UkPigeonRacing

Andy wrote: Tue Apr 30, 2024 3:44 pm I don’t think darkness is all it’s cracked up to be but that’s just my personal opinion. There’s no denying that they look immaculate but they’re also flying with a wing of nest flights. The new flight feathers are generally a bit bigger and stronger than nest flights. You say modern darkness Neil! We had a member in Worthing back in the early 80s that raced a form of darkness. Yes he won more than his fair share of young bird races, but he would also stop work and go on the dole for young bird racing. He rarely scored with old birds though. I’m not sure that you could turn a racer into a homer or visa versa. I suppose it’s what you want out of your young birds in the end. I’m sure others will disagree with me.

My personal view also it's not all it’s cracked up to be. Darkness is not as new as many think, I've read articles from the early 50s were fanciers were using a form of darkness but it wasn't yet called darkness. The principle of darkness is sound, but many have just copied others thinking you must race this way to succeed. When first used by a few fanciers the advantage it give was dramatic, but as more and more fanciers began using it that advantage has reduced.
I think the biggest mistake many on darkness make is not training their birds early enough, when I raced the fanciers all around me always bred their birds earlier than me, yet I was always first to start training them? I'm sure TOP fanciers can make it work, but I'm sure those same TOP fanciers would still beat their clubmates if they raced their YBs natural. Putting YBs on darkness does make them any better, they will be in better feather, but a better prepared natural may still beat them.

MIL wrote: Thu May 02, 2024 6:40 am I first started racing Darkness more than 30 years ago. In those days there was a lot said about the impact it had on pigeons ability to race well as yearlings. To test it out for 3 years I only raced the hens on Darkness, the cocks were natural. The findings were clear

For the first 2-3 races the naturals could mix it with the Darkness birds (especially if the racing was fast).
From the 4th race onwards the natural YB are TOAST.
Their moult is more advanced (in wing and body) and as the distances are increasing it reallyi is men against boys.

My birds were bred the same way, fed, conditioned and trained the same way. The natural YB CANNOT compete

You come to my Club with a Natural YB from the 4th race onwards and try and win and the lads like Nesbitt & Leadbeater (Both former MNFC combined Champions) will have you for breakfast, lunch, tea and supper.

Darkness still needs to be performed effectively of course

The way forward in 2024 is not to race YB on Darkness if you want to win - It's to have Darkness YB on widowhood - that's the secret

Just looking back over some topics, my question is do you still think the same Mike in what you've posted, & would there be a slight tweak that you would employ, just asking please.

Thank you for you updated reply.