Recovery from racing

[MIL]

My goal when racing was simple.

I want the birds best and finest effort on a Saturday.

What happens Sun-Friday with other people's pigeons (and my own) was of little significance to me. Saturday is the be all and end all

I've seen birds apparently doing amazing times in training, flying the skies out all week

They can crack on, all they see on a Saturday is the arses of a good pigeon (if they're that close!)

[NeilA]

I don’t think that Tony. I just don’t have the loft set up or the time to fly both sex’s. They are on a diet supreme and depurative with just a couple of feeds of super widowhood given on a Thursday. My best bird last year was a hen on natural. Actually the nest mate of my first bird yesterday. A pair of latebreds from 2 years ago.

Why give super widowhood on Thursday I think that’s 18 per cent peas from memory. Why would you need protein Thursday Andy that would be better fed early in the week if fed at all

Thanks Neil as I’ve said to Anthony I’ll try feeding a bit different this week. The super widowhood I’m feeding doesn’t have very many peas in. It has a lot of maize so high in carbs.

Good I haven’t fed a pea to the racers since the moult and I can’t see yours needing them with the short distances you race
Good luck this week

[Andy]

Thanks Neil. As I haven’t raced widowhood for some years I was basing my method on what I used to do. Then I would feed depurative early week keeping it tight. The birds would exercise lightly. I would then introduce the widowhood mix Wednesday afternoon letting them have as much as they wanted. They would also get this Thursday morning and afternoon. By this time they would be flying well around the loft. On the Friday they didn’t actually want to eat much but were in great condition. The big difference then was that our first race was 95 miles and the cocks would race out to 350 miles. This really short distance racing needs a different approach.

[NeilA]

Thanks Neil. As I haven’t raced widowhood for some years I was basing my method on what I used to do. Then I would feed depurative early week keeping it tight. The birds would exercise lightly. I would then introduce the widowhood mix Wednesday afternoon letting them have as much as they wanted. They would also get this Thursday morning and afternoon. By this time they would be flying well around the loft. On the Friday they didn’t actually want to eat much but were in great condition. The big difference then was that our first race was 95 miles and the cocks would race out to 350 miles. This really short distance racing needs a different approach.

You could probably feed barley nearly all week and give a rich feed Thursday like Gerry plus or beyers Gaby and that would be enough
I always remember when I was in hospital they had barley all week then Thursday I got out lunchtime let them out on Thursday night fed them gerry plus and was 1st club 4th fed
I tend to feed a lot of good barley particularly Sunday to Wednesday only farm barley £5 a bag but I am adding fats to it Tuesday Wednesday now to the hens following the fat loading idea/ posts then carbs Thursday no fats
Cocks are pretty much carb all week with hemp
Just trying two different ways as my hens are poor last time I tried them this year I have a nice few yearling hens so more worth it

[Anthony webster]

For me it's rest n plenty
get the digestive system working nice
Then repair the tare from the race via Protien
Allso get rid of the lactic acid
Then once there bouncing start again iv found by doing this I can keep top form for 9 weeks solid with out a dip where normally u get a dip 4th to 5th week n then it's down to different birds keep coming instead of a team coming

[Murray]

This is where I would differ from many.
In the past I have used the light feed/build up method. There was a very good reason for that. It's what everyone else did.
Now I feed them full feed Sunday Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday morning I want them filled up and starting to look a bit mental.
Then until they go back in the hamper they can build up their energy and enthusiasm, and most importantly breakdown and deposit the fuel in the body.

I think pigeons are like people and horses. Some have metabolisms that turn a potato crisp into a pound of weight, while some are 'fast burners' like me, and can convert food and use the energy quickly. Probably comes from having lived on a jockey's diet.
Anyway, I reckon it can be a bit simplistic to think that you can keep all your pigeons on a light diet until Thursday, then pour high energy feed into them and expect that every one of them will digest and break down and deposit that energy in the same manner. It doesn't seem reasonable to me.
This is only me, but I want them filled up and loft flying with a bit of enthusiasm midweek. If they eat a bit less on Thursday, an especially Friday, well that's what we want isn't it?

[Anthony webster]

I don't build up or break down all I do is adjust the grains to different percentages depending the distance n wind but there's no build up or break down I would never over feed a dog day before I run it, it would run useless lol