Up and away

[Roland]

Well I’ve let all the Stock birds out.

Regardless who from, except two. One has to go back and one is on youngsters. Yes its mate is one of my own.

Yes very nerve racking. But the buzz is like of old lol.

Gave them open door yesterday, and of course they walked in and out, some wqent up. Know two returned and went in last night after dark as I had to open the trap up and nudge them through.

Today, as of now, about 3 in loft, 4 on roof, and the rest flying with mine.

Still if I get most back, and then with the four that I’ve got back now, and the few of my own I will have a race team of sorts and will carrying on flying.

 

[pigeonpete]

how many stock birds in total did you let out then roland? Whats you idea behind this?

[Roland]

14. 12 latebreds from last Autumn.

The idea is that they are in good nick. Unraced and wasn't out from former loft. Well bred, and will be perfect age to start racing.

Idea is to suplement my depleted race team.

Besides never having 'Prisoners' before for very long, to be truthful I don't like them being prisoners. Have taken a late bred youngster of them, and they may well auger well for year after next.

One must realise, as I HAVE certainly refound this learning curve, that when introducing new birds, losses will be higher than a settled family of proven flyers to your loft. They have shall we say sorted the chaff from the wheat.... the chaff as far as I'm concerned are mainly those that just don't wish to stay for whatever reason, don't like your system,loft or whatever are choose not to remain.  - I don't, and never have believe a pigeon gets lost.... just never bothers to come home.

So I will hopefully hone what are here next season into a formidable race team .... or have packed up lol.

Yes 24- 12 pairs - or birds wanting to be here are more than enough to fly both ways. The hard bit is getting them.

Like a very wise old fancier said the other day 'Those that fly both rds sucessfully are the ones to keep'. I agreed of course.

Then this very morning on reflecting I smailed, for it is only those that HAVE flown both roads sucessfully hat did remain. - Those in the past that couldn't / didn't were of course lost, or at least no here.

So Pete, trying to rekindle a flame and hopefully get a decent footing to start (YET) again lol.

 

[wilkins]

i had my stock go out while in i was building a change to there loft , not by choice.  although now some 3 months on i would not go back to having prisoners again more room for racers and different tricks i can play on the sections

[Roland]

Well some have landed and go back in through open door.

Would you Adam and Eve it, my favourite youngster I lost i that race has just arrived.

That's five from 16 now, and the last three were between Saturday and now!

Cracking bird, and yes I will try him next season. Different if you have 34 proven, or consistant bird that you want to get down to the 24.

May well be this next season i will start off with more than 24 - fingers crossed -  and then at next seasons end  :-/

[pigeonpete]

Good luck Roland, really hope they do well for you, My only concern would be if they have never been out, that they have not built up the muscles in the right places, with never going out before. But i do wish you all the best with them  

[marmite]

have done that before with birds that havent flown out as younguns  muscles not grown prop lost them all 1st toss at 5 mls  after a yr of bein on open hole after broken in hope u fair better m8 gl

[Roland]

Yep, a couple back from last night are a mite flown out.

But you know, was speaking to the doctor the other week, about loss of fitness, and the merits of exercise again. Didn't of course realise the fact that If I eat and be sensible, with a margin of light exercise, my body within three years would be in the same condition as if I'd never have stopped training from my say young fit days.

Of course age means we will never retrieve or get anywhere near that standard, but would regain where we would have been if being fit, exercise had never ceased.

Now as birds are now 12 month old, live in aviary, plenty fresh air and wing flapping, I can only presume that they will become fit enough in their time to be trained to become fitter.

I mean they are after all relatively still young.

I mean I was way of fit when 18, burning the candle both ends, hardly ever got a decent sleep, and life the life of Riley to the full. Took me quite some time to knuckle down, and then to regain enough fitness to be able to up the exercise till i trained to become fit.

At 19 onwards, no one was in better fettle or fitter. I could, and did run, daily and trained real hard, circuit training etc. and hard blew heavy and run home easily. Was up early for a run. Run a few miles in the evenings and then go gym. Train hard and spar all night and run home without any bother. So no I’ll never get there again. But the birds of an age like I was when I started back

Likewise I hope with these birds. We all hear of the stock bird that have excel, many other reason why a bird was never raced till of an age only to prove that they were a mite special... so here goes and who knows lol.