Good practice/training.

[Andy]

What about if you move on any older than yearlings without 2 club cards then Andy

I wouldn’t be left with any Neil lol. These older ones have flown both the channel on the south and also flown north. I just need to select the best from what I have at present.

[Andy]

I have a reply Andy, but I fear it might be quite lengthy

My best window is lunchtime tomorrow

Look forward to hearing your reply Mike.

[Andy]

Every thing is routine when training young birds, so after their first stages of flying around the loft, and trapping when called. Basket training is needed, myself i would leave them in a basket overnight in the young bird section. then release from a short distance from the loft. Not long after this, they start to range and maybe go missing for up to 1 hour. This is all good education for getting to know their homing zone. Once they have done this, time for the road work to start. I would take them to a location that was safe to release around 5 miles, keep them at that point for around 5 days and move them on in distance to 12 miles and repeat for another 5 days. this would carry on from 20 miles then once they were at 35 miles. road training would then end before their first race. If you have the time to double up on training, even better it's all about knowing your birds are ready.

Dont forget, Feed to win.

I've always found this idea of basket training strange. You put birds in the basket and HOPE they find the water? Where is the training part? Unless you actually observe a bird drinking, how do you know ' your training' has been successful? And unless you dip EVERY birds head in the drinker you are hoping the birds just copy each other?
In the near 50 years I raced I never ever basket trained. The first time the YBs saw the basket they went training in it. My losses were no more than other fanciers, in fact I'd say they were less than most. My take on it was the same as when you wean the YBs, if the birds cannot copy other birds drinking, what chance have they finding there way home?
I have never had a stray YB in that couldn't find the drinker on the basket.

I’m the same as you king. The first time my youngsters will see the basket is on their first training toss. I have never dipped a youngsters beak in a drinker on weaning or in the basket. They will always find water if required.

[NeilA]

What about if you move on any older than yearlings without 2 club cards then Andy

I wouldn’t be left with any Neil lol. These older ones have flown both the channel on the south and also flown north. I just need to select the best from what I have at present.

I know it’s hard but maybe that could be the problem they could be reliable but not have the pace to achieve what your looking for so then your breed more from them and be going around in circles
You could try Mikes feeding system he posted in the week and copy what he will advise you to do with the ybs regarding training and see where that takes you

[MIL]

I do have an answer in my head Andy for you, but it won't be short so it'll be Mon night when I post it as that's when I have time to type it up. Anything that I believe I feel like that because I can give examples so I don't want to short-change the reply
Whether you or anyone else will find it of any value is quite another matter

[Andy]

[Trev]

I do have an answer in my head Andy for you, but it won't be short so it'll be Mon night when I post it as that's when I have time to type it up. Anything that I believe I feel like that because I can give examples so I don't want to short-change the reply
Whether you or anyone else will find it of any value is quite another matter

I look forward to reading that mate

[Murray]

The home straight is finally in sight for our renovation at St Arnaud. It has been a bigger project than we anticipated, and we have to keep reminding ourselves that we paid little for it, or it would not be worth it.
I have the little loft up and painted and fitted out, it looks neat. Started on the stock shed which will have an aviary for the 'valuable' pigeons which will be prisoners, at least at first.
I have too many pigeons, and was looking to move some on, when I saw a post from a bloke starting up and wanting stock pigeons. I contacted him and quizzed him. He was obviously genuine so I said I had 6 pairs he could have. He asked how much I wanted for them? I told him I would give them to him to help him get started, on condition they come back to me if he changed his mind about the sport.
He came this morning and I had 6 cocks and 6 hens for him. He thought I might give him the cast offs, and was amazed when I showed him a mealy hen which is a sister to one that won a race last year and it's brother was second yesterday.
Then a hen off the Billion Dollar Baby, then a cock bird that had one race before Covid shut us down and would have won had I clocked him quicker...And so on.
The bloke was stunned. I asked if he had any other pigeons. He has one pair that was given to him. 2012 pigeons. The hen laid one good egg but the other was deformed. Mmm.
I gave the new starter good pigeons. Now I still have some old hens in the shed which I don't need, but giving old pigeons that are has beens, or never were, to new beginners is not good. The bloke has some good older pigeons and several pairs of young birds off my best breeders. He has a chance of getting some good youngsters straight away.

[Buster121]

The home straight is finally in sight for our renovation at St Arnaud. It has been a bigger project than we anticipated, and we have to keep reminding ourselves that we paid little for it, or it would not be worth it.
I have the little loft up and painted and fitted out, it looks neat. Started on the stock shed which will have an aviary for the 'valuable' pigeons which will be prisoners, at least at first.
I have too many pigeons, and was looking to move some on, when I saw a post from a bloke starting up and wanting stock pigeons. I contacted him and quizzed him. He was obviously genuine so I said I had 6 pairs he could have. He asked how much I wanted for them? I told him I would give them to him to help him get started, on condition they come back to me if he changed his mind about the sport.
He came this morning and I had 6 cocks and 6 hens for him. He thought I might give him the cast offs, and was amazed when I showed him a mealy hen which is a sister to one that won a race last year and it's brother was second yesterday.
Then a hen off the Billion Dollar Baby, then a cock bird that had one race before Covid shut us down and would have won had I clocked him quicker...And so on.
The bloke was stunned. I asked if he had any other pigeons. He has one pair that was given to him. 2012 pigeons. The hen laid one good egg but the other was deformed. Mmm.
I gave the new starter good pigeons. Now I still have some old hens in the shed which I don't need, but giving old pigeons that are has beens, or never were, to new beginners is not good. The bloke has some good older pigeons and several pairs of young birds off my best breeders. He has a chance of getting some good youngsters straight away.

Well done Murray a great gesture, I hope he does well with the young from them, I agree with your sentiments regarding giving the lesser birds away, I myself would only give anything I was prepared to keep myself away regardless
I look forward to seeing the pics when you move in it will be worth all the hard work and everything else you have had to endure whilst all going on

[Andy]

Well done Murray. Great to hear things are moving forward for you. Looking forward to seeing you moved in.