Natural

[dal2]

I could only put it down to free flying eg; Not being hungry, no ties and nothing to hold them back such as immature laggers or old birds.

Deffo feeding pal

[peter pandy]

Deffo feeding pal

Aye Steve, it was high fats Peanuts then But now its the opposite with no fats Barley.

[peter pandy]

With the colony out on intermittent days the Hens are more agile than the Cocks and zig zag about the skies for an age, Nest boxes have been hovered and pans with straw placed inside for pairing to-morrow, More straw laid down on the floor completes the necessary requirement of chores and they will be left in peace to get on with what they have to do, Mind you their are a pair of willie woofter Cocks treading each other and can only hope they become more heterosexual with the introduction of a Hen to stop that nonsense.

[blue pied]

Hens out this morning saw them disappear West and not returning for 90 minutes so one can say for definite, that they are fit and ready for pairing in 7 days, I noticed that a pair of Cocks have started looking at each other which reminded me that I had this phenomenon last year with the same Cock but he has his eye on a Late Breed this year.

All the Nest pans will be taken into the kitchen to-morrow and thoroughly washed then put in the Micro-Wave for drying and killing any germs lurking in cracks which cannot be seen with the naked eye then sprayed with Jeyes Fluid and stored in the Greenhouse till filled with clean straw and put in a Nest Box next Saturday, Only when that is completed will the Section door be opened fully and allow the colony to pair as they wish which has been my practice for more years than I can remember, I have wrote in the past that I have never met the fancier who can pair two birds together and guarantee winners which is only luck but at least they will be happy with each other. Love pairing is what it really is when practicing NATURAL.

Peter... birds get anxious if away from there perch or box for to long and will come back to there loft to make sure that no other bird is there. It is rare for birds that are bonded to their loft to fly for more that 90 mins. I hear of fanciers saying there birds are flying for 2 hours or more but I feel if the bird is truely bonded to its loft it would become anxious being away for so long. Similarly I would start to wonder if there was actually something scaring the birds from there loft. It is nice to see birds exercising but most importantly that they do not overtly in the process losing condition that would be better used up during the racing.

[tommy bhoys]

Peter... birds get anxious if away from there perch or box for to long and will come back to there loft to make sure that no other bird is there. It is rare for birds that are bonded to their loft to fly for more that 90 mins. I hear of fanciers saying there birds are flying for 2 hours or more but I feel if the bird is truely bonded to its loft it would become anxious being away for so long. Similarly I would start to wonder if there was actually something scaring the birds from there loft. It is nice to see birds exercising but most importantly that they do not overtly in the process losing condition that would be better used up during the racing.

oh a pigeon psychology now peanuts :emoticon-0136-giggle:

[blue pied]

oh a pigeon psychology now peanuts :emoticon-0136-giggle:

sorry just a extract from my notes that I have accumulated over the years ðŸ‘

[tommy bhoys]

sorry just a extract from my notes that I have accumulated over the years ðŸ‘

food gets them tae fly and return tae there loft simple

[peter pandy]

12.00 Hrs and dividing door opened to mayhem BUT a happy mayhem. At 15.00 Hrs 20 from 25 pairs were ensconced in a box and curried down in the nest bowl SO happiness pervades the Loft and no doubt they will all find a partner they will be happy with. With a North East wind, Snow on the Ochil Hills, more forecasted for the next day or two and racing in 3 Weeks !! it wont be for me unless their is a change in temps as I shall not require any training with the shifts they have put in over the Winter which has its retractors, All to there own thoughts say's I..

 

In answer to "Blue Pied" my birds are not being chased away from the loft. They are off picking up knowledge of the surrounding countryside in a happy manner and when I want them in the loft I only have to show their yellow feed bucket and with the dog whistle being blown they are quite happy to land on the Petron trap with me standing adjacent to it and 25 birds will be in in less than 25 seconds.. Happy Campers is the name of the game..

