Life in Bendigo.

[Buster121]

Thanks Andy.
Actually it wasn't a great result. It was a win in a small club race over about 50 miles. It will not go down in history like Mark Gilbert with a Barcelona win or something
But I was pleased.
When you have a very small loft and only breed a small team every year, getting a win is always nice.

A win is a win mate it still had to do the hard work give it the recognition it deserves, hope the missing ones turn in safely as you say probably clashed or bop or both

[Trev]

Thanks Buster.
I thought they would do well, the pigeons are in lovely order, but Ooh, the drag is so far against me. I thought that if I got one near the top of the result I would be pleased.
I sent 10, 5 cocks and 5 hens. ( I know the result says 9 pigeons, it's wrong.) At the club I passed the little mealy cock, 659/22, to a bloke to basket. As I did I blew the feathers off his breast, which was shiny and pink.
"Mine aren't like that", he said. I thought to myself, why are you sending them then?
Anyway there was a late liberation to avoid the big Melbourne federation again, it was clear and sunny and cold. Very light breeze. I thought about an hour, give or take, and settled down to watch for them coming back from the other way. I glanced up to see the mealy speed in on the line of flight and drop, bang! Good boy!
He's obviously come in a straight line. I thought that is a very good fly by a late bred on his own. Especially when I didn't see another one for 20 minutes.
So, yes, he's won the race but I have not seen 7 including 6 that went the last two weeks.
The blokes down at Kyneton, on the long leg, have been cleaning up the last couple of weeks, miles behind this week, and a couple of flyers never saw a bird for a couple of hours.
Something has gone wrong, I think. I reckon the Melbourne pigeons have broken up and a group of them have crossed ours.
My mealy cock is either pretty good or bloody lucky. I think it might be a bit of the former.

Brilliant result Muzza well done you and well deserved after the work you've put in
It does sound like something went wrong on the route home, I hope your missing birds turn up mate
As Andy said a win is win mate, I hope it's the first of many for this year.

[Trev]

It is going to be clear again tomorrow, so all the young birds, including the ones that raced yesterday, go out for a 20 mile toss tomorrow.
The race is 100 miles this week, and the 20 mile toss point is right on that line of flight. They don't need a toss for fitness, these pigeons could fly 200 miles this week or more, but I want their heads focused.
I want them coming straight home when they get to the business end.

I knew a bloke back in New Zealand, who always did well with young birds.
On a Sunday morning he would pull up at my place and ask if I wanted to take the young birds for a toss. Absolutely. I would box up some youngsters.
The difference was, he took ALL his young birds, including the ones that had raced the day before.
And he didn't just go 20 miles. If it was a nice day, and we got chatting about this and that, we would go for miles.
Come the long young bird National races, Bob always got a prize.

I hope it went well for you Muzza good luck in the next race.

[Murray]

I took 12 young birds, which are really yearlings in a minute, out to the 20 mile point. Including the ones that raced on Sunday.
Partly cloudy and not warm, quite a strong wind almost behind them.
They walked out of the boxes, stood for a moment, then took off! By the time I put the boxes back in the car they had a mile head start on me. I was peddling pretty hard on the way back, and might have been going 70 miles per hour on a road that you are not meant to...
A couple of speed restrictions in town, and they beat me back by two minutes, my wife said.
Crikey those things must have been hoofing it!
I lost 7 last weekend, which is disappointing . I suspect some blokes may have lost more than that.
But the ones that remain, they are well. I am getting light on pigeons, and will have to select a few to go each week. At least I have some to select from.

[DarkPiedCock]

It hard Murray to keep going when you take a hit. I started with 18 this season, ended up with 7. That is the way it going. Every one in the club have lost 50% or more this season. One decent chap sent 23 and lost 17 in a 1300 ypm race. We all got , that week. I lost four 3yo at Leicester 117 miles, and it continued as we went further up the country. I just enjoy what i have left in the loft. My good lady names them all. We have had three VERA'S this season

[Murray]

I took 12 young birds, which are really yearlings in a minute, out to the 20 mile point. Including the ones that raced on Sunday.
Partly cloudy and not warm, quite a strong wind almost behind them.
They walked out of the boxes, stood for a moment, then took off! By the time I put the boxes back in the car they had a mile head start on me. I was peddling pretty hard on the way back, and might have been going 70 miles per hour on a road that you are not meant to...
A couple of speed restrictions in town, and they beat me back by two minutes, my wife said.
Crikey those things must have been hoofing it!
I lost 7 last weekend, which is disappointing . I suspect some blokes may have lost more than that.
But the ones that remain, they are well. I am getting light on pigeons, and will have to select a few to go each week. At least I have some to select from.

