Advice to young starter

[Diamond Dave]

Bit slow on here of late so I thought I would ask your advice for a young lad just starting out.
We managed to obtain 7 pairs of stock birds for him and he has 5 yearlings left from the last 2 yb races and about a dozen well bred late breds.
He is just finishing off his new loft which will be ready next week.
What would you all say would be the best way for him to go into the new season.
I have suggested that he might wanna start breeding early so as to get 2 rounds of ybs for racing but I don't know if that's the best way forward......

[king]

Can't help thinking having the late breds were a mistake. As you say he should take 2 rounds of YBs from the stock. No need to breed early though.

[Diamond Dave]

Can't help thinking having the late breds were a mistake. As you say he should take 2 rounds of YBs from the stock. No need to breed early though.

I thought the same about the Lbs but they were too well bred to refuse.
When would you say is the best time to put his stock birds together King. I have said the breeding cycle is about 60 days per round so I was thinking of telling him maybe the end of Jan....?

[Diamond Dave]

Breed as many rounds out the stock as he can ideally be nice to have them
In 2 sections rather than 1 so the ages are split but that’s probably not practical ?
I personally don’t like early ybs i prefer ones hatched in April a lot less work
I wouldn’t bother to race his yearlings / later breds to mid may so could use them to sit a few eggs to even up the age of the youngsters a little
Think I would concentrate on ybs more for next year and test the stock birds a bit

Yes Neil, I already told him to forget doing anything with the Lbs next season and I would prefer him to put them to stock anyway (I know I would) but I want to keep his interest up and I thought it might have been better for him to race those odd few yearlings. Maybe take a pair of ybs out of them anyway?

[Bowbroom]

I would suggest the lad takes it easy at first, personally I wouldn’t take 2 rounds unless you can house and exercise separately mixing two lots can be a confusion
With the yearlings and latebreds I’d pair them train well on suitable days and race on natural picking the races, you have to learn to walk before you can run at this game

[Diamond Dave]

I would suggest the lad takes it easy at first, personally I wouldn’t take 2 rounds unless you can house and exercise separately mixing two lots can be a confusion
With the yearlings and latebreds I’d pair them train well on suitable days and race on natural picking the races, you have to learn to walk before you can run at this game

Cheers BB I know that all too well - I've been in "the game for a good few years now and haven't even broke into a jog yet.
Yes, I will tell him that there is likely to be some pitfalls whichever way he goes.
I have thought very hard about his situation and don't want to dictate to him what he can and can't do but to try and put as many options in front of him as poss and let him make his own decisions.
Imagine if I told him to race the 5 yearlings he's got left and he loses them all in the first race
In anycase, I don't feel as though I know enough to advise him but am happy to help him along the way.

[Anthony webster]

He can be gentle he can be ruthless he will end up with same amount if there any good ,
The easier approach is to race last 7 ob races and select afterwards its pointless keeping birds that home hours after race ended ,
The yb breed 2 rounds 1 round that hatches march other in April train then hard and race them often as he can
But again select them n then cull all the parents to birds lost or that wasn’t up for racing pointless keeping stock that can't produce,,
Read barry mc book loft stock and barrel follow a simple system learn to keep them healthy and as baby's train them hard try to lose them the ones in loft are ones you want ,,
You can mess around with rubbish for years but quickest way to win is being hard n ruthless being gentle and soft only costs extra money and wastes time ,

Loads won't agree with this but it works if you want to become club champion in 3 years.

[Anthony webster]

My opinion if ya new starter have 1 mentor but be a good listener
Stock is every think ,not pedigrees not names real stock thar produces racers not homers there's massive difference between the two types ,
Then you must choose if ya the type that wants to become a real racer ,or the type that enjoys everything and mostly seeing them home not bothered if ya win or not , I'm very competitive my dad was dead opposite he enjoyed each weekend was never bothered if he won or not loved the winter shows he was a different type of fancier to me ,
I think this is important when you start out is deciding what type flyer you want to become.

[CHARLTON34]

Some very good advice from Anthony & Neil, I would just concentrate on ybs breed from your stock pigeons to find out which are the best breeders, & then make your decision based on what's performing & what's not just because it's got a good pedigree is worthless if it keeps on breeding poor quality, better to take them out of the equation it will make Will's life a lot easier moving forward Dave.
Don't have to many pigeons & be over run with ybs or stock as long as he's got the space you don't want overcrowding as this will cause health issues.
I'm sure he'll do just fine with some guidance tell him I said hello Dave the next time you see him.

[Diamond Dave]

I'll tell him Dave - thanks mate. He is still as keen as mustard and he has saved hard to get his new loft (well 2nd hand) and will have the shell finished this week.
I've promised him a pair out of your hen from Dave n Jim and another pair out of my hen from that partnership but not really sure he will want to fly the distance yet?
The stock birds we have got for him come from all sorts from around our fed but the latebreds are from a very prominent flyer at national level who was kind enough to give him 12 from his own stock birds.

Thankyou everyone for your advice, I will pass it all on.