The Tom Corrie Column

[Ian McKay]

Wullie Millen in his very short time back in the sport, has made a significant impact.

He lives in Rutherglen near Glasgow,that once was a centre of heavy industry, having a long coal mining tradition which died out by 1950. In 1975, it lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of Glasgow District Council. In 1996 Rutherglen was reallocated to the South Lanarkshire council area.

 

 

6 x 1st Clubs,6 x 1st West Sections including 1,2,3 section in one race ,27 section and Open positions in the Lanarkshire Federation 2013 , equates to an outstanding years racing.

 

 

Cambuslang is one of the biggest clubs in the federation and send hundreds of pigeons each week.

The west section is the biggest and probably the most competitive section of the Federation.

 

 

Westerly loft location isn't easy to succeed in federation flying in the Lanarkshire. When the west wind blows in Scotland the birds tend to follow the wind and the federation winners will be dominated in that area. Well not in this loft, these little warriors have been battling their way down the west into mostly head winds ,racing their heads off in the biggest federation in the land.

This is impressive in all aspects, look at the trees and this will show you were the wind comes from (Bent over from the west) in Scotland.

Probably like most fanciers who concentrate on federation flying, he is not a household name outwith his own federations.

Take it from me he is a real serious flyer.

 

 

Winning 6 first sections in the one season in remarkably flying with often thousands of birds competing,, up there with the best.

So what about the man himself , the midis touch isn't easy to come by , most of us are looking for that level of consistency that Wullie has achieved with multiple section prize winners.

 

 

This has been his first full season competing within the federation after being back in the pigeons three years.

 

 

He obtained his stock from the late Tuck Hilley of Plains nr Airdrie who had purchased the best of GWP Macaloney ,Coatbridge ,stock being Camphuis and Gaby Vandenabeele lines.

Wullie has built a great friendship with Tucks son Martin Hilley over the seasons.

Another addition was a dark Jan Aarden cock from friend Jim Wood of Uddingston that when crossed into the Camphus, has clicked with some handy pigeons including his club YB of the year winner.

Wullie also purchase the lofts of Tuck that were renovated with aviaries attached for his needs.

These birds have been winning right fro the start with more GWP Macaloney pigeons being added to these potent lines.

 

 

Wullie is a Blacksmith to trade and presently works as a manager of an engineers company. a short trip down the road at Govan. He has undertaken all renovations, including nest boxes and aviaries with a special innovation of wire deterrent on hens floor to prevent hens pairing.

 

 

Wullie has one ambition, to better the previous years performances , he is aware of the possible changes he requires to make .He is very aware of the need for a settled loft environment to prevent any stress on the birds.

 

 

He uses floor dressing( Versele Laga granules) that have been down for three years , Wullie feels this keeps the humidity right and with the condition I seen on the birds it is a winner.

The great thing is Wullie is seldom in the sections and from the aviaries can observe the birds without actually being in the loft , this keeping his own health without risk,

His nest boxes and perches have tray built to catch most of the droppings and so stop build up on floor.What is on floor dissolves into the granules.

The young birds are fed on the granules building up a natural resistance to the environment

Old birds are also fed on open hoppers on the floor , only having dishes in box when feeding young birds.

He gives the birds Grape seed extract(concentrate) 3 or 4 drop in the drinker 4 or 5 days per week, he feels this is a great natural product and keeps the birds right throughout the season.

 

 

The lofts have been redesigned to meet the systems flown , with the garage on the left side of the loft being converted to keep 12 pairs of stock and a small section that initially a small team of darkness youngsters raced extremely well in 2013 but this year houses six pair on total widowhood for 6 Widowhood cocks

Both stock and the six pair have access to the aviary when available.

 

 

This year the darkness loft for the youngsters has a small extension has been built to accommodate all the young bird team.

Wullie is the first to admit that his success has been built on the full family helping in the strict management of the birds , his lovely wife Linda , his daughter and grandson all help Wullie , which includes timing the birds on a Saturday if he has to work.

The pigeons are only out regularly three weeks before the first race and once exercising well around the loft they are given 3 or 4 tosses up to Calderglen country park around 6 miles west of his loft. No further training is given .

 

 

The system being very much roundabout , hens out first , cocks moved through and hens re-enter box section fed and then moved back into perch section.

On Friday cocks are fed in aviary and hens in nest box section early morning.

