UkPigeonRacing

Murray wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 9:19 pm That looks fine, you could use that no worries.
It really doesn't matter, Beyers, Van Robaeys, VL, etc, they all do similar mixes and you can take your pick. The pigeons don't care.
I think HOW you feed is more important than what you feed, and what you feed is less important than what you are feeding it to

Well the blend of carbs / protein/ fats to the work matter so you need to decide your goals then pick a brand not before if they are of equal quality

I agree, Neil, but it's up the trainer to judge how much and when to use that mixture. That's the difference between a good fancier and a top fancier. It's an understanding of what he is doing that some have in larger measure than others.

Personally I think this whole feed and supplement buisness has just become a money making racket and the manufacturers are rubbing their hands all the way to the bank courtesy of us gullible pigeon lot.
That mix looks decent enough Neil, but so do all the others that are available, it's all a matter of preference, as long as it works for you then it's good enough. What does make me smile about that mix though is how they describe the wheat and barley as "Pigeon" wheat and barley, I'd like to meet the farmer who grows a special variety of corn just for pigeons do they really think we are that daft Or maybe we are

I agree, Trev.
A lot of it is about creating a demand, then meeting that demand. It's called business.
One thing I have noticed is, my pigeons always look great, shiny and soft in the feather, bright in the eye, all those things, and eat a simple mix all year round.
I've been to other bloke's places, they are feeding branded 'Race Mix', and paying extra for the picture on the bag. Their birds don't look as well as mine.
Obviously there's more to it than what you are feeding them.

Trev wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 10:44 pm Personally I think this whole feed and supplement buisness has just become a money making racket and the manufacturers are rubbing their hands all the way to the bank courtesy of us gullible pigeon lot.
That mix looks decent enough Neil, but so do all the others that are available, it's all a matter of preference, as long as it works for you then it's good enough. What does make me smile about that mix though is how they describe the wheat and barley as "Pigeon" wheat and barley, I'd like to meet the farmer who grows a special variety of corn just for pigeons do they really think we are that daft Or maybe we are

100% agree. They see you coming. Fanciers WIN on ALL mixes.(if they didn't they wouldn't sell them) When I worked shifts I often fed them just beans in a hopper, I admit I didn't clear up but I did WIN races, not against a handful of members, but up to 50 members sending each week.
I've never in 50 years racing bought a bag of Breeding, Resting Moulting, Widowhood. or YB mix. I've just bought straights or a decent mix.
Since I stopped racing they get the same mix 365 days a year with added barley (diff % though out the year) and the YBs bred are raised as good as anybodys

Trev wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 10:44 pm Personally I think this whole feed and supplement buisness has just become a money making racket and the manufacturers are rubbing their hands all the way to the bank courtesy of us gullible pigeon lot.
That mix looks decent enough Neil, but so do all the others that are available, it's all a matter of preference, as long as it works for you then it's good enough. What does make me smile about that mix though is how they describe the wheat and barley as "Pigeon" wheat and barley, I'd like to meet the farmer who grows a special variety of corn just for pigeons do they really think we are that daft Or maybe we are

I do think race mixtures vary for what you are trying to achieve I do like easily to digest grains for sprinting so the food passes through the system easily and turns to energy then keep adding to the energy as the week goes on . I’m not keen on them having to many peas or beans
If I was flying 350-600 miles on a a 2 to 3 week cycle my thoughts would be different as when I did that I left them on beans 24/7 and fed a mix without much protein daily to call them in then 4/5 days before the target race I would remove the beans and feed high fat high carb to appetite it worked well for me
When I joined this fed where the focus was up to 200 miles I tried the bean system but soon found out it didn’t work and I was 5-10 mins off the pace but I did love the beans system the pigeons never had a big crop of food and trapped lovely
I often think of using barley in the same way as I did beans and pulling it out Wednesday to feed to appetite on a fatty mix but I do worry about mice if barley is left as my loft is behind a horse stable with free range chicken 10 yards away so mice are obviously in the location

king wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 2:14 am

Trev wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 10:44 pm Personally I think this whole feed and supplement buisness has just become a money making racket and the manufacturers are rubbing their hands all the way to the bank courtesy of us gullible pigeon lot.
That mix looks decent enough Neil, but so do all the others that are available, it's all a matter of preference, as long as it works for you then it's good enough. What does make me smile about that mix though is how they describe the wheat and barley as "Pigeon" wheat and barley, I'd like to meet the farmer who grows a special variety of corn just for pigeons do they really think we are that daft Or maybe we are

100% agree. They see you coming. Fanciers WIN on ALL mixes.(if they didn't they wouldn't sell them) When I worked shifts I often fed them just beans in a hopper, I admit I didn't clear up but I did WIN races, not against a handful of members, but up to 50 members sending each week.
I've never in 50 years racing bought a bag of Breeding, Resting Moulting, Widowhood. or YB mix. I've just bought straights or a decent mix.
Since I stopped racing they get the same mix 365 days a year with added barley (diff % though out the year) and the YBs bred are raised as good as anybodys

There's a man who thinks like me.
Pigeons have won races on the 'best' mixes available right through to the bloke I saw years ago here in Oz who fed his pigeons barley. Nothing but barley. And another bloke in NZ who had a heap of maize in his shed one year, so his young birds raced on maize that season.
I'm like King, I buy grain and make my own mix that they eat every day. Now they are feeding babies I put a pot of peas in each box in case they want them. That's about it.

What I would like to know is if the feeding is so important to winning at any given distance why is it that in the Nationals the birds on the South Coast may only be flying around 120 miles. 2.5 hours on the wing at 50mph. So sprint racing and fed for sprint racing. In the same race those up North could be flying 300 miles further, 420 miles. 8.5 hours on the wing at 50 mph. So distance racing and fed for distance racing. The distance birds can often be doing the same velocities as the sprint pigeons. So these distance pigeons were obviously with the sprint pigeons when the sprint birds start dropping onto their lofts even though fed very differently. They didn’t get left behind by the sprinters and then suddenly started getting quicker. I know the wind and weather can have a big effect on this.
But to me it shows that what you feed is of little importance compared to having good quality and healthy birds.

What have I said, over and over?

What you are feeding is always less important than what you are feeding it to.

Andy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 8:12 am What I would like to know is if the feeding is so important to winning at any given distance why is it that in the Nationals the birds on the South Coast may only be flying around 120 miles. 2.5 hours on the wing at 50mph. So sprint racing and fed for sprint racing. In the same race those up North could be flying 300 miles further, 420 miles. 8.5 hours on the wing at 50 mph. So distance racing and fed for distance racing. The distance birds can often be doing the same velocities as the sprint pigeons. So these distance pigeons were obviously with the sprint pigeons when the sprint birds start dropping onto their lofts even though fed very differently. They didn’t get left behind by the sprinters and then suddenly started getting quicker. I know the wind and weather can have a big effect on this.
But to me it shows that what you feed is of little importance compared to having good quality and healthy birds.

Should think good pigeons for the required distance and wind and the correct feed for the job in hand will produce the same results
I’m good mates with Mark Bulled his sprint team is fed totally different to his distance team and to be honest I would put his performance in nationals up against any working back yard fancier
Two different family’s he keeps well actually three and different feeding totally