new starter advice

[Leroy]

Hi guys and gals, i have been toying for some time with putting my white logans to the test next year or the year after when we finally move house and in order to compare them to other birds i was going to buy another family to race alongside. i intend to race natural, allowing open hole for the majority of the time. Ive kept pigeons for 15 yrs.

 

im led to believe that logans are distance birds??? so i was thinking of some other long distance family like jan aardens. BUT i only want a few birds, i dont want hundreds of birds due to space, finances and time, so my questions are these please if i can have your honest - but gentle - opinions!!!!

 

What is the minimum number of birds i should try to start off with?

Is it possible to be selective about which races to enter i.e. not every race?

Am i being unrealistic wanting to race distance from the outset, without having raced before?

 

thanks in advance

 

Lee

[jimmy white]

hi  lee,,,,, in my opinion , to race these distance  races , it takes time and patience, , but nothing is unrealistic with pigeons but to race in these races , first and foremost you need the distance blood , as you have mentioned, but , really they need to be set up for these type races  starting as young birds ,as this training and racing, will provide the starting essentials, for later in life,,,, as yb,s sometimes trained and raced to 150 miles approx, then as yearlings , maybe 300+ miles , by this time you may have an idea whats suitable for the distance i,e birds that come good in hard races etc, but the pigeon is not really mature untill 2 year old , when , if good enough ,   can and will fly 500+ miles in top competition , this is what makes ,racing the distance so difficult , its three years before you can really try them , this takes us back to how many birds to keep, unfortunately many birds are lost i,e hawks ,injury ,or simply not up for the job, so in reality it takes well over 4 years to to form a team suitable for this distance, so the amount of birds to keep is a questionable one , but if you were a small team fancier i,e say 40 yb,s this would be [unfortunately] cut down drasticly when trained and raced, probably having half of these wintered [the way things are going nowadays ] leaving twenty yearlings , if these yearlings are managed correctly [and luck is on yourside] would  could have say fifteen left , then these birds at two year old could be set up for the distance required of them, say over 500 miles , , but would have to say that these races are the most difficult races to compete in [but possible],,,,,,,,,to cut things down a little, to be able to race the distance , you must have mature ,at least two year old birds that have been well tutored since yb,s , there are many good videos , books etc,  one old one is dr barkers book on the racing pigeon , that would help you understand more , but in reality, these are the hardest races to compete in , and to compete in these type races , you must have top class distance breeding and top class management , i certainly wish you well, but in this case , rome certainly wasnt built in a day ,, best of luck in your conquest   

[OLDYELLOW]

good post Jimmy  

[Leroy]

thanks Jimmy, that does help alot. Im working on the theory i have a year to join a club, learn who's doing well at the distance races and hope to buy some young birds.

 

Thanks again

 

Lee

[paul10121968]

hi.i will be starting off this year with yb season,its great to start from afresh and build a team up from scratch.what a challenge it is going to be getting up there with everyone else.but for me a win would be a bonus with it being my first season,i,ll be happy if they all come back home.i will pm from time to time to see how your getting on and theres load of help and support here if you need it.father paul.

[weecunny]

well said jimmy

[Guest anto]

grat post jimmy some very sound advice

[Leroy]

hi.i will be starting off this year with yb season,its great to start from afresh and build a team up from scratch.what a challenge it is going to be getting up there with everyone else.but for me a win would be a bonus with it being my first season,i,ll be happy if they all come back home.i will pm from time to time to see how your getting on and theres load of help and support here if you need it.father paul.

 

 

good man! im really looking forward to it, but im going to be a year behind you, because im going to spend the next 12 months finding a suitable family of birds, so i'll only be ready this time next year all being well, and im going to be starting small, half a dozen stock birds plus my logans. Have you decided on a family yet???

 

Lee

 

[sharkfin]

Hi Jimmy

           I am new to the site was going to post a thread simalar to leroy.I packed the doos in 5yrs ago probaly for the same reasons a lot of guys left the sport scatterd my birds a week later missed them.My only regret is I never raced the distance thats why I have restarted in the sport my set-up was the smallest in the club only ever kept 6pr and bred 12 to 18 ybs .I intend looking for about 3 to 4pr of birds from a distance fancier and cultivate a family over years and let them mature and try the water and take it nice and easy and enjoy myself and the sport this time round.Danny

[wullie semple]

Hi Jimmy

           I am new to the site was going to post a thread simalar to leroy.I packed the doos in 5yrs ago probaly for the same reasons a lot of guys left the sport scatterd my birds a week later missed them.My only regret is I never raced the distance thats why I have restarted in the sport my set-up was the smallest in the club only ever kept 6pr and bred 12 to 18 ybs .I intend looking for about 3 to 4pr of birds from a distance fancier and cultivate a family over years and let them mature and try the water and take it nice and easy and enjoy myself and the sport this time round.Danny

 

go for it danny enjoy the game all the best m8

ws

[sharkfin]

Cheers Wullie

[paul10121968]

 

 

good man! im really looking forward to it, but im going to be a year behind you, because im going to spend the next 12 months finding a suitable family of birds, so i'll only be ready this time next year all being well, and im going to be starting small, half a dozen stock birds plus my logans. Have you decided on a family yet???

 

Lee

im building a family of jansenns,some i have purchased and some  have been given to me by generous fanciers.i also have 2 pairs of a very old strain called perrins,i will see how they go this year and build on it next year.