Think I will make a start this week Wednesday and Thursday look decent
Hens went well today only saw them once in the first 23 min after I let them out and all 21 from sky to the 1 foot trap in 11 secs
So I think there ready
Not only that i lose a week when I’m working in London soon add a week of bad weather and I will regret waiting I think
Temperature and training
So my yearlings have been in the loft since the end of the YB season and I let them out for the first time since September when I got back last Monday.
They’re not carry any weight due to feeding but I’m not sure what to expect from them in terms of loft flying time? Most are up and back in within 5 minutes, some doing 15 minutes and one lunatic cock charging around the sky for 1.5 hours. Will they gradually increase or will I have to flag them?
As ever, any ideas gratefully received.
They’re not carry any weight due to feeding but I’m not sure what to expect from them in terms of loft flying time? Most are up and back in within 5 minutes, some doing 15 minutes and one lunatic cock charging around the sky for 1.5 hours. Will they gradually increase or will I have to flag them?
As ever, any ideas gratefully received.
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MIke Lycett
- Posts: 924
- Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2025 3:59 pm

You need to build consistency and routine into them Pete
You're racing in a month's time and these birds have got zero fitness behind them at present if they've not been out since September
Having them out twice a day for 10 days you should see them starting to exercise with vigour
You're racing in a month's time and these birds have got zero fitness behind them at present if they've not been out since September
Having them out twice a day for 10 days you should see them starting to exercise with vigour
I started mine most be 3 weeks agoPeteDerby wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 10:38 pm So my yearlings have been in the loft since the end of the YB season and I let them out for the first time since September when I got back last Monday.
They’re not carry any weight due to feeding but I’m not sure what to expect from them in terms of loft flying time? Most are up and back in within 5 minutes, some doing 15 minutes and one lunatic cock charging around the sky for 1.5 hours. Will they gradually increase or will I have to flag them?
As ever, any ideas gratefully received.
First 2 days I let them out for 15 mins hungry as the hawks are about and I have to break them to the old bird sections plus there celibacy
I put the pole up day 3 for 20 mins hungry then a few days later 30 mins then 3 days of that 45 min
Kept the cocks at 45
Hens I moved to 60
Hope that helps
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Anthony webster
- Posts: 1435
- Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2024 4:54 am

I started 5 weeks ago 8 weeks before first race petePeteDerby wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 10:38 pm So my yearlings have been in the loft since the end of the YB season and I let them out for the first time since September when I got back last Monday.
They’re not carry any weight due to feeding but I’m not sure what to expect from them in terms of loft flying time? Most are up and back in within 5 minutes, some doing 15 minutes and one lunatic cock charging around the sky for 1.5 hours. Will they gradually increase or will I have to flag them?
As ever, any ideas gratefully received.
Sat ,Sun half Monday no food ,salts in drinker handful of matrix per team ,Mon pm let them out 15,20 mins everywhere but listened n trapped fast missed aday 20 mins 30 mins 45 mins flying
On cold days its 45 mins flying on nice days I have em do 1 hour .
There on barley but supplements added to feed and drinking water programme was started last week the same supplements I use in season on certain days are added to water now so birds are use to it ok ,
I think if u watch the ones that want in loft after few mins are probably carrying weight or under weight pal there's a reason behind it I had 1 hen and 1 cock wanting down after 26 to 35 mins so I made em do 1hr 5 mins flying as punishment now they do there correct time.
Tweaked the feeding of the hens these last 3 days
Today I lost total control of them
Pole down at 60 min and nothing
Took to 37 min later to drop them first time I have lost total control on them like that but I could see yesterday they wanted to go on and today they certainly did
Mikes got a good saying for it and he definitely called it right
Today I lost total control of them
Pole down at 60 min and nothing
Took to 37 min later to drop them first time I have lost total control on them like that but I could see yesterday they wanted to go on and today they certainly did
Mikes got a good saying for it and he definitely called it right
Thanks Mike and everyone. I lost my flag but sounds like I need to replace it and provide a little encouragement. The routine is pretty consistent - out about 9 and again at 4 before feeding.MIke Lycett wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 6:40 am You need to build consistency and routine into them Pete
You're racing in a month's time and these birds have got zero fitness behind them at present if they've not been out since September
Having them out twice a day for 10 days you should see them starting to exercise with vigour
They’ve been on depurative so certainly not fat. In fact I put a little more protein in their feed yesterday to see if that makes any difference? I guess it’d be like me going out for a run having not been out of the house for 6 months though. - I’d be panting a bit to say the least
Got the perfect weather for a bit of high flying next few days though so hopefully that will play into it.
Thanks again.
PS - one that did fly very well is one of my 2-year-old stock birds that got out through a bit of stupidity on my behalf. He shot out with the hens, didn’t circle or mix but went off south like a bat out of hell never to be seen again. I assumed he’d gone straight back home despite not being out since I bought my first stock birds, but apparently it’d never been out of the loft where I got him from so gawd knows what he had in his head? Was sitting eggs in his box with a pair of soon to be weaned babies too. Hey ho, he was a bloody lunatic that went mad whenever I went near him so won’t be missed, but it was interesting that he went off with such purpose without so much as a backwards look.
