Navigation/Training

[Guest kslicker]

Hello everyone. I am new to the hobby/sport. I will be racing young birds this year. The Fed (in Republic of Ireland) includes members from the East right down to the South East cost. Races are on the South road. It appears most success is with the South East members. The theory being that the birds fly up along the coast. My location is just under Dublin. So I presume my birds should not fly along the coast but head up through the Midlands. Anyone know how I train my birds to break from the flock and be independent? Any info much appreciated. Cheers

[geordie1234]

This will be intresting to see the replies on this subject!

 

However i personally believe you cannot teach this I believe this is all to do with the bird! pigeons fly naturally in flocks so it takes it to be one of those special pigeons that break of from the bunch

 

OMO

[Guest kslicker]

Cheers for reply GEO1234. I think it will be very interesting to hear opinions on this. I will attach a map soon to describe the routes better.

I'm thinking your right in saying a special bird will do it's own thing, which presumably will mean it gets home first.

[Whats it called Cumbernauld]

Hello everyone. I am new to the hobby/sport. I will be racing young birds this year. The Fed (in Republic of Ireland) includes members from the East right down to the South East cost. Races are on the South road. It appears most success is with the South East members. The theory being that the birds fly up along the coast. My location is just under Dublin. So I presume my birds should not fly along the coast but head up through the Midlands. Anyone know how I train my birds to break from the flock and be independent? Any info much appreciated. Cheers

 

Some like to single toss the birds, can help give them much needed Confidence of flying alone.

 

Just something to keep in mind Kslicker

[Guest kslicker]

Cheers Cumbernauld. But where to single toss from?

I have included a map. The black lines represent my loft to race points in the south. The red lines are the race points to the lofts that win most. And the yellow route is where i'm told the flock ends up going to the most northerly lofts (mine).

[Guest IB]

Lines drawn on a map can be very deceiving. But they do raise questions on why the birds are going for that flightpath home.

 

Is it Drag ?(the majority of birds are from the SE corner of the Fed)

 

Is it to avoid known or instinctive Danger ? ( the birds deliberately avoid the direct middle route due to hills and / or peregrines)

 

Or are the birds habituated to fly the Dog-leg? (do the Northern fanciers train their birds down the east coast).

[geordie1234]

The flight path is quite weird but i was told once that when birds from scotland got released in france they came up through belgium etc then crossed over the sea and entered at fife so a fife doo one it then the west sect then the south

[Guest IB]

The flight path is quite weird but i was told once that when birds from scotland got released in france they came up through belgium etc then crossed over the sea and entered at fife so a fife doo one it then the west sect then the south

 

I used to pay a lot of attention to lib-line reports which I thought were a good guide that showed the way the birds had tracked into Scotland. I remember it being the same pattern as that shown on the map: a new-moon-shape-crescent, bottom tip starting at the Solway, through the Eastern Borders, Lothians, Fife & the top tip finishing at Aberdeen. The west birds seem to disappear at times, but could still be in ahead of my area, goodness knows what way they are coming.

[Guest kslicker]

Lines drawn on a map can be very deceiving. But they do raise questions on why the birds are going for that flightpath home.

 

Is it Drag ?(the majority of birds are from the SE corner of the Fed)

 

Is it to avoid known or instinctive Danger ? ( the birds deliberately avoid the direct middle route due to hills and / or peregrines)

 

Or are the birds habituated to fly the Dog-leg? (do the Northern fanciers train their birds down the east coast).

 

Good questions IB. I suppose the only definite way to know is tag some birds with the GPS gadget. I will ask around in the club, maybe someone actually knows about the Fed patterns.

[Guest ENDFLIGHT]

This will be intresting to see the replies on this subject!

 

However i personally believe you cannot teach this I believe this is all to do with the bird! pigeons fly naturally in flocks so it takes it to be one of those special pigeons that break of from the bunch

 

OMO

the only fanciers in SCOTLAND that i know that can teach their birds to break away,and head for home like this is the partnership of GEORGE,WILLIAM,AND PAUL MACALONEYfrom coatbridge.you could ask them how they do it,but i doubt if they would tell you how they do it,but good on them they certainly know how it,s done in the mighty LANARKSHIRE FEDERATION!my oppinion for what it is worth is THEY HAVE FAR BETTER QUALITY BIRDS THAN I HAVE,and they certainly know how to get the best results from them.iwish these guys well for 2011.but i will still be competeing against them again for another season

[frank-123]

guess they are motivated well bred and fit and healthy

and through years of good breeding and disposing of the one's that are too slow you will have a whole team wanting to head quickly home

rather than the slow ones holding them back

[jonl6280]

the only fanciers in SCOTLAND that i know that can teach their birds to break away,and head for home like this is the partnership of GEORGE,WILLIAM,AND PAUL MACALONEYfrom coatbridge.you could ask them how they do it,but i doubt if they would tell you how they do it,but good on them they certainly know how it,s done in the mighty LANARKSHIRE FEDERATION!my oppinion for what it is worth is THEY HAVE FAR BETTER QUALITY BIRDS THAN I HAVE,and they certainly know how to get the best results from them.iwish these guys well for 2011.but i will still be competeing against them again for another season

 

led to believe that they single toss their doos. and also buy the best

[budgie]

led to believe that they single toss their doos. and also buy the best

 

 

Whit Do you ken you couldney win in a raffle way your 98% Honky Gutters.

[jonl6280]

Whit Do you ken you couldney win in a raffle way your 98% Honky Gutters.

 

hey that 98% nearly beat you in the averages.

[budgie]

hey that 98% nearly beat you in the averages.

Dont forget the boys that went on holiday??

[jonl6280]

Dont forget the boys that went on holiday??

 

excaclty u widnae a won it

theres always this year

[budgie]

excaclty u widnae a won it

theres always this year time tae g--w u-p

[JohnQuinn]

Motivation is the only way a bird will break out of a batch and fly on its own. As stated previously doos fly in batches naturally, so you have to get them to behave UN-natural if you know what i mean, and only providing the bird with greater motivation to get home at all costs will get it to break away on its own.

 

I don't believe flying on their own can be trained into them, jmo.

[yeboah]

Motivation is the only way a bird will break out of a batch and fly on its own. As stated previously doos fly in batches naturally, so you have to get them to behave UN-natural if you know what i mean, and only providing the bird with greater motivation to get home at all costs will get it to break away on its own.

 

I don't believe flying on their own can be trained into them, jmo.

[Guest kslicker]

Thanks for the posts people. I think I will keep my young birds with the flock and try to find ways to make them love home more. Cheers.