Widowhood Hens

[Wiley]

Next season I will be giving 8-10 widowhood hens a crack. My thoughts are racing them on the darkness system, darkening from the beginning of march till 3 weeks before the race I wish for them to excel at which would be Stonehaven roughly under 400 miles. They will be trained touch wood daily, and flown round the house of an evening. Those that have raced widowhood hens how have you found the raced while being darkened? Is there anything you noted when flying hens? Most people who know me knows I am fanatical about different types of feed do you feel widowhood hens need to be fed different to cocks? I must stress that I want them to be competitive from short 70mls upto 300-400 mile Mark on the north road.

[Guest The Newbie]

We raced some hens this season they won 2/3races and were 2nd in the other our hens were miles better than the cocks

[dal2]

Next season I will be giving 8-10 widowhood hens a crack. My thoughts are racing them on the darkness system, darkening from the beginning of march till 3 weeks before the race I wish for them to excel at which would be Stonehaven roughly under 400 miles. They will be trained touch wood daily, and flown round the house of an evening. Those that have raced widowhood hens how have you found the raced while being darkened? Is there anything you noted when flying hens? Most people who know me knows I am fanatical about different types of feed do you feel widowhood hens need to be fed different to cocks? I must stress that I want them to be competitive from short 70mls upto 300-400 mile Mark on the north road.

Are you keeping them in widow hens boxs? Feeding is easier cos you can sus who is eating wot??

 

The calmness and rest of the darkened end seems to help recovery and retention of energy?

[Wiley]

Are you keeping them in widow hens boxs? Feeding is easier cos you can sus who is eating wot??

 

The calmness and rest of the darkened end seems to help recovery and retention of energy?

 

Dal, I was very fortunate Frank Tasker was a very good friend of mine, the base of the system will be how he showed me how to do it and prepare them, the only difference I will be doing is keeping them boxed for simplicity and training them on a regular basis but thats open to debate as if there putting the work round home it might not be needed.Feeding wise I am not keen on feeding in boxes anymore like I was yesteryear for a number of reasons. The idea of darking old birds is as you say for rest but also if you take them off the dark 3-4 weeks before an important race there form should in theory peak atthe right time.

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

Have you seen the Freddy Vanderheede video on racing hens and youngsters??

 

I liked the nest boxes he used for his hens.Quite a clever idea I thought

[Wiley]

Lewis, no I havent

[Guest stb-]

Dal, I was very fortunate Frank Tasker was a very good friend of mine, the base of the system will be how he showed me how to do it and prepare them, the only difference I will be doing is keeping them boxed for simplicity and training them on a regular basis but thats open to debate as if there putting the work round home it might not be needed.Feeding wise I am not keen on feeding in boxes anymore like I was yesteryear for a number of reasons. The idea of darking old birds is as you say for rest but also if you take them off the dark 3-4 weeks before an important race there form should in theory peak atthe right time.

i dont think you will have to train them much the hens will fly for hours on end at excersise session they work the sky very hard compared to cocks

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

Lewis, no I havent

 

I don't have a copy but had a couple featuring him on loan last year.

 

From memory I think the one on widowhood hen racing was made by Ray Knight.Worth the watching if you can get hold of it

 

He was asked why he chose to race hens only.He basically said he did not have time to race both sexes and had better hens at the time than he did cock birds so it made sense

[Tony C]

Lewis, no I havent

 

Steve M has it Ryan. I'll blag it for ya.

[Wiley]

Cheers son

[Guest Cawdy]

ive herd of darkening ob but never actualy tried it. dose it affect there wing moult similar to the to ybs or is is purely for rest and targeting forum ?

[T_T]

Steve M has it Ryan. I'll blag it for ya.

 

Cheers son

 

I reckon it's you two boys that should be put on darkness lol.

[Guest stb-]

Steve M has it Ryan. I'll blag it for ya.

 

Cheers son

 

I reckon it's you two boys that should be put on darkness lol.

is that a padded cell with know windows