An Old Pal Has Asked Me

[walterboswell59]

have any tips for helping the darkness youngbirds get through the moult without having to use the light ive never had my birds on darkness so i dont know and said i would ask on basics for him i thought maybe butter milk as he had a few hold one or two flights from last year any tips guys the mans 82 and is not fit to go up and down to the lofts to switch lights on and off

[Harry0]

How did he get up and down to open and close curtains. Would the light not be easier for him to do

[walterboswell59]

How did he get up and down to open and close curtains. Would the light not be easier for him to do

think he stands on the bed

[paddymac]

quite a few fanciers that use the darkness system use buttermilk to get them through the moult Walter

[walterboswell59]

quite a few fanciers that use the darkness system use buttermilk to get them through the moult Walter

was all i could think of pat dont know if hemp seed would also help as i said ive never had birds on darkness

[greenlands]

Sedochol,wouldn't be without it.JMO.

[geordie1234]

Good grub and not too much...fat pigeons don't get a good moult and let them be..

.they will moult fine

[Tony C]

No need for lights or anything fancy (cant get my head around why lights would help). Let them out once a week for a bath is all that's needed.

[walterboswell59]

seems to be lots of different opinions on this subject no wonder old johns confused ill just stick to natural i think lol

[dal2]

seems to be lots of different opinions on this subject no wonder old johns confused ill just stick to natural i think lol

I stuck to natural for years, always blaming something for not using darkness, was sick of being last so have been using it for the last few years. The difference is obvious in the results and the condition of the birds is excellent.

 

I have an idea that if we don't breed from the yearlings early that it gives them a better chance in the racing season ahead. Don't know if this is P*** but it's my theory and I am sticking tae it lol

[maverick]

Lock them up and rest out once a week for a bath and they will be fine

[Tony C]

 

 

I have an idea that if we don't breed from the yearlings early that it gives them a better chance in the racing season ahead. Don't know if this is P*** but it's my theory and I am sticking tae it lol

I'm with you 100% on this. When you ask a baby to body moult twice in a year on top of being trained & raced it doesn't leave a lot in reserve.

[ALF]

I stuck to natural for years, always blaming something for not using darkness, was sick of being last so have been using it for the last few years. The difference is obvious in the results and the condition of the birds is excellent.

 

I have an idea that if we don't breed from the yearlings early that it gives them a better chance in the racing season ahead. Don't know if this is P*** but it's my theory and I am sticking tae it lol

We had 30 ybs on darkness this year 5 tosses before the 1st race 32 home still have 23 in the loft after all the fed races and both yb races and hope for 2 or even more home yet from today's race.

 

The question is run down the motorway umpteen times to try and win a yb race costing you a few quid in fuel or let the darkies out twice a day to fly like *expletive removed* maybies have the fed training every 2nd week and still be left with a few at the end of the season I know what my pick would be😂😂😂😂

 

I stuck to natural for years, always blaming something for not using darkness, was sick of being last so have been using it for the last few years. The difference is obvious in the results and the condition of the birds is excellent.

 

I have an idea that if we don't breed from the yearlings early that it gives them a better chance in the racing season ahead. Don't know if this is P*** but it's my theory and I am sticking tae it lol

We had 35 ybs on darkness this year 5 tosses before the 1st race 32 home still have 23 in the loft after all the fed races and both yb races and hope for 2 or even more home yet from today's race.

 

The question is run down the motorway umpteen times to try and win a yb race costing you a few quid in fuel or let the darkies out twice a day to fly like *expletive removed* maybies have the fed training every 2nd week and still be left with a few at the end of the season I know what my pick would be😂😂😂😂

 

Should be 35 expletive remove lol

[ALF]

Started with 35 darkies we have been to all the fed races and both yb national races and still have 22 in the loft just now run down the motorway all yeez want we'll still take our returns and let the guys burning rubber win all the yb races

[dal2]

We had 30 ybs on darkness this year 5 tosses before the 1st race 32 home still have 23 in the loft after all the fed races and both yb races and hope for 2 or even more home yet from today's race.

