Recovery from racing

[Andy]

I let mine out this morning as usual. They were keen to go out. Mind you they only raced between 39 and 62 minutes yesterday. They had a bit of a fly and looked quite happy. I must say that I have never had mine fly anywhere near as long as some say there’s do. Mainly they will just fly around for 10/15 minutes or so before coming down. But the loft is shut and they can’t get in until I let them in. During the time they are out they constantly clap off, usually individually, shooting off in different directions and are up and down the whole time they’re out. I think they use more energy doing this than just flying around in circles. As soon as I go out to drop the board they are looking for me and are on the board before I’ve fully opened it sometimes. The fact that they don’t fly constantly while out doesn’t bother me. We have a member in our club who says that his will fly one and a half to two hours at I time. But come race day I often beat them.

My cocks go out for a hour Tuesday to Thursday they may drop twice for 30 secs then go when bang on they will stay up the hour , they are not spot on yet
My hens would fly more if allowed
I use go to see most London aces in my teens all flew the cocks a solid hour
When I helped a double combine winner who won 2 cars his stayed up a full hour to they saw him then down and in
To be honest here if my birds are down after 10-15 mins I would shit myself
if your birds are right they don’t fly in circles you want the crossing you and going out of sight
Not knocking you Andy and I’m glad it works in your area it just wouldn’t here for sprinting

I don’t really expect to be able to compete even in our club from these stupidly short races. A couple of circles of the race point and that’s my race finished as far as top honours are concerned with there being members in my club flying 23 miles further than me. And with a bit of East in the wind even harder. I would love to be in an easier place to race but unfortunately I have no option down here. My club itself is a 45 minute drive for me to get there.

[Andy]

I let mine out this morning as usual. They were keen to go out. Mind you they only raced between 39 and 62 minutes yesterday. They had a bit of a fly and looked quite happy. I must say that I have never had mine fly anywhere near as long as some say there’s do. Mainly they will just fly around for 10/15 minutes or so before coming down. But the loft is shut and they can’t get in until I let them in. During the time they are out they constantly clap off, usually individually, shooting off in different directions and are up and down the whole time they’re out. I think they use more energy doing this than just flying around in circles. As soon as I go out to drop the board they are looking for me and are on the board before I’ve fully opened it sometimes. The fact that they don’t fly constantly while out doesn’t bother me. We have a member in our club who says that his will fly one and a half to two hours at I time. But come race day I often beat them.

My cocks go out for a hour Tuesday to Thursday they may drop twice for 30 secs then go when bang on they will stay up the hour , they are not spot on yet
My hens would fly more if allowed
I use go to see most London aces in my teens all flew the cocks a solid hour
When I helped a double combine winner who won 2 cars his stayed up a full hour to they saw him then down and in
To be honest here if my birds are down after 10-15 mins I would shit myself
if your birds are right they don’t fly in circles you want the crossing you and going out of sight
Not knocking you Andy and I’m glad it works in your area it just wouldn’t here for sprinting

I don’t really expect to be able to compete even in our club from these stupidly short races. A couple of circles of the race point and that’s my race finished as far as top honours are concerned with there being members in my club flying 23 miles further than me. And with a bit of East in the wind even harder. I would love to be in an easier place to race but unfortunately I have no option down here. My club itself is a 45 minute drive for me to get there. It is a great club though, very friendly and sociable with some top flyers in it.

[NeilA]

I think it's crazy not racing hens it's like saying your worse cock bird is better than all the hens in garden n iv found so many birds that fanicers say are on widowhood actually ain't, the fanicers thinks he is but the birds ain't,
I was taught widowhood by the best iv ever seen fly it but I don't enjoy it I like racing hens as well n I'm use to flying hens.

I don’t think that Tony. I just don’t have the loft set up or the time to fly both sex’s. They are on a diet supreme and depurative with just a couple of feeds of super widowhood given on a Thursday. My best bird last year was a hen on natural. Actually the nest mate of my first bird yesterday. A pair of latebreds from 2 years ago.

