UkPigeonRacing

As many of you know I'm currently in the midst of a house move!

Due to size and shape of the garden I have had to leave my 12'x6' loft and replace it with two 8'x6' and 6'x4' sheds.

Now, the plan is to use the larger shed for my race team, and the smaller one for stock breeding.

That's all makes sense on paper, and I can work with that!

However my dilemma comes up when thinking about young birds.

Can I race both old and young birds from one loft? Or am I asking for trouble?

I'm already thinking that I may have to race old birds naturally as I'm not too sure how I can go about separating the pairs!
Here some pictures of the bigger shed:

I raced mine from same loft, had door in middle where they used to land no other birds there at time and just caught and took rubbers off

I've not got the biggest loft in the world and with just starting up I'm having similar issues I have 7 stock birds I can't let out and 12 late bred birds that loft fly everyday.
I need to split the birds up before breeding season I have 3 sections and wondering which way to split them up, if I put the stock birds in with the late breds then I can't let the birds loft fly until breeding season starts for me mid January as I don't want the stock birds getting out.
I have a section with easy clean perches in a section with breeding boxes in and then the 3rd section I've not really got anything in there yet.
So what would be the best way do you think for me to split the cocks and hens and in what sections.
Stock birds 4 Cocks, 3 Hens
Late bred birds 5 Cocks, 7 Hens I think

You can house BOTH in the loft together without any trouble, but doing so would hold back the ybs from flying well if let out together.

king wrote: Fri Oct 23, 2026 1:25 pm You can house BOTH in the loft together without any trouble, but doing so would hold back the ybs from flying well if let out together.

So, everything in the race lift currently is able to fly out (once broken anyway), so would you say its ok to house the young birds in there also, but fly them separately?

As I assume that's what you mean as to get the best out of the young birds learning what to do right?

Winfort Lofts wrote: Fri Oct 23, 2026 11:02 am As many of you know I'm currently in the midst of a house move!

Due to size and shape of the garden I have had to leave my 12'x6' loft and replace it with two 8'x6' and 6'x4' sheds.

Now, the plan is to use the larger shed for my race team, and the smaller one for stock breeding.

That's all makes sense on paper, and I can work with that!

However my dilemma comes up when thinking about young birds.

Can I race both old and young birds from one loft? Or am I asking for trouble?

I'm already thinking that I may have to race old birds naturally as I'm not too sure how I can go about separating the pairs!
Here some pictures of the bigger shed:

PXL_20261018_153024829.MP.jpg

PXL_20261018_152829178.MP.jpg

No problem flying to one loft as long as it’s two sections. flying them mixed is asking for trouble.

Thanks for your advice Steve

Winfort Lofts wrote: Fri Oct 23, 2026 2:06 pm

king wrote: Fri Oct 23, 2026 1:25 pm You can house BOTH in the loft together without any trouble, but doing so would hold back the ybs from flying well if let out together.

So, everything in the race lift currently is able to fly out (once broken anyway), so would you say its ok to house the young birds in there also, but fly them separately?

As I assume that's what you mean as to get the best out of the young birds learning what to do right?

Yes you really need to fly young birds separate. I recall a club member having all his birds together and he flew well, but he only had around 12 ybs. As Steve says two sections in the same loft is better.

But if we have to split cocks and hens how are we going to do that with stock birds and Late breds and we have to keep them separate

When we was short of space we converted an old wardrobe fleted, and put louvred doors on so we could put the hens in and still race widowhood.

You can race the way your suggesting but your young birds won't fly as well, as they'll have to be natural and natural ybs can't compete against darkness babies.

The old birds will also still be pumping these babies for a hell of a long time even when some look really old so will be dragging them down too.