things, or confuse the basis.

I have a Naturaul Dark system for my birds. Indeed After June the youngsters can have as much light as they want ... till then they can be only out for 8 hours or so ... so have them in by 4 30.

Now widowerhood, and that is the correcet spelling and term for it, often have the birds in a darken state... The sun brings the form and heightens condition.

[Ronnie]

Roland the system makes a lot of sense to me and like you have said before contentment and motivation are linked and i honestly believe you wont get proper condition untill you get contentment.

As for the youngsters i want to try full widowhood next year for the young cocks i beleive the darkness makes them mature much earlier and its a weapon that could be used .Now if the sun heightens condition and i have no reason to doubt it does then surely there is room for a full spectrum bulb in loft with artificial daylight hours .But i can see this only being helpfull in the early part of the season due to molting the flights also maybe need a heater or two to get the full effect of summer but not to sure on that.

Now all my thoughts are just speculation and i havnt had the birds or time to try these ideas as of yet but i will implement a few for next years programme for sure providing i can get my new loft designed the way i want it space being at a premium.

Thanks for the info Roland as usual common sense put into practice with a few insights thrown in for us Newbies.

[Roland]

The Light Bulbs etc. artificail lighting are used in the 'Light System.  - This can add a wage bill of course lol It is done for the enforced moult too.. same results as the 'Darkness' system has on y/b's. Indeed in the States, and here of course though not via such a high %, many use the 'Light system instead of the Dark system.

[Roland]

Ronnie then there is of course the Beiche System for YBs.

Basically it's doing the Darkness and Light systems at the same time. So the YBs end up racing with new body feathers AND new wing feathers.

It came from a guy in California and I wasn't too keen that it would work because of our different climates because the babies need to go out flying as early as a month old.

But personally I feel I'd feel my way through a season or two first because one needs to get a feel, and then an understanding of what they personally are trying to acheive.

Naturaul youngsters fly through the season, and when dropping flights it may well be tey have extra energy for that, which can be used to compensate  a full wing. Personally, if any thing, y/b racing to me is only togive them expierence and education if I felt they needed it. I will get my birds up and racing this y/b season as I have 20 odd and that may well be too many. So a couple of races North and South will stand those remaining in good stead. But you know, open hole pigeons seem to stay around and last a lot longer than any other system.