Exercising around home

[Andy]

At present I am still managing to get the birds out twice a day most days. Some mornings it has been a bit dark to get them out before work. When I open the loft up in the morning, although still getting light, I have the bow legged hen from Potter that comes off her eggs and comes out and shoots off. She goes very high, circles a few times, before diving back down onto the loft and in. She had 2 races from Guernsey 109mls South being second bird and first bird to the loft. I then switched her North from Wakefield 184mls where she was my second bird timed early next morning. She obviously doesn’t mind getting up in the mornings which should bode well for future distance races. They go out again mid afternoon and I get them in after work. Once the clocks change they will only be able to go out in the mornings. When I watch them from the shop door in the afternoons it’s surprising how they seem to like flying in ones, two’s or small groups all going in different directions. Single birds flying high before folding their wings and dropping. They do occasionally fly as a big batch but not for long before splitting up again. I might be wrong but it makes me think that they will be happy to break from the bulk of a liberation and fly on their own which is what’s needed from national races.

[Murray]

I like seeing them behave like that too, Andy. Breaking up and flying in small bunches and then joining up then splitting up again.
It seems to me that they are in good health and enjoying themselves.
Good to see.

[Buster121]

So do I always better than in a big batch, as I have said before I have some that only ever fly on there own starting all together then break off and do there own thing, my only concern with that though is the hawks and falcons

[Trev]

I agree I always look out for those birds that go off on their own rather than stick to the batch, in my experience they usually turned out to be the best distance birds but as with everything in this sport it's not a certainty as just as many turned out to be no better than the rest lol. As with all stock management observation and knowing your charges is key to success.
Unfortunately having now lost 4 birds in as many weeks to our resident Sparrow hawk (the latest loss being my first bird, 14th Federation from our last race ) mine have now gone on lockdown and will only be let out when I get in in time to clean them out or at weekends. I'll be sorting them out and separating them later in the month and then they will only go out at weekends.

[Andy]

So do I always better than in a big batch, as I have said before I have some that only ever fly on there own starting all together then break off and do there own thing, my only concern with that though is the hawks and falcons

If a hawk does show they will quickly group up into a tight batch and fly at the hawk until out of the area.

[Andy]

I agree I always look out for those birds that go off on their own rather than stick to the batch, in my experience they usually turned out to be the best distance birds but as with everything in this sport it's not a certainty as just as many turned out to be no better than the rest lol. As with all stock management observation and knowing your charges is key to success.
Unfortunately having now lost 4 birds in as many weeks to our resident Sparrow hawk (the latest loss being my first bird, 14th Federation from our last race ) mine have now gone on lockdown and will only be let out when I get in in time to clean them out or at weekends. I'll be sorting them out and separating them later in the month and then they will only go out at weekends.

That’s a shame that you have been having trouble with the hawk again Trev. They do seem to get the best ones.

[Buster121]

Hawks etc are a damn pest, sorry to see you still having problems with them mate

[Trev]

Hawks etc are a damn pest, sorry to see you still having problems with them mate

Sadly I always lose a few this time of year and again in early spring which is why I now seperate them on put them on lockdown from October until I pair up again in March.
I agree with Andy that they will group together and drive the hawk away but only if they see it coming in time !!! The Sparrow hawk won't actually hit a bird in full flight but will hit them as they come down to land and on the loft/ground. A couple of years ago I even had it go into my loft and kill one of my birds in there

[Buster121]

Hawks etc are a damn pest, sorry to see you still having problems with them mate

Sadly I always lose a few this time of year and again in early spring which is why I now seperate them on put them on lockdown from October until I pair up again in March.
I agree with Andy that they will group together and drive the hawk away but only if they see it coming in time !!! The Sparrow hawk won't actually hit a bird in full flight but will hit them as they come down to land and on the loft/ground. A couple of years ago I even had it go into my loft and kill one of my birds in there

I used to get a hawk actually join the birds and fly around with them and when they used to go around the tree it used to come and try and take one out or separate them usually a mealy cock but really anything it could try it's luck with

[Trev]

Hawks etc are a damn pest, sorry to see you still having problems with them mate

Sadly I always lose a few this time of year and again in early spring which is why I now seperate them on put them on lockdown from October until I pair up again in March.
I agree with Andy that they will group together and drive the hawk away but only if they see it coming in time !!! The Sparrow hawk won't actually hit a bird in full flight but will hit them as they come down to land and on the loft/ground. A couple of years ago I even had it go into my loft and kill one of my birds in there

I used to get a hawk actually join the birds and fly around with them and when they used to go around the tree it used to come and try and take one out or separate them usually a mealy cock but really anything it could try it's luck with

They are a real menace