Is It All Worth It ? Training

[eastcoaster]

I set aside 8 pigeons for the 1st national as I did last year , I now have 1 left to race ! I have lost 4 and 3 are ripped up all from training and all 2 year olds all raced their breeding were class 2 bred by John Houston and one out of Gareth Rankin good hen (g/d) all gone . My Maidstone sect cock out and another that would have been in same result if timed ripped up .

How do you carry on when as I am sheet scared to train them , I have been down before but this is so hard to take now .

I know some of you guys have lost better pigeons than I could wish for but how do you carry on sending birds you know are good enough but don't make it .

Not long now I fear .

And to make it worse the hibs are getting humped lol.

[dal2]

I set aside 8 pigeons for the 1st national as I did last year , I now have 1 left to race ! I have lost 4 and 3 are ripped up all from training and all 2 year olds all raced their breeding were class 2 bred by John Houston and one out of Gareth Rankin good hen (g/d) all gone . My Maidstone sect cock out and another that would have been in same result if timed ripped up .

How do you carry on when as I am sheet scared to train them , I have been down before but this is so hard to take now .

I know some of you guys have lost better pigeons than I could wish for but how do you carry on sending birds you know are good enough but don't make it .

Not long now I fear .

And to make it worse the hibs are getting humped lol.

Don't train them!. I lost a yearling cock to the peregrine around the loft this afternoon it just ain't worth it

[eastcoaster]

Don't train them!. I lost a yearling cock to the peregrine around the loft this afternoon it just ain't worth it

Is that 2 then , lol

[greenbar]

most feds up to 200mls now.fly ing the loft for would be enough,a case of just keeping them ticking over.but stay with them when they are out ,if possible,that way u have a chance . :emoticon-0179-headbang:

[andy Burgess]

Don't train them!. I lost a yearling cock to the peregrine around the loft this afternoon it just ain't worth it

 

 

i came to that conclusion a few years ago , ok , might not score as often , yet less heart-ache

[W.D.]

I know what its like, try keeping training to a minimum, not easy when you fly natural and the birds are shut up for most of the day.

Found that the attacks tend to happen at certain periods especially with the Sparrow Hawk, and calms down by June, don't know about the Peregrine.

One year I had 9 out of 15 injured or hawked by June, and have a 5yr old cock that has never had a full season's racing yet due to Hawks.

Hope you are able to get a way around it.

[eastcoaster]

i came to that conclusion a few years ago , ok , might not score as often , yet less heart-ache

You have hit it on the head for me Andy , I fly in one of the toughest clubs in Scotland (my opinion) and wanted to compete but with work and not being a driver I was up against it but the hawks have taken their toll , I have always said I am aiming at national racing but how do you mold a team of birds when they constantly are ripped apart by the bop . I know many have said the same but it has really done me in lately .

I love my pigeons but hurts when they come home ripped apart .

[andy Burgess]

You have hit it on the head for me Andy , I fly in one of the toughest clubs in Scotland (my opinion) and wanted to compete but with work and not being a driver I was up against it but the hawks have taken their toll , I have always said I am aiming at national racing but how do you mold a team of birds when they constantly are ripped apart by the bop . I know many have said the same but it has really done me in lately .

I love my pigeons but hurts when they come home ripped apart .

 

i class myself as a "pigeon lover" more than a racer Colin . dont get me wrong , love to win a card, yet hate losing them . my second training toss for mine is ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, the first race .

[yeboah]

I Know where your coming from Colin ,far from easy nowadays

Mine are all celibate at present ,had a few on natural till last weekend

Absolutely no need to train

Keep the protein of them and they will exercise all you wish

Loads of tricks you can play to motivate them to hold their own with anyone

We have no option nowadays to change our systems thus giving our birds the best chance of survival

Good luck Friend ,Keep the chin up

Atb Mick

[airdrie2]

I set aside 8 pigeons for the 1st national as I did last year , I now have 1 left to race ! I have lost 4 and 3 are ripped up all from training and all 2 year olds all raced their breeding were class 2 bred by John Houston and one out of Gareth Rankin good hen (g/d) all gone . My Maidstone sect cock out and another that would have been in same result if timed ripped up .

How do you carry on when as I am sheet scared to train them , I have been down before but this is so hard to take now .

I know some of you guys have lost better pigeons than I could wish for but how do you carry on sending birds you know are good enough but don't make it .

Not long now I fear .

And to make it worse the hibs are getting humped lol.

could be the sparrow hawk nest at airdrie end of the village colin nest box on phone mast back of snack bar apptly named eh

[Guest stb-]

well if every one buys an eagle owl and it accidentally escapes and the country is flooded with them ,,,, it is the peri,s only threat and the old owl likes the taste of peri, lol

The eagle owl has several ecological characteristics in common with the peregrine falcon. Both of them are efficient predators, opportunists actually, that feed on a big variety on prey. Both of them used to brood on cliffs. And they both were extinct from the most of Europe at one point. The eagle owl was the first to go, about 100 years ago. They were hunted because hunters saw them as competitors. But they were also killed or captured alive to attract other predators (such as peregrines) in order to kill them. It even went so far that books were written on the subject. The peregrine’s downfall came after the war, due to the development of the chemical industry. Dangerous pesticides ended up in the food chain and ultimately poisoned the peregrine falcons. The result was the same for both species; both of them were extinct throughout the most of Europe. And although humans were at the cause of this, humans also helped the species make their return, by changing legislation that guarantee their protection. Important programs were set up to reintroduce birds bred in captivity to the wild.