Why give super widowhood on Thursday I think that’s 18 per cent peas from memory. Why would you need protein Thursday Andy that would be better fed early in the week if fed at all

[Murray]

Rest is the best thing a pigeon can have after a race, but every pigeon is different. I always let mine out the day after a race and put a bath out for them. Some birds just came out of the loft and straight to the bath others went for a fly. I've had birds fly up to 13 hours and after 30 mins it's hard to tell they had even been with handling them.
The speed a bird recovers is a great indicator of health. I very much doubt a sprint bird would need to have a days rest after a race?

I agree, in most circumstances I chuck them all put for a bath and a fly, same as usual.
Where I differ from some is I just give them as much of their usual mix as they want on return, and they stay on that right through.
The birds need to recover, and I watch them right through the week, but I have a suspicion that at times we can credit ourselves with doing this and that and one thing and another to "help" them. I doubt it.
If they are fit and healthy they will bounce back quickly. If they don't, then you have a problem.

[Anthony webster]

I think it's crazy not racing hens it's like saying your worse cock bird is better than all the hens in garden n iv found so many birds that fanicers say are on widowhood actually ain't, the fanicers thinks he is but the birds ain't,
I was taught widowhood by the best iv ever seen fly it but I don't enjoy it I like racing hens as well n I'm use to flying hens.

I don’t think that Tony. I just don’t have the loft set up or the time to fly both sex’s. They are on a diet supreme and depurative with just a couple of feeds of super widowhood given on a Thursday. My best bird last year was a hen on natural. Actually the nest mate of my first bird yesterday. A pair of latebreds from 2 years ago.

[Anthony webster]

Try feeding in opposite way
Widowhood on Sunday going lighter towards Thurs zero Friday for distance you race if I was racing 34 miles there be a pigeon put in basket in car with drinker on wenseday for 34 miles, I say this because u have a yb have 2 days out take it 20 miles with team it be first bk by 3 to 5 mins.

[Andy]

Try feeding in opposite way
Widowhood on Sunday going lighter towards Thurs zero Friday for distance you race if I was racing 34 miles there be a pigeon put in basket in car with drinker on wenseday for 34 miles, I say this because u have a yb have 2 days out take it 20 miles with team it be first bk by 3 to 5 mins.

I will try keeping them on the light mix this week Tony.

[Andy]

I think it's crazy not racing hens it's like saying your worse cock bird is better than all the hens in garden n iv found so many birds that fanicers say are on widowhood actually ain't, the fanicers thinks he is but the birds ain't,
I was taught widowhood by the best iv ever seen fly it but I don't enjoy it I like racing hens as well n I'm use to flying hens.

I don’t think that Tony. I just don’t have the loft set up or the time to fly both sex’s. They are on a diet supreme and depurative with just a couple of feeds of super widowhood given on a Thursday. My best bird last year was a hen on natural. Actually the nest mate of my first bird yesterday. A pair of latebreds from 2 years ago.

Why give super widowhood on Thursday I think that’s 18 per cent peas from memory. Why would you need protein Thursday Andy that would be better fed early in the week if fed at all

Thanks Neil as I’ve said to Anthony I’ll try feeding a bit different this week. The super widowhood I’m feeding doesn’t have very many peas in. It has a lot of maize so high in carbs.

[Andy]

As far as the subject of this topic is concerned I’m not sure that any sort of rest is needed. As I have said before I was a competitive swimmer and waterpolo player. After an event or game we would have a ‘swim down’. This would be a gentle swim of a couple of hundred meters to git rid of any lactic acid that had built up after a swim where we had put everything in, even if the race was only 50 metres. We would be back into full training the following day.

[NeilA]

As far as the subject of this topic is concerned I’m not sure that any sort of rest is needed. As I have said before I was a competitive swimmer and waterpolo player. After an event or game we would have a ‘swim down’. This would be a gentle swim of a couple of hundred meters to git rid of any lactic acid that had built up after a swim where we had put everything in, even if the race was only 50 metres. We would be back into full training the following day.

I think as well as rest it’s also routine so they build to peak Saturday and I also think by not being asked to fly early in the week they enjoy it more towards the weekend and are not just going around on a bit of string like butterfly’s
I actually think when I get the cocks right and that isn’t every year they nearly know what day of the week it is