how are your returns 27/5/06

[Guest]

nice one white flight I have heard you are in the 1700's down your way

[Guest]

Well done whiteflight looks like you are leading the BICC, nice one mate!

[Guest speckled]

;D ;D ;D ;D lol my mouth was zipped whitflghter, well done hope thats the finally position, cause your partnership have flown :D well all season, great one mate. Keep us informed ok.Speck

[whiteflight]

thanks widowmaker an speck holding our breath until all times are in

[jackthelad]

Returns where good here sent 8 hens got 1 missing

[carl]

Sent 18 got 18 back within 1 hour from 228 miles,my birds are just off the pace latley not sure why as they have been tested and came back clear.Just keep at it is all i can do.

[Fife_pigeon_wife]

full returns 10/10 from Ripon

[Guest]

sent 6 got 6 pleased about that.

[Guest speckled]

;D 100% returns late widow cock but all home. D Speck

[sj irving jnr]

BAD BAD!! IVE 14 OUT OF 25 THERE IS ALOT OF EMPTY LOFTS IN THE SOLWAY THE NITE THE BEST RETURNS IS OUR VERY OWN J R HALLIDAY WHO GOT 3 OUT OF 4

[Guest]

State race was a nightmare, we've ll home from 28 at 7.15pm Sunday evening.

 

Our first bird timed at 5.35 3.1/2 later than expected.

 

Lots of empty perches in Oregon this evening

[Guest]

16 home by close of play today, unfortunately no Clockie

[andy]

28 FROM 29 WAS 2 MISSING ON THE NIGHT, IT ARRIVED AT 6AM SUNDAY....FROM NEWARK 220 MILES...

[Guest WINGS 04]

I HAVE 1 MORE BACK STILL 8 MISSING

[paul k]

66/66 from fed 1, exeter 126 miles, had 63 in 18 minutes

 

18/18 from fed 2 exeter, 17/18 in 8 minutes, last won dropped at 7.20 sat night, last years CSCFC yearling derby winner!! glad he's home..

[Guest]

5 more back this morning including Clocky

[Guest]

Sounds like the UNC did the right thing waiting till sunday, I got 8 out of 8 within 40mins, and have heard most had 100% returns.

[Guest]

I'm still 3 from 28 out.  It was a Bank Holiday here yesterday with excellint flying weather, I'm still a little bemused why they put them up sunday

[hooky]

do you people think that because we are breeding for faster and faster birds as the years go on that we are slowly breeding out the homing instinct?i mean surely we must be doing something with our breed as we continue to breed for performance only?anyhow something to ponder on

[Guest]

Yes Hooky you are perfectly correct, that is what is happening in the States. People are continually breeding for the 300 mile Money/Futurity races and are breeding fast dumbchits.  There has been every reason under the sun put forward why there are horrendous young bird losses and in my opinion the speed breeding is one of the main causes.  Since Jack Barkel advised us on breeding yellow to pearl (The yellow eye puts intelligence and homing ability into the pigeon) our losses have been far less than our clubmates.

 

Up to last Sunday we had lost 3 pigeons during the Old Bird Season which is now 7 weeks old, two of those were club auction birds which were bred by other flyers. Our clubmates  have lost up to 14 on some races. This weekend we had a very tough 300 mile race and we are still 3 pigeons out but I feel confident that one or more may work their way back, if they haven't been taked my hawks.

 

I'm going to send the link to this thread to Jack Barkel and hope that he may comment further.

 

[Jack Barkel]

Hello Hyacinth,

 

I could not agree with you more, the more one breeds to produce speed which is vigour and vitality, the more one will lose stamina and homing ability. Belgium was the first to go with all the money races being short distance, commercially they sounded the death knell for discerning fanciers continuing to go to Belgium to buy all round racers. For every good pigeon they breed today 99 others are pure sprinters, as much as the Belgium purists will argue this point, you can count the good breeders of Barcelona type birds on one hand today.

 

Britain that held the title for me for many years, for breeding class, highly intelligent pigeons, with stamina, are slowly also falling into the trap of breeding speed pigeons that cannot fly out of sight on a dark night, unless they are in a pack.

 

When these countries were at their best most were yellow eyed long deep keeled specimens, today they look for speed, short apple bodied pigeons that need a pack to help them find their way home. Most are pearl eyed, and the more one puts pearl eyes together the faster and more stupid they become.

 

Pairing birds together with short keels, short secondary flights, and pearl eyes together, will give a false reputation to some as a master flyer, and may even give one recognition as a new strain maker. All this may be true but going quickly and forever are the pigeons that could win from 100 miles to 600 miles. One must breed what they prefer, but one must not cry when the losses are high and channel birds become a rarity.

 

I think Holland may become the last bastion for the elite bloodlines as we used to know them, when I was a youngster we used to race milers in the field at the bottom of our garden, we raced to a stop watch. I remember them well and what they looked like, and they were not unlike the majority of the birds we are starting to produce today. Most of them were pearl eyed Scallies or Slaty's, HELLO!

 

I would say to all, beware how and what you are producing, all bad returns can not be blamed on climate change, cell phones and radio towers, most is on the breeding out of the characteristics of the classic racing pigeon.

 

It is no use anyone getting hot under the collar because of my frank comments, if that is what we want to see, that is what we will become.

I reserve the right to my opinion on this topic and as I was asked for it I give it to you without any intention of insulting or hurting anyone with the facts as I have found them. May everyone accept my comment in the spirit I am giving it, for sometimes it is better to keep ones mouth shut and not warn anyone of the pitfalls looming ahead. I could sit with my head in the sand like an ostrich and not invite harsh criticism, but there again we are supposed to be on here to help one another.

 

I believe that pockets of good breeders throughout the world, who understand what needs to be done to preserve the good homer / racer will survive.

 

AT LEAST I HOPE SO.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jack

 

[hooky]

well said mate here in australia our climate ect does play a role in some of our loss's but like i have said to anyone who wants to bring up loss's topic we are doing it

.we are breeding pigeons for speed!!!so whe nya's have ya losses don't complai nabout the weather it is your faultthe birds did not return..wether it be from breeding as we say or you sending birds that are not right...i myself have noticed some ofthe birds being sent in my club the last couple week and i must say they are not ready to race..half of them feal like you are holding a hand full oflead and the other half are just undernourished unhealthy,unfit sickly birds..and yet they complain when they do not return?come on..i have not lost one bird this year touch wood. but that is not saying i am not going to loose them..just observe your birds,and make sure you have done everythign posible to make there jurney home a pleasurable one