Darkness V Natural Y/Birds

[billt]

I Haven't raced y/birds for more than 20 yrs., but from what I've read natural youngsters can't compete with Darkies, Was this true in your club and did any of you win with natural youngsters ?

[Wiley]

think the problem is these days hardly anyone races young birds natural, No one in my club nor federation have won with a natural youngster this year.

[billt]

think the problem is these days hardly anyone races young birds natural, No one in my club nor federation have won with a natural youngster this year.

Wow, Shows how long I've been out of it, I didn't realise it was that well used

[andy]

No comparison, although the Lightness can compete but youngsters have to be weaned before the end of January.

[Guest bakes]

the darkness ybs was in a different league to the natural ybs you could see markeing night the different from the darkness youngbirds to the natural youngbirds every youngbird thats topped the club and well done to p dobbins other week topped our club and fed that was with a darkness yb not many natural youngbirds being sent now as there falling to bits threw the molt were the darkness youngbirds are still hardly started to molt marked youngbird other week still had 5 flights to go natural youngbird on last 2 and started to molt in the head me personally think when the birds are on there last 2 flights and molting on head dont do them anygood specialy when the winds on there nose going up the country but thats my views anyway

 

all the best

klaus

[Wiley]

Wow, Shows how long I've been out of it, I didn't realise it was that well used

 

 

The darkness has been the mainstream for probably the last 8-10 years, and especially in the London and surrounding area, you will find very few who race natural youngsters.

 

Bakes, 5 to go lol most of mine havent even dropped there first flights yet

[billt]

Strange that as we had no problem racing the whole program 20yrs ago and I do think y/b losses seam greater now even taking into account the increase in BOP population

[John k]

My Young Birds are flown natural not on the darkness i have had a 1st from Scotch Corner, 3 rd from Whitley bay against lads that fly there Young Birds on darkness..... If i get a few in the bag against these lads i am more than pleased as i look at young bird racing as education...........

[Guest IB]

the darkness ybs was in a different league to the natural ybs you could see markeing night the different from the darkness youngbirds to the natural youngbirds every youngbird thats topped the club and well done to p dobbins other week topped our club and fed that was with a darkness yb not many natural youngbirds being sent now as there falling to bits threw the molt were the darkness youngbirds are still hardly started to molt marked youngbird other week still had 5 flights to go natural youngbird on last 2 and started to molt in the head me personally think when the birds are on there last 2 flights and molting on head dont do them anygood specialy when the winds on there nose going up the country but thats my views anyway

 

all the best

klaus

 

I think that's the main difference between the two, the moult: ones got full cover, the other falling to bits as you rightly say. Personally, I don't send natural youngsters when they start on the last 4 flights (Primary 7) because I think they can't get proper 'lift', or if they are bare about head, face or ears, because they are not weatherproof.

[dal2]

Wow, Shows how long I've been out of it, I didn't realise it was that well used

 

Ave used it for the last four years, But this year will be the last. The younguns are magic, excellent feathering and keen tae exercise. Have won three out o six this year and won every year with the darkies, absolutely terrific.

Yearlings are poor. The same doos that won for me as younguns go down quite quick. I started this year wae 17 yearlings in my old bird team 10 of which wer darkies NONE left. Ironically the ones that fell tae bits and didny make the YB nat or fed open were the doos that performed!"!!!. Its a strange old game

[Wiley]

Strange that as we had no problem racing the whole program 20yrs ago and I do think y/b losses seam greater now even taking into account the increase in BOP population

 

but you have to take in consideration, people also bred alot later, hence the reason they went the whole programme. I think the pigeons were also alot different, as the pigeons these days are far more mature, in the year of their birth then what they was 15 years ago. The maturity of the pigeons is in my opinion is the case of the losses in most cases, as many wait for 6 months of age before many train a bird, but in the time line you were quoting we was training them when they was 8-10 weeks of age to get them into the first race, many times training only started 2 weeks before the first race.

