darkness

[tommy.walsh]

Im only starting up with pigeons and i have been told to use the darkness system but how is it done and what does it do to the pigeons

[owen101]

well the name says it all make the loft as dark as possible some fanciers say pitch black if possible

and i always thought it was to make the moult come quicker and they have a good moult

dont know i i am correct

but im still learning

[chocolate]

darken your loft enough so the birds can get to have a drink the system will take the birds through the body moult but will leave the flight feathers intact well up to the longer races

[Guest Hjaltland]

So.. is improved performance by darkness yb' s purely down to better feather cover, or is there more to this than feathers?

[blackdog]

have a read of this mate

 

http://desmoore.tripod.com/id24.html

[chocolate]

fitness and health and better feather cover non darkness birds usually start signes of falling to bits round about 3rd race (around neck and chest) but your darkness birds have already gone through this stage

[mark croker]

its used to hold the moult,  the loft does not have to be pitch black,(dont close vent right up) 8 hours of light a day, it does not matter when you do it but i like it togo dark natural,  you may find it hard to get them to moult after racing but you will get tips on that, i like to leave it so i can let them out after work, the mrs opens them when i ask her,

[greenlands]

Have a look at this mate.

Lindsay.

http://www.vpu.co.za/articles/alan_wheeldon/wheeldon/darkness_system/darkness_system_1.htm

[danny11]

when do you all pair up to breed your darknees y/b

[Guest shippy]

danny i pair up middle of jan find 8 or 9 wks ybs body moulted no probs

[Guest ROCKYandRAMBO]

If i was you and its going to be your first season i wouldnt bother with darkness just leave them natural and learn how to feed and train them correctly once you have mastered this and you get a team together then try darkness in a couple of years time . no point going on darkness if you carnt get the basics right first imo rob

[greenlands]

If i was you and its going to be your first season i wouldnt bother with darkness just leave them natural and learn how to feed and train them correctly once you have mastered this and you get a team together then try darkness in a couple of years time . no point going on darkness if you carnt get the basics right first imo rob

That would be my way of thinking aswell,but you pair up early enough,nature has it's own darkness.

Lindsay.

 

 

[Guest pigeon82]

i only started racing this year with young birds and i was over themoon with results i got will be trying it again in the orth coming years as well

[Guest bakes]

good thread hopeing to put my  2010 yb's on the darkness all being well

[whiteknight]

We have extracter fans in the darkness loft on all night,then there let out into the aviary .

[sillver]

do extracter fans cost a lot to run

[whiteknight]

do extracter fans cost a lot to run

NO,TRY AND GET THE ONES THEY USE IN THE COMPUTERS GO DOWN THE LOCAL DUMP AND ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE ANY .

 

 

[sillver]

had young birds on darkness last year and they have 3 flights to drop most flyers i know have said there birds only have one flight to drop

[whiteknight]

had young birds on darkness last year and they have 3 flights to drop most flyers i know have said there birds only have one flight to drop

 

WHEN DID YOU TAKE THEM OF THE DARK :-/ BUT ALL SHOULD BE THROUGH BY THE END OF DECEMBER .

[sillver]

thanks whiteknight sent you pm

[kev43]

thanks whiteknight sent you pm

 

Y ASK QUESTIONS ON HERE AND WANT ANSWERS,,,, THEN WHEN SUM 1 ASK U A QUESTION U DECIDE 2 ANSWER THRU PM,S ????????????? :-/ STRANGE  OR IS THAT JUST ME THINKIN ?????? THOUGHT THIS WAS FOR ASKIN AND SHARIN EACH OTHERS THOUGHTS NOT JUST BEIN 1 SIDED ,,,U GETTIN BUT NOT GIVIN

[jimmy white]

as light controls the moult,,,, i,e the darkness yb,s are led to beleive it is winter [shorter daylight hours], therefore have a full body moult but retain their nest flights,,they are usualy put on normal daylight hours on the longest day, these birds have a "second"body moult, then moult these nest flights,, usually they will moult out these flights with proper feeding, baths and rest,, but if kept on darkness any longer than this" longest" day, will have difficulty in moulting all these 10 flights , light would help these birds,,, as i have said b4 i have given buttermilk in their water, about a tablespoon each day, many havent found this usefull, but i have to say i found this benificial myself,,,, i have found in the past, that any bird retaining its last flight, can, the following year, moult out this flight at the same time as moulting their second flight, in this second year,, this i found out to my great dis-advantage in one special bird which came home with 8 flights , well behind the rest, in a fairly big race

[dwh]

ow bout lengthening daylighthours with lights after dark?

[Guest frank dooman]

silver sometimes you have to try and force them on feed small seed conditioner and put hemp oil on it i have also heard that keeping the light on untill8/9 also helps but i have never had to go that far best of luck

[dwh]

we ave had some hold there lastflights in previous years known  birds to win out of water carrying last years