 

 

But peregrines and eagle owls do differ in size. And an eagle owl is capable of eating a peregrine. He is an apex predator: no other species can capture the eagle owl. The female (who just like in the case of peregrines is bigger than the male) can weigh up to 4 kg. The eagle owl eats almost anything, as long as the prey weighs less than he does. And it doesn’t matter if the prey flies or runs, swims, or has already died. The eagle owl also still needs cliffs to build a nest. Even though this situation might still evolve.

 

Because of the similarities between peregrines and eagle owls we study the dynamics between both species. The comparisons are very interesting from an ecological point of view and help us to protect these species.

 

This year, the number of eagle owl couples in Belgium will most likely be more than 100. Most of them live south of the valley of the Samber and Meuse. Since short, two couples also nest in Flanders.

 

The nests count between 1 and 4 chicks. On average, eagle owls have less chicks than peregrines. They mostly capture black crows and pigeons, including wood pigeons. But when we visit the nests for ringing purposes we also often see rats, hedgehogs and foxes.

[dunc50]

and,, expletive remove a history lesson ,,, the eagle owl is *expletive removed* all like the peregrine, it is an opportunist hunter and mainly hunts at dusk and yes they would take the od doo of the loft but you would never get grief on race or training days, the RSPB have been quick to remove any that have escaped in to the British countryside as the were taking peregrines of there roosts at dusk, if a predator has no threat in the wild it becomes a plague

[ALF]

We haven't trained ourselves all this year too dodgy to go any distance yourself because you know if you get banged it's your doos that are getting it

We have had a good few tosses but always in the fed transporter or we have took them and liberated near the transporter on training days as we think it is better to have some cover although that might not suit everyone either???

[bibendium]

We haven't trained ourselves all this year too dodgy to go any distance yourself because you know if you get banged it's your doos that are getting it

We have had a good few tosses but always in the fed transporter or we have took them and liberated near the transporter on training days as we think it is better to have some cover although that might not suit everyone either???

 

Found the opposite Alan, went with Ayrshire fed transporter twice just before the seson started and got hammered twice, , private training had a few hits but nothing serious,as you say we are all experiancing different things no right or wrong answers.

[Guest stb-]

and,, expletive remove a history lesson ,,, the eagle owl is *expletive removed* all like the peregrine, it is an opportunist hunter and mainly hunts at dusk and yes they would take the od doo of the loft but you would never get grief on race or training days, the RSPB have been quick to remove any that have escaped in to the British countryside as the were taking peregrines of there roosts at dusk, if a predator has no threat in the wild it becomes a plague

the peregrine a plague to now , the post was about them being resident 100 years ago and the fact that it states they will kill peregrines . Top of the food chain .

 

Have you got your pair yet

[Guest stb-]

Found the opposite Alan, went with Ayrshire fed transporter twice just before the seson started and got hammered twice, , private training had a few hits but nothing serious,as you say we are all experiancing different things no right or wrong answers.

it down to wrong place at wrong time . I know bloke who halved his team and sent to dunbar and elsrickle on tuesday . He lost a 2 yr old at dunbar and had two back that night no wing and tail , he lost 5 at elsrickle which have flown every race this year and had two return yesterday both ripped to bits . It makes no diffo where you go just your donald duck

 

it down to wrong place at wrong time . I know bloke who halved his team and sent to dunbar and elsrickle on tuesday . He lost a 2 yr old at dunbar and had two back that night no wing and tail , he lost 5 at elsrickle which have flown every race this year and had two return yesterday both ripped to bits . It makes no diffo where you go just your donald duck

the wrong place and wrong time is now becoming every where and every time unfortunatly

[moscow master]

Never mind training even around the loft am getting plagued just now it's at the stage if their out the loft their at risk

[Delboy]

Ive said it before, one weekend could sort it if everybody played the game

[Guest Vosteve]

Never mind training even around the loft am getting plagued just now it's at the stage if their out the loft their at risk

Anyone tried "single up"?

 

Do they get hit on their own? What are the percentages versus your normal flock?

 

Cheers

[Roland]

I've said it before, one weekend could sort it if everybody played the game Spot bon Delboy. Too much bleating and no helping ones self.

There weren't never ever Knights in white shiney armour that Helped any damsel in distress ... like wise our pigeons. Down to each other and keeping stum.

[dunc50]

the peregrine a plague to now , the post was about them being resident 100 years ago and the fact that it states they will kill peregrines . Top of the food chain .

 

Have you got your pair yet

Lol 😠no chance I rear peasants and partridges for winter sport a don't need a eagle owl sitting in every tree with a knife and fork, but if it would help ease the peri problem I would put up with them, at the end o the day if your a raptor in the UK your better and safer than the queens corgi's its sad times in this country

[Novice]

Ive said it before, one weekend could sort it if everybody played the game

Spot on but I feel we should have a full week's campaign just to make sure the job is done properly. We need to remember that they will have a supply of kills around the nest cashed for harder times. I have lost 10 on 2 tosses from areas which I have always considered as "safe liberation sites"

[BANDIT]

Over here in IRELAND we have the same problems..............training getting attacked every toss sparrow hawk attacks arround the loft....ive 2 broken up today 1 missing and another one that came back bruised from during the week ...........something has got to be done to control the over population of both of these bop

[Bobby4]

Over here in IRELAND we have the same problems..............training getting attacked every toss sparrow hawk attacks arround the loft....ive 2 broken up today 1 missing and another one that came back bruised from during the week ...........something has got to be done to control the over population of both of these bop

Sick an tired of listening to it

[ally mac]

Anyone tried "single up"?

 

Do they get hit on their own? What are the percentages versus your normal flock?

 

Cheers

 

I started single tossing a few birds a few weeks ago, every one of them home every day. Any time I put them up together was guaranteed to loose at least one. Problem is the time it takes.