When To Clip Flights?

[Guest white flight ZA]

In South Africa our moult has started in all earnest and the only activity is the odd pair raising a round of late breds for the young bird races starting in May.

 

The niggling question is the flight clipping of the birds now going into a heavy moult which will last until approx. end of April. The first pre-season training flights with the combine transporter is then also available BUT some yearlings must still drop their last primary flights. What now if you are racing the "natural system" or to the perch?

 

Some of the experienced fanciers recommend clipping the 10th primary by the middle of February and then after it has "dried-out" pulling it by the first week in March. This will then eliminate the problem mentioned above.

 

However, some fanciers argue that the feather quill does not dry-out! - pull it immediately. Others maintain this is cruel practice and is painful to the pigeon. Naturally the new flight when ready to grow out, will push out the old one - this only happens in a sequence and when Mother Nature dictates! Therefore not ready for when training starts and feed rationing is necessary.

 

Others first clip the 9th by the middle February and then pull it out, followed by the 10th some 5 weeks later.

 

The problem you wish to overcome is not to have birds start training with one or more of the primaries still to be dropped.

 

Of course these dates do not correspond in the Northern Hemshere but what do these fanciers suggest?

[gulkie]

sorry iv never herd of this before, what is done here in GB is to extend

our days by artificial light.to make the birds think its high summer and pushes the moult on. I think this is along the lines that you are talking about,hope I haven't mislead you.

[greenlands]

Are you flying the light system.

[Guest IB]

Quite difficult to advise fanciers in the southern hemisphere as the season here is different from your own - ours completed their annual moult by December - yours is 'just' beginning then? But the fanciers, their pigeons and their feathers are just the same.

 

We also have different opinions on pulling flights. The feather when fully grown becomes a dead structure so clipping IMO can't make it any more dead. It is ready to pull whenever you want - if you want to do that.

 

On pain, IMO there is no pain pulling a flight, even though it is anchored in bone. I'm converted to that opinion after being advised to pull a broken 2nd primary. I did it (gingerly) set the pigeon down in his box, and he started crowing and sweeping - no pain there I thought. Went on to do same the next year with a hen that had 2 deformed primaries (after taking some weeks to home from a race). Again no sign of pain.

 

My only concern is that these early primaries are anchored in a fairly strong part of the wing (ulna) whereas No10 isn't. I was careful to support the wing between 2 fingers while pulling these flights, but I cannot imagine even thinking of doing it with No10. My cocks immobilise the cock they are fighting with by grabbing hold of No10 in their beak. The other cock makes no attempt to try and pull away, whereas if a predator grabs hold of the pigeon by any feathers, whole groups come away - easily - again without pain - because that is what they are designed to do thus allowing the feathered prey to escape.

 

So as far as No10 is concerned, wouldn't advise it - let nature run its course and look for other candidates for these early races.

[greenlands]

In the light system video,if my memory serves me right,the birds are allowed to grow their first six flights and when on say no.four the 7th is broken(Don't ask me why) allowed to stay like this for a week then pulled. and so on,ie.fifth flight growing 8th broken,pulled later.

[ovy1255]

have you watched the dvd by sampson bros of america about the lightness system this may help you to plan a season to corespond with the moult.

[Guest white flight ZA]

Thanks Guys! Your opinions and advice is great.

 

To answer some questions posed in the post:

 

No, I do not use the light system as our days are now very long and evening falls at approximately 7pm.(obviously not anywhere near your daylight hours !!)

 

Secondly, some fanciers have tried the light system with limited success by keeping the loft lights burning until about 9pm each evening.

 

Pulling of the 10th flight, because of the awkwardness of its position when the wing is extended, is done using a pair of pliers/thongs and supporting the wing with a firm grip, I'm told.

 

I am also of the opinion that I should let Nature run its course BUT if you do not rack up the championship points on the short distance in our club, your chances of ending in front at the end of the season, diminish.

[Guest IB]

Thanks Guys! Your opinions and advice is great.

 

To answer some questions posed in the post:

 

No, I do not use the light system as our days are now very long and evening falls at approximately 7pm.(obviously not anywhere near your daylight hours !!)

 

Secondly, some fanciers have tried the light system with limited success by keeping the loft lights burning until about 9pm each evening.

