UkPigeonRacing

Years ago i remember a very good flier local to me at fed level when it was hard to win against the like of planet brothers etc
He Changed at some point from natural to widowhood but never changed his box’s
Just removed the front after he paired the cocks and covered the bowl
Just lifting the ply off bowl Fridays each day he clean the ply and turned it over so a dry surface the rest of the box floor was homemade wire grid
Now this stuck with me and although I have the traditional type box / front
I have always covered the bowl and not removed it but kept the cocks to one half
But one box is a little self made one on the side it’s never had a front but just the bowl covered the cocks that fly to that fly no worse so it got me thinking about it
Do cocks really fly any better being kept out the bowl section all week or does the bowl being uncovered trigger it
Or does the basket do it
On a Friday my cocks push my hand to get under the ply as I remove it
When you think the bowls the sign so just uncovering it should be enough ?

Interested in others thoughts

In my opinion a good widowhood cock isn't racing for his hen - he's racing for his box

That's what needs to be nurtured and encouraged

My best cocks like Houdini and Assassin would win without a bowl or a hen - but make their box a challenge and that's a whole different story

MIL wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2024 10:54 am In my opinion a good widowhood cock isn't racing for his hen - he's racing for his box

That's what needs to be nurtured and encouraged

My best cocks like Houdini and Assassin would win without a bowl or a hen - but make their box a challenge and that's a whole different story

Challenge as in denial

Or fear/threat

Sorry off subject a little
I remember being told by a chap who was loft manager to a household name that he didn’t bother to show or reward cocks with a hen
He raced both cocks and hens on return from a race the cocks went to there section the hens there on arrival
They reared a baby prior to racing then were split for the season
I always wish I asked him more about that before he sadly died

MIL wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2024 10:57 amOr fear/threat

Would extra cocks without a box be required ?

I used to mix them up a bit, take the bowl away and have them sitting on a block of wood in the box, or put the bowl in then show the hen, or put the bowl but no hen, or a handful of straw and the hen.....Now I don't think it made a scrap of difference. All it did was make work for me and a sleepless night worrying about it.
Widowhood cocks race to the loft and their box, absolutely.
The only thing I think is wrong, very wrong, is using jealousy, where a cock is sent away having seen another cock in his box. The pigeon can get so overwrought that he is worn out before they are liberated.
If a pigeon has had a few races and always finds his mate in his box, he knows he will this time too.

That’s what I’m thinking Murray
Does it really matter about the type of box or the front as long as he bonded to the box and for the early races is shown a sign to learn the hen will be there
Going back to the original post about the ply cover only no front no particular box type after all the pigeon doesn’t know what widowhood box is he only needs a trigger to know it’s Friday

Exactly, Neil.

Murray wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2024 11:10 am I used to mix them up a bit, take the bowl away and have them sitting on a block of wood in the box, or put the bowl in then show the hen, or put the bowl but no hen, or a handful of straw and the hen.....Now I don't think it made a scrap of difference. All it did was make work for me and a sleepless night worrying about it.
Widowhood cocks race to the loft and their box, absolutely.
The only thing I think is wrong, very wrong, is using jealousy, where a cock is sent away having seen another cock in his box. The pigeon can get so overwrought that he is worn out before they are liberated.
If a pigeon has had a few races and always finds his mate in his box, he knows he will this time too.

I did that once and never seen the cock again, it wasn't done intentially but every time I raced the cock when he returned another cock had taken his box so I tried letting him in whilst keeping cock whose box it was out, the end never to be seen again