NeilA wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2024 1:38 pm
Selected in September Devo
Race team selected Sunday after the last old bird race in July all moved on straight away here
Results in the loft book decides all so it’s pretty much sorted with a couple of races to go
You may know by now I have no interest in strains / fashion
Worse thing for b me would be not moving on old birds then losing loads of ybs and ending up keeping old birds that were average through fear of only having half a dozen to race
I had 4 badly hit by peregrines this year I put one to stock I gave 3 fed winners away
I kept 3 old birds as the rest were average or ruined that was before I had raced a yb so it could have gone badly wrong but what went wasn’t to the standard I want
If you drop standards to fill a box I think it’s a error for sprinting same for stock
Hello NeilA, very true in what you've said in your post, I think that the only way forward, sentiment shouldn't play a part you need to be clinical .
Anthony Webster will probably say the same thing, if you could look back at the old posts from Chat then this has been visited on more than 1 occasion ,keep things moving forward young pigeons in the loft not old ones that haven't produced should be taken out, test & test them again is the way forward & I think next year I will be doing the same anything that doesn't tow the line will be gone .
I understand this message, and from an experienced loft it sure holds a lot of weight.
However, here's where I think it runs into problems.
In a novice loft, you can't afford to be as ruthless, to be ruthless, you need to know that you as the fancier did everything right. Currently I'm still in the stage where I am to blame more so than the birds themselves! If I was to cut any birds that hadn't placed then I wouldn't have any left to race!!
I watch pigeons closely
I hear regularly a cock sulks if he's hens not there after race, personally never seen a pigeon sulk even when it's been hawked ?
Another thing iv seen is cock returning from tough race stay at home hen all over him picking around he's head trying to get he's attention the cock looked real pixxed off with hen n only over a hour later started to pay attention to hen but was more happier in loft following morning with hen than returning from race ,,
So I think us pigeon men really think pigeons are humans some times .
I think doing things on time is more important to food or anything else ,,there top lads like Neil that feed different for each race then there's lads who feed 1 mix all week my pal who's won combine 13 times 5 times 1st national feeds 1 mix all season, then I have another friend he's highest prize winner most yrs fed n amal feeds high fat all week and wins from first to last topping feds n combines ,,one thing they all do is keep to there times each day to the minute.
Anthony webster wrote: Mon Oct 13, 2025 6:41 pm
I watch pigeons closely
I hear regularly a cock sulks if he's hens not there after race, personally never seen a pigeon sulk even when it's been hawked ?
Another thing iv seen is cock returning from tough race stay at home hen all over him picking around he's head trying to get he's attention the cock looked real pixxed off with hen n only over a hour later started to pay attention to hen but was more happier in loft following morning with hen than returning from race ,,
So I think us pigeon men really think pigeons are humans some times .
I believe the box vital more than the hen
Well it doesn’t have to be a box a v perch the same if it’s his
My triple fed winner never had a box just floor space
I made a box on his floor area he didn’t want it I put a v 3 inch off the floor he never once used it all he wanted was that 2 foot of floor space
My pals best cock 2024 had floor no hen that Yr won fed 10,000 birds
.
NeilA wrote: Mon Oct 13, 2025 4:53 pm
Use to race 20 cocks no more
Now I have 22 and there hens will now race nrcc mostly so 2 races a day for 4 or 5 weeks then I may send the hens to a combine with the 10 older cocks the 12 young cocks will be for the fed
Are the hens paired to the widowhood cocks Neil?
What I’m going to do it a bit odd
The old birds were paired August had a baby
I’m pairing the yearling cocks with stock hens to claim a box really that way my yearling hens are unpaired
The yearling cocks will be bought along a bit slow early season race wise the hens will all race as I need some races into them as Dunbar is a 160 mile jump from where we will be
So on a Saturday there be allowed to run through to the yearling cocks to form new bonds and flirt so the yearling cocks will be happy although they won’t have raced at that point
Ideally I would like stay at home hens for the cocks but I just don’t have space and it’s another section to clean
So I’m trying this
All hens going to nrcc and possible local combine old cocks start off sprinting then go combine or nrcc
Yearling cocks start 4/5 races in the concentrate on the races between combine races by then they would have forgot the stock hen and will have been bonded with a yearling hen
Sounds like you’ve got it nailed, wish I had. For the first time this year in a long while I raced them widowhood but raced the hens as well, and it’s been the worst season I’ve had in a lot of years. Normally I fly them natural but let people convince me flying them separate would be better, I like the idea of it but can’t be doing with another season like this one.