 

However i do feel the darkness is the reason for young bird sickness, as its going totally against nature.

[fletch]

Ave used it for the last four years, But this year will be the last. The younguns are magic, excellent feathering and keen tae exercise. Have won three out o six this year and won every year with the darkies, absolutely terrific.

Yearlings are poor. The same doos that won for me as younguns go down quite quick. I started this year wae 17 yearlings in my old bird team 10 of which wer darkies NONE left. Ironically the ones that fell tae bits and didny make the YB nat or fed open were the doos that performed!"!!!. Its a strange old game

 

 

 

 

we have had same problems mate with our yearlings, not produceing the goods as yearling our verry rarelly, what we have found is that if you take it easy with them as yaerlings they come back as 2 year olds,

[billt]

Yeh I did wonder how it would affect them as yearlings as you say it is interfering with nature, although I haven't raced since 1986 I've had the birds always on open loft and have no idea what y/bird sickness is

[Guest bakes]

The darkness has been the mainstream for probably the last 8-10 years, and especially in the London and surrounding area, you will find very few who race natural youngsters.

 

Bakes, 5 to go lol most of mine havent even dropped there first flights yet

 

yeah agree with you the owner of the bird i no flys darkness system with his youngbirds i dont no if the bird in question was put on two late or taken off to early but like you say most the other darkness birds are still got full wing the top 3 flyers in my club fly the system you might get one flyer with a natural youngbird nock them off the top but rearly natural birds are there each week same as in our fed cov district sr fed or the other fed the warwick fed bird that tops that each week you can bet its a darky that tops it you get the odd natural yb that puts in a good performance at the start of the season but as the season goes on and the molt gets hold of them its the darkness birds that hold there own week in week out

 

all the best

klaus

[Fly_caster]

Excuse the naive question - but is there a case to be made for splitting the racing prizes/credits for young birds into Darkies and Naturals?

[blaz]

the early races can and will be won by natural yb,s but when you get further out the darkness yb are just about unbeatable.as yearlings the natural birds get their own back omo

[Wiley]

Excuse the naive question - but is there a case to be made for splitting the racing prizes/credits for young birds into Darkies and Naturals?

 

Caster, i very much doubt out, you will find only the minority race natural system these days, if you find more then 2 natural flyers in a club i would say it was alot.

[Guest devonred]

We must be the exception down here, only 3/15 race darkness. My first attempt failed took them off too early now they falling to bits like naturals.

[hawked again]

Caster, i very much doubt out, you will find only the minority race natural system these days, if you find more then 2 natural flyers in a club i would say it was alot.

 

The whole Forres club apart from one flew natural this year and everyone did last year and every other year. A Forres young bird topped the Fed last year in the first race from Perth and that was a natural. A good Southerly wind helped though

[Wiley]

We must be the exception down here, only 3/15 race darkness. My first attempt failed took them off too early now they falling to bits like naturals.

out of interest how long did you leave them on the dark, as the shortest period i have ever done the darkness is 6 weeks, and the birds had a full body moult, and by the time the big race was there most had only frown 3-5 flights

[Guest devonred]

From weaning until 28th may! because of a holiday and a friend was looking after the birds decided to take them off. A couple of the older birds moulted through and still look ok & holding 4 flights

[Wiley]

when was weaning roughly??

[gulkie]

I raced roughly half nat & half dark, next year they will

all be on darkness have 3 nat left and 18 darkies after a

very hard yb season.never found any prob as yearlings.

[Tony C]

If you want to be competitive with your young birds darkness is the way to go.

[xtccock]

the big difference to take into consideration

is that its NOT just about the moult but darkness increases maturity/sexual oriantation and we all know in pigeon racing sex motivates, widowhood , eggs youngsters etc.

so a natural pigeon sent flying back to the perch has no urgency or inclanation but the experience gained will serve it well.