UkPigeonRacing

So this question is mainly to fanciers who are actively removing birds each season and run a earn your box system, if you don't still like to hear people's general opinions on removing birds

What's yours Danny ?

@tony a few things result led mainly

Good subject Danny, not something I've ever had to do.
With regards young birds. I have always tried my best to lose them. What is left is usually worthy of a perch. Sometimes I get a few that have worked back but not usually done enough, these are usually first to go down as yearlings although I have had one or two fair ones over the years.
Old birds, I only enjoy the distance and the channel races usually sort them out for me and keep my numbers down which is sometimes hard to stomach with 3 n 4 year old birds that you have invested a lot of time and effort into.
It suits me as I don't like culling but don't have a problem if I have to.

@dave yes with the losses in the nationals and dealing with smaller losses through season you are only left with a small number so count that as the control and I get that mate, that's the norm I'd say for many, do you monitor what pairs have the highest loss rate and remove from stock?

Please be careful on what words are used

I picked up on it but didn't want to have to repeat it to correct it c word?

Buster121 wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2026 9:51 pm Please be careful on what words are used

Yea, probably not an ideal topic. It's not just us reading this.

@murray exactly and I feel it's a shadow used against the community when in reality it's very rare there is always homes for them and majority do everything to make that happen, we can sell our unwanted but I know many average fanciers who will do everything to rehome

Well there's a saying that if you move any bird on, they can never prove you wrong.

I've raced against a few fanciers who were very strict on what was worth keeping. I myself kept EVERY YB at the end of the season (as my YB team was never bigger than 24 birds at the start) In fact I've never moved on a race bird that wasn't ill or injured. The basket found out the ones that were no good.
Many birds that these fanciers would have certainly moved on, went on to do well. My last Winner before I stopped racing had just one race as a YB and came the following morning. It was 1st club, 3rd Fed as a 2 years old, having carded as a yearling. I made a point of telling these fanciers it's history just to wind them up