Don't mess with things...

[Murray]

During the winter I lightened my usual mixture with a bit less maize and peas, just to stop them from being too energetic in the winter.
In July I put them back on my usual plain 5 grain mix, and they were flying like rockets.
Then, as usual, I stuffed it up.
I figured that if they were going so well on a light mix, by adding another 10 % of maize to increase the energy, well, they would have to be better.
Wrong.
They scoffed the extra maize for a couple of days, then started leaving it. And started flying a bit sluggish around the loft.
So, we are back on the usual light feed, it looks awful to someone who used to feed a big heavy feed, But they were all over the sky again and it was getting late before they came in tonight.
Moral of the story. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Buster121]

I always say the same mate, never try to fix what ain't broke

[Andy]

Interesting that you post that now Murray. Having put up my post on the youngsters not being quite right it got me thinking about what could have caused it. I did get a bag of Bucktons all round mix last week to mix with the Irish Ruby as I wondered whether it was a bit heavy. It could be the change of feed didn’t help. It only takes one of the grains in a mix not to be right and it will hit them. I also put some garlic cloves in the water last week. I think it might have been a bit stronger than usual. I took the garlic out a couple of days ago and just went back to fresh water. Maybe this had had an effect on them. As you say things shouldn’t be messed with if all ok.
I must admit though that although my birds fly well and are constantly flying off, flying high and disappearing I have never had birds flying around home for any real length of time. People say their birds fly for an hour plus twice a day, mine rarely do more than 15/20 minutes at a time. The youngsters are out for an hour and a half in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon and are constantly up and down. The old birds along with some youngsters that have decided to take up residence in the old bird loft are on open loft for 12 hours a day. There are often birds flying throughout the day.

[Murray]

I wish I could give my pigeons that sort of freedom, Andy, but I would have no pigeons left.

Honestly.

I let mine out one day last week when I got home. Then I wandered over the street to catch up with a neighbour who waved when I drove in. A pair of pigeons had just hatched babies the day before. When I got back a raven had been in the stock shed and eaten them. I chased it away and every time it came back I threw stones at it.
If I left the lofts open not only would I have no pigeons, because the falcons would get them in the air and the goshawk would get them on the loft, I would have no eggs, because the ravens would go in through the open sputnik and eat them.

I can only give them liberty when I am home and able to be at the lofts supervising.

[Murray]

And, of course, you and I are looking at absolute opposite ends of the sport.

You are continuing with the Barthelona project, and I do hope it continues.

I am trying to prime a team of yearlings to be very competitive in a sprint series in 5 weeks time. So I have these things in a loft that is very enclosed, when it it is cold and wet outside, it is warm and dry inside. Then they are given one period of freedom each day and trap in for a generous feed of a mixture that would be anathema, (good word that) to you.

We do what we can to achieve what we set out to do. We are both correct.