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The Novices Social Circle (part four)
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NOVICES' SOCIAL CIRCLE. part four

Now then sonny; before I explain the "Meat Safe System" there are a few things that I fully realise; one being that few of you will have been brave enough in selection. There will always be a dozen excuses for keeping the "Old Cock" or the "Belgian Hen", as you mutter "How does Spinksy expect me to compete with a handful of birds?" Well without that kind of bravery, you will be beaten before you start and will never climb Everest. The preparation at the base camp, determines the overall success of the mission, no climber overloads himself with poor and unnecessary equipment; it would only weigh him down. The beginning is the hardest part, after which barring any unforeseen accidents, the journey is undertaken in short easy steps and it becomes easier as time progresses.

So without further ado, I shall tell you a true story : my first loft was constructed during 1953 and as a child I helped a variety of local fanciers with loft chores. During 1957 I was sending pigeons of my own to races, with my experience I knew it all and it was only a matter of course for me to win races! What a rude awakening, I had the best teachers, I had their stock, I had a nice loft and my birds appeared to be fit as fiddles and were often complimented upon their condition. True I did win a young bird race and I did manage the occasional minor prize, but they didn't win as old birds and they didn't come home from France! What could possibly be wrong when in my mind I was doing everything right? I could manage a friends loft in his absence and I could win but he had several more birds, so was that the difference? Only a few but not enough to make any great difference! The difference was a man named Littlefair, who would call regularly at Dennis's loft and perform the task of selection for breeding and racing. What did this man know that we didn't? Well I can tell you that I intended to find out and almost dragged him round to my own loft. There were thirty pigeons but he only passed four as worthy for breeding. I asked him to dispose of the remainder, but due to my young age and fear of reprisal from my mother, he refused. After he had left, my pal Dennis called round; "Believe you've had Tommy round" he said "Yup"; I replied "An' all them he didn't like have gone!" Dennis thought that I had gone completely mad, but those four pigeons flew France three times each that year and founded a winning family for the future!

Now I'm coming to the "Meat Safe System"; with another true story. Twenty years later I used to call regularly at another pals loft to select and cull for him. One year he had a beautiful blue youngster bred from Fred Livesey's "Bright Eyes"; this pigeon never returned home on the day, not even from a five mile toss. Keith asked me to dispose of it and I refused; telling him that it was the best bird in his loft and would be a prize winner and would also breed prize winners. Each season, this pigeon would never return on the day from anywhere and finally at four years of age Keith told me "If you think so much of that cock; then you take him because he is useless and a waste of corn!" I had a winning team of my own and didn't need any strangers; but I coerced our baby sitter into allowing her young son to keep it in their outhouse. I gave Adrian a hen to pair to the old blue and Adrian became a club member. I put that cock on the "Meat Safe System" and racing this single pigeon Adrian timed at every inland race within the top half of the result. The old blue cock went to three cross channel events, timed on the day at each and won 4th Avaranche, 4th Rennes and was runner up for the champion old bird points that season. A gay pied son off him won 1st Blackpool Amal. Dover for Keith that same year! We then gave the old blue cock back to Keith with my point well and truly proven. The following season Keith put him on the road and he returned to homing second day from anywhere! Is it the man; the bird; the system; or you? I never told anybody, not even young Adrian, just what I was doing during the day with that Blue Cock and I'm not going to tell you, because some things one just has to learn for oneself, just like survival on the mountain - however I will tell you that part of it was the meatsafe.

So dear novice, I sympathise with your reluctance to be totally severe in selection, because there is always the off chance that a failure may come good, but it is far easier in the long term to start with only the finest of beginnings. That means keeping only the minimal number of your own best performers and as your performances from these grow; so will the number in your team, giving you strength in depth. Eventually you will only be selecting from prize winning birds and that is the hardest task or my name isn't Mark Anthony!

"THE MEAT SAFE SYSTEM"

I called it by that name because an old galvanised meat safe with a gauze front was the only thing available to me in the early days; where I could segregate individual pigeons. This came in useful for motivating the nuisance cock, the celibate pigeons and even some naturals. Today the meat safe would take the form of individual boxes away from the loft section to which the birds are racing, and distinct from any isolation boxes where the occasional sick pigeon should be kept. The nuisance cock that invades other boxes in the loft is the best candidate for this system. He needs controlling for the sake of law and order in the cabin. If left to his own devices he will create havoc, tiring himself and any other bird that he confronts and top form will never result in an unhappy loft. Some fanciers would dispose of this bird as too much trouble, but in truth he is a dominant character and his performances marred by constant activity. The secret is to make that dominant personality into a controlled explosive athlete and the "Meat Safe System" brings this out to best effect.
The pigeon is removed from the loft and box to another area where he is confined with only water available and his usual box is locked to prevent any other birds from entering. At each exercise period, the nuisance is made to fly with the flock, on trapping his normal box is opened and he is fed in the usual manner. Once satisfied that he has eaten sufficient, then the bird is immediately removed to the meat safe and his box locked up. This is done for the whole week prior to his first race on this system. Ten to one you may pool that bird, because only hell and high water, a funny day or line will stop him from getting to that box! The whole week confinement method can be used until the cock quietens down. After this he may be confined for only a couple of days pre racing, eventually he will go off the boil, you can only kid pigeons for so long, but once he quietens and becomes a civilised member of society you may use the widowhood system or natural on him. It always pays to have a mixed selection on this system, hens may be motivated in the same way although it is better not to confine them for more than a couple of days. In the natural loft, keen sitting birds (one from the nest only) can be placed in the meat safe on the day prior to basketing with good effect. It is essential that they always receive the usual exercise periods and are only fed in their normal box. It is also essential that the box is kept closed at all other times to prevent invasion from other loft inmates.

The nuisance cock as he learns that you are playing with his emotions and settles to the system becomes less motivated. To rekindle his fervour it is advisable to allow him sight of a squatter inside his box, just prior to basketing, but don't overdo this and over frustrate him or he will fret and rapidly lose form. For that reason the system is only used for a maximum of three races on any individual bird, although in the case of the Old Blue mentioned earlier, it was used all season and several squatters were placed in the loft at once; but the Old Blue was a very placid pigeon and not easily upset. That is why you need a notebook and good powers of observation to note each individual personality trait and response. With the loft organised as I have outlined, it is possible to race on all systems, natural, roundabout, widowhood, celibacy, with twenty birds or less. The numbers are immaterial, but the quality should be there to build upon and the prizes will come eventually. You don't have the problem of fetching and carrying widowhood hens, rises and falls in form, peaks and troughs with total natural racing, separate young bird exercise and necessary extra loft etc. What you do have is one exercise period for cocks and young each morning, leaving plenty of time to get ready for work. You have two exercise periods each evening, one for cocks and young - and latterly one for hens and young. The hens with young cocks only require a single exercise period; the hens are easily conditioned, whilst the young cocks will form the basis of your future and only require the minimum of racing during their first year. The bulk of young bird racing will be done with young hens and selected young cocks with an eye to the future! This is most important and you should plan accordingly and turn a deaf ear to all that recommend that every youngster should go to the end of the line! Your next seasons yearlings are going to be the pigeons that make your club mates take notice or my name isn't Cleopatra!

The Novices SocialCircle

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