UkPigeonRacing

Just wondering if anyone lets their w.hood cocks out with their hens when pairing up?

Diamond Dave wrote: ↑Tue Jan 28, 2025 6:37 pm Just wondering if anyone lets their w.hood cocks out with their hens when pairing up?

Not for me
The cock must only ever see his hen in the loft so come Saturday the loft has everything he needs hen box grub
But I don’t fly distance so it may not matter so much from 500 miles

I'm with Neil on this one.

Yea I used to. They could fly together and the hens got fit too. A fit healthy hen is good, she is likely to be more interested in the cock bird than one that lives in a box or cage.
Everything was natural until the hens and bowls were removed. Then things got serious.
Worked for me, but there are many different ways of achieving the same thing.

Yes, whilst paired, sitting eggs and feeding young all the birds are loft flown together. I’m quite happy for the cocks to be picking nesting material up from around the garden and taking it back to their box. For me it’s not the hen that is important for the cock but his box.

Well, I will be flying a form of roundabout/ widowhood to get the birds fit but I wont be having a clock set, then will be pairing up for the distance, so I am not technically concerned about widowhood flying, so do you think it will matter anyway.?
My main concern is getting the birds to bond to their new loft

Diamond Dave wrote: ↑Tue Jan 28, 2025 10:02 pm Well, I will be flying a form of roundabout/ widowhood to get the birds fit but I wont be having a clock set, then will be pairing up for the distance, so I am not technically concerned about widowhood flying, so do you think it will matter anyway.?
My main concern is getting the birds to bond to their new loft

Only matters in my view if you need the cocks to sprint with a 100 percent focus to ignore all they can to be in the loft and win by a yard
So to answer your question with your plans I wouldn’t think it would matter one bit

Thank you gents.

If its distance that's your aim then the approach can be adjusted somewhat

The life of a sprinter on widowhood is all about discipline

They eat at certain times, rest at certain times, exercise at certain times, work at certain times and as such they get rewards at certain times.

Having said that, Dad certainly never let his cocks and hens out together when pairing up, and he was as excellent at the Distance as the next man.

Thanks Mike, I take it all on-board especially when it comes from stables such as your family. Can I ask if your ol dad flew all distances as I guess most did back then?
My main concern this year is to settle the pairs to their new environment, I think I have done that ok but both cocks and hens keep going back to the old shed and trying to get in -as though they are yearning for breeding.
I just thought it might make them happier with the new loft if I maybe let them out a pair out at a time....what would you say to that? (incidently, I still wont be pairing for a few weeks yet)