UkPigeonRacing

Can I ask members for their thoughts of Compass training, I do think young birds should be trained this way. So I would like the thoughts from other members of the site.

Always trained on line of flight they do compass when loft flying

I like to see my youngsters roam, for hours on end ideally - that's when they can do what they like

Training is when they need to have their "business hats" on though

Whether its training or racing its irrelevant to me.

I want them home A-B in the fastest time possible

I don't want them off their true line - and I guarantee one thing for certain whether you race North or South, Sprint or Distance one fact remains true

"Leading pigeons don't get pulled about"

I want my birds leading - not following

MIL wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 4:19 pm I like to see my youngsters roam, for hours on end ideally - that's when they can do what they like

Training is when they need to have their "business hats" on though

Whether its training or racing its irrelevant to me.

I want them home A-B in the fastest time possible

I don't want them off their true line - and I guarantee one thing for certain whether you race North or South, Sprint or Distance one fact remains true

"Leading pigeons don't get pulled about"

I want my birds leading - not following

A really good answer Mike, many years ago i read about De Meyer, he trained his birds on a compass. I also read the members in the club, did not know what direction the birds were flying. They would arrive at the club and they would be told direction and location, their birds were flying from.

In that instance that makes sense

We have the luxury of knowing our programme months in advance

MIL wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 4:19 pm I like to see my youngsters roam, for hours on end ideally - that's when they can do what they like

Training is when they need to have their "business hats" on though

Whether its training or racing its irrelevant to me.

I want them home A-B in the fastest time possible

I don't want them off their true line - and I guarantee one thing for certain whether you race North or South, Sprint or Distance one fact remains true

"Leading pigeons don't get pulled about"

I want my birds leading - not following

That's not quite true Mike. They may not get pulled over a short distance to a small local area, but the further they are sent they WILL be pulled off line the bigger the home area is. Top pigeons may sometimes beat the drag, but they will never beat the wind. That's why in many races a fancier is beat before the birds are up, no matter how good his birds are.
When York raced with the YMR I can't recall the East coast aces ever beating the York pigeons 40 miles West of then in an East wind.

A pigeon flying extra distance and not getting the credit for it will get its arse licked by any decent pigeon flying A-B in a straight line.

MIL wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 4:29 pm In that instance that makes sense

We have the luxury of knowing our programme months in advance

We know are race program well in advance but the straight line is much different from each race point so no true line.

MIL wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 4:42 pm A pigeon flying extra distance and not getting the credit for it will get its arse licked by any decent pigeon flying A-B in a straight line.

But how many pigeons fly in straight lines Mike? The further you send a bird the LESS likely it is to fly in a straight line? Tracking birds has proved this. That's why the old concept of 'corridor' flying failed. Nobody told the birds that they had to stay in the corridor.

If I have natural baby's they seem to really roam but even spring bred baby's on darkness don't roam for me so at 6,7,8 weeks old they get little tosses at 9 weeks old I toss as many times as I can from 1 mile bk to very little food after that it's 1x 5 mile toss 4 different directions after that it's 8 miles until there like red arrows then 16 miles until there like red arrows after this they will get a 30 n 50 mile toss before racing but mainly it's all 16 mile tosses.