Do you dispose of your birds if they are no good?

[james_mc_laughlin]

I agree with Hycinth I can always find a place for any bird I bred somewhere in my planning I don't believe in killing pigeons no matter how they turn out. I bred a young cock in 2003, and during racing as a y.b. he would never return on the day of the race, always coming home on the tuesday or wednesday after liberation. Last year he had every inland race before going to the channel as I was determined to either break his heart and lose him rather than kill him. Unfortunately he had other ideas and was never out of the clock. This year he had only 2 races, his first was from Talbenny in Wales (247mls) and he finished 2nd Club, 5th fed and then I sent him to Penzance, our furthest race point before the nationals from france. I clocked him after 10 hours on the wing to take 1st club, 2nd fed only 5 birds in the fed result. Just goes to show if given time we will be rewarded by the faith we have in our birds.

[crabappleloft]

Hi Westy,  

 I've had very good luck by using eyesign to pair my breeders. I'll dispose of a bird or pair, if I continue to lose their youngsters. I've put youngsters from 3 differnet nests in 3 out of area lofts this year and flew the same babies here and lost them all. I can't see passing to someone else, birds that don't do well for me and other flyers.

 This racing sport is about racing your best birds. Or breeding from your best birds to sell to other flyers. Honest breeders will/should never send out mediocre birds. We're supposed to be breeding/racing our best to make our wonderful sport better and better.  

 By the way, I bought two very good birds from Red Rose Lofts recently that I have high expectations in their breeding me some real tough long distance birds. The long distances is where you really test your birds to the upmost.

 If your birds get sick then It's your own fault. You brought in a sick bird or did something wrong in medicating the flock.

 Feed and Meds cost to much to be wasted on inferior birds.

 All this is just an honest Irishmans opinion.

 

 take care now,  Ed    

[Guest]

Agree with other posts Snowy & Westy, definitely no apology sought or required.  

 

Good debate and some really good ideas for alternative roles for 'these' birds, e.g. as Hyacinth pointed out, feeders, and one for the natural flyers - as the 'safe' mate for a pigeon destined for Classic races. Nothing worse than that bird's mate going adrift in racing prior to the 'big' race.

 

And none of these ideas would have come out had Westy not had the courage to talk about it. My opinion - well done.  

[Guest]

I agree with Jimmy, Ive had birds that have done nowt as YBs, yearlings, 2year olds etc but then gone on to win later in there life. Its up to the fancier to work out what makes the birds tick. There are obviously some birds that are never going to make the grade, but thats up to the basket to sort them owt. I think too mant people breed too many pigeons, and go more for quantity rather then quality. I dont know how anyone could get to know there birds as individuals, when they breed so many, and I think this is why some people regard there birds as a number not as a personality. Breed less and you get less overcrowding and less need for medications. Less overcrowding and less medications leads to less need to breed so many and leads to a more content loft and fancier. If this means I will never have a loft full of winners, then so be it, I would rather have healthy birds that I can rely on than a loft full of birds that Im continually thinking, what needs to be culled, which I would if I bred too many.

[carl]

If they no good to you, would you send all "No Good" to 500 mls to see what is come to you?.  

 

Well funny ya might say that speight.This year from clermont 420 miles to my club,I had nothing to send to this distance but did have my eyes on two birds (nestmates)in the loft that were coming rubbish and was thinking about getting rid of them.So rather than cull them i sent them to clermont.They came 3rd & 5th club and 13th & 21st fed,beating alot of good channel flyers in our club.I end up 3rd channel average this season,crazy

 

[fifestay]

No need to apologise westy or snowy ....if you dont ask you dont know

[westy]

sorry evreyone i will send a pm now to ask the webmaster to remove it

sorry for affending any body who fells afeended

all the best

martin

[Guest]

sorry evreyone i will send a pm now to ask the webmaster to remove it

sorry for affending any body who fells afeended

all the best

martin

 

No need to apologise Westy,                      

[perk]

westy i started racing at your age many years ago,you have got to ask questions about all things about pigeons,even if it upsets some people.i have had pigeons when i had money and when i have had very little( at the monent little) you can only keep what you can afford. don,t apologise mate. seen your site keep it up very good

[westy]

westy i started racing at your age many years ago,you have got to ask questions about all things about pigeons,even if it upsets some people.i have had pigeons when i had money and when i have had very little( at the monent little) you can only keep what you can afford. don,t apologise mate. seen your site keep it up very good

