Barclay McCrindle & Son Young Bird Average Winners Lanarkshire Federation 2026

[sapper756]

Winners of the Lanarkshire Federation Young Bird Averages 2026 Barclay McCrindle & Son 

 

Racing against 471 lofts sending 9,360 birds over a six race programme 

 

Recording 3 x 1st sections

 

Wooler 1 race-1st,2nd,3rd,12th,14th,15th section.

Wooler 2 race-1st section.

Wooler 3race- 2nd,3rd,4th,5th,15th section.

Alnwick 1 race-1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th,6th,7th,8th,11th,12th section

Alnwick 2 race-th,7th,8th,9th,10th,11th section

Ripon race 5th,6th section.

 

As reader will know Barclay McCrindle & Son are one of the best Young Bird Fanciers in the country, Their results are simple spectacular and up with the best.

 

Season 2025 seen them crowned 1st Pinnacle Young Bird Ace, special recognition of Excellence Award with pigeon named King William . 

 

I took the time to visit the Barclays to catch up with this years Lanarkshire Federation Young Bird Average winners.

 

This year hasn't been ideal for the partnership with ongoing health issues and other issues that seen the partnership well behind in their breeding dates with 17 of the 21 youngsters raced only being banded late March early April.

The partnership pushed on and adopted a system to work around attempting to compete.

 

Barclay jnr explained that the team was well behind what their usual team would be coming into a programme but after a small number of very short road trainers with their youngsters and a loft exercise that consisted of out twice per day.

They were very please with the start winning 1st,2nd,3rd section,6th,11th,14th Open federation.

This was a big surprise to the partnership because they were so young in their development.  

Barclay explained racing later bred birds can produce inconsistency as they lack the maturity and drive within the sexes, especially on the system they wish to fly,being the sliding door system(Kept seperate all weekand allowed 1/2 hr before race basketing)

Barclay says Its a must to have them "early bred" to get the best out of them!

 

Their wasn't really any "rhyme or reason" to the season preparation this year ,but the 21 youngsters worked hard around the loft twice per day.

 

Due to the constant falcon attacks and loss of a good number of their team ,this year the partnership tried something different, before the morning exercise they would release a fireworks rocket into the sky about five minutes before releasing the birds. This had a positive effect on controlling attacks for the partnership with no birds lost. 

 

They explained a good management system is required to compete at the highest level including key aspects being Routine/Discipline/Feeding/Loft Environment and the right pigeons for the type of racing you wish to fly.

 

The partnership are only really interested in flying out to around 200 miles being the competition they enjoy and with their bloodlines being Leo Herman,Van Den Bulk, Eiderkamp, Patrick Bromkamp lines which are speed lines.

From the previous year the partnership only retained seven stock pigeons, all producing multiple winners at federation and award winning status.

This season will see 16 individual breeding pens in the stock loft .

 

Young Bird Management

 

All youngsters are vaccinated in the nest with Pharmavac 3 in 1 and again three weeks later with Colombova PMVA.. Barclay thinks this is very important giving them this start against the common illnesses in youngsters.

 

The system is clear in a normal year of preparation the youngsters are disciplined from leaving the nest they quickly get into the routine of eating and drinking within the metal crates on the front of the basket.

They are schooled early in road training with any birds not responding to system not getting what they wish.

If they are late they sit out until the birds are fed and then they enter. No Bad Habits!

Birds have to react to you with Barclay saying they react to me as soon as I put on my loft jacket they respond.

Observe everything in the loft, their behaviour.

When race day comes they are well used to the routine, the basket and what is expected from them. 

 

They are road trained to return immediately to the loft, initially short repetitive trainers moving them out to around 25 miles. Although as stated this year didn't go to plan but they still managed to get the best out of the system they used with the birds only going to around three miles..

 

The birds are fed on all Versela Laga mixtures throughout the season. When racing the birds receive Gerry Plus at the start of the week and moving onto 50% 50% Thursday and Friday(Basketing day) .They are observed throughout the feeding and after evening feed when five or six go to the drinker the feeding is finished, morning feed is just enough to get them excersising.Friday they have 3/4 oz in the morning and anything that isn't eaten is reintroduced at 2pm as Barclay feels they need this extra as the racing has been difficult recently and he thinks they will be lost if enough fuel isn't provided.

 

They receive Pro vit in the water on a Friday and Gem Strike on the Sunday and Naturaline during the week.

On a Sunday evening they receive one drop of TCP down their throat as a disinfectant cure.

 

The partnership are very rigorous with testing their birds every week during the season and once per month in the non racing season.

They are given 14 days of Buttermilk in the water( 500 mls ready made from Supermarket topped up into a 2 litre drinker) The birds are fed first and then the water an hour later ,taken away and given again in the evening. Barclay says the feather fly out them and helps them get through the moult!

 

After this they have 4 days of cider vinegar and then 14 days of Gem Strike, a product they wouldn't be without.

Sedecol and Naturaline is also used throughout the winter months. 

 

Another excellent season has passed for the lads and they are already thinking about the future the visit to Belgium to catch up with the best in the sport!

 

Thanks very much to the two Barclays for the insight into how to fly pigeons at the very top level.

 

Tom Corrie jnr

Lanarkshire Press Officer.