Night Flying

[MIL]

Having hens laying and filling eggs at 11 is not really an almighty achievement really

I'm more interested in knowing how many winners they've bred to have been afforded such a long and comfortable lifestyle

Very few of my hens stayed with me that long. If they don't continue to breed me winners every year then they come under the closest scrutiny

That may sound harsh to some, but I'm a racer - not a charity

[Andy]

Having hens laying and filling eggs at 11 is not really an almighty achievement really

I'm more interested in knowing how many winners they've bred to have been afforded such a long and comfortable lifestyle

Very few of my hens stayed with me that long. If they don't continue to breed me winners every year then they come under the closest scrutiny

That may sound harsh to some, but I'm a racer - not a charity

Pmsl

[NeilA]

Having hens laying and filling eggs at 11 is not really an almighty achievement really

I'm more interested in knowing how many winners they've bred to have been afforded such a long and comfortable lifestyle

Very few of my hens stayed with me that long. If they don't continue to breed me winners every year then they come under the closest scrutiny

That may sound harsh to some, but I'm a racer - not a charity

I moved on two very good hens this winter both 2016 bred but both had not bred a winner since the 2021 hatch although they had bred 5 fed winners and 2nd combine before
I still don’t know if I did the right thing but I was looking at my unraced hens that scored as babies and the odd one that raced after that and thought I had 2 hens that were fed winners and one with 3 first in there just being used to welcome cocks so I put them to stock 2 were there daughters and added Jimmy hen as you know Mike, so hopefully it will work out in time plus the williams hen from 2023 is now of age to pair unlike last year

[MIL]

I moved on two very good hens this winter both 2016 bred but both had not bred a winner since the 2021 hatch although they had bred 5 fed winners and 2nd combine before
I still don’t know if I did the right thing but I was looking at my unraced hens that scored as babies and the odd one that raced after that and thought I had 2 hens that were fed winners and one with 3 first in there just being used to welcome cocks so I put them to stock 2 were there daughters and added Jimmy hen as you know Mike, so hopefully it will work out in time plus the williams hen from 2023 is now of age to pair unlike last year

I would say you're certainly right Neil

It's dead easy to rest on your laurels - but resting on your laurels won't keep you in front

It might do at club level, but certainly not at Federation/Combine level

[MIL]

Pmsl

When you stop laughing maybe you can answer the question

2 x 11 year old hens

What winners etc have they produced to be worthy of staying so long?

If they're banging them out (winners) pretty regularly then fair play to you

If I had a 3 year old hen at Stock it was there because it was breeding winners - and not just 1 either

[NeilA]

I moved on two very good hens this winter both 2016 bred but both had not bred a winner since the 2021 hatch although they had bred 5 fed winners and 2nd combine before
I still don’t know if I did the right thing but I was looking at my unraced hens that scored as babies and the odd one that raced after that and thought I had 2 hens that were fed winners and one with 3 first in there just being used to welcome cocks so I put them to stock 2 were there daughters and added Jimmy hen as you know Mike, so hopefully it will work out in time plus the williams hen from 2023 is now of age to pair unlike last year

I would say you're certainly right Neil

It's dead easy to rest on your laurels - but resting on your laurels won't keep you in front

It might do at club level, but certainly not at Federation/Combine level

Yes got to keep moving on no good just thinking they might fill the loft with winners if the winners have dried up

[MIL]

And, unlike some forum members who tell you that you're doing it wrong, that's why you win the Federation "x" amount of times a year and they don't!

You've got to keep analysing results and pushing forward - and I know you're very good at that

[PeteDerby]

Rubbish.

Agree ANY bird knows how to find water by Instinct. I've never taught birds to find water. Had plenty return on hot days that have been down for a drink. I never even basket trained my YBs to drink when I raced.. If they couldn't copy what the other birds did, they weren't going to find their way home. My losses were no worse than any other fanciers who had basket trained.

I’ve got a half acre pond in the garden and, before my loft was built, I’d quite regularly get a visit from a racing pigeon wanting a drink. First time it flew round and round trying to find a landing spot, but there’s tall waterside vegetation all the way around. Eventually it landed on the water itself with its wings splayed out, took a drink and took off again.

Next time it visited a month or so later (it might have been before but I’d not been there?) it just landed straight on the water and took its drink before continuing on its way. Point being it learned how to do that quickly and safely, so maybe training them to do it is not so daft? I don’t know if that’s a common occurrence or just a clever bird?

[king]

Rubbish.

Agree ANY bird knows how to find water by Instinct. I've never taught birds to find water. Had plenty return on hot days that have been down for a drink. I never even basket trained my YBs to drink when I raced.. If they couldn't copy what the other birds did, they weren't going to find their way home. My losses were no worse than any other fanciers who had basket trained.

I’ve got a half acre pond in the garden and, before my loft was built, I’d quite regularly get a visit from a racing pigeon wanting a drink. First time it flew round and round trying to find a landing spot, but there’s tall waterside vegetation all the way around. Eventually it landed on the water itself with its wings splayed out, took a drink and took off again.

Next time it visited a month or so later (it might have been before but I’d not been there?) it just landed straight on the water and took its drink before continuing on its way. Point being it learned how to do that quickly and safely, so maybe training them to do it is not so daft? I don’t know if that’s a common occurrence or just a clever bird?

Many anglers have told me they see MANY pigeons drop down to drink when they are fishing. On very hot days many pigeons are killed on roads, when they mistake them for water, as the tarmac shimmers like water. I've even seen a lone bird circle and drop on the road then watched it then be killed by a car.

[MIL]

I'm not saying he's right or wrong, merely that on the video Slawomir was talking about educating his young pigeons from a very early age to drink out of nearby ponds

Considering that the bloke is getting birds home from distances far greater than any of us have experienced or encountered then you can't really knock him

I don't tend to criticise those who achieve things that I haven't