Distance Team Building

[geordie1234]

What would be your main advice on to build a distance team other than patience and good birds??

[Henrik]

What would be your main advice on to build a distance team other than patience and good birds??

That would be it George, Patience n Good birds.

[Guest bigda]

What would be your main advice on to build a distance team other than patience and good birds??

don't think it will ever be the same again

i think the racing is only going to be a yearling thing as they are the only daft bird that would come on as long as it ain't seen the bop to often, and it would only make it as good as its last race. the only saving grace would be to buy the stock pair from someone to breed from, as you could not wait 3 years to find out if the stock you had was good enough to produce, it would only waste yer time in the long run

have a look at the results and it will tell you the yearling, is coming home to race

and it might be its only race, it will win again. as the bop has them terrorized 2 and 3year old birds just don't do it now. don't take my word for this, just have a look at the results, not saying any thing about Boswells doos but i believe they where yearling's, good to get, but will be surprised if they make the clock next year,

[geordie1234]

don't think it will ever be the same again

i think the racing is only going to be a yearling thing as they are the only daft bird that would come on as long as it ain't seen the bop to often, and it would only make it as good as its last race. the only saving grace would be to buy the stock pair from someone to breed from, as you could not wait 3 years to find out if the stock you had was good enough to produce, it would only waste yer time in the long run

have a look at the results and it will tell you the yearling, is coming home to race

and it might be its only race, it will win again. as the bop has them terrorized 2 and 3year old birds just don't do it now. don't take my word for this, just have a look at the results, not saying any thing about Boswells doos but i believe they where yearling's, good to get, but will be surprised if they make the clock next year,

interesting points bigda

[just ask me]

don't think it will ever be the same again

i think the racing is only going to be a yearling thing as they are the only daft bird that would come on as long as it ain't seen the bop to often, and it would only make it as good as its last race. the only saving grace would be to buy the stock pair from someone to breed from, as you could not wait 3 years to find out if the stock you had was good enough to produce, it would only waste yer time in the long run

have a look at the results and it will tell you the yearling, is coming home to race

and it might be its only race, it will win again. as the bop has them terrorized 2 and 3year old birds just don't do it now. don't take my word for this, just have a look at the results, not saying any thing about Boswells doos but i believe they where yearling's, good to get, but will be surprised if they make the clock next year,

 

 

all over Europe from what i can see the average age of winners has dropped interesting point bigda might be that birds are maturing faster these days too and there only so many fights in a dog and in most older birds they become homers not racers if you get my drift

 

 

 

first thing geo i would say is the right birds makes things easy every result tells a story try to find the fancier in the bad location getting in the results and ask for some late breds you never know your look some people repair there racers you can even ask for the eggs and have rear them in your own loft you can get some right good ones this way its done all the time in Belgium and Holland

[Chris Little]

Good birds and ..... lots of patience

[Guest spin cycle]

don't think it will ever be the same again

i think the racing is only going to be a yearling thing as they are the only daft bird that would come on as long as it ain't seen the bop to often, and it would only make it as good as its last race. the only saving grace would be to buy the stock pair from someone to breed from, as you could not wait 3 years to find out if the stock you had was good enough to produce, it would only waste yer time in the long run

have a look at the results and it will tell you the yearling, is coming home to race

and it might be its only race, it will win again. as the bop has them terrorized 2 and 3year old birds just don't do it now. don't take my word for this, just have a look at the results, not saying any thing about Boswells doos but i believe they where yearling's, good to get, but will be surprised if they make the clock next year,

 

agree to an extent with bigda. i took 3 years building a team and in 9 nrcc races it is virtually wiped out. of those 8, 5 were decent days,3 were hard days (nothing you can do or complain about)....but ONE careless lib.along the way 5 club wins,5 fed cards and 3 sect. cards....not earth shaking but decent. my point being that ,i feel, fit well motivated birds will take on bad weather and often loose. how do you prepare a team to be motivated enough to take on the rest in a race....yet be able to survive bad weather????????

[yeboah]

From my point of view I have to honestly say it is virtually impossible to build any sort of team,in days of old used to always purchase 30 rings and race the yb programme to be left with approx in the region of 22-24 but that was many many years ago ,it was very easy then once a certain pair clicked producing 500 milers you were guaranteed clocking the said family year in year out ,fast forward to the present climate where i live here in moffat i first started to experience my first regular peregrine strikes in the late eighties early nineties ,I wrote a letter all those years ago to the pigeon scribe from the south coast who now lives in Australia stating that what was at present my problem would multiply out of control if not addressed and would become every-one's problem,i now purchase 100 rings per year and by the time these birds are 3yo if there are 4 left i am very very lucky,now these birds are not bred from any old rubbish with most my distance stock being from direct son's and daughters or grandchildren of gold cup winners etc,what is guaranteed each time they enter a racing basket there odds of survival decreases,and with all falcon nests in this area being reported with two and three healthy young ready to take to the sky's it don't take a mathematician to work things out,It took ten years for the RSPB to push through full European grade list A protection for Falcons and it will take a lot longer to reverse that decision by which time I sadly predict there will be no such sport as Pigeon Racing

Sorry to sound the prophet of doom but i am only stating the truth as i see it unfold before my very eyes .

