Natural

[eastcoaster]

Surely when a system is interesting all year round with differing variables happening all the time it becomes more intense. Sifting the wheat from the chaff makes you a better and more knowledgeable fancier to my mind. If you are unable to observe what is happening in the loft then you can be missing an exceptional degree of form and pleasure knowing you were able to spot and act on your observation enabling your first bird home you have picked out beforehand with confidence in a race gives greater satisfaction than wondering why it performed so well. It may only do it once in its lifetime but you were able to recognise and act on it. Thats what Natural does and other systems dont.

Must admit natural is more interesting for me , cocks fighting you others jumping of nest , hens sitting 6eggs and so on , my opinion is that's how you find out about your birds quirks and learn your trade . Hate having hens locked in boxes for widow or roundabout but on plus side watching cocks roam and clap the sky's is incredible .

[peter pandy]

Well thats them all Hair wormed as per Belgica instructions and are handling perfect so will keep them on 100 grams Barley 300 grams Mix for 30 Birds and they can top up with Chicken Layers Pellets as much as they want. Each section also has 20 grams of "All in One" in the trough during feeding.

The Cocks are not flying so freely now as they know where the Hens are and are down clinging onto the aviary wire waiting for me to open the Hens trap to let them into the aviary. I think half of them have already chosen their mate for the year so should have no problems come the 23rd.

[Delboy]

Well thats them all Hair wormed as per Belgica instructions and are handling perfect so will keep them on 100 grams Barley 300 grams Mix for 30 Birds and they can top up with Chicken Layers Pellets as much as they want. Each section also has 20 grams of "All in One" in the trough during feeding.

The Cocks are not flying so freely now as they know where the Hens are and are down clinging onto the aviary wire waiting for me to open the Hens trap to let them into the aviary. I think half of them have already chosen their mate for the year so should have no problems come the 23rd.

 

I was going to comment but im not getting involved lol

Edited March 3, 2016 by Delboy

[Ian McKay]

Andy, Perhaps you can answer my dillema !. When writing a post there are times I have to look elsewher to ascertain my facts are correct, Yesterday was one of those days and I did not post immediately and went looking for further information so was on another site for about 20 minutes. Would I be correct in assuming that if you have not typed any further for a certain period of time the post deletes itself ?.

 

Sorry I am late with the reply

No Peter it will not save it if you move off without saving it

 

If you move off it to another site it will stay

 

If you move off to the same site it will disappear cause you have not saved it

[peter pandy]

I was going to comment but im not getting involved lol

 

Go on Derek You know you want to !!! LOL :emoticon-0136-giggle:

[peter pandy]

Sorry I am late with the reply

No Peter it will not save it if you move off without saving it

 

If you move off it to another site it will stay

 

If you move off to the same site it will disappear cause you have not saved it

 

That's a bit Irish to me Ian could you please be a bit more axplicit please !!.

[peter pandy]

I have had the Hens in the Aviary loft for 6 weeks now and this morning I have a couple laid so I just said to myself time to have you out off here. I brought the Cocks in at mid day and shifted them into one section and gave the Hens their freedom. Sounds like Braveheart.. anyway off they went tearing about the sky including those that laid last night and after a couple of hours they were back into the race loft and looking mighty pleased with themselves. For the remaining time before pairing I will treat them like roundabout to keep them fit.

[peter pandy]

I posted earlier that I had some really good performances from birds that had wintered out.

Memorable ones were a Red Hen who was something special. It all started with a drinking session at Macmerry in 1975 when I woke up in a lay bye around Tranent surrounded by eggs and squeekers on the seats. When I finished the journey home I staggered down to the loft and threw out all the eggs and replaced them with Eddie's. Went to bed and stayed in it for three days with alchohol poisoning.. Wife was not amused.. A week or two later the eggs started to hatch and it was a case of matching the hatching eggs with a nest that would have been doing likewise naturally.

A deep blood Red Cock was 18 days old and started treading the hen that was feeding him and it was obvious that this was going to be a once in a lifetime pigeon..It was the spitting image of Eddie's Red Rock, Fantastic is nothing like the superlatives I could exceed on.. At around a month old I had told Eddy about him and he asked me for a look so I took it over. Eddy had one look and asked for it back to which I replied that I had never in my life had a bird like this and it would break my heart to return it but as we had been friends for a number of years he gave me Marie his 1st Section 3rd Open Rennes winner when Bobby Kennedy won it in 1972. I was to take the first pair and Ed the second pair so I had two Red Hens And Ed had two dark Cheq Cocks from him and was chasing Marie for a 3rd round when he flew straight into my T.V. ariel breaking both legs his keel and vent bones. Mr Macrae the vet from Perth said he could nothing and it would be a kindness to put him down but I persuaded him to plaster the legs and I would fit up a hammock which I kept him in for six weeks. He seemed to recupriate and I decided to remove the plaster cast but his bones had not knitted with them being hollow above the joint and it was one of the saddest days of my life. He was the only Pigeon I have ever Buried.

[MIK]

That's a bit Irish to me Ian could you please be a bit more axplicit please !!.