 

Pulling of the 10th flight, because of the awkwardness of its position when the wing is extended, is done using a pair of pliers/thongs and supporting the wing with a firm grip, I'm told.

 

I am also of the opinion that I should let Nature run its course BUT if you do not rack up the championship points on the short distance in our club, your chances of ending in front at the end of the season, diminish.

 

On 10th flight: this is anchored on a single 'digit' , the only flight on it, a very small bone equivalent to one of the small bones in your finger; I cannot believe anyone would use pliers to remove it. 'Win at all costs' is a well known saying over here, and IMO a fitting description of this practice.

 

On early races: IMO there's more prestige winning the longer races. A yearling from 300 / 400 miles has far more kudos. JMO.

[Wiley]

Those that pull flights using the light system always cut the top of the flight of to allow the flight(quil) to die first, and then they would pull the flight several days later. Alot of top fanciers in UK now using the light system with huge success when many thought it couldnt be done this side of the globe with success. Alot of people put high priority on young bird racing which is a change of the past on where young birds was deemed as only training, for the future. However with big money prizes in futurity and breeder buyers, young birds in affect has become a huge priority, and those birds who win the nationals or combine(usually roughly around the 250 mark) racing as young birds, are receiving the same respect as what the old birds of yesteryear was, and rightly so. And theres nothing more exciting then young birds on the dark or light coming home from a race 5-6 up sometimes even more, and trapping like bullets!

[gulkie]

Thanks Guys! Your opinions and advice is great.

 

To answer some questions posed in the post:

 

No, I do not use the light system as our days are now very long and evening falls at approximately 7pm.(obviously not anywhere near your daylight hours !!)

 

Secondly, some fanciers have tried the light system with limited success by keeping the loft lights burning until about 9pm each evening.

 

Pulling of the 10th flight, because of the awkwardness of its position when the wing is extended, is done using a pair of pliers/thongs and supporting the wing with a firm grip, I'm told.

 

I am also of the opinion that I should let Nature run its course BUT if you do not rack up the championship points on the short distance in our club, your chances of ending in front at the end of the season, diminish.

I think it would be most interesting to hear how your racing program works

from start to finish.

[Guest white flight ZA]

In a nutshell our racing program is as follows:

 

From approx. 15 Jan till the end of April the pigeons our moulting. Sexes are separated and they are inactive although some fanciers give open loft all day every day during this time. Others rotate by giving the cocks freedom twice per week and then the hens twice per week - they must also enjoy a bath.

 

The problem arises when the birds have to start loft training by the middle of April in order to be ready for the training flights on the combine transporter - these training flights are every Tuesday and Saturday from 80 miles along our North race route and start during the first week in May.

 

Before you can send them on the transporter you must get your birds up the road and they must be relatively fit and orientated by then.

 

Problem: At this stage you may have birds who are in the process of growing out the 10th primary whilst others may still have to drop this flight. I am of the opinion that training birds where this flight is in the blood quill stage of growing, is painful and stressful for the bird to train with and may lead to a poor quality flight.

 

In order to avoid this problem fanciers pull the 10th primary during March in order that it will be fully grown by the time rigourous training starts.

 

The first races start on the first Saturday in June.

 

Many fanciers breed a batch of late breds during February which are raced in a Young Bird series starting at the beginning of May. These birds are raced from 100 miles to 300 miles.

[Guest IB]

I slightly altered the flow of your post for my reply.

 

In a nutshell our racing program is as follows:

 

From approx. 15 Jan till the end of April the pigeons our moulting. Sexes are separated and they are inactive although some fanciers give open loft all day every day during this time. Others rotate by giving the cocks freedom twice per week and then the hens twice per week - they must also enjoy a bath.

 

This is our September – December (Autumn / Winter) period and much the same practices take place here too.

 

 

The problem arises when the birds have to start loft training by the middle of April in order to be ready for the training flights on the combine transporter - these training flights are every Tuesday and Saturday from 80 miles along our North race route and start during the first week in May.

 

Before you can send them on the transporter you must get your birds up the road and they must be relatively fit and orientated by then.

 

The first races start on the first Saturday in June.