[geordie1234]

Some great replies here guys keep them coming

[HOMER49]

From my point of view I have to honestly say it is virtually impossible to build any sort of team,in days of old used to always purchase 30 rings and race the yb programme to be left with approx in the region of 22-24 but that was many many years ago ,it was very easy then once a certain pair clicked producing 500 milers you were guaranteed clocking the said family year in year out ,fast forward to the present climate where i live here in moffat i first started to experience my first regular peregrine strikes in the late eighties early nineties ,I wrote a letter all those years ago to the pigeon scribe from the south coast who now lives in Australia stating that what was at present my problem would multiply out of control if not addressed and would become every-one's problem,i now purchase 100 rings per year and by the time these birds are 3yo if there are 4 left i am very very lucky,now these birds are not bred from any old rubbish with most my distance stock being from direct son's and daughters or grandchildren of gold cup winners etc,what is guaranteed each time they enter a racing basket there odds of survival decreases,and with all falcon nests in this area being reported with two and three healthy young ready to take to the sky's it don't take a mathematician to work things out,It took ten years for the RSPB to push through full European grade list A protection for Falcons and it will take a lot longer to reverse that decision by which time I sadly predict there will be no such sport as Pigeon Racing

Sorry to sound the prophet of doom but i am only stating the truth as i see it unfold before my very eyes .

 

Hi Mike

Good post and how very very true

Cheers

Homer 49

[blucock]

don't think it will ever be the same again

i think the racing is only going to be a yearling thing as they are the only daft bird that would come on as long as it ain't seen the bop to often, and it would only make it as good as its last race. the only saving grace would be to buy the stock pair from someone to breed from, as you could not wait 3 years to find out if the stock you had was good enough to produce, it would only waste yer time in the long run

have a look at the results and it will tell you the yearling, is coming home to race

and it might be its only race, it will win again. as the bop has them terrorized 2 and 3year old birds just don't do it now. don't take my word for this, just have a look at the results, not saying any thing about Boswells doos but i believe they where yearling's, good to get, but will be surprised if they make the clock next year,

 

 

to be fair, i dont agree at all , what about the NIPA St Malo result and the SNFC Messac result...... dominated by yearlings? Hardly. Have never ever seen a distance result dominated by yearlings. Your post is simple guesswork. Yearlings are the only ones daft enough to fly when there are hawks about? All birds fly naturally , predators wont stop them - and i think the older the wiser in fact..

[blaz]

don't think it will ever be the same again

i think the racing is only going to be a yearling thing as they are the only daft bird that would come on as long as it ain't seen the bop to often, and it would only make it as good as its last race. the only saving grace would be to buy the stock pair from someone to breed from, as you could not wait 3 years to find out if the stock you had was good enough to produce, it would only waste yer time in the long run

have a look at the results and it will tell you the yearling, is coming home to race

and it might be its only race, it will win again. as the bop has them terrorized 2 and 3year old birds just don't do it now. don't take my word for this, just have a look at the results, not saying any thing about Boswells doos but i believe they where yearling's, good to get, but will be surprised if they make the clock next year,

will have to disagree with danny on this. 1 some of john bosworths yearlings will be on national results as 2 year olds i would bet my bottom dollar on that. 2 as for 2 and 3 year olds not making nat result i also think is wrong as i will prove next year.i don,t need till next year my 1st bird home eastbourne a 2 year old.i agree about buying a good stock pair from a fancier that has proved time and again his birds are good enough to score at the top of nationals . or go to the S.N.F.C. SALE AT NEW MAINS ON SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER.

[OLDYELLOW]

i find if you want winners at the distance its the oldest birds that are the best and most reliable , best i've done with a yearling at 500+ miles is 2nd or 3rds , but they improve each year bring them to the distance slowly , many are blown due to over racing and wanting to get to the podium as quick as you can , slowly slowly is the way , don't break them before there physically and mentally up for the job

[geordie1234]

Thanks guys some great advice there

 

Blaz were will the SNFC sale take place

[blaz]

Thanks guys some great advice there

 

Blaz were will the SNFC sale take place

newmains pigeon club on sunday 5th september viewing 1pm till 2pm

 

not sure whare that is

[Guest IB]

Thanks guys some great advice there

 

Blaz were will the SNFC sale take place

 

The Sale takes place annually in Newmains Club premises Manse Road, Wishaw. Bit hard to spot from the road, it's a lane on the right hand side of road coming off the roundabout on A71/73. (Type address in map, couldn't get it to display here.)

 

This is where I went, as Gary says, the top 3 in each Section are asked to donate a late bred to the sale, so you have a chance to buy children off all the SNFC 2011 winners. I have also had gift pigeons, the children of which have also helped to get me going.

