Will you be ready

[NeilA]

The widowhood’s have been rearing either a single or pair of youngsters, apart from one cock who’s hen took to long to lay so only sat the eggs. And of course the two gay cocks who have just been left to it. The hens were removed over a four day period, depending on the age of the youngsters, over a week ago. The cocks were left to finish rearing the youngsters. All but 4 youngsters have now been weaned, the last 4 will over the next couple of days. For now I have weaned the youngsters in with the widowhood hens and although they’ve been away for a week or so they’re still filling any youngster up who asks for it.
Although it’s been frosty the cocks have been going out briefly in the mornings while I clean them out. They will be repaired in a couple of weeks and allowed to sit for around 10 days. As they have already been paired I would expect all the hens to lay within a couple of days of each other. They will then be getting ready for the start of the season.
I haven’t treated for anything.

Looks like it gone pretty well Andy
What’s the reason for repairing totally understand it was normal practice to do so
I never have mainly as I couldn’t see the reason behind it apart from not having to remove hens after training
I leave my hens in for 2/ 3 days so I train only to 10 miles on the drive probably going twice on a Sunday once Friday once Saturday
then next training I will have the job of removing hens to teach them the bowl means hen will be in the loft
Although on my slightly different system they will be just left to go with any cock in the hope they mix up a bit rather than be boxed

It might be the wrong way Neil. But as this is only my second season back on widowhood since 2003 I am just doing what used to work for me. It was a method I got from Frank Tasker. I used to use the period when resitting to give the cocks a couple of tosses where the hen is there on arrival. I understand what you and Mike say about the cocks being ready by the first race and not learning the system in the first couple of races. I may well give them a couple of tosses in the couple of weeks after removing the eggs and before the first race with the hens there on their arrival as you suggested.

I don’t think it’s wrong at all as it’s what everyone seems to do I just never really understand why
But it must work or people wouldn’t have done it for 30 plus years

[NeilA]

Yep it’s different to the normal but they definitely defend the box the same
If they do bond with different hens and that stays with them as 21 of the 24 are yearlings and if not being to concerned what hen they attract to the box becomes normal for them it will allow me the plan to send the hens to 250-450 miles without the fear of a hen being lost so much as hopefully he can bond with another quickly
If it’s a flop well then atleast I tried it and in the situation I was I didn’t really have a lot of choice

Precisely.

Some of my most trusted "techniques" were an experiment once

The trick is knowing what works, what doesn't and then not repeating the mistake - but your clarity of analysis will soon have that sorted

When I was thinking about a way to race hens in the longer races and not mess the cock up plus having a 99 per cent new team I thought see if I can do it before they have ever raced the traditional way as there all yearlings it’s a opportunity and not look at it as my seasons over due to circumstances

Plus your hen 1st fed 6th fed Les 3 hens( no cocks from him left from the ones he gave me ) one of them
a fed winner all not getting raced this year currently with this plan I thought after a few races I could bring some hens out even this year the 7 older ones to jump in
If the cocks perform ok I will then give my ybs the normal 5 races then the yearling hens can fly 4 yb races as trainers so I can have a selection to try it fully next year with 16 cocks and 20 hens
I just can’t do the roundabout system I know your family did well on it but I do think it takes away a little from the cocks as they face disappointment where if the box becomes the focus and a hen a treat there may not be the let down if he arrives early I plan to move the hens about a few each week
Plus way I will feed the hens they shouldn’t be beating the cocks as it will be more to build for Scottish race points so again the cocks face disappointment

[MIL]

I just can’t do the roundabout system I know your family did well on it but I do think it takes away a little from the cocks as they face disappointment where if the box becomes the focus and a hen a treat there may not be the let down if he arrives early I plan to move the hens about a few each week
Plus way I will feed the hens they shouldn’t be beating the cocks as it will be more to build for Scottish race points so again the cocks face disappointment

All absolutely true

[MIL]

It might be the wrong way Neil. But as this is only my second season back on widowhood since 2003 I am just doing what used to work for me. It was a method I got from Frank Tasker. I used to use the period when resitting to give the cocks a couple of tosses where the hen is there on arrival. I understand what you and Mike say about the cocks being ready by the first race and not learning the system in the first couple of races. I may well give them a couple of tosses in the couple of weeks after removing the eggs and before the first race with the hens there on their arrival as you suggested.

Personally it's not the way I'd go about it. The main reason being I don't want to stimulate the casting of flights too soon in the season

Widowers can "learn on the job" but lets say it takes them 4 races to crack what's going on

That's a 1/3rd of the season that's gone there

If I'm behind for a 1/3rd of the season you'll not look hard to find me - look for the nearest branch and that's where I'll be dangling

[Andy]

It might be the wrong way Neil. But as this is only my second season back on widowhood since 2003 I am just doing what used to work for me. It was a method I got from Frank Tasker. I used to use the period when resitting to give the cocks a couple of tosses where the hen is there on arrival. I understand what you and Mike say about the cocks being ready by the first race and not learning the system in the first couple of races. I may well give them a couple of tosses in the couple of weeks after removing the eggs and before the first race with the hens there on their arrival as you suggested.

