UkPigeonRacing

What are ppls thoughts on same day racing for the first couple of young bird races at least.?
Our fed has been decimated by losses from the first couple of yb races - as it was last year and the year before and before that.
I am one of the longest flyers at 88 miles to the first racepoint. The transporter could be at the racepoint on the Saturday within 2 and a half hours of basketing.
This has to be better for the young birds welfare.!
Racing has changed over the years for whatever reason. (that's another debate) Gone are the days where if you didn't get them on Saturday, they would be there waiting on Sunday morning, lined up on top of the loft waiting to get in.
I have dropped 17 in these first 2 race and there are better flyers than me that have lost a lot more.
It's not a good look for the sport and it's not financially viable for the clubs and feds to continue in that manner.
It has to be better for the young birds well-being and that can only benefit the sport going forward....

Some really good points there Murray. Whatever the reason something has changed and we need to find a way to respond to that change.
Logistically, our first 4 races could be same day.
I drove the transporter last year on one ocassion.
The main road was closed and the 35 mile diversion was thro windy, bumpy country roads and I felt for the birds in the back where the movement must be magnified 4 or 5 fold. On this ocassion they were old birds but for babies the whole overnight ordeal must be terryifying for them.

You can and it might make a difference but I think and hear far two often iv had a few tosses others will drag them home ,,
The bad racing is mainly down to under prepared baby's
And 80 percent are bred of rubbish ,,now lads breed of everything in there loft ,,if pigeon rings were £10 each we would only ring baby's of how best birds but we think more is better ,
My thinking is for every 2000 baby's on a lorry 1500 baby's or more are not ready or prepared for the race I think if they started at 150 miles n charged £10 a ring you cut all the laziness n bone idle flyers out of sending there either start doing things right or pack in.

Got to disagree there Dev. I believe it is the whole overnight thing that is causing that stress. Quite apart from the handling, bumping and bustling of marking and loading the crates and the overnight travelling to the racepoint.
I bet that birds at the top of the transporter rock and sway at least 2 or 3 foot one way then the other when it goes around every bend. It doesnt matter how careful the driver, you cant avoid that movement.

Dont disagree with any of that post Ant. But there is a "reality" about how we can and cant respond and I dont think that suggestion would be practical.
What I do think, is that we cant just sit on our hands and let it carry on year after year. More has to be done to help our young birds and anything that improves their well being when they are away from the loft should be considered.

Thats fair enough Murray and Ant but everybodies idea of prep is different and is done according to their own individual circs. so its something you cant change.
So my birds had about a dozen chucks up to 20 miles, then 2 at 30 miles followed by a single up from that 30 mile point. Is that enough....? In my mind that is reasonable prep. You big winners would likely say its nowhere near enough but it is enough for meand I would expect 60/70% of fanciers
Well I've still dropped 17 in the first 2 shortest races so while I dont disagree with you, I have to assume that the problem is not the preparation.

Diamond Dave wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 10:11 am Thats fair enough Murray and Ant but everybodies idea of prep is different and is done according to their own individual circs. so its something you cant change.
So my birds had about a dozen chucks up to 20 miles, then 2 at 30 miles followed by a single up from that 30 mile point. Is that enough....? In my mind that is reasonable prep. You big winners would likely say its nowhere near enough but it is enough for meand I would expect 60/70% of fanciers
Well I've still dropped 17 in the first 2 shortest races so while I dont disagree with you, I have to assume that the problem is not the preparation.

if everyone done what you have there wouldn't be half the problem as you done ok others do more but its them that been 1mile 5miles 15 miles 1 at 30 then that will do as there far to many them guys relying on yours to fetch them

It's not enough training pal ,,
I was in my 20s had 4 young kids layed bricks from 8am to 4pm but still got up at 3am n trained baby's them come home from work fed them at 4 30pm then at 7,30pm trained them again they would have 60,70 tosses before first race n 6 tosses week until end of season, I was motivated to win n pigeons won when I'm not motivated my birds don't win ,there's no short cuts in winning races if I had 12 tosses n lost some first race n some more 2nd race I expect that but by 3rd 4th race you won't lose many more ,,by me having 60 tosses plus iv lost the ones I was going to lose by then ,,
Then there's sorting out the racers from homers because lots get home but not many race home.

I hear you Ant but I and many other fanciers don't have that inclination, the wherewithal or the finances to do that. I keep my birds as a hobby. I don't expect to win to that degree.
You are talking about what is needed for a winning mentality and the post was generally about losing young birds and I dont want to detract from that but let's face it - old bird racing hasn't been like it used to be either.
Something has changed whether it be prep, hawks, YBS vaccination, clashing or whatever, we can just sit back and watch it spiral downwards or we can look into it and perhaps try something different.
As usual the problem with the pigeon fraternity seems to be with the 'C' word........

Dave I fill for you pal I'm not a baby racer any more I don't like the first 3,4 races with baby's, now I only private train my baby's will get them on a transporter midweek a few times n then drive n liberate mine with a massive convoy going some where else in prep for the future,,

Now days the sickness n fat eye about just sickens me.