Ian McKay Posted March 3, 2016 Report Posted March 3, 2016 The Joe Murphy Column What a difference I have found time wise with all the birds being down on eggs, it makes life so much easier. No more standing in the loft for hours making sure the birds go back to their own next box. Then letting out another pair and so on but now it is just a matter of leaving them nice and quiet to let them get on with incubating the eggs. Kevin came down to see us at the weekend and as he just has the racers he had taken the time to let the cock’s get used to their own boxes. Then on the 11th February he introduced the hens and just left them to pick their own mates. When he came home from work they were all in the next boxes ‘cooing’ in the corner and he says he will do this from now on as it is less trouble. By the time these notes are being read we will have been up to Arbroath with the stock bird’s eggs and the race team will rear the first round of babies. Our other son Mark came with his 3 Rottweiler dogs and asked if I would watch them. He then took a picture of me holding them while he spoke to them, thank God he did not walk away or I would have been dragged round the streets. He informs me that the 3 of them weigh 22 stone and believe me it is muscle there is not 1 ounce of fat on them. One thing for sure is they make great ‘watch dogs’ as with every move or noise they barked or were at the door. The birds were locked in as did not want to upset them. Racing from Thornton Received information from Andy Kyle the secretary of Ayrshire North Road Federation who uses Thornton Recreation Park as their liberation site during the racing season: Andy has given me the dates for the new season which are as follows; 7th May and 30th July with the possibility of 16th of July. They are shortly discussing whether to fill their blank week with an Any Age Race and Andy will get back to me on this after their Delegates Meeting on the 8th March. He has promised that nearer the time he will give me the contact details of their driver Dave. Andy has an SHU Rules Committee meeting on 29th February and if the new Bye Laws are passed, then the federation first 3 races will be liberated at or after 07.00am. The federation have a new controller, Derek McCullen and as John is now working full time they will have a new conveyer for the 2016 season but as yet have nobody allocated to the job again Andy will keep me informed. At this point I must remind federation who wish to use Thornton Park during the season to send me the details and dates of each race. As I have to notify Fife Council regarding the liberating of Racing Pigeons from this site. If this information is not forward and passed by the Council then it may result in federations not being allowed to liberate their convoy. So please send me in the information ASAP as you all know by now what your race programme is for the new season. This week’s photographs Two are from Sheldon Leonard of Arklow taken on his trip to Belgium the first is his Flanders Collection this consists of the Sangers family, Stefan Lambrecht’s with his wife and baby with Sheldon on the extreme right of the picture. The second pic is of Michael Reilly who is making a comeback to racing pigeons and he was over the moon at getting to handle ‘I Had A Dream’ winner of 1st international hens, 5th open international Barcelona for Daniel Aerens. My next picture hopefully will help other fanciers; Margaret read in a magazine that if you place plastic ball water then the water will not freeze. She bought me some plastic golf balls and I placed one in each of my drinkers that are kept in the aviary. Now everyone knows how hard a frost we have had at night this last week in February well low and behold the drinkers did not freeze over. On severe nights it had a light coating of ice but the birds could have pecked it and it would have broken. Maybe this will be a help to other fanciers and for all it costs it is next to nothing so is worth a try. Good SNFC Birds Remaining with my quest to highlight as many good SNFC birds as possible I have 3 birds from different areas of Scotland starting with Richard & Jamie Combe of Elphinstone with chequer pied hen SU13E 651 who has won in 4 national races her positions won are as follows; in 2014 she won 93rd section B 130th open from Maidstone a distance of 357 miles she was then sent to Ypres a distance of 426 miles and won 26th section B 38th open. Then in 2015 she was sent to Billericay and won 197th open but NO section prize flying 330 miles, she was then set up for the Gold Cup race from Alencon and won 34th section B 106th open flying 533 miles and now requires one more section prize from over the channel to win a Silver Award and we wish Richard and Jamie all the best in 2016. Our next pigeon is a chequer hen SU12AB 70 raced by Alex R Rae of Aberdeen in 2014 she competed from Maidstone a distance of 427 miles and won 13th section G she was then sent to Ypres a distance of 482 miles and won 3rd section G 19th open. In 2015 she was entered from the south coast of England from the Portsmouth race point a distance of 439 miles and she won 4th section G 375th open she was then set down for the last channel old bird race from Clermont a distance of 571 miles and she won 3rd section G 113th open. You will have noticed that she has been 3 times in the first 4 in section G which is an outstanding achievement so well done to Alex and let us hope she can gain her Silver Award in 2016. We now come to a pigeon flying into the very west of Scotland into Ayrshire to the loft of W Julyan of Crosshouse with his blue white flight hen rung SU12A 6735. This hen won 2nd section F from Clermont in 2014 flying a distance of 522 miles. Then in 2015 she excelled in the fact that she raced from 3 national races winning 26th section F from Billericay a distance of 345 miles. She was then sent to the Gold Cup race from Alencon and won 8th section F flying 525 miles she was then sent to the Clermont race but failed to make a section prize list, hopefully she will achieve this in 2016 and win her Silver Award so good luck to Mr Julyan. Joe’s Joke Barack Obama and David Cameron are shown a time machine which can see 100 years into the future. They both decide to test it by asking a question each. Barack goes first. “What will the USA be like in 100 years’ time?†The machine whirs and beeps and goes into action and gives him a printout, he reads it out “The country is in good hands under the new president, crime is non-existent, There is no conflict, the economy is healthy. There are no worriesâ€. David thinks “It’s not bad this time machine, I’ll have a bit of that†so he asks: “What will England be like in 100 years’ time?†The machine whirs and beeps and goes into action, and he gets a printout. But he just stares at it. Come on David says Barack, “What does it say†David replies, “Buggered if I know! It’s not in English!†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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