Young Bird Losses

[Tony C]

Is there any real value in racing youngsters past say the 100 mile stage? If all feds adopted this approach would it cut down on clashing (surely the biggest factor in young bird losses)

 

 

Something has to be done or this year like last year and the year before and the year before that we’ll have fanciers lose a big part of their teams Doh! Doh! Doh! Comes to mind

 

 

Can these losses be avoidable?

 

 

For’s & against and reasoning please or any changes you would like to see implemented that in your opinion will help cut down on losses.

 

 

[greenlands]

Hi Tony, all being well I intend to race my youngens to Appleton(103ml) at a push and weather etc. being good they might get Stafford (143ml)after that your just looking for trouble.Happens every year at Wollaston and Cheltenham,all for the sake of that extra 50ml.and 70% more losses they will stay at home.

Lindsay.

[Guest pigeon82]

i dont understand your whole reasoning we start our first race next weekend that is first yb race at 119 miles to me and im shortest flying member in our area if we done what your talking about we wud not even get a race but i do sympathize as it is farto far to send yb for first race whata joke hey

[shotgun tim]

my first yb race is thirsk 113 to me our longest is lillers 411 to me

[greenlands]

my first yb race is thirsk 113 to me our longest is lillers 411 to me

Young birds that fly 411 ml.Can't get some of my old birds to do that.

Good on you mate.

Lindsay.

[Guest Owen]

My opinion of the reasons for youngbird losses is as follows. I think that there are major problems with the transporters. Most of the time the youngsters are overheated and become dehydrated. I think we all know that pigeons are very poor at coping with heat and water deprivation. A lot of the youngsters are not trained properly and I am sure that many of them are ill. Add to that the fact that people will feed the birds before they are transported and cause them to be sick in the crates and you can see why they are not in any fit condition to fly home. Even if you send your own birds with an empty crop there is always the chance that they will eat the sicked up corn left by others. No wonder that they become ill with canker cocci and worms, not to mention more serious diseases like paratyphoid.

I have recently read a report written by a Dutch Professor where he has reported on pigeon transportation. He claims that young pigeons become seriously dehydrated at 32.5 deg C and will start to die at 39 deg C. Either way they will not be fit to take on a flight home. He rcommends that, as the outside temperatures increase, the bird numbers per crate should be reduced to enable the birds to have access to more air. He also went on to say that there should be better facilities for the provision of water than the one drinker that is often used. All in all, I am certain that we do not take enough care with the birds during transport. I think that well trained and cared for young pigeons can and will cope with distances of at least 250 miles if they are treated with more care.

[Guest devonred]

411 miles for a young bird???? down in Devon we struggle to get young birds upto 100 miles heavy losses, but when we get to 150ish usually pretty good returns fingers crossed. We start this week at 43 miles along the south coast

[Tony C]

A typical racing Saturday in August when young bird racing is in full swing. As far as I’m aware just RPRA organisations are shown here, add to this the Scottish, Welsh, NEHU & NWHU feds.

 

Cut down on the distance of races flown and you’ll cut down on the criss-crossing, surely this would help.

[greenlands]

If life was only that simple Tony.

Lindsay.