Mike’s help / todays result

[NeilA]

Ok mate

[Andy]

We used to race youngsters over 200 miles on natural. Rennes on South, Selby on North. Bald and well up in the flights. Never had a problem getting them.
The Plymouth lads have a winter program where they have a few races during October/November with youngsters on their last couple of flights. They have good racing.

[NeilA]

We used to race youngsters over 200 miles on natural. Rennes on South, Selby on North. Bald and well up in the flights. Never had a problem getting them.
The Plymouth lads have a winter program where they have a few races during October/November with youngsters on their last couple of flights. They have good racing.

It’s not that Andy I will get them as the have just had 4 head winds so no issue there but when there moulting heavy they fly slower I never want pigeons flying slow unless forced to by a head wind I prefer them to be in the leading groups
It’s that not wanting to turn racers into homers theory of mine

[Trev]

We used to race youngsters over 200 miles on natural. Rennes on South, Selby on North. Bald and well up in the flights. Never had a problem getting them.
The Plymouth lads have a winter program where they have a few races during October/November with youngsters on their last couple of flights. They have good racing.

It’s not that Andy I will get them as the have just had 4 head winds so no issue there but when there moulting heavy they fly slower I never want pigeons flying slow unless forced to by a head wind I prefer them to be in the leading groups
It’s that not wanting to turn racers into homers theory of mine

That's fair enough Neil, as we've said many times, everyone has their own ideas and ways so just do what works for you mate.

[Trev]

Cheers Dave
I shouldn’t really bother as they look poor now but will see if I can sort a few out and check the weather

As long as they still have a reasonable head covering mine will just keep on going, the only thing I don't like is when the ears, nose or neck are too exposed, at the end of the day if they are moulting well it shows they are fit, but at the end of the day we both have different goals Neil so go with your gut mate. No point throwing away decent pigeons if they have nothing more to prove this season, or Dad always used to say "if in doubt, leave it out" unfortunately I never was very good at listening to our Dad so have lost some promising birds by sending them when I shouldn't have done.

Would have liked them to go further really Trev but the fed committee decided to change the race programme for people who hadn’t got the birds ready for the first race so we went 51/83/110
Then repeated it so we are at 110 when it was meant to be 160 tomorrow
I find it frustrating after putting the time in to be ready . I really wanted my hens to go to 160 so I would have more confidence in jumping them next year

Yes that is very frustrating, may target was always Wetherby, 216miles, which should have been last weeks race, but unfortunately due to the losses a few weeks ago it didn't happen and now our longest race was 134miles.

[MIL]

We used to race youngsters over 200 miles on natural. Rennes on South, Selby on North. Bald and well up in the flights. Never had a problem getting them.
The Plymouth lads have a winter program where they have a few races during October/November with youngsters on their last couple of flights. They have good racing.

It’s not that Andy I will get them as the have just had 4 head winds so no issue there but when there moulting heavy they fly slower I never want pigeons flying slow unless forced to by a head wind I prefer them to be in the leading groups
It’s that not wanting to turn racers into homers theory of mine

Exactly Neil

Pigeons are creatures of habit - once a follower always a follower

You need birds clearing the lib site instantly and striking for home "early doors" - Get them doing that and that's when you can leave the excuses on the doormat

[Andy]

We used to race youngsters over 200 miles on natural. Rennes on South, Selby on North. Bald and well up in the flights. Never had a problem getting them.
The Plymouth lads have a winter program where they have a few races during October/November with youngsters on their last couple of flights. They have good racing.

It’s not that Andy I will get them as the have just had 4 head winds so no issue there but when there moulting heavy they fly slower I never want pigeons flying slow unless forced to by a head wind I prefer them to be in the leading groups
It’s that not wanting to turn racers into homers theory of mine

Your thoughts and ideas are so different from mine. I’m certainly not saying you’re wrong as it’s the way you feel and works for you. You’ve done very well.
But I don’t think that you can change a pigeon from a racer to a homer or from a leader to a follower. The only way a pigeon will change from a racer to a homer is by it being demoralised either by being constantly chased by BOPs or losing that love of home.
Racing and training down here is obviously so much different than where you are. I wouldn’t get away with the way you train after work. We would have birds out overnight. One of my club mates has taken my 5 along with 65+ of his twice this week to 27 miles. He has let them go in 3 groups each time. On Tuesday the second group beat the first group back with the first group being well split and my best youngster taking over an hour and a half. On Thursday he said the first 2 groups cleared straight away. The third group just kept going round with one pigeon seeming to turn them all. Mine were in the third group. I had 3 together but the last one being my first bird from the last race took two and a half hours. He was missing 14 from the first 2 groups when he got home but all the third group were home bar 2. The first 2 groups had all been raced and he did get them all in the end with the last one turning up at 7.45. Nearly 4 hours later.