[peter pandy]

Yesterday and the colony are or appear to be happy in the joining of the sexes with a beautiful blue sky and wee Mary and I sitting in the garden for the first time in 6 months and temps at 16c, Today after feeding I trundled back into the house covered in snow and temps ZERO, Aye there is a lot to be said for global warming.. Countryfile had the usual claptrap regarding loss of habitat and songbirds and I wonder who their Scriptwriters are employed by on the side.

[peter pandy]

The colony was given the freedom of the sky to-day after three days confinement due to weather, Sleet and bitingly cold North Easterly has kept them relatively quiet inside but it was all change to-day as they chased each other all over the sky and roof tops, At this time of year "pairing" I hardly venture into the loft apart from feeding time and all looks ok with nests built up with straw and very little squabbling going on so all appears well and their condition is excellent..

[peter pandy]

This weather brought back memories of 1961 when the Club used to organise 2 pre racing training tosses. All the members participated in those days and a flat bed coal lorry was hired to take the birds in Club Baskets. Of course being the youngest I was delegated to go with the lorry sitting between the baskets on the back and snow falling, Geez it was cauld and nae balaclava to keep your head warm on the trip down to Beatock Summit where the birds were liberated regardless of the weather and losses were hardly heard of. Definitely hardier Doos in them days..Aye and Boys too.. LOL.

[ALF]

sometimes i cannae remember last week and you are telling us hings that happened 57 years ago expletive remove lol

[peter pandy]

sometimes i cannae remember last week and you are telling us hings that happened 57 years ago expletive remove lol

Aye Alf the good auld days and if truth be told I can remember 67 years ago pushing a wheelbarrow as we were flitting house and following the Co-Op bakery horse to gather its manure in a bucket for my Grandfathers roses, can even remember car spotting as there were so few of them.. Now my Grandfather was a real character as he was in the Camel regiment fighting in the Sinai desert in the First World War and on his demob went to Peru as a Gold / Copper prospector and that is where he made his fortune, My Granny was Commandant of the female Prisoner of War camp in Argyle and Falkirk Independent Councillor for many years maybe that is why I took an interest in politics then changed my mind with all the back stabbing that takes place in all walks of life. True friends are like Gold dust and are few and far between, getting less as the years go by..

[peter pandy]

Sorry about the content of the last post as it was a little boredom setting in with nothing happening in the Loft, However with 4 laying last night and another 17 hopefully going down this evening all is well since pairing 10 days ago. I thought Spring has finally sprung yesterday with the Daffodils all flowering in the 14c sunshine but are looking a bit downhearted to-day with an Easterly wind and 4c. Racing is the last thing on my mind at the moment and if the weather does not improve then I will be missing the early ones having destroyed my birds in the past with racing into cold easterlies as I had no patience. Aye auld age has its compensations.. In reply to training ?? Why feed the Bassa's through the week..

[peter pandy]

20 Pairs laid and it looks like a couple of Hens are not interested at the moment, The 2 Willie Woofter Cocks are still together and hanging about their nest bowl so I have put a dummy egg in tonight and will see the response tomorrow, Hopefully they will take to it and I will have a bit of fun and games with them when racing starts next week. For those racing this week-end, good Luck to all and hope the forecast is correct and returns are acceptable.

Now that most of my colony are sitting eggs, rations have been reduced to 1oz per bird as we all know fat birds don't win sprints.

[peter pandy]

All the Hens down and cosy including 2 that went together and the 2 Willie Woofters which are now sitting a pair of china's, I will decide over the next day or two whether to go with the local transporter for a 35 miler although I doubt it and will jump all the Late Breeds possible straight into 65 miles, There is safety in numbers to a certain extent so will never train them myself.

 

With the colony on open bole to come and go as they please from 08.00 till 20.00 they are putting in a fair bit of flying time and has been comical at times with Cocks attempting to tread Hens when zipping around the sky "Mile High Club" comes to mind !!.. Temps now into the Teens has made a difference with a bit of warmth in the air and we can only hope it remains so for the next 6 Months. ""Wishful Thinking""..

