Feeding for 750 miles

[Diamond Dave]

Can someonrle help me out with a tried and tested feeding plan to fly 750 miles to Barcelona.
I have been trying for some 8 years and have only ever had 2 birds back out of race time.
I believe I have the right birds but dont want to drop any of them through the wrong prep.

[MIL]

Never tried that far Dave

Have a look at this (Right hand page - "very long distance")

https://publications.versele-laga.com/d ... page/76-77

[goose1]

I would have a look at the Padfield Family's feeding. In my opinion them lads were the best in the UK from Barcelona. Think they flew around 750 measured miles but when you look where they flew you can add 200 mile to that.

[Murray]

This is where we get into the area of what you are feeding being less important than what you are feeding it to.
If you ever get pigeons that on pedigree, type and performance look like they will fly 750 miles in race time. you have done what not many achieve.
What to feed them? Pigeon feed. Out of a bag. All the leading suppliers have mixtures to suit the very long distance.

[NeilA]

Around 12-15 years ago I was working a fair bit but thought I would send to Barcelona never sent past 485 miles before but as I always got them from there on the day I thought copy that base
Feed . I had no clue what to do and no birds of any real distance blood in reality in may have been cruel of me to do it

So what I did was pick 2 birds
The birds went on a hopper of beans
I fed half ounce a day to call them in of Gerry plus but it could be any low protein
I added sunflower seeds / hemp / rape to it as the race got closer the half ounce went to over a ounce and the fat content outweighed the gerry mix
The winners were home Sunday I had Monday off and got nothing went to work Tuesday came home at 5pm to find a cock waiting to go in the hen arrived 3/4 days after
So they homed just as they had always done but they did do it . I’m sure with better birds and skill on that basic system good fanciers will get them quicker
I did train them where ever I went but if I was off I trained against the wind any direction
Unfortunately the first cock was lost the next year at 20 miles pre season training
I have never tried again since

[NeilA]

I would have a look at the Padfield Family's feeding. In my opinion them lads were the best in the UK from Barcelona. Think they flew around 750 measured miles but when you look where they flew you can add 200 mile to that.

Agree Goose
best fliers in the bicc distances races only missing countless open wins due to location nothing else

[goose1]

Around 12-15 years ago I was working a fair bit but thought I would send to Barcelona never sent past 485 miles before but as I always got them from there on the day I thought copy that base
Feed . I had no clue what to do and no birds of any real distance blood in reality in may have been cruel of me to do it

So what I did was pick 2 birds
The birds went on a hopper of beans
I fed half ounce a day to call them in of Gerry plus but it could be any low protein
I added sunflower seeds / hemp / rape to it as the race got closer the half ounce went to over a ounce and the fat content outweighed the gerry mix
The winners were home Sunday I had Monday off and got nothing went to work Tuesday came home at 5pm to find a cock waiting to go in the hen arrived 3/4 days after
So they homed just as they had always done but they did do it . I’m sure with better birds and skill on that basic system good fanciers will get them quicker
I did train them where ever I went but if I was off I trained against the wind any direction
Unfortunately the first cock was lost the next year at 20 miles pre season training
I have never tried again since

That method of feeding doesn't sound too dissimilar to a very successful distance fancier (although to be fair I think he was very successful at all distances) Dennis Ford. There is a short video on YouTube where his feeding is explained, very basic, hopper fed peas and beans, and as you've said there Neil he used a low protein 'trapping mix' which looks like it would roughly equate to 1/4 to 1/2 ounce per bird after each exercise. A week before a long distance event he simply adjusted the contents of the trapping mix to contain more peanuts and maize. Seemed a very simple yet effective way to feed pigeons. And he flew all distances on the roundabout.

[NeilA]

Around 12-15 years ago I was working a fair bit but thought I would send to Barcelona never sent past 485 miles before but as I always got them from there on the day I thought copy that base
Feed . I had no clue what to do and no birds of any real distance blood in reality in may have been cruel of me to do it

So what I did was pick 2 birds
The birds went on a hopper of beans
I fed half ounce a day to call them in of Gerry plus but it could be any low protein
I added sunflower seeds / hemp / rape to it as the race got closer the half ounce went to over a ounce and the fat content outweighed the gerry mix
The winners were home Sunday I had Monday off and got nothing went to work Tuesday came home at 5pm to find a cock waiting to go in the hen arrived 3/4 days after
So they homed just as they had always done but they did do it . I’m sure with better birds and skill on that basic system good fanciers will get them quicker
I did train them where ever I went but if I was off I trained against the wind any direction
Unfortunately the first cock was lost the next year at 20 miles pre season training
I have never tried again since

That method of feeding doesn't sound too dissimilar to a very successful distance fancier (although to be fair I think he was very successful at all distances) Dennis Ford. There is a short video on YouTube where his feeding is explained, very basic, hopper fed peas and beans, and as you've said there Neil he used a low protein 'trapping mix' which looks like it would roughly equate to 1/4 to 1/2 ounce per bird after each exercise. A week before a long distance event he simply adjusted the contents of the trapping mix to contain more peanuts and maize. Seemed a very simple yet effective way to feed pigeons. And he flew all distances on the roundabout.

Good to know Goose I will have a look at that
I stumbled on the idea from a few old squills year books going back 30 years where a lot fed similar but I wanted to use carbs/ fats on top they were using a trapping mix to get them in but I went gerry
I sent 4 times to the bbc 480 mile race I had a 4th 12th another time I think about 31st so I believe there was something in it they scored in the local club from about 250 miles but just 10 mins or so off the pace before that
So I can see what you mean with a top fancier and top birds like him it would work very well plus people like me can’t over or under feed

[king]

Can someonrle help me out with a tried and tested feeding plan to fly 750 miles to Barcelona.
I have been trying for some 8 years and have only ever had 2 birds back out of race time.
I believe I have the right birds but dont want to drop any of them through the wrong prep.

Whilst feeding for sprint IS important, for distance it ISN'T. With distance racing the aim is to get your bird fit enough for a fly of X number of hours.
Racing from 500+ miles is down to the actual birds ability NOT what you are feeding it. (remember it's getting fed something different from marking to release, which could be 3 or more days)
I can recall sending to channel races and knew which fanciers were going to clock based just on the conditions NOT what those fanciers were feeding.
If a race is going to be a minimum 13 hour fly, sending a bird that can't fly 13 hours is pointless no matter how it's been prepared.

[NeilA]

Good watch that Goose I’m in work today so that broke a otherwise boring day
Dave have a google for Dennis Ford like Goose mentioned it’s a Jim Jenner film
I wish I was better at computers I would load it up for you