Yb Falling Apart, Who Race'S Them Still?

[fred x]

If the pigeon is loosing it's last 3 flights, It tends to loose speed in the air,

I will send them no matter what flight they drop, as I do beleave they need to fly the channel as a baby. They may not win but will home! only if the new feather has broken thought, if not I will not send it.

[just ask me]

next year im going to keep racing them thinking going back on natural

[Guest WINGS 04]

When I start training my ybs the don't get back out the loft and I do that for the hole yb season no loft flying I do train them 3 times a week

[peter pandy]

I am extremely surprised that not one of you experts have mentioned cover flights as being one of the reasons for losses and how very important they are. If you will permit me I will endeavour to explain. When the 4th secondary is thrown the cover flights on top of them start to moult out. This is made worse when the heat in the transporter overnight accelarates this moult and birds can be liberated minus up to 10 cover feathers resulting in every downward wing beat losing 50% of lift. Therefore the cover flights are the most important flights on a pigeon. I made the comment when marking at the first young bird race that from 150 birds that I race rung I prophosised that if it was a difficult race then half the convoy was doomed !! it was and they were.

[K J Young]

It just astounds me that alot of fanciers send young birds to races at this time of year in such condition, you wouldn't send old birds to race badly on the head , tail feathers missing etc , then moan about having a bad race , always look in before looking out .