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NOVICES SOCIAL CIRCLE. (part ten- continued )

Happy New Year Sunshine - perhaps you think that to be a strange opening gambit and that I have my dates mixed up or I'm suffering from premature dementure. Actually in pigeon terms it is new year today, because this is the start of the new seasons preparation. Some of the wise amongst you have been following the teachings of this system religiously and judging by the favourable telephone calls have met with success. I should like to congratulate Les Mathews of Coventry upon his eleven prizes to date 1996 including a hat trick of 1st prizes in his last three races, culminating in 1st, 2nd, 4th club when using the "Meat Safe System". Also the gentleman in Nottingham who phoned to say that racing twenty four birds, he has never had a season like it, competing against fanciers who send fifty widowhood cocks per week. This gentleman has so far had eleven prizes in first four but unfortunately not yet taken the red card although fellow fanciers are now starting to ask his times on race day! There have been several others to get off the mark for the first time in years of trying so, the project of taking novices to the peak of Everest is proving to be worthwhile. At my age and circumstance it is rewarding to discover that no matter what captains of industry might think, life doesn't end passed fifty! Les kindly afforded the credit for his success to me but, in truth I played only a minor part. Les bred them, Les fed them, trained them and raced them, he now admits to seeing that at which he had previously only looked. The pigeons now talk to him and he can understand that which they are saying; the characters are appearing, first one, then another, eventually his mind met them all. Les will be a first class pigeon man and we can't call him novice any more. Welcome aboard Les Mathews.

Those who fell by the wayside and disregarded common sense, please don't apply for further interviews! Now on to New Year - this commences with post old bird racing selection and rejection, young bird racing selection and rejection, moulting selection and rejection. New Year really does begin today or my name isn't Rappunzel! Whatever the outcome of last years O.B's, there is a young team following on and the best of these must be accommodated for next season. All selection of old birds should be done now and not after the moult when they all look like champions once again. If you have kept individual records and been fair in your assessment allowing for degree of difficulty in racing as previously instructed then the wastrels should be self evident. The aspiring fancier should be looking for youth and vigour, where at least 50% of the seasons team will be yearlings. If he has followed the plan, these will only be birds that were bred from his utmost best; based purely upon performance either racing or producing. Remember: this is a ten pairs loft:- space for stock birds is none existent or at a premium and the quest is for winners that breed winners, not a rest home for blue blooded posers. Obviously the strict selection could possibly mean the elimination of a poor racer with the "Golden Genes" but what you don't know till later hardly matters. What is important is that the team as a whole produce their share of winning birds, giving strength in depth for seasons to come. As time goes by champion stock birds will emerge amongst the best performance birds, these are the ones to retire and concentrate the gene pool of your family; one cannot keep every bird in hope! Do your selection now and do it fairly to both yourself and bird.

YOUNG BIRD TRAINING & RACING.

Not my greatest forte, I don't enjoy racing young birds, though I do believe in plenty of individual education. However; you wish to race youngters and succeed and I am in the fortunate position of being able to relate the methods of the finest young bird racers that I know. We commenced our assault upon Everest too late for the "Darkness System", this will be covered later in preparation for the climb of K2 next year. What we shall cover at this point is the method of preparing March-April weaned babies for the coming programme. By now these should be exercising freely and under reasonable control for trapping twice daily. Some of you will have been operating the system of young hens - old cocks; or old hens -young cocks; others a totally communal system, whilst some are fortunate enough to possess a separate young bird section or partitioned young bird loft. Whichever of these methods used, it doesn't really matter, the basics remain the same; young birds require education and that education must be the best possible. I will not patronise you by saying that all youngsters should have been basket trained to eat and drink, nor will I say that in your anxiety to get them homing, the youngsters will have received a few 2 mile flips! If I had to tell you that, then you are thick and shouldn't be coming to my loft but I can tell you what to do from here on. The team will need twice daily regular exercise of at least 40 minutes per session, early morning pre 07-00 hrs and early evening. Once regular training begins the young birds will be less inclined to fly at evening exercise, for the working chap this is the time to train them. The pigeons must be under control without being excessively hungry and to achieve this aim it is necessary to ration the feed. Your youngsters should be receiving the same grits, minerals, garlic, honey, Cytacon etc. as your old birds throughout the season. There is no benefit derived from any other expensive and needless potions, just stick to your normal routine. Feeding has to be modified somewhat, we seek control whilst at the same time we require sturdy growth for the future.