 

On building a team, as I am still trying to do, I basically choose my breeding pairs each year, breed only from them, and set targets for youngsters off them, depending on their age. For me that's (1) YBs fly the Fed programme + YB National; (2) Yearlings fly the Coast or Ypres; 3) 2 y-o fly 500+ miles .... and be prepared for some hard knocks mixed in with very encouraging results:-

 

Last year I'd a 2 y-o cock which had been 90th Open Ypres in 2009 as a yearling. He was my main 2010 candidate for Gold Cup. He injured his wing before 2010 racing had even started, and will never race again.

 

This year because my National candidates were being hit training in June, I decided to train my National pigeons at the beginning of the year timed when hen sparrowhawks and peregrines would be just down on their nests, and just use Fed races to give them roadwork. I got 7 to Hawick before they were hit, 4 home same day, 1 home injured next morning, and 2 never seen again - these were 3 y-o hens again main candidates for 2011 Gold Cup that had won 89th Open Reims and 90th Open Clermont in 2010. Off 5 that survived the attack, 1 dropped Eastbourne, 2 MIA in Nessac & remaining 2 are away to Tours.

 

And you can also expect to lose pigeons at this distance, 'bad' race or not. Its a long road, with seemingly no end in sight.

[Guest stb-]

will have to disagree with danny on this. 1 some of john bosworths yearlings will be on national results as 2 year olds i would bet my bottom dollar on that. 2 as for 2 and 3 year olds not making nat result i also think is wrong as i will prove next year.i don,t need till next year my 1st bird home eastbourne a 2 year old.i agree about buying a good stock pair from a fancier that has proved time and again his birds are good enough to score at the top of nationals . or go to the S.N.F.C. SALE AT NEW MAINS ON SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER.

yes i would defo say some of bozzys birds will score as 2 and 3 yr olds,, though the amount of birds evading raptors untill 3 now is getting less and less all the time ,, also i think older birds do get flyer to the hawks which in turn can put them down for days and they only end up homming , the point with yearlings is they might not be as smart as the older birds and try and keep hammering home but after a few near misses a lot wil slow up aswell

[geordie1234]

Yip i will defo be at that sale to try and get my hands on some top pigeons to breed from! I currently have a pair of sitters on eggs from a hen that was 3rd open ypres so i will breed the ar se of them

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

Yip i will defo be at that sale to try and get my hands on some top pigeons to breed from! I currently have a pair of sitters on eggs from a hen that was 3rd open ypres so i will breed the ar se of them

 

No doubt at this sale there is the best of best on offer.I went once though and when seeing how much the bird I liked went for I kinnae thought...eh naw!!!

 

I spoke to the guy direct,he turned out to be a complete gent.I spent an afternoon with him,his wife and his pigeons-I was lucky enough to purchase 6 latebreds direct out of the pigeons he had timed that year from the channel all for hundreds of £££s less than what I would have paid for that one pigeon that Sunday in September

 

Two youngsters out of those latebreds have won in the club this year,one was my first pigeon from Eastbourne and one I am very hopeful of getting from Ypres.

 

I am on the same boat as yersel though-trying to build a team.As stated by others it takes time and there is no set formula to get there.

 

All the best anyway GEO

[geordie1234]

No doubt at this sale there is the best of best on offer.I went once though and when seeing how much the bird I liked went for I kinnae thought...eh naw!!!

 

I spoke to the guy direct,he turned out to be a complete gent.I spent an afternoon with him,his wife and his pigeons-I was lucky enough to purchase 6 latebreds direct out of the pigeons he had timed that year from the channel all for hundreds of £££s less than what I would have paid for that one pigeon that Sunday in September

 

Two youngsters out of those latebreds have won in the club this year,one was my first pigeon from Eastbourne and one I am very hopeful of getting from Ypres.

 

I am on the same boat as yersel though-trying to build a team.As stated by others it takes time and there is no set formula to get there.

 

All the best anyway GEO

 

Cheers for the reply m8!

 

You will probably find most fanciers you speak to are more than happy to help well the guys ive met in this sport so far have been complete gents!

[big blue bar]

only way to build a team is to stopp all your yearling at 300 miles. put them buy for the year .i know its tempting to try them further but you ll lose more than you ll get back . i know guys are timing in yearlings in from accross the water but how much birds do these fanciers keep ?

[OLDYELLOW]

my old bird section is 8 x 6 houses 16 pair theres a few sprinters in there that fly up to 245 miles , timed yearling from 500+ and kept them and won year after with them , but i think it takes too much out of them imo but yearling up to 350 miles seems to work for me

[Guest challengerlofts]

It's on their blood as a distance pigeons. There's a lot of many out there as a distance flyer. I'm waiting as well for their advice.

[JohnQuinn]

Starting almost from scratch in 2002, it took me until 2005 to get winning birds from over the Channel. I consider that to be Very Quick results for distance racing. However whilst i have birds that will put up Top individual performances i don't have a team that can compete in All the Distance races available to me.

In saying that i now have i (believe!!!) birds that will make this coming season my best ever breeding season.

[Whats it called Cumbernauld]

We are coming up for our 3rd year in our 5 year plan since starting back in the sport and its going very well so far and we have lots to look forward to nest season :-)