Pigeon Lads

[South hams hunter 8,921]

Its all year if you want it right. I spent my christmas holidays as a teen going out to the loft every 15 mins to change which pair was out before swapping it to two pairs from each end etc. Certain cocks couldn't go out with certain hens and vice versa because of previous matings. That was to get the young I wanted. Wasnt easy with nearly 300 birds, some days I would feel like I didn't come out the loft but tbh it was worth it. Watching a bird fold up and drop in after hundreds of miles and know that you planned that bird 4 generations ago is awesome

[gnasher16 30,066]

You being a youngster i bet your a good candidate for that pigeon lung caper South hams

[South hams hunter 8,921]

Gnash its probably the opposite, its the old fellas that didn't understand ventilation and kept them in sheds where the dust built up. I dont have birds at ny house or anything to do with them atm. My house gives me a poor distance so may get them if I move and when im abit more stable.

 

max tbh I wouldn't judge them based on pictures on a forum, tbh they look abit deep for my liking but thats personal opinion. Looking at them they are distance birds and I prefer a sprint to middle bird.

 

Not just that but its not the winner you want but his parents, some of the best racers ever bred never made a good bird. Growing up we always bred stock from stock but had a good advantage. My dad keeps 2 families, well 4 these days. The main family being busschaerts which he can trace all back to 1985 apart from the odd outcross. Nearly all go back to his foundation stock cock which he paid 100 pound for back then and was from very good birds then. He won't take a bird as a gift and only buys what he knows will suit him and his families.

[South hams hunter 8,921]

To give you an idea of the caliber of bird my dad keeps, he had a bird that won the federation 7 times himself and his daughter won it 4 aswell. It doesn't mean alot to non fanciers but he only races natural and open door so is at a big disadvantage but doesn't like the new technology. Yes it cuts a few minutes off the time but it also refuces the skill needed and personal involvement.

 

The year me and my brothers first raced with no help we won 13 out of 20 races in the club and came within the top ten of the fed hitting 3rd, 5th and 8th. We have won the combine a few times aswell but fanny, hunting and school/xollege but pigeons on a bavk burner.

[nans pat 2,575]

we used to pull their wings when we were kids,is there many still does this to keep them from flying to far.

[gnasher16 30,066]

Gnash its probably the opposite, its the old fellas that didn't understand ventilation and kept them in sheds where the dust built up. I dont have birds at ny house or anything to do with them atm. My house gives me a poor distance so may get them if I move and when im abit more stable.

 

max tbh I wouldn't judge them based on pictures on a forum, tbh they look abit deep for my liking but thats personal opinion. Looking at them they are distance birds and I prefer a sprint to middle bird.

 

Not just that but its not the winner you want but his parents, some of the best racers ever bred never made a good bird. Growing up we always bred stock from stock but had a good advantage. My dad keeps 2 families, well 4 these days. The main family being busschaerts which he can trace all back to 1985 apart from the odd outcross. Nearly all go back to his foundation stock cock which he paid 100 pound for back then and was from very good birds then. He won't take a bird as a gift and only buys what he knows will suit him and his families.

The young lad i had staying would hit me with all sorts of shit he had read.....widow wood is it.....ets pads.....id imagine like anything its well involved and loads to it but much as i tried for his sake i had absolutely no interest to be honest and he discovered girls anyway so it all went to pot.......all i wanted to know was how much weight could be strapped to their legs on them cross channel races

[South hams hunter 8,921]

widowwood gnash is basically making cock birds sex crazy then sending them away lol.

 

weight wise only a few grams id imagine but just fly them from Calais to Essex and your looking at a short distance

[stevo79 569]

Routine and keep it simple with racing pigeons. I found the best method for achieving success. Had to stop for now with having a young family. But I think about it everyday. Raced a sort of roundabout system in the end. Keep the hens and cocks in separate never seeing the each other or there boxes till Friday worked well. I found that keeping them from not seeing there boxes all week was just as much motavasion that not seeing each other. There box is like there home and they did miss there home. They came well on this method. Bloody miss the pigeons?

Edited April 30, 2016 by stevo79

[dodger 2,754]

 

Fancy a couple myself at some point not for racing or anything just to drop off at different places n time them coming back n stuff, if your not racing them n just for abit of fun are they much hassle to keep or not to bad like..

 

I had a friend of mines son staying with me for a while i kitted him out with all the gear he only had about 10 birds but he got fed up with the amount of shit and clearing up involved and got shot of them i suppose for serious competitors its part and parcel but for a young lad just mucking about with them it was too much hassle....but everyones different i suppose.

; )

[South hams hunter 8,921]

Routine and keep it simple with racing pigeons. I found the best method for achieving success. Had to stop for now with having a young family. But I think about it everyday. Raced a sort of roundabout system in the end. Keep the hens and cocks in separate never seeing the each other or there boxes till Friday worked well. I found that keeping them from not seeing there boxes all week was just as much motavasion that not seeing each other. There box is like there home and they did miss there home. They came well on this method. Bloody miss the pigeons?

good grub, clean loft and plenty of miles. I was thinking of making something similar to a rollers kitbox to race a few birds

[stevo79 569]

You got it mate, I had 3 sections cocks one end hens the other all on v perches. Widowhood style boxes in the middle. Kept them apart all week till Friday. Open both side doors and let em all in. It worked for me!!

[nans pat 2,575]

fella here hardly ever scrapes out shite bout 9inchs deep sez thats deep litter.

whats the craic there,,is he right or just a dirtbird.

[South hams hunter 8,921]

Some people do that pat but not for me

[South hams hunter 8,921]

Only ever raved natural tbh stevo but I can see why that works, would have both sexes racing well not just cocks

[NEWKID 27,143]

I used to keep a few tumblers high flyers and fan tails as a kid

If a knackered racer dropped down or my old uncle got me a ex racer I used to keep them in the loft a old back of a British telecom van lol for 3 weeks

That always homed mine .

I used to keep tumblers and rollers as a kid max,

Got gifted a racing bird that was off of a decent bird as a chick called it Bo, loved watching them as a kid.

The loft is still in my Dads garden, full of shit as an extra shed now!! Lol