Widowhood cocks training.
Going well mate, well done hope continues when racing startsAndy wrote: Sat Apr 13, 2024 8:20 pm My cocks have been split since Tuesday. They are starting to get the hang of their new system. They are let out in the morning. I clean them before going in for breakfast. They are starting to fly well. The drop board is shut while out. They go out again after work. This afternoon when they saw me come out into the garden they were looking for me to drop the drop board. As soon as I did they were down and in.
Sadies Lofts home of decent birds just a useless loft manager, and now a confirmed loser but proud 
Good to see going wellAndy wrote: Sun Apr 21, 2024 10:10 pm After their first race on widowhood yesterday the cocks are buzzing today. As it was their first time on widowhood I did show the hens before marking. The nest bowls were put in half an hour before the hens were put in. I had 8 of the 11 back with 5 minutes. All but one trapped very well. The one that didn’t trap very well is one who has trouble with another cock taking over 2 boxes. The hens were left with the cocks for a couple of hours before being removed. I then took all the bowls out and left the cocks with half the box. This morning they flew well and when I dropped the drop board they were in very quickly. I gave them a bath in the loft this morning and let them out again this afternoon. They had another good fly before I let them back in. I stand beside the trap when I open it which is about shoulder height for me and they trap without any hesitation right beside me.
Sadies Lofts home of decent birds just a useless loft manager, and now a confirmed loser but proud
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Anthony webster
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I don't race widowhood for sprinting but when I did we tested n birds given no bowls and no hens Friday won more firsts over 3 seasons than showing and motivating em.Trev wrote: Mon Apr 22, 2024 9:44 pmAs I said before, widowhood just isn't for me so I can't give any constructive comments on it. However talking to one of our top sprint fanciers after last weeks race, Alan Akemenkalns, and he just shows a few hens to his yearling cocks on basketing day, he doesn't put them in their boxes as he thinks it blows their minds and causes them too much stress.Murray wrote: Mon Apr 22, 2024 8:04 am I used to just use the normal form of widowhood for about 5 weeks. Put the bowl in, show the hen, etc.
Just my opinion, but if the cocks are in blazing form and giving you 100%, after about 6 weeks it starts to show. That's why after six weeks the races were getting longer and some of the yearling cocks were starting to look like they had 6 races in a row.
So I would start looking at the older cocks. They were more awake to the game, and that's why I used to "mess with their heads" a bit more..
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Anthony webster
- Posts: 1440
- Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2024 4:54 am
Personally think ya ruined ya race before you sent em, they fight like mad get to excited and all the nervous energy used up before they leave the lorry.Andy wrote: Tue Apr 23, 2024 8:16 amI’m showing the hens for the first few races as they haven’t been on widowhood before. I don’t think you need to once the cocks have got to know the system. The basket should become enough for them to know the hen will be there on return. They are flying back to the box as much as the hen.Anthony webster wrote: Tue Apr 23, 2024 1:44 amI don't race widowhood for sprinting but when I did we tested n birds given no bowls and no hens Friday won more firsts over 3 seasons than showing and motivating em.Trev wrote: Mon Apr 22, 2024 9:44 pm
As I said before, widowhood just isn't for me so I can't give any constructive comments on it. However talking to one of our top sprint fanciers after last weeks race, Alan Akemenkalns, and he just shows a few hens to his yearling cocks on basketing day, he doesn't put them in their boxes as he thinks it blows their minds and causes them too much stress.