UkPigeonRacing

Murray wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 9:44 am

MIL wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 8:54 am

Trev wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 8:04 am

What always surprises me on basketing night at the club, is how desperate birds are for a drink, it's almost like it's the only time some of them ever see fresh water lol

Any bird that's dehydrated isn't a good thing

I'd like to think my birds took no water on board the transporter if marking was 6pm and liberation say 9am

I'd take measures to ensure they were fully hydrated before presenting them at the club

Birds drinking out of the same trough as other birds is a recipe for cross-contamination

Not many think like that Mike.
A lot of blokes teach their young birds to drink in the hamper. I don't. If they are being hampered at 7 pm on Friday and released at 7 or 8 in the morning I am just as happy for them not to drink. If you are helping to do the marking you can see some pigeons that are a bit ordinary.
If they've been fed at midday, and had all afternoon to drink fresh water they should be fine.

What kind of temperature are you flying in Murray is your transporter adapted for heat or is the temps pretty much like our spring as I believe you race in winter

First race here is tomorrow. Middle of winter.
Overnight low is 3 degrees, so they can spend all night in the trailer without getting hot. The weather in this part of Australia is cooler than it was 15 or 20 years ago. All through June July and August it is usually cold. They finish racing about the end of October, and often is just mild and pleasant. For a one night hampering they can go without a drink with no harm. For the longer races with 2 nights in the box they find the water when they need it.
Way up north in Queensland, for example, it does get warm and very humid. The birds need water for sure.

Don't get me wrong Murray

My YB are in the hamper from the time they leave the nest for 5 days until they eat & drink with confidence

From then on after that they go in every Friday night until after the racers are home on a Saturday as I never exercised YB on a Saturday

No birds get more hamper/water training than mine (at home)

I'm talking specifically about presenting the birds in a way on Friday night to try and ensure they do not drink the same water as other birds

You're only as clean as your dirtiest member

How do you do that Mike

A-ha!!! Now we're talking mate

Everything I did as a fancier there was a reason behind

To progress from a fancier who rarely carded to a Federation Champion I had to analyse EVERYTHING and say "Why do I do that?" "Is there a better way of doing that?"

If you think outside the box you'll know what i'm on about

"You're only as clean as your dirtiest member"

True that. And sometimes you see some very ordinary youngsters presented.

NeilA wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 10:50 am How do you do that Mike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOHfn2m9nlU

MIL wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 11:07 am

NeilA wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 10:50 am How do you do that Mike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOHfn2m9nlU

That’s not special or the specials

NeilA wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 10:12 am How do people hydrate there birds ?
I tried syringe if water for the first 2/3 yb races but it takes time and not enough goes in really
I soak a diet mix and a little rice overnight then feed that on a Friday
But I tend to go to work early Fridays to get home so again not sure if it makes much odds but they do eat the wet grain like it’s normal grain
Be interested in other ideas

I just feed mine a light feed an hour or so before basketing, then I know the birds have had a drink. Of course when the birds are in the crates for a couple of days or more then you need to be confident that your birds will get the water at some point. I do basket train my youngsters, partly so that the birds are happy being in the basket and partly so that they get used to drinking in there. The biggest issue I see, especially from the long races, is that if you get a couple of dominant birds take over the area nearest the water, there is a chance that not all birds will be able to get to it !!
I know some fanciers do feed rice before basketing as this is supposed to hold moisture and help keep the bird hydrated, I've also heard of fanciers who put salt in the drinker at home on basketing day to make sure the bird us thirsty so goes straight for water on the transporter I'm not sure I'd be happy trying that one

MIL wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 11:07 am

NeilA wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 10:50 am How do you do that Mike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOHfn2m9nlU