Is this true

[king]

I’m afraid I would have to dispute that Dave. As a farmer the quality of any grain can be much different at each harvest due to the weather conditions during both the growing season and at harvesting. So what you feed this year could be different than last in quality even if feeding the same mix. The biggest trouble is that fanciers are like sheep. Most just follow the latest fashions in both families, methods and feeding. Some get results others don’t.

I'll stand corrected Andy but I was not suggesting that the quality of the grains had anything to do with it but the science behind the type of grain that ppl feed.
I maybe a bit naive on this but havent the grains gotten much smaller and lighter than they were 15 - 20 years ago. Thats about when I started and there was no mention then of checking the colour of the flesh to see if you were feeding too much protien. Or indeed feeding protiens through smaller grains.
I bet MG didnt feed a good old Irish mix to get his day bird from Barca.
[/quote]

Mark changed his system when he clocked in this race. He changed from full widowhood, to racing widowhood in the early races pairing 3 to 4 weeks before the Internationals. The birds were sat 14 days when he won 1st BICC Pau, 6th International. And they were on 5 day ybs for Barcelona. The last 4 days before going to the race they were fed Versele Laga Energy Corn. Hope this helps you Dave.

[Bowbroom]

Well done Andy

[Diamond Dave]

Terrific flying Andy
- they can only eat what you put in front of them.

[Diamond Dave]

Mark changed his system when he clocked in this race. He changed from full widowhood, to racing widowhood in the early races pairing 3 to 4 weeks before the Internationals. The birds were sat 14 days when he won 1st BICC Pau, 6th International. And they were on 5 day ybs for Barcelona. The last 4 days before going to the race they were fed Versele Laga Energy Corn. Hope this helps you Dave.
[/quote]

Brilliant King. Soooo helpful!!
Can I ask what is the difference between 'full widowhood and racing widowhood'

[PeteDerby]

When I first set up last year I found myself being drawn down the bloodlines / famous names route. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to people who warned me off following the latest fad name, and instead buy birds as close to proven winners as possible, so that’s what I’ve done.

When I was a kid it was only really Louis Masseralla advertising birds. These days it seems the stud thing has really caught on and those making a living out of it are as good if not better at marketing as they at racing pigeons.

[Winfort Lofts]

The birds know what they need. I have been using a good all round mix all season. A was 2nd club, 2nd combine, beaten by 2ypm, in a hard race doing 1259ypm.. The following week I was 1st club, 1st section, 1st open doing 1868ypm. During the season the first grain to go was the maize. The widowers are now rearing youngsters and are now leaving the maize.

People put so much on what the birds are fed these days, you can ask 50 people, and would more than likely end up with 50+ different ways to feed!!

Can you remind me what sort of racing you do Andy? I would imagine your racing isn't the same as the 60-200mile sprints that I'd be racing here in the UK?

[Anthony webster]

It's horses for courses ain't it ,I personally couldn't manage my team like Andy but it suits him ,,I don't really clean drinkers or feeders I believe birds need to build a immune system,
But for me racing is about winning and getting as man of ya team together as you can there all treated the same ,,

[Bowbroom]

That is a hell of a club boundary, guess it shows the massive decrease in local membership

[Winfort Lofts]

The birds know what they need. I have been using a good all round mix all season. A was 2nd club, 2nd combine, beaten by 2ypm, in a hard race doing 1259ypm.. The following week I was 1st club, 1st section, 1st open doing 1868ypm. During the season the first grain to go was the maize. The widowers are now rearing youngsters and are now leaving the maize.

People put so much on what the birds are fed these days, you can ask 50 people, and would more than likely end up with 50+ different ways to feed!!

Can you remind me what sort of racing you do Andy? I would imagine your racing isn't the same as the 60-200mile sprints that I'd be racing here in the UK?

My racing now is mainly with the 3 counties club. We are spread over most of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. I am almost the shortest flyer, 130 shorter than the furthest. The area is around 130 miles East to West and 40 miles South to North. My shortest race is Blandford 18 miles and the furthest Ramsgate 168 miles. So all sprint racing over a massive area.

Ahh very well!

For some reason I had it in my head that you was also in the distant lands!

I have tried a few different feeding methods over the last few years, and my sheet position is yet to change! I do like the sound of your feeding as i would think that it wouldn't leave them short when things go awry!

[Anthony webster]

Iv raced in feds like Andy and its difficult to feed to win
The 2 feds I was in was between 3500sq Miles and 5000 sq miles you will get 3,4 birds come at you the rest all directions so you had to feed for birds making mistakes and that's difficult to win sprint racing with birds way over done ,now in the other fed where it's 40 miles long 20 miles wide the birds come at you you can feed to win and then you can get a average of over 75 percent of the team coming together where in the other huge feds its 10 percent together and a challenge at that being so short and out to one side .