Talking to David today when he delivered some feed, it appears that there were quite a few losses in the club last weekend. It was a perfectly clear sky, which is not ideal, is it?
I am still feeling the hit, there's some empty perches out there. But we just have to regroup and carry on.

[Trev]

I took 12 young birds, which are really yearlings in a minute, out to the 20 mile point. Including the ones that raced on Sunday.
Partly cloudy and not warm, quite a strong wind almost behind them.
They walked out of the boxes, stood for a moment, then took off! By the time I put the boxes back in the car they had a mile head start on me. I was peddling pretty hard on the way back, and might have been going 70 miles per hour on a road that you are not meant to...
A couple of speed restrictions in town, and they beat me back by two minutes, my wife said.
Crikey those things must have been hoofing it!
I lost 7 last weekend, which is disappointing . I suspect some blokes may have lost more than that.
But the ones that remain, they are well. I am getting light on pigeons, and will have to select a few to go each week. At least I have some to select from.

Talking to David today when he delivered some feed, it appears that there were quite a few losses in the club last weekend. It was a perfectly clear sky, which is not ideal, is it?
I am still feeling the hit, there's some empty perches out there. But we just have to regroup and carry on.

I know we sadly have to lose birds to enable us to keep breeding and hopefully improving our stock but nevertheless these losses are hard to take I've been reasonably lucky this year compared to some, I've had more birds work back this year than I did on the South Road. I have lost some good and promising birds again this year, I couple of them I'd put down to me and some I suspect have almost certainly met a grisly end. Although I'd still have liked them home I can take losing birds from the longer races especially if it's the first time of asking, its losing birds from the shorter races that have previously flown further. I do think sometimes our birds suffer in ways we can't see and although they appear fit and healthy just mentally aren't right.

[Buster121]

I took 12 young birds, which are really yearlings in a minute, out to the 20 mile point. Including the ones that raced on Sunday.
Partly cloudy and not warm, quite a strong wind almost behind them.
They walked out of the boxes, stood for a moment, then took off! By the time I put the boxes back in the car they had a mile head start on me. I was peddling pretty hard on the way back, and might have been going 70 miles per hour on a road that you are not meant to...
A couple of speed restrictions in town, and they beat me back by two minutes, my wife said.
Crikey those things must have been hoofing it!
I lost 7 last weekend, which is disappointing . I suspect some blokes may have lost more than that.
But the ones that remain, they are well. I am getting light on pigeons, and will have to select a few to go each week. At least I have some to select from.

Talking to David today when he delivered some feed, it appears that there were quite a few losses in the club last weekend. It was a perfectly clear sky, which is not ideal, is it?
I am still feeling the hit, there's some empty perches out there. But we just have to regroup and carry on.

I know we sadly have to lose birds to enable us to keep breeding and hopefully improving our stock but nevertheless these losses are hard to take I've been reasonably lucky this year compared to some, I've had more birds work back this year than I did on the South Road. I have lost some good and promising birds again this year, I couple of them I'd put down to me and some I suspect have almost certainly met a grisly end. Although I'd still have liked them home I can take losing birds from the longer races especially if it's the first time of asking, its losing birds from the shorter races that have previously flown further. I do think sometimes our birds suffer in ways we can't see and although they appear fit and healthy just mentally aren't right.

Agree with that Trev, I have said before about a cock who came from a race minus his tail feathers and race rubber even now he will not come out of loft if I chuck him out he just lands back in garden or loft roof then straight back in constantly looking around

[Murray]

We raced from Wycheproof, about 80 miles to me, I was 4th again this week, beaten about a minute for 3rd by a bloke flying almost the same distance. The wind favoured the blokes flying south, and my first bird came back to me again. But he hit the board and trapped very quickly and looked very well afterwards.
He's a nice blue chequer cock from the little 600 mile hen by the white flight Thone' cock. He should get better as they go further so he can have next week off again then go a bit further.
This is only club racing, but everyone is getting a bird and it is good fun. Isn't it what it is meant to be?

[Buster121]

Well done Murray, It certainly is meant to be fun