Where do they go to?

April 29, 2006

First race over today (Coldstream) and another :-/ 'classic' :-/ ??

12 birds sent, 13 home. ;D

"Stranger" is a yearling hen lost as a young bird on her first race at Kelso in July 2005.

Appears OK except for last three primaries on each wing 'bleached'.

????????????????

Peckedhen · April 29, 2006

Appears OK except for last three primaries on each wing 'bleached'.

????????????????

Must have been The Fifer - bleaching feathers - needs more whites for his 'dove' release!! ;D

pigeonpete · April 29, 2006

Hi bruno,

yeah its weird aint it? had a bird back last week lost first yb race last year still had the rotting rubber on, and its defo been a streeter, greasy wattle and looks ruff, but remembered how to get in and fought for his perch!! so where has he been? and whats made him come back now?? : :)

rockinrick · April 29, 2006

try visiting a few lofts when you lose a bird cos they dont allways get hawked or leave home for the streets

April 29, 2006

Must have been The Fifer - bleaching feathers - needs more whites for his 'dove' release!! ;D

Maybe it also improves their homing instinct.

Bang goes all the theories then. Its really in their last three primaries, and bleach-activated. :-/

April 29, 2006

Hi bruno,
yeah its weird aint it? had a bird back last week lost first yb race last year still had the rotting rubber on, and its defo been a streeter, greasy wattle and looks ruff, but remembered how to get in and fought for his perch!! so where has he been? and whats made him come back now?? : :)

Probably missed the ol' keal fumble. ;D

Now I KNOW I'll pay for that....

billy_g · April 29, 2006

hi ian got one back on tuesday with my trainers from last seasons otterburn 2 y/birds let my birds go at 5 50am birds back in loft for 6.30 not bad for a few months out better late than never

robert.sutherland · April 29, 2006

yes its the fields that are empty now this time of year no food out there so first thing that comes into there heads I know where i can find some food and home they come I dont think they do much good after a winter out they know to much and how to survive out there so why will they fly all that way . yours in sport BOB

April 30, 2006

Robert, not sure that life in the wild is that easy for a stray racing pigeon, or that loft or wild is a choice that they would even consider , , otherwise we would all have empty lofts.

Food being available is only one problem solved. There's also shelter, safety from predators and freedom from parasites & disease.

The bird's in quarantine just now. Too early to say what her long-term future is to be, but I am short of a hen just now so there is a role for her.

April 30, 2006

Bruno

2 years ago we lost 1810 in the club 325 Fururity Race, last year she came home on March 11th, she looked pretty good, guess she's been in someone's loft over the winter and came home when they started letting their birds out. We quarantined her for about a week then put her on the Old Bird flying team. Last year she took 2nd place Champion Bird on the C Series and yesterday she scored a second on the C Race.

No one will ever know what really happened to her, but she's turned out to be one of our best sprint pigeons

April 30, 2006

Thanks Hyacinth.

Not one on instant decisions as far as pigeons go. Early thoughts on this hen are that I would want to give the bird every chance. But racing her in that wing condition alone doesn't seem to be 'a fair chance'.

Had previous similar experience when based on bad advice, I raced a young cock when he was on his 8th primary and 'dropped' him only for him to return 6/7 weeks later with no two tail feathers the same length and nos 9 & 10 primaries stunted.. Racing him in that condition as a yearling in 2004 didn't seem to be fair, so let him moult out during 2004, then trained him in 2005 as a 2 yo - and dropped him in his first race ... 'for good'.

Also in late spring 2005, well after the racing began, I had another yearling cock return from being lost as a young bird the year before. Decided to let him 'recover' then doubts started creeping in and started training him. Gave him one race @ 60 miles in June. But still couldn't face the thought of wintering him for another 9 months only to be let down again in 2006. So when he was involved in a vicious attack on another cock in another box, and was still in a mexican stand-off in the other cock's box when I discovered them both, I 'outed' him there & then.

You're right about the doubt and not knowing. But I'm looking for an honest pigeon and an honest day's work from it. That seems reasonable since they get more than an honest day's work from me.

THE FIFER · April 30, 2006

HI DON'T USE BLEACH I USE THE OLD WHITE "BLANCO"

THE FIFER · April 30, 2006

I LOST A YOUNGSTER LAST YEAR, JUST GOT IT REPORTED IN GOREBRIDGE A FEW WEEKS AGO, LET THE FANCIER KEEP IT, HE SENT IT TO HIS FIRST RACE LAST WEEK FROM OTTERBURN, AND IT CAME HOME TO ME, VERY FUNNY THINGS SOME TIMES. IT MUST HAVE FLEW OVER HIM AS HE IS SOUTH OF ME, SO NO GOOD ME KEEPING IT AS IT WOULD PROBABLY GO BACK TO HIM.

frank-123 · April 30, 2006

i got one back from two years ago during the week unlike bruno i never gave it a chance maybe i should have

what you guys think?

westy · April 30, 2006

i know a bloke who had a yb back after 2 years from a first time off the loft roof, when it was back it was fine, fit ,and healthy god knows where it had been.

jimmy white · April 30, 2006

i remember years ago, looking at this" black stray"fighting in a nest box with another cock, went in and took hold of it and noticed it was my ring, checked my book and found out it was lost the second race as a youngster, after a week or so and a wash [turned out to have white flights],put it back in the loft, it tuffed the other cock out of the box [spare box]was told by a top fancier kill it itll be no good, but it took to that box with a vengance,never even had a mate as cocks were on widohood [this was 2 weeks b4 first race]the bird turned out one of the best cocks i had,on a friday i would put the cock that it hated along with its hen, in the closed side of the box, that pigeon won 6 races,,,and theres a forum member who could verify this ,,,as ive said b4, strange things pigeons.

square_peg · April 30, 2006

THINK A LOT OF THE TIME ITS MATERNAL ALL DOO'S WANT IS TO PAIR UP HAVE EGGS REAR SQUABS JUST BEFORE OR AT BREEDING TIME THE WEATHER IS NORMALLY BETTER, THINK THATS WHY WE GET DOO'S TURNING UP AFTER A LONG TIME OUT