Natural vs Widowhood

[Guest youngzimmy]

is flying natural against widowhood a wast of time or are there tips and tricks involved HELP!

[gangster]

celtics flying natural and hes won 4x1st on the bounce...............

[Roland]

Seems to be the story that has gathered pace over the last few years ... 6 years ago I was atounded when I had a game keeper friend  tell me  fetch a injured bird. Was a cracker with wing Damage from up north. The Fancier told me that up there there were being roasted by the natural system  flyers even on the short so called sprints. Our fed is dominated mostly by Natural, and as for distance, wel just look at the Nationals, especially the Hens! N4ed one look further?

[Guest]

I've created this thread as a split from another on this board.

[stevebelbin]

The problem im finding with having mine on natural, is 'time', and not having enough of it. I work 9-5 and cant get my hens out, because when I open the loft in the morning the hens are on the nest, so the cocks are flagged for an hour, then when I get in from work its the same, hens on the nest, so the cocks are flagged for an hour. Should really train the hens on a morning, but have other commitments on a morning and on an evening if I were to train the hens, it would mean cocks out for an hour, then YBs out for an hour, and then training the hens This would mean I wouldnt get finished till after 8 every day. F--k that for laugh!!!!

 

So as it goes im flying natural and still only managing to race the cocks, which is a waste as ive got some fantastic looking hens.

[Guest Paulo]

a lot of people fly widowhood for time reasons.I think the key to everything is good pigeons good natural pigeons will beat good widowhood pigeons but the natural fancier has to put a lot more work in and train more

[westy]

i found hens do better in the natural system as i have got more cocks than hens and hens come back better

[stevebelbin]

When I visted a local loft recently, they were racing their hens in the main widowhood section with the hens locked in the boxes and the cocks in a seperate loft on perches, which seemed a good system. The hens were as kean as hell  ;D. Im seriously thinking of trying that next year, so i can keep the hens fit for channel racing.

 

I still think a good widowhood cock will win from any distance if motivated right and in the right condition. But they are too temprementle, and its hard to get them to relax, especially in a garden like mine, where the young bird loft is directly opposite them, so the cocks know when the YBs are out!!

[Guest Paulo]

i might have to race hens back to cocks next year as this years ybs are very hen heavy

[stevebelbin]

Full respect to anyone who wins any either system though, as when I think back to times ive won, its only when ive been motivated myself to put the effort in the system that I was using at the time. Hard work = results I think. Im just a bit lazy lately  ;D  ;D  ;D. Infact a club member came to my loft a few weeks back and said what were my birds doing on the roof, and ive got to admit, I hadnt even noticed  :B.

[Guest Paulo]

Full respect to anyone who wins any either system though, as when I think back to times ive won, its only when ive been motivated myself to put the effort in the system that I was using at the time. Hard work = results I think. Im just a bit lazy lately  ;D  ;D  ;D. Infact a club member came to my loft a few weeks back and said what were my birds doing on the roof, and ive got to admit, I hadnt even noticed  :B.

 

not like me then down the loft at five am for two hours then to work at 7.00 finish work at 4.30 staright down allotment not in until 8.00pm most nights

[stevebelbin]

 

not like me then down the loft at five am for two hours then to work at 7.00 finish work at 4.30 staright down allotment not in until 8.00pm most nights

 

A few year back I was the same, these days its up at 530, birds flagged till 615 then trap open and I go off to the gym. Then on a night cocks out at 515 flagged till six and then doors opened and then the Ybs are let out with them until I get bored and shout them all in lol - Normally all done by 630 lol. Im sure once the YBs are up flying they will have me waiting for hours (hate young-uns lol)

 

[Wiley]

Hard work = results

 

i wish this was the answer to winning races, alot of times its entirely different.

 

 

[Roland]

Ive had that before paulo ended up racing paired up hens sitting on 4 eggs done ok I found if the birds are happy the way they are they race well for you

 

Very true, that is after all the very basics as to why, and what we aim, strve to acheive.

[Roland]

Paulo you deserve every ounce of sucess you get, you have earned it. Take my hat off to you, wish I was still as keen...

[Ronnie]

through what ive seen from other winning lofts around here .The trick is motivation and keenness to the loft be it natural or widowhood.The reason natural is paying dividends now is i reckon people are taking the widowhood for granted show the hen race the cock thats it.Sometimes it takes a bit more than that.Variety is the spice of life as they say.

[Roland]

That Ronnie is really the parts that MAKE up the condition. None works ithout the others, must be a whole I believe. Can't get fitness say without first having contentment (biggest factor) ... I.e Wieght and mental state must also balance. If not correct wieght it can't be mentally right either and visa versa.

[thunderboult]

i tried the natural system the first year i started and found it was to much work trying to get the birds to fly around the shed and to risky sending them up the road all the time so the next year i tried the roundabout system and the birds have been scoring very consistently since(only been in pigeons 4 years) i have 3 sections were the cocks are kept and a corridor along the front leading to an aviary on the end of the shed were the hens are kept ,when i put the cocks out the sputniks are closed and the hens are moved from the aviary to the sections ,the section doors are closed , then the cocks are allowed to trap into the corridor and are moved along into the avairy, then the hens go out and the cocks come back into their sections the doors are closed so the hens can trap back into the corridor and are moved back into the avairy, on this system the birds fly a lot better around the shed and are motivated to race home every week last season my old birds scored every race worsed position was 5th club,i won club inland av.and was r-up channel av.  

[Guest Greig the doo Drysdale]

steven if your not prepared to spend time with the birds dont come on here and swear about it not our problem

[tskyes]

on the natural system how much do people feed there birds ?

[Guest Greig the doo Drysdale]

Hi I fly my birds on natural system I give them a large rice pudding tin for every 12/13 birds works out about oz1/2 2oz and I am winning at club level most weeks ;D  ;D   ;D

[liverpool_boy]

i fly widowhood and compete at the top BUT YOU GOT TO HAVE THE BIRDS and the same go with natural so i think if you poot it in and you get he result you want 8) 8) 8) 8)

[Roland]

Most are obviously on 'Hopper Fed' naturally. Of course as they don't know what we have in store for them, we have to differentiate what they are fed. A little lemon helps  to feed more, and if they don't take to well to a different feed....

[Okitsme]

 

Then on a night cocks out at 515 flagged till six and then doors opened and then the Ybs are let out with them until I get bored and shout them all in lol - Normally all done by 630 lol.

 

I wish I could get my birds in when I wanted them in. No matter how long I starve them they will stay out all day staring at me from the roof. Think I need a catapult to knock them out.

 

 

[Wiley]

doesnt sound good "OK", how and what are you feeding, if it isnt the feeding they must be frightened for some reason.