What I’m going to do it a bit odd
The old birds were paired August had a baby
I’m pairing the yearling cocks with stock hens to claim a box really that way my yearling hens are unpaired
The yearling cocks will be bought along a bit slow early season race wise the hens will all race as I need some races into them as Dunbar is a 160 mile jump from where we will be
So on a Saturday there be allowed to run through to the yearling cocks to form new bonds and flirt so the yearling cocks will be happy although they won’t have raced at that point
Ideally I would like stay at home hens for the cocks but I just don’t have space and it’s another section to clean
So I’m trying this
All hens going to nrcc and possible local combine old cocks start off sprinting then go combine or nrcc
Yearling cocks start 4/5 races in the concentrate on the races between combine races by then they would have forgot the stock hen and will have been bonded with a yearling hen
Sounds like you’ve got it nailed, wish I had. For the first time this year in a long while I raced them widowhood but raced the hens as well, and it’s been the worst season I’ve had in a lot of years. Normally I fly them natural but let people convince me flying them separate would be better, I like the idea of it but can’t be doing with another season like this one.
Sorry to hear that never worked Steve
I like them separate as I did race natural some time back but now I know the hens will be up dead on a hour the cocks similar but I do let them up and down a little while mainly as I enjoy watching them
So work wise it’s ok for me
Do you normally have to train the naturals a fair bit
Not really. They’re on open hole as much as possible and like you I use a fair amount of barley. Biggest draw back is hens laying,with the Nrcc races being generally a fortnight apart, which is why I was playing with them separated.
CHARLTON34 wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 3:27 pm
Hello NeilA, very true in what you've said in your post, I think that the only way forward, sentiment shouldn't play a part you need to be clinical .
Anthony Webster will probably say the same thing, if you could look back at the old posts from Chat then this has been visited on more than 1 occasion ,keep things moving forward young pigeons in the loft not old ones that haven't produced should be taken out, test & test them again is the way forward & I think next year I will be doing the same anything that doesn't tow the line will be gone .
I understand this message, and from an experienced loft it sure holds a lot of weight.
However, here's where I think it runs into problems.
In a novice loft, you can't afford to be as ruthless, to be ruthless, you need to know that you as the fancier did everything right. Currently I'm still in the stage where I am to blame more so than the birds themselves! If I was to cut any birds that hadn't placed then I wouldn't have any left to race!!
I think most new starters who have a dry loft with decent birds can soon improve if the birds are good
Get the youngsters up and flying early I think to many let them walk about for weeks , have tight routine and get the feeding right
If you club flying to 300 miles cut the protein feed lots of barley bring in fats and carbs they like
Keep different amounts of barley in the mix
If you at 300 miles 20 per cent barley if your at 50 miles 50 per cent barley
No need for any protein after Sunday and normally you don’t need any ,use fatty seeds instead
Repair and rest them Sunday Monday
Go again tight routine everything to time each day
Morning Neil, this is without doubt probably resonates with me more than ever, a great tip from you Neil & to any new starters, follow this & you won't go far wrong.
A tweak here & there you'll not go wrong with that advice.
Ya loads of different ways to feed ,,only time I don't look at results is where there's mountains,,
If there's mountains in a area its totally unfair racing there can be best flyer in world if there's mountains around him and good flyers either side of him he never win loads ,lads in Ireland, Scotland and Wales I fill sorry for because if there behind mountains there measureed in straight line but pigeons never run straight in them surroundings ,,
My great friend in Ireland if there's west in wind he can win open or fed 10,000 birds if there's anything else he be 7 to mins behind and everyone in he's area the same birds come otherwise mountains and there thrashed ,so I personally never pay attention to lads in mountain areas I see lofts in Scotland dominating results I think if they moved to Newcastle and flew in unc there race rest of there life to win what they win in a season in Scotland,
Plus also areas where competition is tough and fair ,,
NeilA wrote: Tue Oct 14, 2025 7:41 am
That’s my thinking tweak the feed for what fuel they need for the conditions to try to get a little gain on people not doing that it might only be a little advantage
I think if two pigeons are equal the correctly fuelled pigeon must just have a little advantage is if it’s a few seconds it could be enough
I know I didn’t feed my cocks for Perth correctly this year as I had 7 hens before them 2 weeks later and 70 miles more I had Cocks 2-3-4 to the loft so I think I improved it by changing the feed a little bit
Could just be coincidence though ,I will never know for sure I guess
See my pal feeds 1 mix a yearling cock and bred of how lambrecht x laereman but both g mothers have won 1st nfc this yearling on same mix wins fed inland then goes 3rd open nfc segonne on tough race then was he's 1st bird from tarbes high up in open 500 plus miles and fed same mix all season long this same man when he was sprinting won the fed and amal 5 weeks running on same food zero tinkering around with different mixes and then my other friend will have 5 to 10 different mixes n straights and wins loads getting massive drops in top birdage so I just think when there bang on there bang on .
What's Mike and Neil's thoughts on mark gilbert
He feeds sprint ,middle ,long distance birds
Superstar plus 24,7 and for longer races 2,3 days fats added
He's sprint birds were awesome
Middle distance awesome
Long distance awesome
There's top lofts against him in he's area probably playing with 3 to 5 different mixes but struggle to beat mark feeding 1 mix and 2 loft flys per day .