Personally it's not the way I'd go about it. The main reason being I don't want to stimulate the casting of flights too soon in the season

Widowers can "learn on the job" but lets say it takes them 4 races to crack what's going on

That's a 1/3rd of the season that's gone there

If I'm behind for a 1/3rd of the season you'll not look hard to find me - look for the nearest branch and that's where I'll be dangling

That’s why I give them the break between rearing the youngsters and repairing and sitting eggs Mike. I remove the hens when rearing before they start looking to go back down. I always found because of the break the cocks didn’t drop the first flight until the 4th or 5th race. If I had allowed them to go straight back down on eggs they would have started dropping flights before the season started. I also found with repairing all the hens laid the second time almost all together so made it easy to remove all the hens together, all sitting between 8 & 10 days.
I did used to win the first race of the season even with yearlings before but time will tell.

[NeilA]

I think with the way I go about it and by no means is it right they only drop one flight all year
it frustrates me as I want them to drop two
But after that I don’t really want any gone
Having said that the year before last I won the fed the last race and two weeks before the cock the last week hadn’t dropped one so that buggers up my theory of 2 being the best period
Ideally if this thing I’m messing about with works i will go back to my January the 10th pairing date though as it’s in my head the 2nd flight can produce the best form after that I prefer the season to be near the end
This year I can see no flights or just one being dropped

[Buster121]

The widowhood’s have been rearing either a single or pair of youngsters, apart from one cock who’s hen took to long to lay so only sat the eggs. And of course the two gay cocks who have just been left to it. The hens were removed over a four day period, depending on the age of the youngsters, over a week ago. The cocks were left to finish rearing the youngsters. All but 4 youngsters have now been weaned, the last 4 will over the next couple of days. For now I have weaned the youngsters in with the widowhood hens and although they’ve been away for a week or so they’re still filling any youngster up who asks for it.
Although it’s been frosty the cocks have been going out briefly in the mornings while I clean them out. They will be repaired in a couple of weeks and allowed to sit for around 10 days. As they have already been paired I would expect all the hens to lay within a couple of days of each other. They will then be getting ready for the start of the season.
I haven’t treated for anything.

Looks like going well Andy, good luck with it mate

[Andy]

I think with the way I go about it and by no means is it right they only drop one flight all year
it frustrates me as I want them to drop two
But after that I don’t really want any gone
Having said that the year before last I won the fed the last race and two weeks before the cock the last week hadn’t dropped one so that buggers up my theory of 2 being the best period
Ideally if this thing I’m messing about with works i will go back to my January the 10th pairing date though as it’s in my head the 2nd flight can produce the best form after that I prefer the season to be near the end
This year I can see no flights or just one being dropped

I think they start to drop form after they have dropped the fourth flight. I know some of the distance birds going to the later internationals will be further up than that.
With your plans to race hens as well Neil. Do you think you’ll be able to get enough time to get them all out exercising? I find that’s the advantage of not having the hens out when on widowhood I can exercise the cocks easily twice a day. Just have to find time to get the youngsters out, usually in the evening after the cocks have had their second exercise period.

[NeilA]

I think with the way I go about it and by no means is it right they only drop one flight all year
it frustrates me as I want them to drop two
But after that I don’t really want any gone
Having said that the year before last I won the fed the last race and two weeks before the cock the last week hadn’t dropped one so that buggers up my theory of 2 being the best period
Ideally if this thing I’m messing about with works i will go back to my January the 10th pairing date though as it’s in my head the 2nd flight can produce the best form after that I prefer the season to be near the end
This year I can see no flights or just one being dropped

I think they start to drop form after they have dropped the fourth flight. I know some of the distance birds going to the later internationals will be further up than that.
With your plans to race hens as well Neil. Do you think you’ll be able to get enough time to get them all out exercising? I find that’s the advantage of not having the hens out when on widowhood I can exercise the cocks easily twice a day. Just have to find time to get the youngsters out, usually in the evening after the cocks have had their second exercise period.

Hens will e next year Andy
I can cut my work back a bit then currently it’s to difficult with the 7 I may race this year they may well not get anywhere near the time they require or be chucked out in the cold at first light
So this year is more to see if the cocks take to the system if they don’t then that will be the end of it as they come first as it’s tried and tested
It’s only I fancy having a go at other races and my cocks are fed to fly to 250 miles really a slight adjustment gets to 350 so hens would be for the longer ones we can fly to Lerwick here 575 if we wanted to do so

[MIL]

I don’t think it’s wrong at all as it’s what everyone seems to do I just never really understand why
But it must work or people wouldn’t have done it for 30 plus years

Times change Neil

Because it worked 30 + years ago doesn't mean it works now (not talking about Club wins now)

Methods / Feeds / Birds evolve.