At half 7 this morning I saw a pigeon on my loft, this is not unusual as most mornings I have several feral birds on there waiting for me to let out and feed our one remaining chicken. However this bird wasn't one of my usual visitors and looked more frantic in his efforts to get in the loft. When I got nearer the loft I realised it was one of my favourite birds that I'd surprisingly lost from Rugby 108miles on the 6th of May. He's a 3 year old grizzle who has been up to that point one of my most consistent birds having been my first bird on a number of occasions including our first race this year. He has also flown over 200 miles on the South road so losing him from just 100miles was a surprise, he is a bit light but otherwise seems fine.
He was one of my big hope's this year for Hexham, Perth or Elgin, now ofcourse Hexham is today so that's not happening but do I give him a couple of weeks and send him to Elgin or do I just give him the last couple of short ones and save him for next year ?? any advice welcome !!
This was him as a youngster as he hasn't got his chip ring on yet
Of course the other side of that coin is that next year he quite probably will not be much good anyway.
A 4 year old cock that came home a month late last year?
Probably not going to set the world on fire...
Greetings from the land down under.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
Murray wrote: ↑Sat Jun 10, 2023 9:08 am
Don't send him!
Don"t
If he has been out for a month something went wrong. If you send him again this year I promise you will never see him again.
Murray wrote: ↑Sat Jun 10, 2023 9:12 am
Of course the other side of that coin is that next year he quite probably will not be much good anyway.
A 4 year old cock that came home a month late last year?
Probably not going to set the world on fire...
I wouldn’t be sending him again for a while. Either a couple of shorter races or nothing. Even bitrd is entitled to make a mistake. We don’t know half of what happens during a race to make them late. He is a survivor and worth giving a fair chance to redeem himself.
If you send him to Elgin or Perth and he comes all well and good. If he doesn’t are you going to say he wasn’t any good or are you going to say he obviously wasn’t right and I shouldn’t have sent him.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
Thanks as always guys on the back of your comments and the disaster of a race we had yesterday I have decided he won't be going to Perth or Elgin, I might give the last 2 short races but I'll see how he looks at the time.
This morning I'm sitting here regretting my decision to send a couple of the missing from yesterday, I was using this race to prepare these birds for Perth or Elgin and some of those put in weren't really prepared properly so I'm now paying the price at this point in time if don't get a few more back I'm not sure I'll be sending anything to either race !!! Even at this age and the years I've been in this sport you still make these silly errors in judgement trying to get that winner and throw away good pigeons
All the best
on the back of your comments and the disaster of a race we had yesterday I have decided he won't be going to Perth or Elgin, I might give the last 2 short races but I'll see how he looks at the time. 
at this point in time if don't get a few more back I'm not sure I'll be sending anything to either race !!! Even at this age and the years I've been in this sport you still make these silly errors in judgement trying to get that winner and throw away good pigeons 