 

 

Feeding

On return from race on Saturday they are fed Breeding mix , then Vanrobaeys Number 29 mixture up to including Thursday morning , then the last two feeds Vanrobaeys Energy mix.

As the distance increases, he increases the Energy mix earlier into the diet.

The amount is 1 oz and a quarter with birds having their full at the end of the week, Wullie saying they don't really eat much on the Friday .

He is very consistent with his feeding stating food can be poison if used wrongly.

Once per day they get a very small amount of Hormoform (Very small amount) about a tablespoon between all cocks feed and hens.

 

 

Young birds are kept on the Breed and Wean mix up until three weeks before the first race and then onto same as old bird race regime.

They are trained out to twenty miles ,usually from the south west and have a toss liberated along beside the federation transporter (Not in the transporter) form around thirty miles)

 

 

Treatment

Never cankered his pigeons in three years.

Youngsters are vaccinated straight from nest.

Horse wormer is given to eliminate lice , mixed into drinker.before and after racing season

Tobacco sticks and nest felts for nesting.

Cider Vinegar infrequently

Bath every Sunday.

Birds are timed by ETS

Plenty of rest ,even up till Tuesday(If weather poor) before returning to loft exercise twice daily.

Radio is on within loft during racing season,

Matrix and Kilpatrick black minerals , don't feed too much Matrix ,this is fed with mixture.

Layer pellets are used when pairing.

Walter Boswells(Burnbank club) Disinfectant/Herbal tonic was used on the youngsters last year after suffering YB syndrome , Wullie stated the birds very very sick at the time , after two days the birds were back looking brighter with their droppings consistency back to normal.Thanks to Walter for his help.

Wullie stated he has suffered every year from the YBSyndrome and feels the majority of lofts suffer this and some don't realise they have it till its to late

Wullie has tried many products but feels these are the ones that works for him.

 

Old Birds 2013

 

 

Otterburn

5th club 13th west section 1793 birds

Sedgefield

1st club 1st west sec 3294 birds

3rd open 7217 birds

Thirsk

1st, 2nd, 5th club

1st, 2nd west sec 2304 birds

4th, 6th open 4905 birds

Wetherby

2nd club 3rd west sec 2233 birds

9th open 4768 birds

Newbury

1club 1st west sec

2nd open Lanarkshire Fed

SNFC ,9th Sect E ,68th Open

Maidstone

5th club 14th west sec

 

 

Young bird 2013

Otterburn

5th club 9th west sec 2912 birds

27open 6360 birds

Appleby

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th 5th club

1st, 3rd, 4th, 12th west sec 2559 birds

1st, 3rd, 5th 22nd open 5490 birds

Appleby

3rd club. 4th west sec 1755 birds

27open 4191 birds

Ingleton

3rd, 4th, 5th, club

6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 13th, west sec 1448birds

12th, 13th, 14th, 24th open 3284birds

Charnock Richards

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th club

1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 13th west sec 723 birds

5th, 7th, 12th, 20th open 1996birds

Otterburn

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, club

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 9th, west sec 600 birds

1st, 2nd, 4th, 15th open 1654 birds

 

Lines of winning pigeons

Jester 320 xPure Gold

Jester x Lady of the Rings

Roman x Sissi 264

National Fidel xBelle

Wittenbuik 360 x Going for Gold

 

Westkaapelle x Fieneke 804

Rambo2 x Flora.

 

I have a few of G.W.P.Macaloney original Camphus I find cross very well.

 

 

Ambition -To improve on his present performances in the Fed and make an impact in National flying.

 

Most Admired -Loft of GWP Macaloney ,rates the best in the land if not Europe .

 

 

Wulie is a very successful fancier in the short time back in pigeons and with his present team of pigeons I see him continuing to succeed way down in the far west with his team of warriors of the skye.

 

 

Thanks to Wullie for the insight into top federation flying I could have been there for many more hours but the wife phoned to remind me that we were attending the Coalburn presentation night, time fly's when you are enjoying yourself.

Special mention to the home made soup and lunch that Wullie and Linda provided, it hit the mark - Brilliant, just like my visit!!!

As Arnold Schwarzenegger says - " I'll be back"

 

 

photo1 Loft set up

2 Yb section perches two section with identical perches

3 Inside racing section

4 Birds enjoying time in avairy

5 self built droppings tray under avairy

6 Typical racing cock

7 Winning check hen of tame hen