 

thanks perk

 

[jimmy white]

no need to apologise westy, your young and quite right to ask questions, but would agree with hyacyths post earlier, you carry on the way you are, the more questions you ask the more you learn,  so stick in there   :)

[jimmy white]

going back to the age of pigeons, to find out if their any good,and as i said before that bird was 15th national at 6 y old, but remember, this bird was bred for, and treated for 5 to 600 mile races, it was never expected or treated to score in any other races, it only had about 3 inland races a year, went 500 mile for the first time at 3 yearold, so when you think of it .it only had one 550 mile race a year, [sorry one was 604 miles]

so he really only had 4 chances to prove himself, the 4th time he was sent 550 miles i didnt show the hen , i just put two 3 day old ybs under it, something differant, well it worked.   the bird was never ever far away from the national results, and each time i timed him in , i thought he was going to make the result, he was allways just out of it. but i new the bird tried.......so when you say a bird is no good, i say its far quicker to find out if a sprint pigeon is no good, but it takes a long time to find out about a distance bird

[Guest shadow]

I agree with Jimmy, Ive had birds that have done nowt as YBs, yearlings, 2year olds etc but then gone on to win later in there life. Its up to the fancier to work out what makes the birds tick. There are obviously some birds that are never going to make the grade, but thats up to the basket to sort them owt. I think too mant people breed too many pigeons, and go more for quantity rather then quality. I dont know how anyone could get to know there birds as individuals, when they breed so many, and I think this is why some people regard there birds as a number not as a personality. Breed less and you get less overcrowding and less need for medications. Less overcrowding and less medications leads to less need to breed so many and leads to a more content loft and fancier. If this means I will never have a loft full of winners, then so be it, I would rather have healthy birds that I can rely on than a loft full of birds that Im continually thinking, what needs to be culled, which I would if I bred too many.

All I can say you guys must have big loft to be able to keepbirds to 3 or 4 yo if they do not produce. As I have said hy team consists of 16 pairs max so earnig a perch is tough, no birds in my loft over 4 that are not winners

 

quality not quantity

 

 

[Guest]

My OB loft is only 12ft X 6ft and I only keep 16 cock birds max, the way I keep the numbers down is simply, to only breed 30 ybs. By the end of the OB and Yb season I normally end up the right amount, if I didnt I would consider putting an Old cock or 2 into stock and breed a few less the next year. I only cull if there is something wrong with the bird that may spread through the loft, but I would isolate the bird first to see if it responded to treatment. Im not that bothered about winning loads of races a year, I would rather just have a few really good combine positions.

[THE FIFER]

u have done nothing wrong westy, it's a true subject we all have to deal with one way or another, keep ur bits coming on the forum,

[jimmy white]

i often wonder how many 4 yearold birds are in anyones lofts nowadays

[symbro]

oldest bird in our lofts is from 87...

[Guest]

We have an 88, who filled his eggs until last year but he is a breeder and doesn't fly out

[westy]

the oldist im my loft is a 1996 bird

[Guest slugmonkey]

I just had a 92 bird fall over dead from old age  I also have a couple of 6 year olds I still race ( short races ) I dont really care how they do I think they like a little activity I have a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds

[Guest]

If you thinks they no good to you, what ages?  

[hooky]

if there not up to your standard put them in the bin!!!!,i have heard of blokes giving away there culls to new comers in the sport.but in reality the poor old newcommer is only getting sh**!.if the birds ain't good enough for you they not good enough for anyone that is wanting to fly birds unless of course it is just around the loft as a bit of a hobby

[westy]

my first racing pigeons were culls both never able to race again due to broken wings found the bloke off the internet who was close to me then went down to the club he was in and met others who dont live far from me eiether offering me pigeons all the time now culls but getting rid off due to space.

[james_mc_laughlin]

All I can say you guys must have big loft to be able to keepbirds to 3 or 4 yo if they do not produce. As I have said hy team consists of 16 pairs max so earnig a perch is tough, no birds in my loft over 4 that are not winners

 

quality not quantity

 

depends on the racing that you are interested in as most distance pigeons do not mature until they are 3 years old and over.

 

 

 

[hooky]

thats why i say that rose.a lot d ogive away there rubbish though