Just starting racing

[Guest Paulo]

Hi, I'm going to start racing next year for the first time. My dad used to race back in the day and was moderately successful. Still got a few old pigeons of his that he kept in case he decided to start up again. I've kept them for years he retired around 1992 so have kept them as pets they have changed lofts twice. Changing lofts again as allotments where they are now are getting built on so moving to new site less than half a mile away.

 

The pigeons I have now are all quite old 1995 to 1998 ring have managed to breed a couple of young hens and one cock off one of the pairs but a couple of the older cocks aren't filling their eggs. Got my new loft nearly sorted now spent a forture on it and will move down in a couple of weeks time. Seeing as have had to keep them in an old poulty shed due to old pigeon loft being demolished by high winds I have treated them all for coccidois, canker, worms, lice etc.

 

Just have a few questions to ask? Excuse me if I don't know what I'm talking about but I am a novice who up to now has kept them as pets only.

 

How hard will I find it to hart the older pigeons? Bearing in mind they have changed lofts a number of times? whats the best way to hart them? I had a bit of bother harting them the last time 2 of the old 95 one's used to fly to their old falling down loft at the other end of the allotment to sit in their got them hanted to their home now (the poultry shed) but soon that will be demolished and replaced with houses. Do you think it is worth cutting their wings down? (I don't intend to race the old birds just breed off them and race the young ones). If I cut their wings down they can't fly again until they moult so that should prevent me losing them. What do you think what are your favorite methods of harting old birds?

 

 

Is my medical treatment regimine adequate to prevent disease from being transmitted to their new loft? All birds have firm droppings and seem in good condition. I have treated them with Harkers biozine for worms, Harkers Coxoid for cocci, Harkers Spartex for canker. Have treated the new loft with duramitex and have disinfected it out, blowtorched it. Any equipment taken down to the new loft and cabin i.e perches, nestboxes etc has been disinfected, duramitexed and painted if applicable. Birds will be deloused before being placed in new loft.

 

Only have team of 8 birds left now equal pairs of cocks and hens if include young uns. Haven't got a clue what to do intend to breed a team of 20 - 30 young uns to race next year. Only a couple of cocks don't seem to be filling their eggs. Haven't kept any records of what has been bred to what over the last couple of years know its a foolish thing to have done but don't forget they were kept as pets. Obviouly the same blood is there the strain of the pigeons is bushcharts. Can I breed the amount of young uns I need to build a racing team off these pigeons. I managed to ask the old man about this and what to breed to what (he's not really interested in pigeons now and says I should really learn myself) he said I should use the infertile cocks and their hens as foster parents and place eggs under them from the breeding pairs. He said then test the young by simply training them and racing them and if they don't perform cull them. I want to bring some new blood in but he says I don't want to get any from the local fanciers as I want to beat them, so need better blood he also says that buying any pigeons anywhere than from a complete clearance sale is a waste of time. I want to get some from louella either the ebony ardans (I like black pigeons) or the boss buscharts strain. He reckons louella breeds a lot of crap as well as the good so I'm better off not getting them what do you think? Plus is their any treatment that will give my cocks their mojo back and stop them from firing blanks?

 

I'm thinking of feeding tic beans as have heard they are better for regulating the pigeons weight? Anyone tried this?

 

I've read a lot of old hands books (SWE Bishop) and agree with a lot of the stuff he is saying. How revelant do you think it is in this day and age?

 

Lastly which bit of advice do you wish someone had given you when you started racing?

[Guest TAMMY_1]

i have one pure black young bird in the nest and it was intended to be kept . I don't usually keep latebreds but this is off a pair of Black Ebony Ardens I bought seven years ago and they produced the basis of my loft and have gave me some great results .You can have this bird if you want it and it will be ready in about a week or so the only thing is I don't work because of illness so I could not afford to pay carriage to send it to you. But if you wish to have the bird you are welcome to have it.

[Guest Paulo]

Cheers mate thats very kind of you. I will pay carriage no problem just e-mail me I think you can get the address off my profile and we'll sort the details out.

 

Many thanks

 

Paul

 

[Guest]

Very kind gesture Tammy.

 

Paulo, you have done one of the best things possible by joining this Pigeon Forum. All the members here are only too willing to answer any questions you may have.

 

Welcome and good luck

[Guest Paulo]

Hiya Hyacinth, thats the good thing about the internet such a wide range of information available. This is a really good website being looking on it for a week or two now. My interest in pigeons has really been reawakened especially the racing side of the sport. I used to be really into it as a kid but then you grow up and discover girls and drinking and its all over but I've got more time on my hands now since I packed some of my other interests in like playing football. Still at 25 I think I'm the youngest member of our club when I join. Spoken to the secretary yesterday and will be joining up in next couple of weeks won't be racing until next year now but think I will give them a hand with the basketing and that just like when I was a kid. Moving allotments has given me the kick up the backside I need was going to pack in keeping pigeons as pets but I realised I would miss it and as had the expense of building a new loft thought I mays well do a proper job and start racing. Trying to persuade my dad to play but he said he's had enough of 5.00am starts in the morning plus he keeps horses so that keeps him fairly busy.

[schouwman71]

Hi paulo

 

i have a pair of red fox janssens which i have missed ringing in the nest,if you would like you can have these two youngsters for breeding off next year,they will be ready in a week,its upto you ill only keep them myself as they are too good to cull.