[Wiley]

Peter do you think your being fair on your latebreds? A fancier done exactly as your thinking of doing the weekend just gone his returns were shocking when the rest of convoy had 99% returns he had only 10 home from 33, and like you he is an experienced fancier.

 

I also can never understand the logic birds not prepared probably hold back the convoy on the lib site so I think they are not being fair on their own birds and not being fair on fanciers who have done there job right

[Hillstreetblues48]

Peter do you think your being fair on your latebreds? A fancier done exactly as your thinking of doing the weekend just gone his returns were shocking when the rest of convoy had 99% returns he had only 10 home from 33, and like you he is an experienced fancier.

 

I also can never understand the logic birds not prepared probably hold back the convoy on the lib site so I think they are not being fair on their own birds and not being fair on fanciers who have done there job right

Well said that man

[peter pandy]

Oh Dear, So I lift my birds from the loft dump them into a basket and send them 65 miles with no training and I am to blame for other peoples losses !!. If you believe you have to show your team every lamp post from the Race Point to your loft then that is your prerogative, However I am not training due to Bassa strikes as we are polluted with them up here, Local fanciers have been training and their teams have been decimated with every toss and just to-day from a 30 mile toss, 6 hours later he had 1 home from 30 sent and that was his fourth trainer starting with 60 birds, another had 10 missing from 5 miles and I could go on but it would be pointless.

[andy Burgess]

Oh Dear, So I lift my birds from the loft dump them into a basket and send them 65 miles with no training and I am to blame for other peoples losses !!. If you believe you have to show your team every lamp post from the Race Point to your loft then that is your prerogative, However I am not training due to Bassa strikes as we are polluted with them up here, Local fanciers have been training and their teams have been decimated with every toss and just to-day from a 30 mile toss, 6 hours later he had 1 home from 30 sent and that was his fourth trainer starting with 60 birds, another had 10 missing from 5 miles and I could go on but it would be pointless.

 

 

you only got apportioned blame Peter . they threatened to "hang me"

[peter pandy]

We are a bit more civilised over this side of the country Andy, LOL, On the subject of Late Breeds which I favour more than normal bred youngsters for racing is due to the fact my best performers were bred late after racing, Perhaps it is the fact they have went through a complete moult and have all Winter to develop muscle and brains by touring the countryside learning without the problem of having competition or regime forced on them. Nest flesh is useless for racing and burns off quickly and can only be replaced with racing muscle by self flying which mine do at every opportunity over the Winter months 1-2 Hrs daily, Basket training stops that phenomenon.

[dal2]

I've always found latebreds to be an absolute waste of time,money and effort. Stock loft for them....only reason to breed them in my opinion.

[peter pandy]

I've always found latebreds to be an absolute waste of time,money and effort. Stock loft for them....only reason to breed them in my opinion.

Steve, I am still trying to work out your philosophy,, That they are a waste of all the above including Racing BUT great for Breeding from,, MMMMM Time will tell. ^_^

[dal2]

Steve, I am still trying to work out your philosophy,, That they are a waste of all the above including Racing BUT great for Breeding from,, MMMMM Time will tell. ^_^

Ye that's right Peter.....they still have the blood.

[peter pandy]

Well here we go with 2018 Racing and for the 58 miler I decided to send 16 Late Breeds Cocks from the 17 that returned from being hit with the Bassa 6 weeks ago, They appeared to have recovered from that experience but fortune has never looked kindly on this poor soul and only 8 returned on the day with a further 2 this morning, Did that have any consequence on dropping 6 I don't know but no doubt my retractors will have plenty to stick the knife into LOL. By the way for those who never dropped any I also had 3 strays to-day AB,NEHU and AV. Cannae be from Armadale as everybody had 100% returns !!. Hens next week from 85 miles might just even up the Colony. Talking to our Convoyer last night and he was telling me the convoy were out of sight in seconds so my untrained Birds did not hold them back before any one wishes to go down that line.. aye 600 mile blood and the cannae dae that wee distance..