Old Bird Race Programme

[Walter swanston]

Just a question here.As the old bird club racing nears its end are federations justified on going down the road to complete the old bird programme when interest is almost mainly in National racing (and rightly so) .It is difficult to get a transporter anywhere near full and convoyer`s wage and diesel costs indicate a clear and substantial finabcial loss.

[Guest TAMMY_1]

Just a question here.As the old bird club racing nears its end are federations justified on going down the road to complete the old bird programme when interest is almost mainly in National racing (and rightly so) .It is difficult to get a transporter anywhere near full and convoyer`s wage and diesel costs indicate a clear and substantial finabcial loss.

 

Yes of course they are,there are plenty members who want to fly a full programme that are not members of either the SNFC or SNRPC,they pay their fed dues so are entitled to a full fed race programme

[Walter swanston]

Yes of course they are,there are plenty members who want to fly a full programme that are not members of either the SNFC or SNRPC,they pay their fed dues so are entitled to a full fed race programme

 

I should have made myself clear there are still several races that club members can go to with national organisations

[dal2]

Yes of course they are,there are plenty members who want to fly a full programme that are not members of either the SNFC or SNRPC,they pay their fed dues so are entitled to a full fed race programme

Even at huge financial risk to the organisation they have a duty of care to as members?

[Guest IB]

Birdage does decline as programme gets further down the road. Need to lay plans during off season for that, either by upping birdage costs - scaled higher charge the further you go out to cover convoying cost and / or joint convoy with another organisation to reduce convoying cost.

[Walter swanston]

Thank you for your reply.Any increase in birdage charges would be met with fierce opposition, I know it is a controversial opinion but our federation seems to die when the national races start and incidentally all sorts of different plans are made ,

discarded and remade during the winter I can tell you after four years in this job it is almost impossible to get pigeon fanciers to agree.

[Guest IB]

Walter, I don't know what your birdage charges are, but for maybes 5 years, North West have had 6 OB races from 60 - 185 miles at 30p a bird; 3 OB races from 234 - 290 miles at 50p a bird, and 1 OB race 300+ miles at £1 a bird. The first 6 races we can usually fill the transporter ourselves. The rest we usually have room enough to joint convoy with Central Fed, and convey Scottish Central Combine. Members should realise costs are spiralling and costs need to be covered. They can't reasonably oppose that..

[dal2]

Walter, I don't know what your birdage charges are, but for maybes 5 years, North West have had 6 OB races from 60 - 185 miles at 30p a bird; 3 OB races from 234 - 290 miles at 50p a bird, and 1 OB race 300+ miles at £1 a bird. The first 6 races we can usually fill the transporter ourselves. The rest we usually have room enough to joint convoy with Central Fed, and convey Scottish Central Combine. Members should realise costs are spiralling and costs need to be covered. They can't reasonably oppose that..

 

 

If you cant muster numbers because the pigeons arent there then the fee could be astrinomical to balance the books?

[Walter swanston]

Apart from the members and club fees birdage is the only income that a federation has.The early races in both the old and young bird programmes yield a profit which allows the organisation to pay expenses such as maintenance of the transporter, replacement parts,tyres and refurbishment of racing baskets.The central question here is should the profit from early races be used to defray the cost of later races when other factors dramatically reduce the birdage.It might be that such a course of action is not too sensible with an eye to the future wellbeing of the Federation and I very much fear that a realistic increase in birdage to meet these costs would be answered with a total boycott.Finally it will be noted that tonight another rise in the price of diesel has been announced.

[yeboah]

Apart from the members and club fees birdage is the only income that a federation has.The early races in both the old and young bird programmes yield a profit which allows the organisation to pay expenses such as maintenance of the transporter, replacement parts,tyres and refurbishment of racing baskets.The central question here is should the profit from early races be used to defray the cost of later races when other factors dramatically reduce the birdage.It might be that such a course of action is not too sensible with an eye to the future wellbeing of the Federation and I very much fear that a realistic increase in birdage to meet these costs would be answered with a total boycott.Finally it will be noted that tonight another rise in the price of diesel has been announced.

A no win situation i think Walter trying to keep fellow fanciers happy ,I can see both sides of the argument yes there are those who wish to race even if they have one pigeon and there are others like myself who once the nationals start have no wish to enter club racing,i agree with you that we should be wanting the fed to make a profit in the interests of the members ,perhaps we should be looking at ways of making comeback races more appealing eg yearling special nom for good prise money or the likes ,if i had a large team still to race yes i would compete but when i have only a few cant take the gamble dropping them from a meaningless race when they are earmarked for the nationals ,also feel at this stage of the season national pigeons don't need to be trained or raced as rest and motovaton are of greater benefit omo

[Guest IB]

If you cant muster numbers because the pigeons arent there then the fee could be astrinomical to balance the books?

 

I don't know if the birdage costs I've quoted are typical of those that other Feds charge, but 50p/£1 per bird seems reasonable to me, especially when 2 or more Organisations are sharing the cost of 1 transporter going to the race point.

 

No offence, but I tell the story locally of overhearing one fancier complain that as a pensioner he couldn't afford a proposed £1 rise in SNFC birdage which would have completely covered our cost of going to that race ourselves. The same fancier lifted a tidy sum from it with a fully pooled pigeon. Cannae find the birdage money, but seemed able to find the pool money nae bother.

[Tony C]

The central question here is should the profit from early races be used to defray the cost of later races when other factors dramatically reduce the birdage.

Yes.

[mushroom]

The simple solution would be to go with another organisation, only a few days ago on another pigeon site one of the west cumbria feds offered transportation to anyone for this week, to one of their comeback races from Stafford or thereabouts. Earlier in the year there was a lot of scaremongering about the transporter running empty that never came to fruition as we were running around trying to get more baskets for the early races. However these things need to planned whilst forming the race programme so as to co-ordinate with other possible conveyors. I will not be sending to these comeback races as I am wiped out this year, I personally wouldnt mind trying to arrange something for next year Walter if needs be, if you could let me know the possible birdage.

[mushroom]

I was informed yesterday(by anonymous phone call) that you already have a transport commitee to organise these things, so I will withdraw my offer and apologise if it seems I was stepping on anyones toes, I was only trying to help. In future I will keep my own council.

[Walter swanston]

Tell you what Mushroom you never received any anonymous call from me or anyone associated with me any input into the problems affecting the organisation of pigeon racing is always welcomed by me and I hope my committee.