Barley.

[Murray]

There's a good thread on here at present about feed and feeding.
There is a little thing about feeding pigeons which causes arguments.
Barley, or, no barley.
I will not have it on the place, but I know blokes who reckon they cannot manage pigeons without it.
Your thoughts and opinions please

[Andy]

I must say I’m not keen on Barley. I don’t feed it as a general rule. But as I am going to be racing widowhood again this year I will be feeding a fair bit of depurative which is primarily Barley. This will be fed in the early part of the week before changing to a super widowhood from mid week. My understanding is that barley is quite a good grain for cleaning the blood and kidneys after a race. It was a way of feeding that was very successful for me when racing widowhood in the past.

[Murray]

Times have changed a bit, Andy.
I would be studying the latest methods of the successful flyers.
Just saying......

[Trev]

I also don't feed barley but know a lot of fanciers do, even if it is just as guide to feeding enough as the thought is, that once the birds start leaving the barley then they've had enough as it is usually the first grain that they will leave.
As Andy says barley is a good cleansing agent for the digestive system and is generally used in depurative mixes to cleanse and break birds down after a race.
Its also a cheaper grain which is often used just to bulk feeds up.
Of course back in the day when most fanciers only fed 4 different grains, wheat, barley, beans and maize, it was just swapped with the wheat as the winter feed with the wheat being used to race on.

[Buster121]

None of my mixes have barley in so does not get fed here although bloke round the corner from me gets me to pick up 2x25 kg sacks of it when I go to the farm for my seed so 50kg every couple weeks

[Anthony webster]

Love barley my favourite grain
All ways dustbins full of barley here
Master barley n you never look back racing.

[Andy]

Love barley my favourite grain
All ways dustbins full of barley here
Master barley n you never look back racing.

I have been feeding a depurative and a supreme diet for the past few weeks. These both contain a fair amount of barley. I must say the birds are looking well on it. The cocks were flying really well before repairing. Now separated again they are just getting going again. Today was the first real day as the hens were only removed 2 days ago.

[Steve Howells]

IMO it's the best grain. I use it throughout the year, even have it in hopper when they're feeding babies.

[Albert]

One of the most under rated grains there is, and the old story that it dries the feather. I have not seen any evidence of that.

[Devo1956]

I would say barley, is good if you have the right mix for your birds nutrition wise, You also have to have the right balance of nutrition for the birds to perform to their highest level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ5Djv8MNwo