Steve Howells wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2024 5:27 pm
I started racing with 31 babies after 5 races I have 30 left none have nighted out this week will be their last race if I send as they are falling apart. I don’t believe in any of these crackpot theories when fanciers lose youngsters hand over fist they are either not good enough or not healthy. OLR is interesting, I like one lift racing but don’t bother with the UK ones any more as the attrition rates are awful. Last couple of years I’ve sent to the Thailand olr where the loses are generally far less.
That’s excellent
What number did you wean Steve
and well done
Steve Howells wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2024 5:27 pm
I started racing with 31 babies after 5 races I have 30 left none have nighted out this week will be their last race if I send as they are falling apart. I don’t believe in any of these crackpot theories when fanciers lose youngsters hand over fist they are either not good enough or not healthy. OLR is interesting, I like one lift racing but don’t bother with the UK ones any more as the attrition rates are awful. Last couple of years I’ve sent to the Thailand olr where the loses are generally far less.
That’s excellent
What number did you wean Steve
and well done
Now there’s a story Neil I weaned I think it was around 54. Now as I only have a few decent birds so I thought I’d pair early and keep floating the eggs, and although there’d be 4 months difference in the ages in my arrogance I thought I could manage them. Wrong!! I couldn’t get them to fly if I tried to force them they’d just land on a a roof 100 yards down the road. And when they did all fly it would be 5 minutes max and they’d go around as if they were tied to the loft, I bet they didn’t venture more than 300 yards from it. Anyway I got so fed up with them that one afternoon I basketed them all up and took em 5 miles knowing the outcome was unlikely to be good. After a week 33 had found their way home, and from that moment on they were different birds. Two weeks after that I started them at 15 miles and they never put a foot wrong apart from the two that went missing training.
That’s really interesting mate
I do think mixed ages creates issues
But it’s interesting how once you shifted them you found a hardcore of pigeons to work with
Steve Howells wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2024 5:27 pm
I started racing with 31 babies after 5 races I have 30 left none have nighted out this week will be their last race if I send as they are falling apart. I don’t believe in any of these crackpot theories when fanciers lose youngsters hand over fist they are either not good enough or not healthy. OLR is interesting, I like one loft racing but don’t bother with the UK ones any more as the attrition rates are awful. Last couple of years I’ve sent to the Thailand olr where the loses are generally far less.
Can i ask you Steve, who is the agent for the Thailand OLR please. thank you.
Richard Millington. I’ll PM you his details if you want them. Obviously to late for this year
NeilA wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2024 6:08 pm
That’s really interesting mate
I do think mixed ages creates issues
But it’s interesting how once you shifted them you found a hardcore of pigeons to work with
Andy wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2024 8:13 am
Really losses in OLR’s should be a lot lower than in club/fed racing. They are generally raced on weekdays when no other liberation are about, meaning no clashing. They are all flying back to the same loft, so no dragging off line. If the weather doesn’t look right the races are postponed. So all this should lead to less losses. These races are really only training tosses that normal fanciers would have, all be it at a longer distance in the final races. I rarely lose anything in training.
The biggest problem is the management. Too many birds for anyone to know them individually, birds having to be sent because they’re entered, racing young birds that are still maturing.
I give very little importance to how birds perform as youngsters. Rarely do your best youngsters become your best old birds.
Good point your right less clashing
My best cocks are consistent ybs but I can only think of one that was a top yb
Most just come 15 min or so after the first ones that make the best cocks but they don’t make mistakes either
MIL wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2024 8:47 am
There's no right or wrong really
When I think of 3 of my best ever cocks "Houdini" (won as YB), "The Assassin" (Won as YB), "Champion Gareth Gates" (won as YB)
Eddy never won as a YB, but he never gave me a moment's concern - he was always on the heels of the winners
A YB that just survives the YB programme never made in into my OB team
It had to show me "something" to indicate there was some sort of talent there that I could work with
Every loft has its crap And crap tend to smell as such right from the off in my experience
Only thing I think with mine is the moult may slow them compared to my smaller framed hens
83 was a excellent yb winning the fed etc
But 58/57 were say top 10/12 to the loft but were never far behind both were great as yearlings from race 1
So maybe not being on the dark stops them against there smaller loft mates
Not sure but it may do
when fanciers lose youngsters hand over fist they are either not good enough or not healthy. OLR is interesting, I like one lift racing but don’t bother with the UK ones any more as the attrition rates are awful. Last couple of years I’ve sent to the Thailand olr where the loses are generally far less.
