UkPigeonRacing

Have any members noticed a difference in their pigeons moult this year. I race my old birds on widowhood and my youngsters on natural, no darkness. My widowhood cocks didn’t start dropping flights until towards the end of the season. Usually it’s around the third or fourth race. A couple had only dropped two flights by the end of the season. They are now catching up fast and falling apart.
My youngsters have been moulting as normal up until about three weeks ago when they really started falling apart. I would normally be able to get through the whole of the young bird season with my natural youngsters even though they would be a bit short around the head. This year I have stopped them for the last two races. The last one is this weekend but I won’t be sending. They had 6 races so had a bit of experience. They only have one or two flights to go and short of covert feathers.
I don’t know whether it has anything to do with the long hot summer. The days were long, the evenings and mornings were clear and bright. Now the days seem to have shortened quickly, I know it isn’t any difference in other years in reality. But because it is now cloudy the evenings and mornings are dull and the evenings much shorter. I wonder whether this is causing the birds to moult quickly. I don’t think I have had birds moult so heavy so early before. I know the birds have to be in good condition and healthy to moult heavy so at least mine must be both.
This is one of my widowhood cocks. A five year old.

Poor thing looks like you are getting him ready for christmas Andy Lol.
But yes, I have noticed similar. Old birds have just dumped a load of feathers all at the same time.
I assumed it was to do with the recent hot weather.
And yes, it was positively AUTUMNAL this morning at just 9 degrees but a lovely bright morning here in the shires.

Crikey, I don't think I've seen an old bird fall apart like that!
But yes, it's the long hot summer that has done it. As you will be aware the extraordinary summer you have just had is an ordinary summer where I live.
I fact, over the last 15 to 20 years our summers have become increasingly mild. If mild is the right word. We used to get a week at a time of days over 40 degrees.
Now we seldom get one, and the autumn weather seems to start earlier.
As a result I do find that they are not going into a "crash" moult like they used to.
Interesting.

Diamond Dave wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2026 8:46 am Poor thing looks like you are getting him ready for christmas Andy Lol.
But yes, I have noticed similar. Old birds have just dumped a load of feathers all at the same time.
I assumed it was to do with the recent hot weather.
And yes, it was positively AUTUMNAL this morning at just 9 degrees but a lovely bright morning here in the shires.

Yes Dave. I daren’t handle them at present as I just end up with a handful of feathers. They will look a picture in a few weeks time.

Some of mine have been similar for a while now I did say couple weeks ago they were looking like vultures, have noticed more feathers last few weeks but this week has been the worst twice a day getting them up

Mine maybe different because I no longer race, but mine have moulted normally and none have fallen apart. That said when I did race I never had birds fall apart with big bald patches.

king wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2026 1:48 pm Mine maybe different because I no longer race, but mine have moulted normally and none have fallen apart. That said when I did race I never had birds fall apart with big bald patches.

I don't race either King mine are prisoner stock also