[Guest Paulo]

cheers schouwman71 I've sent you a pm

[peterpau]

Paul you sound as though you have the health right. Although Biozine is not the best wormer available these days. As for breaking birds to a new home. When we moved here, I brought the birds here and let them fly home three times, then when we moved here, I just let the birds go down on eggs and let them out. Now the old loft had gone, the birds new there way from here to our old house, so all we had to do was wait. In time out of 30 birds all but 1 came back. I could let my birds out everyday, go to the other side of town, and see them going round our old house. They got plenty of excercise, but we got them.

[peterpau]

I'd also jump at Tammy's offer I have the Aarden's and Krauth's. Good distance birds.

[Guest Paulo]

Thanks Peter, whats the best wormer available now in your point of view? I only used the harkers stuff cause thats what the old man used when he was racing and medicine has probably came on a long way from then.

[peterpau]

I'd swear by Ivermectin, but I wouldn't use it all year round, and it may be difficult to obtain. Harkers also have a new product called Asca pilla. However this product advises, don't use during the molt. If it aint broke don't fix it. Biozine may have been sufficeient.

[Guest Paulo]

Cheers Peter I can get Ivermectin as my dad has horses and I'm sure he uses that to worm them. Obviously biozine only tops the worms and not the eggs so will biozine them again in a few weeks when they are down the new loft and that should zap any worms that have reinfected them from the eggs. Just to be safe.

 

Think I'll give Ivermectin a try next season.

[stevebelbin]

Moxidectin+ is the best wormer at the moment as it kills all worms and any body lice.

 

Im packing in at the end of the season, and will be keeping a few pair as pets, if you send me some rings down next year you can have the young of them. Mainly all corbett bushearts.

[jimmy white]

if your needing any stock birds, i could sort you out with a few, i dont know the breeding but know that they are well bred, one of our forum members passed away, and the birds have to go to a good home, if you let me know i would select some for you.it seems you are keen and heading in the right direction, best of luck, jimmy

[Guest Paulo]

Well totally knackered made tons of progress today got the front of the new loft painted and cerosoted the back and sides. Got all my corn bins installed in my new cabin along with nestpans, spare drinkers, various loft equipment etc. Took widowhood nestboxes and perchs out of old loft, disinfected and duimitexed now just need to paint and assemble and bobs your uncle. Not much left to do now just a bit roofing work to sort out and finish off deviding the loft up into the different partitions and I'll be able to move the birds in. Councils putting my new fence up next week and hopefully putting in some new topsoil to replace the soil that the dodgy landscape firm they employed to clear the plot stole and I'm sorted can't wait as fed up. My grans got to move all her hens etc on her new plot so I've got all that to sort out as well plus spent the last few hours up until 7.00 weeding ragwort out of my dads horsefield for him.

 

Just been watching the germans tronce the diving scum and watching the boxing.

 

Off to bed soon but all the redbull I've swigged is making me feel quite awake.

[Guest Paulo]

Well made tons of progress this weekend Dad has partioned the loft into two ends young bird and old bird. Was quite funny listening to some of the colourfull language as he tried to turn a load of old dowelling, perchs, and nestboxes into a modern well designed pigeon compartment with landing board and trap in the corridor. He's done a good job through and it looks quite professional althrough I will hjave to look at expanding a bit in my second season of racing as two compartments isn't ideal. Still only young bird racing next year so I can cross that bridge when it comes.

 

Got some young birds installed in there already. Two I have bred myself this year and the two redfox Jansons Les has kindly gave to me, also have the ebony ardan in there Tammy has bred for me. The birds have seem to have settled in really well. Had them out in a training basket in front of the loft today so they get used to being basketed and get a good look at their surroundings. Will continue this all next week as being a jammy sod  I have put a weeks leave in to enjoy the sun as I won't have time when I start uni part time again in september.

 

Give the birds a bath do you think after a week of being out every day in the basket I can let them out perhaps next sunday? If I give them a bath beforehand this should help stop them flying too far won't it?

 

All thats left in the old bird end to sort out before I bring them down is putting the nestboxes up this should be done next weekend. Its quite funny as I forgot which sides where which off when I took them down so the old man is struggling tell he's a plumber and not a joiner.

 

I'll put some pictures up of the birds and lofts up when its all sorted.

[Guest Paulo]

Pigeons are like humans like aren't they! Noticed today that the cheq hen I bred is the loft bully thinks its nails. Its younger brother is the pigeon that just wants to be mates with everyone, the black one's its mate and the two red foxs are the chilled out ones who are first in the bath and just look at the cheq hen is if to say you don't impress us

[Guest Paulo]

right heres some photos of my setup only bird missing is the black one Tammy kindly gave me. Little pest has had a night on the tiles but just had a phonecall off my gran and she has just let him in. So at least he's come back was getting a bit worried as theres been a hawk knocking about

[Guest Paulo]

First photo, loft and cabin

[Guest Paulo]

trapping corridor and landing board still need to put traps in too compartments

[Guest Paulo]

young bird section

[Guest Paulo]

Red Fox Janssans kindly given to me off Schowman77 cheers Les they are great birds. Just can wait until next year to race the young off them

[Guest Paulo]

Red Fox Cock

[Guest Paulo]

Red Fox Hen

[Guest Paulo]

Here's a young check cock I bred myself this year. Bushchart