 

The question is run down the motorway umpteen times to try and win a yb race costing you a few quid in fuel or let the darkies out twice a day to fly like *expletive removed* maybies have the fed training every 2nd week and still be left with a few at the end of the season I know what my pick would be😂😂😂😂

 

 

We had 35 ybs on darkness this year 5 tosses before the 1st race 32 home still have 23 in the loft after all the fed races and both yb races and hope for 2 or even more home yet from today's race.

 

The question is run down the motorway umpteen times to try and win a yb race costing you a few quid in fuel or let the darkies out twice a day to fly like *expletive removed* maybies have the fed training every 2nd week and still be left with a few at the end of the season I know what my pick would be😂😂😂😂

 

Should be 35 expletive remove lol

It's darkie for me. I am learning and getting better each year with them.

 

I don't train during racing....but I might next year

[walterboswell59]

ive thought about it but to many saying they do nowt as yearlings for them i know others disagree but im not that desperate to win a youngbird race and i dont mean that in a bad way just prefer my yearlings to perform and find that a better guide as how they will do as old birds but never say never maybe one year ill try it

[geordie1234]

Walter u breed that early your are already on natural darkness

 

Darkness for me is a must because you can get more races into them meaning more experience

 

Noticed no difference to my darky yearlings this year scoring out to carentan etc

[andy Burgess]

yes Walter , you will have many diffferent answers , because many folk will answer. they are all RIGHT , non of them are wrong , all the above will work. to make it simpler for him , i would suggest locking them up for 2 weeks, dont even have the outer doors open . not overfeed , some seeds . miss a days feeding in around a week , keep the drinkers full. then look to get them out once a week for a bath , by this stage they will be chucking feathers out .

[walterboswell59]

Walter u breed that early your are already on natural darkness

 

Darkness for me is a must because you can get more races into them meaning more experience

 

Noticed no difference to my darky yearlings this year scoring out to carentan etc

still have to use the light for early breeding george hope your telling me the same thing when you have been on it for a few years m8 maybe then ill try it but i know lots of good flyers that have come off darkness because there performance dropped as the distance went out and there birds aged but everyone to there own im not knocking any system as they all work for someone and if its not broke dont fix it is my moto but thanks for all the replys guys

Edited September 11, 2015 by walterboswell59

[wav11]

They are only young birds for 1 year think about the rest of there life. IMO

[geordie1234]

Started with 35 darkies we have been to all the fed races and both yb national races and still have 22 in the loft just now run down the motorway all yeez want we'll still take our returns and let the guys burning rubber win all the yb races

So you put a team on the darkness bt not interested in winning yb races lol who's kidding who lol

[ALF]

So you put a team on the darkness bt not interested in winning yb races lol who's kidding who lol

We put them on darkness to test them and get them to the longer races as natural ybs wouldnae have managed it at their age most of them been to nearly all the fed races and a few to both yb national races too so it worked out fine...I've never been a hard trainer of yb's..

 

Ps...I cant afford the diesel money to run doon the motorway 20 times before racing starts ours had 5 tosses and into the 1st yb race with the lot of them

[dal2]

Have done half and half and some years haven't bothered but in my opinion it's good for winning and also for giving them the best chance of surviving whilst they are learning. I have dropped yearlings when I didn't expect to but then again I did that before the darkness system.

[geordie1234]

We put them on darkness to test them and get them to the longer races as natural ybs wouldnae have managed it at their age most of them been to nearly all the fed races and a few to both yb national races too so it worked out fine...I've never been a hard trainer of yb's..

 

Ps...I cant afford the diesel money to run doon the motorway 20 times before racing starts ours had 5 tosses and into the 1st yb race with the lot of them

Was only yankin your chain big yeen

 

Fk 20 tosses on your own ye widny make the yb racing

[greenbar]

Lock them up and rest out once a week for a bath and they will be fine

if u don,t have bath salts, what would u put in their bath,we use a wee bit of table salt, and a couple of spoonful of white vinegar.