Training ybs in small groups / return

[king]

If you do the pigeons totally on your own and you train or you want to train soon in small groups of say 5 birds from a team of 30 so 6 libs
How do you reward the birds on return
Obviously the first ones to feed but the later ones what’s there reward ?
I thought of dupurative left in the tray then the later ones will more than likely just find barley so not a great reward

Any ideas or methods anyone can suggest

The smaller the better. I'm surprised that some fanciers still train in a single group. Many around me used to think that having a large group somehow give them an advantage if their birds met another smaller group when training. But in todays reality with BOP it just attracts more interest from BOP. If you train in a single group and your birds are attacked it could result in a disaster. But training with several groups lessens the chance of a disaster, you may have one group hit, would would be really unlucky to have more groups hit.
In the last 4 years I raced I lost less than 5 birds training up to 45 miles. I myself trained my 25ish birds in TWO groups simply because only 2 baskets fitted in the car. As for feeding, my birds had 2 sections so each group were independent of each other.

[king]

If you do the pigeons totally on your own and you train or you want to train soon in small groups of say 5 birds from a team of 30 so 6 libs
How do you reward the birds on return
Obviously the first ones to feed but the later ones what’s there reward ?
I thought of dupurative left in the tray then the later ones will more than likely just find barley so not a great reward

Any ideas or methods anyone can suggest

The smaller the better. I'm surprised that some fanciers still train in a single group. Many around me used to think that having a large group somehow give them an advantage if their birds met another smaller group when training. But in todays reality with BOP it just attracts more interest from BOP. If you train in a single group and your birds are attacked it could result in a disaster. But training with several groups lessens the chance of a disaster, you may have one group hit, would would be really unlucky to have more groups hit.
In the last 4 years I raced I lost less than 5 birds training up to 45 miles. I myself trained my 25ish birds in TWO groups simply because only 2 baskets fitted in the car. As for feeding, my birds had 2 sections so each group were independent of each other.

Any fear of answering the question King rather than all our yesterday’s nice as it was

If I was racing today the answer would be the same. I can only tell you what I did, not as I'm doing, as I no longer race as you know. I would still expect to lose less training than most do if I were still racing. What I write may prevent another fancier losing an entire YB team from a BOP attack.
I recall posting on chat after a member had a disaster after letting some 70 birds go all together. If you had released them in smaller groups you wouldn't be crying about losing so many

[king]

That’s not my question though King
I know the answer you have given but I never asked that
I could tell you what I had for dinner tonight as that’s as relevant to the question as your answer is

Well the only bit I failed to answer was what was their reward on return. It was a bit of red band or a few peanuts. The birds got their main feed when I got home. But if you take anything from what I posted, it should be the training in small groups.

[Albert]

leave Barley for them, then when you get home, give them their feed.

[king]

That’s not my question though King
I know the answer you have given but I never asked that
I could tell you what I had for dinner tonight as that’s as relevant to the question as your answer is

Well the only bit I failed to answer was what was their reward on return. It was a bit of red band or a few peanuts. The birds got their main feed when I got home. But if you take anything from what I posted, it should be the training in small groups.

Nah
You missed again mate
Let’s try 30 birds I want to lib in 5/6 birds only
I’m on my own
How do I reward them

Well I'll like to know the answer myself, as you say your on your own.
When I trained my YBs a couple of weeks before I sent them to the NFC YB National I used to take them to another fancier. That fancier was the late Nigel Gowood at Retford 45 miles away. He would release them single up every 1hr. I was home to both reward them and was sure they had flown it alone.
You could do the same with a trusted fancier. I also knew a SR fancier who used to meet a another NR fancier half way. And they swapped baskets. Both got to be back home to see their birds arrive.

[king]

But you said earlier in this thread King I myself trained my 25ish birds in TWO groups simply because only 2 baskets fitted in the car.

That'd have been a bloody long day for Nigel

I did, but my NFC team for the 300/368 mile race never was more than 5 birds, normally only 2 or 3 birds most years. These were left with Nigel and the other trained as normal. So Nigel didn't have a long day.

[Albert]

I suppose letting them come home to a shut loft, and let them in for their reward, is out of the question ?. You may have to pick the best from a bad bunch, including running the Gauntlet.

[Steve Howells]

If you do the pigeons totally on your own and you train or you want to train soon in small groups of say 5 birds from a team of 30 so 6 libs
How do you reward the birds on return
Obviously the first ones to feed but the later ones what’s there reward ?
I thought of dupurative left in the tray then the later ones will more than likely just find barley so not a great reward

Any ideas or methods anyone can suggest

With the upmost respect Neil you're missing the woods for the trees as they say. When your pigeons come home generally, what's the first thing they do or certainly within the first few seconds?

[Steve Howells]

If you do the pigeons totally on your own and you train or you want to train soon in small groups of say 5 birds from a team of 30 so 6 libs
How do you reward the birds on return
Obviously the first ones to feed but the later ones what’s there reward ?
I thought of dupurative left in the tray then the later ones will more than likely just find barley so not a great reward

Any ideas or methods anyone can suggest

With the upmost respect Neil you're missing the woods for the trees as they say. When your pigeons come home generally, what's the first thing they do or certainly within the first few seconds?

Ear and Drink from a race
I do t know from training as I’m never home but the foods all gone when I get home

Mine nearly always grab a quick drink first.

[Steve Howells]

Ear and Drink from a race
I do t know from training as I’m never home but the foods all gone when I get home

Mine nearly always grab a quick drink first.

Think I need more than that Steve I don’t want to start removing water for 8 hours like some do it’s not my thing from training I worry I get a bad one and then they dehydrate

I think you worry to much Neil As far as I can work it out pigeons come home for 3 things, territory, food, water, and once some of them get fed up doing that they give up coming home. They also, as far as I know anyway learn only by rote. I'm in the same boat as you since my partner died, occasionally I persuade the wife to take them but that's not often. Personally I'm not interested in races this side of a couple of hundred miles, or youngbird racing however I still want my babies pinging home as quick as possible ( if I let em go and they circle more than once I'm not a happy bunny ). Anyway back to subject, I always train my babies early mornings it just suites me best, and they always have the night in the basket with drinkers on, first tosses together from 15 miles with half ration waiting for them, but I normally beat them first few times. Once I've got them pinging and they're beating me back regular I start to let them go in smaller groups, but now when I basket up normally around 6pm no drinkers on basket so they go around 12hrs without a drink. Now if it was going to be a very warm night I wouldn't do it I just let them go as a group. They quickly learn, and will dive inside just as quick to grab a drink. As for getting a bad toss it occasionally happens, but if their health is right and they've been well schooled it's not something I worry about as it so rarely happens. Just my wacky Ideas Neil!