After morning exercise the birds must trap immediately, this quick trapping is easily instilled into them. Upon the first evening the birds are fed with a depurative or similar light feed of 1 oz. per bird, this is sufficient, it is just enough to quickly digest and make them keen next morning. Now then thick head, this doesn't mean feed 1 oz per bird from here on in, it is the first day of commencing the system and the FIRST DAY ONLY! We don't want Mrs. Bysterbotch coming from the R.S.P.C.A. claiming that pigeon fanciers starve their birds to win races, now do we? Now get this into your head, fat pigeons won't fly, hungry pigeons won't fly, tired pigeons won't fly, only fit healthy birds will do this and they will do it for fun! So the first evening after exercise they are fed as described, the following morning after exercise and immediate trap they are fed Ťoz of the same light mixture. First to trap eats most, last to trap eats least but traps the quickest next time! Pigeons are very fast learners and soon get the hang of things, this light morning feed is continued throughout the season. This is the only time that I personally would feed communally and not in individual pots, it creates competition with reward. After the evening exercise of 40 minutes minimum duration the youngsters are sufficiently hungry and keen to trap, this is rewarded with a tit bit, either the seed mixture recommended for old birds, Red Band, Hormoform or such commercial products, plus 3-4 peanuts. The pigeons are then basketed for a training spin. If it is at all possible to enlist help, either in taking the birds or in trapping at the home end then so much the better. The youngsters must be taught to trap immediately upon arrival and are fed in with 1 oz per bird of your normal high protein racing mixture. If there is no chance of assistance then leave the feed in a tray where it can be seen when the youngsters arrive; don't forget to rattle the tin and allow the pigeons to see you putting down the evening feed.

Training should be given Monday till Thursday; Friday - morning exercise only, fed in with a titbit plus normal racing mixture of 1 oz in total once racing. Saturday evening post racing, the birds are fed 50% light mixture 50% racing mixture, then proceed in normal fashion. Sunday is rest day, if at all possible allow open hole and bath, this allows full recuperation so that the birds will fly with zest on Monday. Young pigeons so treated become strong and fit, their bodies begin to feel like buoyant balloons. They should all be quivering, bright eyed and active. As the racing distance increases beyond 120 miles cease to ration the feed and allow the birds as much as they can eat at the evening meal with no skimping or their condition will suffer. Some may start to pair, this may be encouraged but it is preferable that they are kidded into sitting pot eggs without being allowed to lay. This is done simply by placing one egg in the bowl at dusk, next morning the cock will think that the hen has laid and sit the egg. The hen seeing him sitting will follow suit, after which a second egg may be left in place and young birds will sit these far longer than old birds through inexperience. As the longer races approach the eggs may be substituted for a single hatchling. To avoid excess strain through rearing:- where possible, replace the 10 day nestling with one of younger age approx. 7 days old, this can give two good races without losing condition. Be sure to give adequate extra feed to any rearing youngsters otherwise the condition will quickly go down hill as the surrogate parent deprives itself!

TRAINING SCHEDULE.

It is often said that the shortest route between two points is a straight line; unfortunately in pigeon racing this isn't true! Wind, drag and topography of land will often dictate the true line of flight. It is no use training in a straight line if the pigeons cannot possibly race that way:- for many the line of flight could be a dogleg, Scottish, Welsh and Irish birds have hills and valleys to negotiate, the Cumbrian and Northumbrian pigeons have similar problems. Even the flatter regions have prevailing winds and breaking points, the route taken is more of an arc, dependant upon wind or drag. First identify your potential line of flight, then train accordingly commencing at ten miles. This should be repeated until the youngsters are leaving the basket directly for home. Then repeat this process from a point easterly, then again from a point westerly; (these points are just off line of flight and not due East/West) once the birds are fully familiar with these routes move on and repeat from twenty miles, completing initial training at 30 miles line of flight only. Most races are won on decimals, the crucial part is the final ten miles, instil this into the youngsters and they will romp home. Once racing begins, it is too much to ask of young birds to exercise for set periods, train 50 miles daily and race on weekends. Somewhere along the line something has to give and this is usually home exercise. If one embarks upon long training flights then one must continue to do so, the pigeons will not fly at home. It is expensive, pointless, time consuming and the best way to upset the wife that anyone ever devised, plus the added hazards placed in front of your team.

Once racing begins, a quick ten miles is all that is required Monday - line of flight, Tuesday - Easterly, Wednesday - Westerly, Thursday - line of flight. By this time the youngsters should know the route backwards, it is confidence building and this may be further built with single tossing. The independent pigeon is a winning pigeon, it doesn't require a flock to bring it home and there is no excuse for not attending to this detail. If time is short:- place your main candidates into a smaller basket, liberate the main batch after five minutes sight of sun (this applies at every training session) then allow ten minutes to clear completely (they should be almost home). Then release your prospective pool birds at five minute intervals all done within 30 minutes waiting, the whole task within 90 minutes. A well cliche'd phrase "you only get out that which you put in"; one and one half hour per evening is hardly killing yourself with work! Including evening exercise one still has time to go to the pub for a gallon! There you have the basics of a proven winning method, the rest is up to yourself. Congratulations to Les Mathews once again and also to the other gentlemen who reported success. One chappie phoned to say that he was using the depurative system and couldn't understand why his pigeons were one hour late each race. He was feeding it 100% at every meal and was bewildered by not being able to win ***!!!??? Well unfortunately you never will Matey; please don't phone again, it's all down in writing for you to study and use. With you on my back, Everest will kill us both; or my name isn't Humperdink!

The Novices SocialCircle

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