Flights

[goose1]

What’s people’s thoughts on old birds flights and signs of form when a certain flight is dropped
I’m not sure it matters much now . I can remember in 2022 won the last 2 fed races and my cocks had only been paired and sat eggs for a week in very late Jan they hadn’t dropped a flight to about a week after the last old bird race

I'm definitely of the opinion that once they've dropped their 3rd flight their past their best. I know a lot of old timers were of the opinion they won't come into form until they've dropped their first, I'm not sure of that but I do think once the 3rd flight is gone you might as well leave them at home. For distance racing I'm talking about.

[Steve Howells]

What’s people’s thoughts on old birds flights and signs of form when a certain flight is dropped
I’m not sure it matters much now . I can remember in 2022 won the last 2 fed races and my cocks had only been paired and sat eggs for a week in very late Jan they hadn’t dropped a flight to about a week after the last old bird race

I don’t think it matters either, although I wouldn’t want them past the 5th flight. I remember one year my pick for Thurso cast two flights together a couple of days prior to basketing I was devastated as he was my number 1 pick,I didn’t pool him but sent him anyway. He was one of only a handful in the fed on the day and the only club bird on the day, never worried about the wing since.

[goose1]

What’s people’s thoughts on old birds flights and signs of form when a certain flight is dropped
I’m not sure it matters much now . I can remember in 2022 won the last 2 fed races and my cocks had only been paired and sat eggs for a week in very late Jan they hadn’t dropped a flight to about a week after the last old bird race

I don’t think it matters either, although I wouldn’t want them past the 5th flight. I remember one year my pick for Thurso cast two flights together a couple of days prior to basketing I was devastated as he was my number 1 pick,I didn’t pool him but sent him anyway. He was one of only a handful in the fed on the day and the only club bird on the day, never worried about the wing since.

One very very good fancier now sadly deceased always told me if they throw 2 flights together their in super form. He told me a similar story to yours and from then on it was something he looked for with regards picking a pool bird.

[Steve Howells]

What’s people’s thoughts on old birds flights and signs of form when a certain flight is dropped
I’m not sure it matters much now . I can remember in 2022 won the last 2 fed races and my cocks had only been paired and sat eggs for a week in very late Jan they hadn’t dropped a flight to about a week after the last old bird race

I don’t think it matters either, although I wouldn’t want them past the 5th flight. I remember one year my pick for Thurso cast two flights together a couple of days prior to basketing I was devastated as he was my number 1 pick,I didn’t pool him but sent him anyway. He was one of only a handful in the fed on the day and the only club bird on the day, never worried about the wing since.

One very very good fancier now sadly deceased always told me if they throw 2 flights together their in super form. He told me a similar story to yours and from then on it was something he looked for with regards picking a pool bird.

Now you tell me

[goose1]

I'm definitely of the opinion that once they've dropped their 3rd flight their past their best. I know a lot of old timers were of the opinion they won't come into form until they've dropped their first, I'm not sure of that but I do think once the 3rd flight is gone you might as well leave them at home. For distance racing I'm talking about.

The first flight bit is bollocks really. I've won loads of 1st Federations with pigeons that haven't cast.

Funnily enough though, I always did like to see my cocks casting (not too early though)


A great game pigeon racing, you see, if you ask Brian Leadbeater his favoured wing condition for Bergerac (557 miles) he'll say 3rd flight about 1/3rd the way up. That's what he strives for in his Bergerac pigeons.

Yep that's the beauty of the sport what one swears by another won't do if you pointed a gun at him And all that matters at end of the day is the result. Obviously a lot of the top distance/marathon lofts on the continent and over here darken their old birds to hold the wing. Some clip the top of the flight again to hold the wing or at least slow it down in this case. Funnily enough it is the first thing I look for when the national winners are posted on pipa after an international, what flight were they on.

[goose1]

Yes, Vandenheede's a bugger for the little "v" in the flight

My understanding with that is Mike that they won't throw that flight until the previous one is fully grown so gaining around an extra two weeks would that be correct?

[goose1]

I think if you nip one it won’t drop to the previous flight is pretty much fully grown
So less gap and slightly slower moult
I’m going back a fair bit since I was shown it but that’s what I have from memory

Yep that's what I was told too Neil. Always told to work off a saving of 2 week if planning for a certain wing condition for a certain race

[justalad982]

some of the old fanciers use to burn the tip with a fag end....ha

[Diamond Dave]

For those wondering what we're on about see below

Look at the little "v" cut in the Vandenheede pigeons



fred.JPG

Hi Mike, hope all is well - Vanderheede has nipped both thr 3rd and 4th flights in this pic - would this give him 4 extra weeks of a full wing or perhaps even a little more?

[king]

I've read about this cutting v's in feathers before and believe it to a old wives tale. Can somebody who believes in it, explain how a fully developed feather, which are dead structures when cut effect how the bird moults?