Clashing & early libs

[Pompey Mick]

I feel that with the ever increasing early lib scenario clashing is just going to be an ever increasing problem. It seems to me that in recent years we seem to be having more and more races where pigeons are being lost on apparently good racing days.  I  believe that compressing most of the libs in a short early morning slot is adding to the problem of young bird losses. Also when a young bird gets lost from an early morning lib the chances of getting it the next day are reduced greatly by the fact that it has had 12hrs flying time under its belt and not a lot left in the tank. At least with afternoon racing darkness brought the YB to a stop and you had a good chance to get it next day.

Are early morning libs providing Percy with a good meal to start the day off, has there been any investigation into the feeding habits of hawks, I notice that there is a marked decrease in wild bird activity in the early afternoon, would falcons also be less active at this time?

I raced many years with afternoon racing the norm and we only seemed to have big losses when the weather intervened, now you just don't know what sort of race is in store even on seemingly good days.

It seems to me that having an early lib ,especially with young birds,the birds just don't seem to be in racing mode that early in the day,they're not focussed enough and prone to wander, I personally would like to return to the later liberation times, we never had a problem with these in the past and young birds then were 'young' birds  not the darkness induced, mature ,superbly trained specimens that are raced today.

[Mark Bulled]

Agree with that Mick.

 

The pigeons always seem to race keener when they home after lunch. I only like to see early libs in extreme weather conditions.

 

 

[thunderboult]

i agree with the clashing , but don't think they fly better in the afternoon, was prob. because most other feds went in the morning and your birds had less distractions , we went on sunday this weekend because of the weather last week(did'nt lib til tuesday) liberated at lyndhurst(south coast) at 8.55 ,sent 10 last 1 home at 12.10 to west of swansea(south wales) boys racing round here saturday all had birds missing , it's got to be clashing because we get lots of strays down this way , i'd say we get stray's coming back with ours on 9/10 races ,this week i had 2 strays come with my first race birds taking 1 to the roof then i had another 1 come with the next bird  

[mark]

is there any midweek clubs that race do they have the same problem.

[thunderboult]

if fancier's around the country are anything like some around here  then a lot of it is down to birds being sent to races that have'nt been trained resulting in them hanging around race points and dragging other birds with them, 1 chap in my club last week put 27 birds in to a race(125mls) after 1 7 mile trainer he did'nt get a bird on the day,got 3 the next, as soon as these birds clash with anything they will follow them home and i know of a few other's too as i'm sure most people will know

[Guest]

Our fed races the south east route , so if we had a eraly lib we would avoid the clashing, anytime after 10am and we always had a bad race. but now i have noticed it dont matter what time we go there are always plenty of other feds who have libbed before us. Good point Mick