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How I Won My Silver


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ok guys rather than go straight into a Q and A i would like to tell you the story about how these three birds were prepared to make it a more interesting read. Then if anyone wants to ask anything or to elaborate more feel free to ask.

ok ill start with wee jenna named after one of my grandaughters , jenna showed her class as a yearling when she was 84th section snfc newbury and i have told you the story of how i had watched her fly to the woods behind my loft gathering twigs till her nest was massive and i had to keep taking over half away every day so it would not fall over and sent her to clermont . I could see she was so keen and though she was only a small yearling hen she had the 84th section newbury under her belt. I timed her at 5.01 in the morning to be 5th section 11 th open so i knew i had a good bird with great breeding. Jenna and jamie my silver award cock 3 years ago lady helen and mary are all bred from 4 different sons of my old De Barcelona vanderwegan cock purchased from louella at 11 years old and paired to the best hens i could get my hands on all very inbred to De Barcelona with the exception of one or two. Anyway when jenna scored in clermont i paired her to jamie the silver award cock and her cousin and switched away 4 eggs. I then paired her to her sire and switched away 4 eggs to have 8 cracking latebreds in my stock loft. The next year jenna was paired to her uncle her sires half brother a stock cock and set up for the gold cup. When she scored in clermont she was sent chipping so she was sent the same way to Alencon . She had 4 races to 250 miles, where she had 9 hours on the wing rested for a week, then flagged from 5 in the morning till 6 in, a wee half feed till 8 at night .Her and the birds going to 500 miles were flagged again from 8 till 9 every day. With an odd 25 mile toss with my old pal john kings van maybe once a week just to keep her head right. If i was training them that morning they only got the night flagging which i would gradually increase until the week before the race. They were trapping on the loft between 10 30 and 11 at night by this time ,they were not so afraid of the failing light which was the whole idea. My feeding is just a super widowhood mix that i get from my pal charlie muir from clarkston club. The 200 mile stage i add a little gerryplus for the high fat content and a little hemp seed for oil and a small handfull of peanuts for humane consumption. Nothing can knock your birds off form quicker than bad or damp peanuts. Jenna was 13th section 74th open Alencon as a 2 year old. After scoring in Alencon was then paired to her Grandsire the old De Barcelona cock who was now 18 and had never missed an egg. I switched the first pair under a pair of yearlings and let them rear the second pair. All four went to the stock loft. After the birds are through the moult i put them on barley with a wee pinch of conditioner and the birds are out every other day. Cocks one day hens the next after my latebreds have been flying an hour or two as they get priority in the winter months. Jenna was being set up for the gold cup again but something was not right? I could not get the same muscle on her, she felt thin ,and i could not get her the time on the wing! I thought she needed ,for different reasons bad forcast, tail wind eggy and the most she had was a 5 and half hour race.At the 180 mile mark i did everything as before but something was different and i just could not fathom what it was? I sent her, which i should not have done, the race turned out a disaster! I lost some of my best birds but timed jamie boy to be 9th section 48th open and a silver award. I was angry with myself for sending jenna when she was not 100 percent. Around 6 or 7 weeks later i had been across the road at jims after a youngbird race. I returned to the loft to see if i had anymore home? There she was wee jenna skin and bone and her 3rd 4th 5th and 6th flights had grown up about halfway. She must have been hit or dived for cover and ripped the flights? So glad to see her, so same procedure the next year. Gold cup time again she was back looking and handling the way she should. Birds for the nationals are paired around the 14th to the 21st of march each year after being treated for canker and cocci about 3 weeks before pairing. Having being vaccinated for para in november ,i let them rear the first pair and switch the second pair. Sending them on there third pair of eggs if hens planning to be chipping for basketing. Cocks 5 to 8 days on eggs or feeding a big yb and looking at the hen. Everything was going to plan and jenna had had two 20 mile tosses and sent to her first race appleby about 105 miles to me it was an eastwind and a weird race. All the races jenna had scored in till now were eastwinds. Sure enough bang she hits the board, to be 1st west section fed over 3000 birds. ill get her this year i thought shes almost back to her best. I lifted her second pair of eggs to get her down for the gold cup she had about 7 hours on the wing at 200 miles and was filling out fine. She normally takes about 9 or 10 days to lay after i lift her eggs. This time she layed early, 4 days early ? ok i thought the dutch guys send them on 3, 4 day youngsters that will be fine! Wrong, handled her when the eggs were chipping and she was great. When she broke the soft feeding the body just fell off her! Sent her thinking she will put it back on in the basket the race was another disaster.

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I had 12 of my best birds, including jamie boy, and did not time in! I was as sick as a parrot. It was 3 days before i got my first bird and it was mary another daughter of jenna. This will set me back years i remember thinking. Over the next month another two or three birds got home. Jenna turned up with a hole in her side, scabbed over, but she was back.

Through the winter last year i said to jim id have loved wee jenna to get her silver award before i stopped her. I think maybe she is going to ground now when birds of pray are around ? She wintered well and her whole demeanor was different! At the start of the season i said to jim wee jenna is shining really sticking out. If she looks like that at gold cup time i might try her one last time ? If i lose her, at least the loft is full of birds bred off her and around her. So same procedure 4 races to 250 miles, this time she got 10 hours on the wing. Perfect ill get her this time i told jim. Her 2 year old daughter is going to, and a son of jamie boy. Jenna was super, but her 2year old daughter (i now call helen) was even better!

Jenna layed her third set 2 days early to be chipping. I took them away and put dummies under her for two days, then put her own eggs back under her. Perfect she went chipping and felt great in the hand for such a small hen. James must have been sick listening to me. I really fancy my three birds jenna looking great and shining, but her daughter is something else.

The birds are up and the excitement grew as the day went on. I,ll get one theses birds i thought? In fact i could get all three i said to jim. I checked the laptop to see birds were getting into the borders ,and east. Could be birds up here between 7 and 8 i thought? I sat back in my chair. I cant really see my birds until they are on top of me as im surrounded by houses on three sides and forty foot trees at the back. Come on babies i thought. "whoosh, bang" and a bird hit the board. As i focused i could see it was jennas daughter the two year old ya f k g beauty i thought as i jumped off my seat. Ran to tell my wife, oops shes at bingo ! So i runs over to jims, who was sitting with his back to the window, and banged on the window frightening the s e out of him. Got one i said jumping around his garden he came bursting out the door. Wee jenna he said no her daughter i replied, but this is turning out a funny race ill get jenna in the morning. Shes a second morning pigeon and the way the race is going she will have plenty time. That night i could hardly sleep, i was chuffed at being in and it looked to be well in. Come on wee jenna get that silver i thought as i fell asleep. Up at 4 30 was a bit cold but the sun was starting to come up i looked at my watch 5 oclock this is when she came from clermont. Would be great if she was real early and well in either way this is her last race . Went into look at the laptop not many getting through over here? ill get this wee hen this is the race for her. I sat back down tea in hand i caught a movement in the corner of my eye, 7 05 bang ,there she was. I was elated and no one up yet to tell!! Get in wee jenna i shouted as she dropped in she was 10th section 32 open and her silver award tomorrow ill tell you about lady helen and mary hope you guys enjoy this wee story next one will not be as longwinded.

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