Ian McKay Posted February 25, 2016 Report Posted February 25, 2016 The Joe Murphy Column As I said last week a couple of hens would not pair up but with having some spare cock’s I just gave them another mate and they have been fine ever since. It is just as well I’m at home now or they could have been seriously hurt as we all know what cock’s are like once locked in a box. One of the hens did get a bit of a scalping this was due to going to collect the grandson at the nursery and by the time I went back to the loft the cock had done this damage. I bathed the hen and put some TCP on her injury and after a few days she took up to a new cock. It is all about being observant while in the loft and I when I let her out of the next box (I had all the other pairs locked up) I had the new cock on his own on the loft floor and she came down and started showing off to him and within minutes he had treaded her and followed her into the next box. It looks so easy but believe me it is quite a stressful time until all the pairs are settled into their boxes and down on eggs. Margaret and I went out for a drive in the car and I collected some heather for my nesting material. I had already tied a nest felt to the bowl with a cable tie and the pans were put in the boxes. The following day I cut up a bag of heather into small pieces and sprinkled it all over the floor and the cocks were up and down to their boxes building nests. So everything was going fine and I was more than happy to have my 1st egg on 7 days and should get more within the coming days, this proves the birds are in good order even considering how cold it is at this time of the year. The one good thing is the mornings are getting brighter (I hate the dark mornings as I’m always up early and can’t wait to get out to do my tasks with the birds) It is also funny how when a pair stand together on the front of their box you just admire their beauty and think to yourself ‘What a pair of pigeons’. I loft to try and imagine what their offspring will be like and if they have bred you something extra special. However I have to say that I’m more than happy with the way the birds have settled and Kevin informs me that he is the same and expects eggs within the next few days. Wish is good as we will put the stock pairs under his racers to rear and I’ll put the stock birds down for their 2nd round. I have received my rings from the SHU and they are bright blue so will easily distinguish the 2016 youngsters within the loft. A short article this week, as I have been spending more and more time with the birds and the grandchildren so everything else has to take second place I’m afraid. Good SNFC Birds This week’s 3 birds are from the East Coast with the first to Stan Reap of Eyemouth with his blue bar cock NEHW2009BOR 2723. He won his first SNFC diploma in 2013 when he won 73rd section B 195th open from Maidstone a distance of 340 miles he was then entered into the last old bird race from Clermont and won 8th section B 38th open flying 487 miles. In 2014 he was entered into the Ypres national and won 1st section B 2nd open flying 403 miles beaten by the wonderful pigeon Poppy of Maskame and Mackie of Peterhead who won the national that day. In 2015 he won 40th section B 56th open from Eastbourne flying 367 miles. We wish Stan all the best with his blue cock for the 2016 season. Next we come to the 1985 Rennes national winner Jimmy P Jackson of Dunbar with his blue chequer hen GB10S 52781. This hen won 6th section B 42nd open Ancenis flying 598 miles in 2014, the following year she was competing from the Gold Cup race from Alencon a distance of 532 miles and she won 25th section B 82nd open and now requires one more section diploma to win a Silver Award and we wish Jimmy all the best with this hen. As a matter of interest he also has another blue chequer hen GB10S 52777 who has won 4 times in the national. In 2012 she won 126th open from Clermont a distance of 501 miles. Then last year 2015 she won 3 times from the national being 253rd open Billericay flying 325 miles she was then 478th open from Portsmouth flying 359 miles she was then entered from the last old bird race from Clermont a distance of 501 miles and she won 16th section B 47th open. A very good consistent pigeon and well done to Jimmy owning 2 quality pigeons and we wish him all the best for the 2016 season. This week’s Photographs This week’s pictures are from my dear friend Sheldon Leonard of Arklow who along with some other fanciers visited Belgium after being to Blackpool Show of the Year in January. The group of them had a good time and visited a few lofts (and bars) and everyone had a great trip. I have enough pictures to cover a few weeks so start off with Ken Wilkinson holding ‘I Had A Dream’ winner of 1st international Hen’s 5th open International Barcelona for Daniel Aerens who is in the picture with Ken. The next pic is of Ron Fewing and Yannick de Ridder enjoying each other’s company. Joe’s Joke A circus owner runs an advert for a ‘Lion Tamer Wanted’ and two people showed up...... One is a retired golfer in his late-sixties and the other is a drop-dead, gorgeous brunette with a killer body in her mid-twenties. The circus owner tells them, I'm not going to sugar coat it. This is one ferocious lion. He ate my last tamer so you two had better be good or you're history. "Here's your equipment -- a chair, a whip and a gun ......Who wants to try out first?" The gorgeous brunette says, "I'll go first." She walks past the chair, the whip and the gun and steps right into the cage. The lion starts to snarl and pant and begins to charge her. As he gets close, the gorgeous brunette throws open her coat revealing her beautiful, perfect naked body. The lion stops dead in his tracks, sheepishly crawls up to her and starts licking her feet and ankles. He continues to lick and kiss every inch of her body for several minutes, then lays down and rests his head at her feet. The circus owner's jaw is on the floor! He says "That's amazing! I've never seen anything like that in my life!" He then turns to the retired golfer and asks, "Can you top that?" The old golfer replies, "Possibly... but you've got to get that ‘bloody’ lion out of there first." Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to joejmurphy1@gmail.com REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or log onto www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk and www.pigeon-chat.co.uk also www.pigeonbasics.com who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland. © Compiled by Joe Murphy
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