Questions For Andy Burgess

[walterboswell59]

andy ive seen you getting some great results with your widowhood birds

i fly natural and im interested in how you guys work it so here is some

questions to get us going m8

first why did you choose widowhood as your method of racing

2nd does all cocks and breeds take to it or are some families better than others

3rd how do you pick a pooler with birds that should all be in the same condition

4th how do you train a widowhood cock

5 how do you stop them being bored and just homing how offten do you show the hen

6 how far do you race them out and when do you stop them

7 have you found it any different racing in to scotland than racing into wales

ok andy that will do for now take as long as you like with each question m8

and guys no butting in till the mans done fire away andy

[andy Burgess]

ok pal here goes ,have kept pigeons 9 years now and moved 4 times .I first raced natural too ,not very well though that was probably in-experience. I was getting beaten weekly by the widowhood men , so thought that must be the way to go.so a year later on widowhood ,still getting beat

so in answer to your first question ,the thing I did learn in those first 3 years that "widowhood" style racing suited me and my conditions of health and location .I wouldn't class my performances as great ,yet I am now in a position to find myself more competitive than before at club level .

[andy Burgess]

I like the 2nd question , because in all honesty ive never thought of it that way ?? do all cock,s take to it or all breeds ? I would have answered yes before , yet I haven't been able to keep all the families ive brought in or all that ive bred .ive tried most popular breeds in recent years (not all) and most have fallen by the wayside ,again that may be me not the birds . I have a few "families" here , and that may bring a picture of large stock huts , its not so ,a buscheart, 1 van reet ,1 vandenbeele ,etc etc . so to try & sum it up I would say most will adapt to it , yet like any racing method they've got to be good to start with

[andy Burgess]

3rd question ? = how do you pick a pooler ?

 

again I hope to answer this as honestly as I can .our club has 2 betting options only , star pool and nom. to win the star pool your selected bird has to win the club ,think ive only managed to get that right 3 times this year (from memory),sometimes being surprised by another loft mate winning instead, yet won it a good few times last season .the nom is self explanatory. selection for each comes down to the old nugget "observation" ,always looking out for a sign from "the pigeon" itself to let YOU know which one to choose ,wether that sign be ,flying differently ,or longer , or leaving its meal or etc etc.

 

as a footnote ALF taught me what to look for in a brief answer in a PM about 6 years or more ago

[andy Burgess]

answer to 4th question .

 

how do you train a widow cock ,ive told a few , and think most of that few didn't believe me anyway ,wonder if you will Walter ?? I train them "once" before the racing season .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ok theres more to getting them fit first , but as for training that really is it for ME , just once.

[geordie1234]

Alf send me the same pm lol

[andy Burgess]

question 5 how do you stop them being bored ,how often do you show the hen ?

 

answer to them becoming bored , the answer is "I don't know" ?? they've never told me they were bored , and I cant say I have looked at them and come away thinking theyre bored ? back in Wales and here in Scotland they have been split from the hen from as early as first week in March ,raced through the season out to 440 + miles 2 week,s before the youngbird racing starts and won from first to last ? (unfortunately not all race-points won in 1 season)

 

they see the hen on a Saturday when they return .

[andy Burgess]

question 6 ,how far do you race them out ?

 

have sort of answered this earlier ,when back in Wales they went out to 440 miles (longest fed race) it was at 1 time 515 miles but dropped by the fed due to lack of support up here just as far as Maidstone at 360 mile (yet ,to be truthful as I write , I paired them for Maidstone , and failed miserably at 7th club )

 

for you Walter I know J.Combe (midnight-son) sent widowers over the water this year , and done well.

[Fly_caster]

Great stuff Andy - and Walter - many thanks for the info.

 

Steve

[walterboswell59]

well done andy do you think its any different racing into scotland and what has been your best bird so far and what has it done

[buster151]

another great thread

[andy Burgess]

question 7 , different racing here in Scotland compared to Wales ??

 

yes in many , many ways . I watched with great interest here on Basics the racing in Scotland ,especially stories of the losses the causes behind it , some of the velocities over the same sort of distances on the same day were sometimes real "eye openers" . my first club was 1 of the largest in the fed ,a small area club with a radius for membership around 2 miles, the next club with just 17 members was all in a Mile radius ,both hard clubs to win in .here we have club members 7 miles East of us ,so a much larger area. many other things like cost of feeding up here ,more expensive etc etc.

 

 

think that's it , hope ive done ok ??

[walterboswell59]

thanks for the insight andy you were first class m8 not so easy when your in the chair pal well done

[andy Burgess]

thanks for the insight andy you were first class m8 not so easy when your in the chair pal well done

 

would also like to say Walter , most of what I have learned has been begged ,stolen, or borrowed .not to say I haven't had the odd "good idea" .some of which I know I have read in books, yet mostly by asking site members on Basics the odd question , best info I ever got off "Mosslands 1" , "Owen" has given me a few tip,s over the years ,have been helped by many more too including "Wiley,ALF,Sammy ,and Harky " and yourself Wattie .all have leped me make the move from North Wales Novice to andy Burgess (pigeon fancier)

[walterboswell59]

would also like to say Walter , most of what I have learned has been begged ,stolen, or borrowed .not to say I haven't had the odd "good idea" .some of which I know I have read in books, yet mostly by asking site members on Basics the odd question , best info I ever got off "Mosslands 1" , "Owen" has given me a few tip,s over the years ,have been helped by many more too including "Wiley,ALF,Sammy ,and Harky " and yourself Wattie .all have leped me make the move from North Wales Novice to andy Burgess (pigeon fancier)

good for you andy

[Guest stb-]

for widowhood G.W.P macs are the ones to ask

[Ian McKay]

What a brilliant topic Thanks to Walter for asking and Thanks to Andy for his replies I found it a brilliant read :emoticon-0137-clapping:

[walterboswell59]

for widowhood G.W.P macs are the ones to ask

aye but will they tell ye rab lol

 

good for you andy

thats how we all learned pal

[VMS]

What a brilliant topic Thanks to Walter for asking and Thanks to Andy for his replies I found it a brilliant read :emoticon-0137-clapping:

Agree well done to both party's

[andy Burgess]

What a brilliant topic Thanks to Walter for asking and Thanks to Andy for his replies I found it a brilliant read :emoticon-0137-clapping:

thank you Ian .

 

Agree well done to both party's

thanks Vinnie .

[William Reid]

Well done Andy

[Kyleakin Lofts]

Enjoying these Q & A sessions lads.

[THE FIFER]

Great stuff Andy - and Walter - many thanks for the info.

 

Steve

 

 

[andy Burgess]

Well done Andy

thanks Billy and all .

 

Enjoying these Q & A sessions lads.

hoping to do more soon Andy ,don't have to be a top loft just a back garden fancier like myself .

 

having said that would dearly love some of the top flying members we have on site to do a Q & A session ?

[wullybhoy]

Good to read and learn from thanks for the info