tommy.walsh Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owen101 Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hjaltland Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 So.. is improved performance by darkness yb' s purely down to better feather cover, or is there more to this than feathers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdog Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 have a read of this mate http://desmoore.tripod.com/id24.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark croker Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenlands Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Have a look at this mate. Lindsay. http://www.vpu.co.za/articles/alan_wheeldon/wheeldon/darkness_system/darkness_system_1.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny11 Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 when do you all pair up to breed your darknees y/b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shippy Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 danny i pair up middle of jan find 8 or 9 wks ybs body moulted no probs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ROCKYandRAMBO Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenlands Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pigeon82 Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bakes Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 good thread hopeing to put my 2010 yb's on the darkness all being well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiteknight Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 We have extracter fans in the darkness loft on all night,then there let out into the aviary . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillver Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 do extracter fans cost a lot to run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiteknight Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillver Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiteknight Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillver Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 thanks whiteknight sent you pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev43 Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy white Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwh Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 ow bout lengthening daylighthours with lights after dark? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest frank dooman Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwh Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 we ave had some hold there lastflights in previous years known birds to win out of water carrying last years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.