Breeding season

[Murray]

Well put, Andy.

[NeilA]

To be honest If I have a pigeon look at me wrong I separate it
During the moult and the racing season it’s vital nothing spreads in the team to me
In my head not many pigeons get faster after 3 years old and I don’t want mine to live a long healthy life there in the team to win so a set back for me by not containing a issue and dealing with it isn’t for me
If I want flock of healthy OAP’s with a great immune system then that’s different altogether
But I would separate and treat a bird if sick that’s if the bird has shown me it’s worth it

[Andy]

To be honest If I have a pigeon look at me wrong I separate it
During the moult and the racing season it’s vital nothing spreads in the team to me
In my head not many pigeons get faster after 3 years old and I don’t want mine to live a long healthy life there in the team to win so a set back for me by not containing a issue and dealing with it isn’t for me
If I want flock of healthy OAP’s with a great immune system then that’s different altogether
But I would separate and treat a bird if sick that’s if the bird has shown me it’s worth it

I understand where you’re coming from Neil. That’s ok if you are regularly bringing in new stock and replacing your old ones. But as you know that’s not my way. I want a family of pigeons with a good immune system. I have no problems with putting my birds in the basket every week and worrying if they might pick something up. I don’t worry about strays coming into the loft incase they might be carrying something. To me all this helps with the immunity.
Incidentally I looked through all of our combines results for the past season. The combine had 10 old bird races with the longest being 120 miles to the furthest lofts, so all sprint races. From those 10 races 5 were won by yearlings, 1 by a 2 year old, 3 by 3 year olds and 1 by a 6 year old. On average the combine send between 1,000 and 1,500. 50 places are given every race. Over the season many clubs were won by older birds and many 4,5 & 6 year olds were in the results. Yes more than half of the 500 places in the 10 races were taken by yearlings or two year olds but the percentage of those sent would have been far higher than the amount of older birds sent. The other thing that is interesting is that we race any age all season with young birds being able to take positions in the old bird races but old birds only being sent as trainers in the young bird races. Only 4 youngsters got into the top 50 against the old birds, the best being 23rd combine. Although the old birds were only sent as trainers for the any age classics I know in our club those that sent old birds with youngsters they had many of their old birds generally beating their young birds or at least dropping with them even when their youngsters topped the combine.

[NeilA]

Very different here Andy the 4 year olds just wouldn’t have the speed

[MIL]

I agree Neil

My "general policy" was that I raced my cocks on and on. Only the odd one got stopped as a yearling or 2 year old.

Very rarely did a 3 year old or older win for me.

They were always knocking on the door and taking high Fed positions etc - but its the yearlings and 2 year olds that have the killer instinct

[Murray]

I want both. Pigeons that can win races and pigeons with strong health. I've achieved it by bringing in new stock and leaving them to develop the same flock immunity as the rest.
Perhaps not surprisingly one or two have struggled a little bit with that, one in particular. The big grizzle Thone' looked okay, but the first year breeding his youngsters were all full of canker. He'd come from a loft where they were all treated regularly all their lives. To prevent an epidemic I blanket treated them all. Once. He's never looked back.
The youngsters I sent to various lofts last year went very well and they want more. They are raised with no medications at all and were very strong.
Good fast pigeons and good strong pigeons are achievable.

[Andy]

Very different here Andy the 4 year olds just wouldn’t have the speed

I think that just about sums up the difference with racing in different parts of the country Neil. Especially with the size of our combine and the distance even between individual lofts. As I’ve said before the nearest loft to me is nearly 4 miles away.
The must be the sport with the most un level playing field of any sport.

[NeilA]

Very different here Andy the 4 year olds just wouldn’t have the speed

I think that just about sums up the difference with racing in different parts of the country Neil. Especially with the size of our combine and the distance even between individual lofts. As I’ve said before the nearest loft to me is nearly 4 miles away.
The must be the sport with the most un level playing field of any sport.

Yes very different how it is racing here
We are 10 miles wide pretty much 20 miles deep but that will be changing as the sport declines
I have raced 4 year olds but I can only think of 3 in the last 7/8 years that were to the level .
I think as my selection at the end of the yearling stage is strict then any that get past the 2 year old stage are probably in the decent side . But with the peregrine issue I need to think if I can continue with that selection . My head says be best to have 3/4 birds selected like that with a big yearling team rather keeping a bird just because it gets to a 2 year old age