 

Many fanciers breed a batch of late breds during February which are raced in a Young Bird series starting at the beginning of May. These birds are raced from 100 miles to 300 miles.

 

 

This is where we differ. Our breeding season follows the end of the moult – during Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar - and the pressure here is to get that completed before racing begins in April. We have same objective as yourselves to get pigeons fit by loft flying prior to training prior to racing, but our ‘problem’ involves separating youngsters quickly enough to get this started, not the moult.

 

 

Problem: At this stage you may have birds who are in the process of growing out the 10th primary whilst others may still have to drop this flight. I am of the opinion that training birds where this flight is in the blood quill stage of growing, is painful and stressful for the bird to train with and may lead to a poor quality flight.

 

In order to avoid this problem fanciers pull the 10th primary during March in order that it will be fully grown by the time rigourous training starts.

 

 

I agree with your own observations about pigeons on their 10th primary. Mine are very reluctant to fly from the time it’s dropped to almost completely grown. Over here that happens during the winter period, our ‘off-season’ when reduced daylight hours (0800 to 1600 approx) mean pigeons are usually confined for greater part of week anyway.

 

IMO the real problem is that your race season is not well synchronized with the pigeons natural moult. We have a 4 month gap between end of moult and start of racing, you have 1 month at best.

[Guest white flight ZA]

Yes, you hit the nail on its head! Synchronization!

[Guest IB]

Yes, you hit the nail on its head! Synchronization!

 

Just for completeness, can you fill in the period from July to December for us? When does old bird season end, when is breeding season and is there another young bird racing season?

 

I'd be interested to know how all this links together.

[Guest white flight ZA]

The Young Bird series starts the last Saturday of April and consists of 5 races ending Last Saturdai in May. These YB's were bred in Jan to March. Many fanciers keep them on the wing until well into the "Main Series" or old bird season and they have proven to out - perform their older counterparts.

 

The old bird season kicks-off on the first Saturday in June(IMO starts to early - should start around 21 June - hence synchronization). We fly two races per weekend - one East route and one North route starting at 200 miles. Our last races are during the first week of October which is 700 miles.

 

Our furthest liberation is 800 miles.

[blaz]

yet another system that goes against the natural way of things. i think it is wrong and must cause birds PAIN.

 

 

 

only my opinion

[Guest IB]

I've drawn a timeline of activities, and January to May seems top-heavy, an awful lot is crammed into that period, while October (3 weeks) to Dec is blank?

 

(1) Breeding (January - Mar) while they are moulting (January - Apr). Doesn't breeding retard their moult?

 

(2) YBs bred January - Mar race April & May? What age do they start training?

 

(3) OBs loft-training April, transporter training May?

 

(4)October to December. What season is this please? What is happening to daylight hours and temperatures (Celsius) during this period? Are the sexes seperated after OB racing ends?

[Guest white flight ZA]

(1) Breeding during this time is NOT the norm.

(2) YB's are some 45 days and older when in training.

(3) Old birds must start loft training by at least the 15 April to be ready for transporter's first training flight in May.

(4) October to December is the off-season.

 

NOTE:

For many fanciers the Breeding season starts on the 1 June (pairs are mated and 3 rounds bred)and lasts until approx. 15 December.This is for the fancier with separate breeding lofts and ample space to keep these young in a separate section. Many only start breeding by September and end in October as it is proven that these young give no moulting problems.

 

The YB series during May is OPTIONAL. It counts no points - BUT because YB racing has become so popular, most fanciers now ONLY want to start breeding from late Jan to early March. These late breds get loft trained and road trained up too approximately 100 miles, then race them from the end of April for 5 weeks in the YB series and continue right through with them into the old bird series - AND IT WORKS!

[budgie]

Their are fanciers in the U.K. who race latebreds carrying 10 nest flights out to 400 mls and score so why ? think of pulling flights.?We have darkness youngsters that dont complete the moult in their first year and go on and score the following year.

[stew 75]

hi if any members that clip and pull out there birds flights say the birds will fell no pain, if there toe nails are a bit long bring me a pair of pliers and i will pull them out for them i wont feel any pain cheers stew 75

[Fair Play]

We used to train the birds in the early morning before we went to work because of the early daylight 4am the sun was well up never pulled any flights may well be a newer type of thing to try and beat mother nature