 

Hi peter im enjoying this thread and love your stories and reading about your methods today and the past.

Please "a"xplain to me how that can be construed as "a bit Irish"

 

cheers

Mick

[geordie1234]

Hi peter im enjoying this thread and love your stories and reading about your methods today and the past.

Please "a"xplain to me how that can be construed as "a bit Irish"

 

cheers

Mick

[Kyleakin Lofts]

Hi peter im enjoying this thread and love your stories and reading about your methods today and the past.

Please "a"xplain to me how that can be construed as "a bit Irish"

 

cheers

Mick

Mick, I think the Irish speak too fast for Peter and Ian's instructions were too fast for him. He needs led by the hand where computers and the Irish are concerned. :D

[peter pandy]

Sorry I am late with the reply

No Peter it will not save it if you move off without saving it

 

If you move off it to another site it will stay

 

If you move off to the same site it will disappear cause you have not saved it

 

Mick, Please forgive me if I have insulted you or the Irish population by referring the above as "a bit Irish"..

It only means ....""Seems to make no sense but works perfectly""..

[Kyleakin Lofts]

Mick, Please forgive me if I have insulted you or the Irish population by referring the above as "a bit Irish"..

It only means ....""Seems to make no sense but works perfectly""..

 

Peter, I think Mick's at the wind up. :D

Edited March 5, 2016 by Kyleakin Lofts

[peter pandy]

I had to stop on post 208 as I had something in my eye but am now recovered.

The two Red Hens I had from the Red Rock lookalike were both different in their make up as one was slim built while the other was all chest and were both average size. They both went to the first young bird race from Locherbie 65 miles to me and the slim one won 1st club 3rd Fed 6,500 birds and never went in a basket again as I had lost her sire. She went on to breed a good number of 520 mile Combine Pigeons and 600 mile SNFC birds..Her sister the chesty red hen did not return till the start of old bird racing the following year round about May. It was obvious she had wintered out as every feather was frayed and tattered but she still had a reasonable body on her regardless of her travels in the missing 10 months. She paired to a cock and went down on eggs and I have to say she looked and handled well and when having a blether with I think Dennis Dall he said pigeons dont fly with their feathers but with their muscles which was a new look on things so I sent her after a few trainers where she came alright to a 230 miler where she astounded me by not only winning the club 300 birds but high up in the first 10 in the Fed. That was the end of her racing career as a yearling. At two she scored from Avaranches 520 miles and as three scored in Nantes 600 miles..

Another which comes to mind was a gift Van Der Espt which was lost at a young bird race and returned 7 months later also tattered and frayed one week prior to the First Old Bird Race so remembering past experiences I sent him to the race that week to be 1st club 5th Fed 4,000 birds and his next race was the Scottish Yearling Derby from Cheltenham where I sent him alone fully pooled. While waiting that day I had a phone call which had me leaving the loft for 20 minutes and when I returned he was in the loft sitting on his nest. Only 14 pigeons were clocked in in race time with his velocity being 399.8 he was the 15th home. Pools were returned and I was told if he had not been a full pooler they would have gave him his position. He also went on to score at 520 miles and was sold for 50Pence when I had to pack in.

To be perfectly honest I wish all my young birds would get lost and return after the Winter as they must have the iron constitution to survive. I would also save on the feeding bill.

[dal2]

15 birds frae 250?? Stinker

[peter pandy]

Aye you are bang on there Stevie. The best Yearlings in The Scottish Central Combine wiped out at 300 miles.

[peter pandy]

Another quiet day in the Metropolis doing crosswords etc with the Mrs when the peace and quiet was shattered with the arrival of family and Grand / Great Grand Weans for Mothers Day, Nobody told me, and the fact my Mrs is not my maw does not wash with my lot. A hasty retreat to the loft was called for so ended up putting the Hens oot fur a flee and straightening out a couple of feathers with the kettle. How they manage to bend them is beyond me ?.

[peter pandy]

Another beautiful day although minus 2c when I dumped the Hens out at 0800 but they were up and away for 30mts before returning to the area. Back in at mid-day and Cocks out for the afternoon. The Mrs and I went cutting rushes and I must appologise by writing in another post to cut them at 8ins lengths when it should be 4ins. any way we filled a garden bucket and that should see me through the first round nest material before repeating same for second round nest. I dont know about others but I normally put a small quantity of nest material in the nest bowl then scatter a handfull on the floor for them to continue nest building and will encourage them daily till material is not being lifted then stop it for a couple of days and start dropping material on the floor again and normally this encourages them to start building again. I will on occasion have some nests 6ins higher than the nest bowl with a degree of difficulty for the birds to get onto their nests but that can keep them attentive.

At present my nest boxes are closed with a 6ins portion on the front where I have a 4ins square wooden block for them to stand on. This block does not move as their is a 4ins nail hammered into the middle of the bottom then grinding off the nail head and a 1/4 ins hole drilled into the nest box floor so it cannot be knocked out the box but allows it to rotate when claning out. Something I picked up when at C.J's. One week before pairing I will remove the nest box fronts as they are not required with my pairing up methods.

