mark proctor Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 hi when do you lot start darkning your y birds of and when do you take them of the darkness systam ? some fanciers dont darken until the end of march ? whats your opinions on it lads? thanks mark..... :o :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TAMMY_1 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 hi when do you lot start darkning your y birds of and when do you take them of the darkness systam ? some fanciers dont darken until the end of march ? whats your opinions on it lads? thanks mark..... :o :o have never tried it , think it is going against nature, but a lot do use it but afraid it is not for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest j.bamling Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 i put mine on the spring equinox 21st March & I take it off the Longest day the summer solstace 21st June Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylorsloft Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 mine are on darknees now light from 10 am 7 pm untill last week in june Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shadow Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 tried it once I'm afraid its not for me not into young bird racing just like to educate them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark proctor Posted February 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 keep the replies comming lads? i used to wean them strait onto the darkness from weanning them of but someone told me there on natural darkness anyway untill march 20th ish...? your thoughts? many thanks mark. ;) :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cloudview Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 dark ness is fine if you want to send to latter races usually channel events , round here any way , iwould put the hens on it , and go steady with them as yearlings , as most young bird races are won with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wba_paddy Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 we put our pigeons on the dark right from parting until the 14 of june. i know a few fanciers who put their pigeons on dark in march and started to moult 1st week in september.we always do it john halsteads way and never had a problem. been flying on it since 1996. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest casbri Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 i put my birds on darkness from parting in march till 1st week in june Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALF Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 Tried it for the 1st time last season and had my best y/b season yet but wont be going on darkness this year as i wont be racing my y/b's in the fed so wont need to put them on it this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiley Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 darkness is the only way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsberg Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 never tried the darkness but hoping to give it a go this time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsberg Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 what time of the day would you darken the loft and what time would you open them up the next day also does it make a difference if you do it a bit later than normal sometimes or has it got to be at a set time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark proctor Posted February 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 thanks for the replies guys of to work now speak to u all later thanks mark. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cloudview Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 what time of the day would you darken the loft and what time would you open them up the next day also does it make a difference if you do it a bit later than normal sometimes or has it got to be at a set time it does really matter that much , try keeping to astrict routine can be a pain in the backside , ifound that as long as you keep them on dark above twelve hours ,they will take no harm mine go it 18..45 pm untill 0730 . thats the time i go to work . mind you i did forget once or twice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmaxlofts Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 i put mine on the spring equinox 21st March & I take it off the Longest day the summer solstace 21st June exactly the same as me open up at 9 close at 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylorsloft Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 just sent for one of them superbulbs for the darkness youngsters.uvlight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chrisss Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 this will be my first year of racing and if [a big if at the moment]i get enough ybs together the darkness system must be the way to go i have been told that from march 21st to the end of june will do it and for me open them up at 0900 and close them down at 17.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojoe Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I was wondering with the darkness does it make much of a difference with 9 hours to 12 hours of daylight only, i'm trying to figure around my work , :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIGEON_MAN Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Personally i would say thats far to many hours of daylight,mine only have 8 hours between 9 and 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojoe Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thanks, would'nt work around my work then, i like to have them in before i go to work after they exercise, and then i would'nt be home in time to repeat, if i thought it would work up to 12 hours i would try it, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schouwman71 Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 didnt fly darkness last year,my youngsters still won a few races but for over 150mls they do need to be on it,over that the darkness birds dominate results,really if you want to win young bird races over that then i feel you must fly on the darkness.i enjoyed racing last year without the darkness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chrisss Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 this is my first time racing, i am trying the darkness system out for the first time ,one thing i have noticed already [this is day 3 on it] is when i turn back the curtains they dive straight out in to the trap into the light is that normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schouwman71 Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 yea i guess it sounds quit rightto me,they like the light do youngsters so yea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paulo Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 didnt fly darkness last year,my youngsters still won a few races but for over 150mls they do need to be on it,over that the darkness birds dominate results,really if you want to win young bird races over that then i feel you must fly on the darkness.i enjoyed racing last year without the darkness. I agree I raced natural as it was my first season and got 4th in one race and was on the clock for most of the others in race time but come the longer races I was 10 minutes behind every week. So this year got half on dark and half on natural. As per Kevin Hurst's book "East to West.'' hours of darkness are 8 hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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