The thing is about the sport.

[Murray]

Quote Neil "Your right a few good widowhood cocks take some beating but now with the peregrine you can’t be sure"

Oh yes. More than 20 years ago in New Zealand I had a tiny loft, 2 metres long x 1.4 metres deep. In it were 9 boxes in 3 rows of three. At one point 8 of the 9 cocks had won at least one race, some had won several. And I was in a terrible position, right out the front of the Federation, and off to one side. My pigeons had to break off and come across to me.
One year I had a yearling Staf Van Reet cock who went the first 5 weeks and was 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st in the club and 9th and 7th out of over a thousand in the Fed, despite having to fly across country to me.
That was when I first became reluctant to use medication on my racing birds. Those cocks were in such perfect order that year that I was too scared to give them as much as a Disprin in case I flattened the form. A mate came round one Sunday, he was telling me how he'd given them their Ronivet after the race, and I should too. As I put the nettle tea in the drinker for them I reminded him that I had beaten him yesterday and didn't even own any medications

[NeilA]

Quote Neil "Your right a few good widowhood cocks take some beating but now with the peregrine you can’t be sure"

Oh yes. More than 20 years ago in New Zealand I had a tiny loft, 2 metres long x 1.4 metres deep. In it were 9 boxes in 3 rows of three. At one point 8 of the 9 cocks had won at least one race, some had won several. And I was in a terrible position, right out the front of the Federation, and off to one side. My pigeons had to break off and come across to me.
One year I had a yearling Staf Van Reet cock who went the first 5 weeks and was 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st in the club and 9th and 7th out of over a thousand in the Fed, despite having to fly across country to me.
That was when I first became reluctant to use medication on my racing birds. Those cocks were in such perfect order that year that I was too scared to give them as much as a Disprin in case I flattened the form. A mate came round one Sunday, he was telling me how he'd given them their Ronivet after the race, and I should too. As I put the nettle tea in the drinker for them I reminded him that I had beaten him yesterday and didn't even own any medications

I think when there in that special form you could let them out once a week and get great results
It’s finding the pigeons that’s hard for me and then with the peregrine now if hard to keep them , I lost 4 good fed winners this year from easy 100 mile races and my best cock came missing a tail another fed winner with a hole in his side
I had 8 of my 20 cocks missing or laid up for the season by the 5th race
That’s the trouble now and it’s a issue I have avoided on this line of flight to this year on any serious scale
We now risk it if we train past 16 miles you actually fear letting them go so now that’s my training no further

[Devo1956]

I was told by a good flyer many years ago, train from 12 miles no further but 3 times a day. Weather permitting of course.

[MIL]

It's a genuine concern Neil

You work hard all ends up to find super-talented pigeons that can get clear and win - and those that win repeatedly are harder to find

Then, when you do get them you take your chance every time they go to work

That's beause the good pigeons do what other pigeons don't - they get clear and pigeons that are clear are a target

[NeilA]

I was told by a good flyer many years ago, train from 12 miles no further but 3 times a day. Weather permitting of course.

Can’t really do that as I work in London live 20 miles north of London and race north. i can understand the theory though
I like to give my cocks 2x 35 before the season as I try to replicate a race situation for the yearlings
My pal Anthony Webster use to try to get to the first race point the week before but he’s a machine when it comes to competing
Babies I use to give them about 6 from 25 miles but now nothing can go past 16 miles
To be fair it didn’t matter as they won 4 out of 5 and the fed twice but I just like to do it for my own satisfaction
But not know more
The week prior to the season I get a few days off as do like to take the yearling cocks 3 times a day to then hens distance doesn’t matter 5-15 miles
But then do try to recreate a race for them normally on the Saturday or Sunday so they then don’t get to see the hens from then to the Saturday they return apart from one 16 mile on the Tuesday evening to remind them

[NeilA]

It's a genuine concern Neil

You work hard all ends up to find super-talented pigeons that can get clear and win - and those that win repeatedly are harder to find

Then, when you do get them you take your chance every time they go to work

That's beause the good pigeons do what other pigeons don't - they get clear and pigeons that are clear are a target

That’s exactly what Mark was saying to me mate
he said the best sprint birds win at the race point they clear and go and then there the ones that get hit as they break in little groups from the pack

[MIL]

Totally agree

You can lose a race at the home end, but sprint races are won early doors

[Murray]

Quote Neil "Your right a few good widowhood cocks take some beating but now with the peregrine you can’t be sure"

Oh yes. More than 20 years ago in New Zealand I had a tiny loft, 2 metres long x 1.4 metres deep. In it were 9 boxes in 3 rows of three. At one point 8 of the 9 cocks had won at least one race, some had won several. And I was in a terrible position, right out the front of the Federation, and off to one side. My pigeons had to break off and come across to me.
One year I had a yearling Staf Van Reet cock who went the first 5 weeks and was 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st in the club and 9th and 7th out of over a thousand in the Fed, despite having to fly across country to me.
That was when I first became reluctant to use medication on my racing birds. Those cocks were in such perfect order that year that I was too scared to give them as much as a Disprin in case I flattened the form. A mate came round one Sunday, he was telling me how he'd given them their Ronivet after the race, and I should too. As I put the nettle tea in the drinker for them I reminded him that I had beaten him yesterday and didn't even own any medications

I think when there in that special form you could let them out once a week and get great results
It’s finding the pigeons that’s hard for me and then with the peregrine now if hard to keep them , I lost 4 good fed winners this year from easy 100 mile races and my best cock came missing a tail another fed winner with a hole in his side
I had 8 of my 20 cocks missing or laid up for the season by the 5th race
That’s the trouble now and it’s a issue I have avoided on this line of flight to this year on any serious scale
We now risk it if we train past 16 miles you actually fear letting them go so now that’s my training no further

[Murray]

Yep, I hear you, and that's when you risk getting on a downward spiral, I think.
It's the same down here. The falcons are a plague. So, to avoid getting them smashed all the time, you start training shorter and less often. So the birds are less hardened and experienced.
What happens? You start getting beaten by blokes who bite the bullet and train them hard regardless.
You are damned if you do and damned if you don't.
In 2023 before we sold up and moved, I got stuck into them and kept training them as often as possible. Strange to say the losses were less than previously, and they raced well.
I don't know what the answer is. You just have to make your own choices based on your own situation, I guess.

[king]

It's a genuine concern Neil

You work hard all ends up to find super-talented pigeons that can get clear and win - and those that win repeatedly are harder to find

Then, when you do get them you take your chance every time they go to work

That's beause the good pigeons do what other pigeons don't - they get clear and pigeons that are clear are a target

That’s exactly what Mark was saying to me mate
he said the best sprint birds win at the race point they clear and go and then there the ones that get hit as they break in little groups from the pack

I've never understood that statement Neil, in a good sprint race the birds are finishing together, clocked within a few secs (some in a large group to a single fancier) so how are they winning the race at the start? I've been to many race libs and NEVER seen a single bird break away from the pack, the birds have always left the race point in one or more big groups.