MIke Lycett wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2026 8:49 am
If I were you Neil I'd keep it on the radar. Prepare as if you're going to it - you can always swerve it at the last minute if you want to
Over the years I've won numerous 1st Federations on the opening day of the season
Birds tend to start training no more than 3 weeks prior to the first race. Normally around a fortnight
It's not how far they go but how often they go - it's about building that platform - getting consistent good work into them
A 25 min training toss to me was worth so much more than a 50 min loft fly
Important to build that base fitness around home though before training commences
There's definitely something about them putting the work in when training home compared to leisurely floating around the loft at home!
How long around the the loft at home would you normally find they need before heading out down the road.
Say from completely out of condition in the breeding loft feeding young, to being race basket ready?
Well 11th April first race ,birds will race whole programme this season
84 miles first race to me
Birds at moment are going great
Hens out 1x aday 1hr
Cocks out 1x aday 45 mins
Feeding is basic barley ,,
Each day is supplemented with different products
Baths on Sunday for birds all in aviarys
No treatments given yet everything is going so well ,
Training will start once I see there conditioning is where I want it and where rd tossing won't knock all the conditioning off them because it definitely knocks conditioning n form off em I find in the weather we get in March n April.
NeilA wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2026 6:03 pm
How do you tell when there ready Anthony as i imagine there handle like silk and be light in the hand now
Normally when there splitting up all over sky pal and gone for 10,15 mins returning like a toss I like to see pal ,ya like silk n very light at moment but when I train short there be bit hungry don't want bad habits starting like doing big laps of honor gliding around sky.
I tried to get mine reasonably fit before breeding.
And now they have just started feeding ybs.
Our first race is also the 11th which I hope to send birds to but wont worry about having a clock set.
That will give me about 2 weeks of training before that first race.
In the meantime they are going out twice a day and are still flying quite well at the mo.
I am expecting them to stop flying well soon and will start to give them some short chucks just to keep them ticking over but unlike you guys, I am not expecting any sort of performance from them in the first race.
I'm worse natural flyer in uk ,,I just can't fly natural done brilliant playing natural tricks on widowhood pigeons dad called it natural hood worked well on water races.
Diamond Dave wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2026 6:59 pm
I tried to get mine reasonably fit before breeding.
And now they have just started feeding ybs.
Our first race is also the 11th which I hope to send birds to but wont worry about having a clock set.
That will give me about 2 weeks of training before that first race.
In the meantime they are going out twice a day and are still flying quite well at the mo.
I am expecting them to stop flying well soon and will start to give them some short chucks just to keep them ticking over but unlike you guys, I am not expecting any sort of performance from them in the first race.
Will you have a flag / pole or sign up like a road cone to keep them up when with young on the nest
I know Shane Langton kept his up and he was ace with natural pigeons but he did work them
I live on a housing estate Neil, if I do that they just go n land on someone elses roof.
I am shutting them out for 2 hours and hope that they fly at least one of those. They also seem to come in ok when I call them at the moment. If that all tails off I will take them for ciuple short chucks.
Diamond Dave wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2026 6:59 pm
I tried to get mine reasonably fit before breeding.
And now they have just started feeding ybs.
Our first race is also the 11th which I hope to send birds to but wont worry about having a clock set.
That will give me about 2 weeks of training before that first race.
In the meantime they are going out twice a day and are still flying quite well at the mo.
I am expecting them to stop flying well soon and will start to give them some short chucks just to keep them ticking over but unlike you guys, I am not expecting any sort of performance from them in the first race.
Will you have a flag / pole or sign up like a road cone to keep them up when with young on the nest
I know Shane Langton kept his up and he was ace with natural pigeons but he did work them
I live on a housing estate Neil, if I do that they just go n land on someone elses roof.
I am shutting them out for 2 hours and hope that they fly at least one of those. They also seem to come in ok when I call them at the moment. If that all tails off I will take them for ciuple short chucks.
That's very much the same situation as myself, if anyone's seen my YouTube stuff then you'll know that my loft is right up against the house too!
Funny enough as it turns out the neighbours aren't too keen on me throwing tennis balls on their roofs all the time!
Thanks Neil good advice, I'll give it a go they've only really started to go out from last week to be fair, they are on barley with a bit of other feed I had left over so will try it.
Some have been feeding ybs these are pick your own
partners from my yearlings, I've separated them, hens out first then the cocks, will see how they go I expect they're be to heavy hopefully this will improve with body weight.
I grew up in south east London on estates birds wasn't aloud on roofs ,I found over the yrs roof hoppers breed roof hoppers ,,I just killed them bad ones that was thick n lazy n kept birds that done as they should ,,
It sounds harsh but how ever will a roof hopper be a winner it's unfit lazy n prefers sitting on a roof than flying or being in its box ,,
