Old Birds & Darkness

[sapper756]

I currently have a few spare yearling hens that I plan to race, my problem is, they are housed in the young bird loft, and I intend to darken my youngsters, what affect will the darkness have on these yearling hens? my other option is to keep them in the aviary over night while the loft is darkenedhttp://forum.pigeonbasics.org/public/style_emoticons/default/emoticon-0138-thinking.gif what do you think folks?

[Wiley]

Sapper it is all dependant on how long you are looking to race these hens. Many organisations now have a old hens national which is raced in conjunction with there young bird national usually September time. However that being said in theory you leave the hens on the darkness till 3 weeks prior to the event you wish for them to specialise in. But you can still do the darkness even if you won't be racing them into the young bird program, but in my opinion it is not Nessecary

[Tony C]

http://www.syndicatelofts.com/gerard-and-bas-verkerk-different-location-same-top-performances-part-2-of-4/

 

 

For 10 years the family Verkerk have been darkening the old pigeons (cocks and hens). In 2012… from early March until the end of April… and from 6 pm until 8 am the lofts were in semi-darkness. From the end of July they got extra light… from 5 am until 10 pm it was light in the lofts. They use ordinary energy saving bulbs… and not bulbs with nitrogen, as sometimes is suggested.

After the last race, the lights are turned off… and at basketing for that last race, most pigeons have cast 4 to 5 flights. Because of the extra light, the flight feathers are changed usually… but the wing coverts are not cast.

[andyyy]

A fellow club member races his old hens on darkness, Say it keeps them well and stops them from pairing/laying he get them from the long races (: