Laurent Sauvage Of Awirs Q & A By Oldyellow

[OLDYELLOW]

I started a bit of a question and answer session with Laurent Sauvage , and asked him if he would be as kind to part take in a fresh one , of which he agreed . Laurent lives in the French speaking part of Belgium called Awirs and was 3rd young bird champion , he only specialises in Young bird flying , in my opinion we here pair up far too early , so in order to get a good comparison Laurent and I will have a question and answer session , I will try to squeeze as much information as I can to help both novices and old hands alike . Below is some results for Laurent in 2011

 

3rd young bird champion Awirs

 

http://www.star-pigeons.com/Colombophiles/Sauvage%20Laurent/2011-%20Laurent%20Sauvage.htm

 

In July 2011, his young pigeons realize great benefits. 02-07 Nanteuil: Alliance of Six: 680 young people: 2, 3, 34, 37, 39, 40, 45, 61 , 100, 107, 115, 132 , 136, 203, 204, 206 (16 prices 22 committed) 09-07 Melun: Alliance of Six: 471 young people: 2, 8, 17, 27, 40, 47 , 62, 93, 106, 126 (10 prices 19 committed) --- 4th of 1398 youth in Independent 16-07 Angerville: Alliance of Six: 244 young people: 4, 11 , 33, 52, 58 (5 price 14 committed) --- 30th 1539 Provincial Youth 16-07 Mariembourg: Alliance of Six: 460 Youth: 1, 2, 3, 14 (4 price of 4 committed) 21-07 Compiegne Alliance of Six: 126 young people: 2, 8, 12 , 15, 16, 28 ( 6 price of 10 committed) --- 6th 1011 Provincial Youth 23-07 Chateauroux: Alliance of Six: 108 Youth: 24, 31 (2 price of 4 committed) 23-07 Chimay: Alliance of Six: 601 young people: 2, 3,5,8,30 , 92142142 (8 of 9 price involved) or 51 82 incurred cost including 28 by 10 The 6117421/2011 (see photo) (Wellens Itegem purchased from Link) is the star of the colony with seven awards, including: Momignies 8 / 702, 40/680 Nanteuil, Melun 18/1398, Mariembourg 3 / 460, Compiègne 6 / 1011, Chimay 3 / 601

 

Welcome to Pigeon Basics Laurent Sauvage

 

Here's my first question

 

Q.When do you put your breeders together to raise young birds ????

[Laurent Sauvage]

Thank you.

 

My breeders are together since the 26th November.

[OLDYELLOW]

When do you expect them to lay , and at what age do you remove the young birds ????

[Laurent Sauvage]

Most of them have laid between the 3rd and the 6th December.

 

The young birds are removed when they are 25 days old.

[OLDYELLOW]

Prior to breeding your young birds do you give your breeding stock any special treatment and what feed do you feed your breeders , also what is a must to breed healthy robust young birds ????

[Laurent Sauvage]

Since this year, I give a prebiotic in the water (Regular Oligosaccharides for Normalizing the Intestin) five days a week. And this every week of the year.

 

This is not special for the breeders but it helps them.

 

3 Weeks before pairing, I light the birds until 9.30 PM

 

15 Days before pairing pigeons, I begin to give them Fertibol (calcium, phosphorus and vitamins A, D and E).

 

When breeders are on eggs, I treat them against canker.

 

A grit mixture is always available in the loft.

 

Breeders are fed with Versele Laga Breeding Yellow (Extra French Maize yellow 30%, Extra Wheat 18%, Dari 6%, Milocorn 5%, Peas mixture 21%, Australian peas 8%, Cardy 4%, Vetches 2,5%, Toasted soya beans 2%, Rice 1,5%, Buckwheat 1%, Black rapeseed 1%)

 

But the most important thing for breeding healthy robust young birds is to breed with healthy and robust breeders. The most beautiful girl in the world can only give what she has.

[OLDYELLOW]

When you wean your young birds to there own loft what preparations do you make for them ???? what feed do you wean them on and at what stage do you lighten there feed or does your feeding remain the same ??

[Laurent Sauvage]

When they come into their new loft, I show them where they can drink.

It's really important ton ensure they drink the first days.

 

Young birds continue to receive the same food until 3 weeks after the weaning.

 

Then, they receive Versele Laga Sport Yellow (Extra French Maize yellow 40%, Extra Wheat 23%, Peas mixture 20%, Australian peas 2%, Milocorn 7%, Dari 4%, Cardy 3%, Vetches 1%).

 

They receive food 2 times per day.

They have all the food they want but I remove it as soon as the first birds go to drink.

 

I use a whistle each time I give them food.

By this way, I get a classical conditioning (Pavlov) useful for a fast trapping.

 

If young birds don't fly well after some weeks, I lighten (quantity) a little bit their feed.

[OLDYELLOW]

Do you treat your young birds for anything once weaned or any vaccinations ????

[Laurent Sauvage]

They are not treated for anything else but they receive the prebiotic.

They are vaccinated with colombovac pmv pox.

 

They are treated with Flagyl one week before the first trainings.

If they fly well, this is the only treatment they receive during the season.

[OLDYELLOW]

You fly your young birds on the darkness system , do you darken the loft and between what times and when do you take them off the darkness ????

[Laurent Sauvage]

They are in the dark between 6:00 PM and 8:00 AM from March to the end of May.

[OLDYELLOW]

Do you exercise once or twice a day your young birds around your loft and what times and how long for ???

[Laurent Sauvage]

Once a day until end of May, as soon as I come back from work (between 4:00 PM and 5:00PM).

And after twice a day. As soon as possible in the morning and at 5:00 PM.

[OLDYELLOW]

What date is your first race and when do you start to road training your young birds ???

[Laurent Sauvage]

The first race is in Mid-May.

I start to road train them in the second week of April.

 

I train them more or less 15 times before the first race.

[OLDYELLOW]

How many miles would you train for a first toss and would you return to the same spot more than once , and how far do you train them up to in this period before the first race ?

[Laurent Sauvage]

The distance for the first toss is nearly 2 miles.

If they don't come back fast enough, they return to the same spot.

The last training is nearly 28 miles.

[OLDYELLOW]

After the first race do you continue training or is it not needed , if you do how many times and how far each week ????

[Laurent Sauvage]

In 2010, I have trained minimum 3 times per week (28 miles) and the results were good.

In 2011, I have never trained between 2 races and the results were even better.

[OLDYELLOW]

Darkness young birds will start there second moult or the big moult during the racing season , in order to stop this when do you add lights to your young birds to make them hold there wing ???

[Laurent Sauvage]

From the 21st June, they are lightened.

[OLDYELLOW]

During racing do you use any vitamins , garlic or cider vinegar or any other products ???

[Laurent Sauvage]

I don't use cider vinegar.

 

In 2010, following an experience from Ad Schaerlaeckens, I gave vitamins to half of my pigeons.

The results of those who did not received it were the same.

 

So, I have not used vitamins in 2011.

 

There are garlic extracts in the Roni (prebiotic).

[OLDYELLOW]

You fly your young birds on a widowhood method when do you split the sexes up ???? and do you let them together before training or just before basketing or both ???? and do you use any other forms of motivation such as letting them pair and rear ???