UkPigeonRacing

Murray I was thinking that you said the Australians prefer hens due to the celibacy system they fly
I guess over time people have flown cocks in a true widowhood system and I wanted to ask what’s your thoughts of why it doesn’t work for the country in the way celibacy does
Also do these pigeons bond at all or are they just flown like youngsters are or the traditional way youngsters were flown in the UK

That's a very good question, Neil. I will try to answer it as well as I can.

A great many Aussie flyers prefer hens. To the point that when tossing, they will put the cocks up first so if there falcons about they will pick off cock birds. Then they let the hens go. Or, if the weather looks bad, they will send all cocks, as they don't care if they lose them.

Last week I took some squeakers with Breeder plate rings on to the bloke who will race them. He and his mate were quizzing me, and he asked if I prefer cocks or hens. When I said I like cock birds they looked at me sideways.
Cocks have a reputation as being more trouble than they are worth. They start driving the hens and making them go eggy and wearing themselves out.

Most fly them like we would fly young birds, unmated and to the perch. Since 100 to 200 young birds is normal they want the system as simple as possible. They haven't time to be racing widowhood or natural nest pigeons. That many pigeons are needed because losses can be bad. It is not uncommon to lose a whole team of over 100 pigeons before the season ends. It's a tough game here.

I just keep my mouth shut now and breed early youngsters and send them sitting or on a sort of roundabout system. I only have a handful, so I can mess about with them.

When we first came to Oz from New Zealand I thought these blokes were mad. I still do a little bit, but they do what works.

Cheers Murray that’s really interesting
I can understand the reason better now
So NZ was more like our way to race ?

Yes, young birds in the autumn, two months off in the winter and old birds in the spring was pretty normal.
I think you start a bit earlier in the UK. In Christchurch where I was the racing started about 6 weeks after the longest day and went for about 14 weeks. The last few races were usually a couple of 200 milers, a 250 then a 300, being the YB national.
The birds were often 4 or 5 months old and well through the moult.
Old birds went from about 6 weeks after the shortest day, usually for 4 months. So there was racing for about 30 weeks of the year and started at about 80 miles and went out to 500 miles on the north road and 300 miles on the south road.

Cheers Murray interesting stuff

There's a good read in the latest copy of The Racing Pigeon Pictorial on the Alice Springs to Adelaide race some 840 miles.

king wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2024 4:35 pm There's a good read in the latest copy of The Racing Pigeon Pictorial on the Alice Springs to Adelaide race some 840 miles.

Yes they have some strong long distance racing in South Australia. And some very good old distance strains like the Goodgers and Priors.
I have to see if I can find a copy of that magazine.

king wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2024 4:35 pm There's a good read in the latest copy of The Racing Pigeon Pictorial on the Alice Springs to Adelaide race some 840 miles.

Do you have it quarterly King
I thought about but I’m not sure if it’s any good
I know as a kid it was decent but I haven’t had it since I packed up in 91

NeilA wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2024 8:45 pm

king wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2024 4:35 pm There's a good read in the latest copy of The Racing Pigeon Pictorial on the Alice Springs to Adelaide race some 840 miles.

Do you have it quarterly King
I thought about but I’m not sure if it’s any good
I know as a kid it was decent but I haven’t had it since I packed up in 91

I stopped it some time ago myself Neil and have now just started getting it again. It's the first copy since then. (I've lots of old copies dating back to the 70s)