[MIL]

I'm afraid I disagree with pretty much every word of the above

[NeilA]

We used to race youngsters over 200 miles on natural. Rennes on South, Selby on North. Bald and well up in the flights. Never had a problem getting them.
The Plymouth lads have a winter program where they have a few races during October/November with youngsters on their last couple of flights. They have good racing.

It’s not that Andy I will get them as the have just had 4 head winds so no issue there but when there moulting heavy they fly slower I never want pigeons flying slow unless forced to by a head wind I prefer them to be in the leading groups
It’s that not wanting to turn racers into homers theory of mine

Your thoughts and ideas are so different from mine. I’m certainly not saying you’re wrong as it’s the way you feel and works for you. You’ve done very well.
But I don’t think that you can change a pigeon from a racer to a homer or from a leader to a follower. The only way a pigeon will change from a racer to a homer is by it being demoralised either by being constantly chased by BOPs or losing that love of home.
Racing and training down here is obviously so much different than where you are. I wouldn’t get away with the way you train after work. We would have birds out overnight. One of my club mates has taken my 5 along with 65+ of his twice this week to 27 miles. He has let them go in 3 groups each time. On Tuesday the second group beat the first group back with the first group being well split and my best youngster taking over an hour and a half. On Thursday he said the first 2 groups cleared straight away. The third group just kept going round with one pigeon seeming to turn them all. Mine were in the third group. I had 3 together but the last one being my first bird from the last race took two and a half hours. He was missing 14 from the first 2 groups when he got home but all the third group were home bar 2. The first 2 groups had all been raced and he did get them all in the end with the last one turning up at 7.45. Nearly 4 hours later.

It’s a hell of a lot of effort to do what I do day in day out it’s not for everyone but I notice the real top boys put massive effort in
Mike is great at pushing always saying only a few weeks to go
At work sometimes I think I hope it rains tonight to give me a break
It’s not for everyone
Lads here train 40 miles a day I can’t do that so I do the best I can to arrive at Friday knowing I haven’t been lazy in the week and I have done the best I can for my birds to win not home

I totally disagree with the homing thing Andy a poor fancier can destroy good pigeon with feeding / health loads of things

[NeilA]

We used to race youngsters over 200 miles on natural. Rennes on South, Selby on North. Bald and well up in the flights. Never had a problem getting them.
The Plymouth lads have a winter program where they have a few races during October/November with youngsters on their last couple of flights. They have good racing.

It’s not that Andy I will get them as the have just had 4 head winds so no issue there but when there moulting heavy they fly slower I never want pigeons flying slow unless forced to by a head wind I prefer them to be in the leading groups
It’s that not wanting to turn racers into homers theory of mine

Your thoughts and ideas are so different from mine. I’m certainly not saying you’re wrong as it’s the way you feel and works for you. You’ve done very well.
But I don’t think that you can change a pigeon from a racer to a homer or from a leader to a follower. The only way a pigeon will change from a racer to a homer is by it being demoralised either by being constantly chased by BOPs or losing that love of home.
Racing and training down here is obviously so much different than where you are. I wouldn’t get away with the way you train after work. We would have birds out overnight. One of my club mates has taken my 5 along with 65+ of his twice this week to 27 miles. He has let them go in 3 groups each time. On Tuesday the second group beat the first group back with the first group being well split and my best youngster taking over an hour and a half. On Thursday he said the first 2 groups cleared straight away. The third group just kept going round with one pigeon seeming to turn them all. Mine were in the third group. I had 3 together but the last one being my first bird from the last race took two and a half hours. He was missing 14 from the first 2 groups when he got home but all the third group were home bar 2. The first 2 groups had all been raced and he did get them all in the end with the last one turning up at 7.45. Nearly 4 hours later.

Are they ok health wise ?