Cocks are on 1/4 Barley 3/4 mix..Hens on 1/3 Barley 2/3 Mix.

[peter pandy]

I was wondering if anyone had experienced a young bird flyaway yet ?. My wee girl was in the day and was asking if I had any youngsters yet to which I replied I have not paired up yet. She was saying that she remembered in 1973 when I lost them all What happened was the youngsters were up for the very first time and were all on the loft roof. I cleaned out and when returning back outside they were nowhere to be seen. At the back of my loft was the main railway line with a shunters siding beyond, where the coal trains from Boness Pit would pull and shove up the hill, dump the wagons and return to Boness, Another train would come along and hook up the wagons and take them to wherever in Britain.

On looking over the fence there was my 40 youngsters sitting on top of the coal when a train coupled up and left with them all stupidly sitting there. Last seen heading West and never seen again.

[Guest johnhunter]

I was wondering if anyone had experienced a young bird flyaway yet ?. My wee girl was in the day and was asking if I had any youngsters yet to which I replied I have not paired up yet. She was saying that she remembered in 1973 when I lost them all What happened was the youngsters were up for the very first time and were all on the loft roof. I cleaned out and when returning back outside they were nowhere to be seen. At the back of my loft was the main railway line with a shunters siding beyond, where the coal trains from Boness Pit would pull and shove up the hill, dump the wagons and return to Boness, Another train would come along and hook up the wagons and take them to wherever in Britain.

On looking over the fence there was my 40 youngsters sitting on top of the coal when a train coupled up and left with them all stupidly sitting there. Last seen heading West and never seen again.

that's your best one yet pandy,maybe they landed in the coaltown of belgony lol

[peter pandy]

NAW, the train headed West so I imagine a coal fired Power Station in Ayrshire perhaps.

Back at the Jubilee Hospital this morning and the Surgeon reckons I may have an infection in the knee that was replaced so it was blood samples and another appointment for a scan with the chance of a sample of fluid taken from the knee for further tests.

The burds were a trifle late going out today but the Hens disappeared for a while and turned in around the 2 hour mark with the Cocks doing a similar time in the air. What was noticable was over 100 Craws flying around in a large circle about 1 mile out at the same time, Dont know if they spied an interloper or not but it was unusual to say the least. Picked up a Himalayan salt lick for the birds as the craving for it will be on them shortly.

[peter pandy]

I have 5 pair of prisoner stock in a small shed which were never separated from last year and they have all went down on eggs after throwing down Marsh Reed for them to help themselves. They were never split due to me being happy with their young last year. The rest of my stock birds are freedom stock and go out with the racers to keep them supple and fit. I have noticed when I let each sex out for a fly they always head South West for a mile and circle a few times then head West before disapearing and returning from no obvious direction a goodly while later. No doubt when they pair up it will be twice round the chimney then roof time.

I see the Midland Fed race programne starts on April 16th WHY I dont know ! it used to be the last Saturday in April when all the Feds started so what is going on.. Oh aye its tae fit the SNFC sprinters in OR should I say the East coast holiday pay benovolent fund..

[MIK]

Mick, Please forgive me if I have insulted you or the Irish population by referring the above as "a bit Irish"..

It only means ....""Seems to make no sense but works perfectly""..

 

Dont mind me Peter, and thanks, we all make no sense at times ...but the world goes round

 

keep it coming

regards

Mick

[peter pandy]

Like many reading this you will have been to quite a few Moots,Quiz nights and took in what the panel experts have to say, however, do some give you a bum steer by advocating the opposite to what they actually do ?. I can think of quite a few and in magazines read the same, after all, are they going to tell you how you could beat them, THINK NOT , It is the same with Beans !. I have enquired through the internet where tannins [skins on beans,peas,tares etc] are poison to our birds as was told by one of Scotland's top distance men. Piffle comes to mind and I do believe Harker's Michael Binns has quashed that theory. He has justified what I wrote in earlier posts that Beans Rule for the distance.

On looking through an old letter from Marcel Desmet to CJ Williams regarding a feeding programne, he was advocating 45% Maize, 30% Barley, 5% Wheat, 5% Sunflower, and 15% Beans,Peas and Tares and he won Barcelona.

[dal2]

Like many reading this you will have been to quite a few Moots,Quiz nights and took in what the panel experts have to say, however, do some give you a bum steer by advocating the opposite to what they actually do ?. I can think of quite a few and in magazines read the same, after all, are they going to tell you how you could beat them, THINK NOT , It is the same with Beans !. I have enquired through the internet where tannins [skins on beans,peas,tares etc] are poison to our birds as was told by one of Scotland's top distance men. Piffle comes to mind and I do believe Harker's Michael Binns has quashed that theory. He has justified what I wrote in earlier posts that Beans Rule for the distance.

On looking through an old letter from Marcel Desmet to CJ Williams regarding a feeding programne, he was advocating 45% Maize, 30% Barley, 5% Wheat, 5% Sunflower, and 15% Beans,Peas and Tares and he won Barcelona.

Have never attended a moot/quiz but. .......if a multi nat winner told me something then I would listen