Training Staf Van Reets

[Guest]

I've had quite a few PM's asking me about how to train Van Reets to get the best out of them.

 

Van Reets are very intelligent birds who tend to orientate very quickly. So training them with your other young birds tends to be counterproductive.  Once I have them out to about 10 miles, the Van Reets are separated from the rest of the team and tossed on their own. You will be amazed they will not circle but just come out of the basket and head for home.  If you toss them with the other birds they will tend to circle with them to orientate when released.  we never take out Van Reets passed the 35 mile reelease point or mix them with the rest of the young bird team until just before the first race, even though the rest of the team will be released from 55 to about 80 miles on training tosses.

 

Steve flew a small team of late hatched Van Reets on his own throughout the young bird season, the first time they were let out into the open was at about 75 days he started out with 20 and he lost one right away. He trained them totally on their own from 35 miles day in day out, but never mixed them with the rest of the young birds till the first race from 125 miles.  At the end of a very gruelling young bird season he still has 14 in the loft and has won one race and gained several 2 3 4 and 5th places and most of them have been out to 300 miles at least once.

 

I can't really comment on the feeding as we fly a very hard race course where we have to feed for survival, but on the shorter races they are fed depurative until thursday when they are given as much 14% protein race mix as they will take and fed 1/2 ration of barley on Friday.

 

I hope this is of some help to the people who have taken the time to PM me

[Guest]

I'm moving this to the front page again, as one or two people have PM'd me as they didn't see it.

[Guest CS]

Good information,  will show this info to my dad, Thank you... Linda..

[Guest Paulo]

Thanks Linda interesting stuff. I will certainly follow your advice if I get any van reets

[mfd666]

thanks.. hyacinth...   :)

[birdman55678]

I will give this a try this next yb season.. thanks linda.  Ed

[birdman55678]

Linda could you describe your defination of "depurative feed", thanks gal, just gotta be sure if our thoughts are along the same lines.  Ed

[Guest]

Barley red wheat and safflower

[birdman55678]

Wow thats weird, we are exactly the same..  I must be copying you again.. LOL.  Ed

[Guest anthony]

Barley red wheat and safflower

 

That means morning and evening?Thanks Linda

[Guest]

No Anthonly I only feed once a day, after training or loft flying