Racing Pigeon News
Duffel
18th June
Apologies for not posting anything for a little while. I have been ill with chicken pox and the spare time I had when I wasn't in bed, I was training the pigeons.
The race took place from Duffel last week (Weds 13th June) and it turned out to be nothing short of a disaster. The returns are still awful with examples like:
4/20, 3/22, 6/23, 2/17 etc. Pigeons from this flight have been reported all over Europe from North Holland to West Germany.
We were more lucky and as at this moment we are at 3/5. Our best hen, a granddaughter of the famous Space boy of Peter Theunis took the 2nd prize but it was little consolation as we lost 2 very nice yearlings. The hen will now be prepared for Kinzweiler on the 28th June, a race she won by several hours last year and we should also have a very nice granddaughter of Super Rossi also for this race.
Incidentally congratulations goes to Peter Theunis on winning 1st NPO Argenton (daughter Super Rossi) and then a week later following it up with 1st NPO Gien. Also to Jan Van Der Putten who won 1st, 2nd & 3rd in CC Uden the same day and 3 top NPO positions in Oost Brabant. This is the first time in many years he races old birds and the results have been excellent!
Now I am better I will try to update the blog a few times a week.
Apologies for not posting anything for a little while. I have been ill with chicken pox and the spare time I had when I wasn't in bed, I was training the pigeons.
The race took place from Duffel last week (Weds 13th June) and it turned out to be nothing short of a disaster. The returns are still awful with examples like:
4/20, 3/22, 6/23, 2/17 etc. Pigeons from this flight have been reported all over Europe from North Holland to West Germany.
We were more lucky and as at this moment we are at 3/5. Our best hen, a granddaughter of the famous Space boy of Peter Theunis took the 2nd prize but it was little consolation as we lost 2 very nice yearlings. The hen will now be prepared for Kinzweiler on the 28th June, a race she won by several hours last year and we should also have a very nice granddaughter of Super Rossi also for this race.
Incidentally congratulations goes to Peter Theunis on winning 1st NPO Argenton (daughter Super Rossi) and then a week later following it up with 1st NPO Gien. Also to Jan Van Der Putten who won 1st, 2nd & 3rd in CC Uden the same day and 3 top NPO positions in Oost Brabant. This is the first time in many years he races old birds and the results have been excellent!
Now I am better I will try to update the blog a few times a week.
Yearlings
5th June
The race from Burbure took place a day later than planned due to mist in France on Saturday. The pigeons were instead liberated on in Sunday.
I like most thought it would be a good race and when the first pigeons started to drop from 11:30 it seemed that would be the case. But after about 12:15 the pigeons were few and far between.
I mentioned in an earlier post the first channel race for the past few years is always a bad race, especially the yearlings seem to suffer. Its no coincidence that since the Combine stopped having a young bird race from Lillers / Burbure that the first time over the channel for the yearlings is bad.
The same also applies to the other organisation in Wales. They have 3 young bird race virtually all from the same place, then their first channel race from Fourgeres on the south route is a graveyard race for yearlings.
Some of us have been asking for a Lillers young bird race for several years now, and thankfully it's back on the calendar for 2018. Weather permitting of course, I think Burbure / Lillers in 2019 will be a far better race for it. Let's hope that the race doesn't get cancelled at the last moment which has happened in the past.
Congratulations to M and J Hughes who race in the East section and took the 1st National Burbure.
The race from Burbure took place a day later than planned due to mist in France on Saturday. The pigeons were instead liberated on in Sunday.
I like most thought it would be a good race and when the first pigeons started to drop from 11:30 it seemed that would be the case. But after about 12:15 the pigeons were few and far between.
I mentioned in an earlier post the first channel race for the past few years is always a bad race, especially the yearlings seem to suffer. Its no coincidence that since the Combine stopped having a young bird race from Lillers / Burbure that the first time over the channel for the yearlings is bad.
The same also applies to the other organisation in Wales. They have 3 young bird race virtually all from the same place, then their first channel race from Fourgeres on the south route is a graveyard race for yearlings.
Some of us have been asking for a Lillers young bird race for several years now, and thankfully it's back on the calendar for 2018. Weather permitting of course, I think Burbure / Lillers in 2019 will be a far better race for it. Let's hope that the race doesn't get cancelled at the last moment which has happened in the past.
Congratulations to M and J Hughes who race in the East section and took the 1st National Burbure.
Burbure
31st May
Tonight we basket the pigeons for Burbure which is around 265 miles (425km). I hope to enter 12 hens, 3 remain at home. This will be the 4thflight for some, the 3rd flight for a few others.
The 3 that remain at home are all very good pigeons. One is our 1stFederation Epsom winner (fastest against around 5,700p), the other two are both multi prize winners and actually won 1st and 2nd Hythe two weeks ago. But since then they have been struck with a muscle injury. For the first time in a few days today they wanted to exercise with the other hens and flew for around 15 mins, but all 3 remain on the side-lines for the rest of the programme. They have already proven themselves so will come back if we decide to race old birds next season.
The reason for the injury? I think it is down to maybe too much too soon. I only started letting the birds out 6 weeks ago. Within 3 weeks we were winning the 1st prize but they were already at over 196 miles (315km). The preparation wasn’t ideal due to a mix of bad weather and the hawk problem, but there are no regrets I wouldn’t change too much up to this point.
Our hens race on widowhood but we actually have 3 hens sitting on one chick in the corner of the loft. Although they are not coupled one of the hens laid 3 weeks ago, two others decided they wanted to sit on her eggs. Now all 3 fight to sit on the young bird. Only two will be entered, so it will be interesting to see how they perform.
Good luck to everyone who enters, we hope for a West wind and any possible south wind will stay away otherwise the result will again be dominated by the east section.
Tonight we basket the pigeons for Burbure which is around 265 miles (425km). I hope to enter 12 hens, 3 remain at home. This will be the 4thflight for some, the 3rd flight for a few others.
The 3 that remain at home are all very good pigeons. One is our 1stFederation Epsom winner (fastest against around 5,700p), the other two are both multi prize winners and actually won 1st and 2nd Hythe two weeks ago. But since then they have been struck with a muscle injury. For the first time in a few days today they wanted to exercise with the other hens and flew for around 15 mins, but all 3 remain on the side-lines for the rest of the programme. They have already proven themselves so will come back if we decide to race old birds next season.
The reason for the injury? I think it is down to maybe too much too soon. I only started letting the birds out 6 weeks ago. Within 3 weeks we were winning the 1st prize but they were already at over 196 miles (315km). The preparation wasn’t ideal due to a mix of bad weather and the hawk problem, but there are no regrets I wouldn’t change too much up to this point.
Our hens race on widowhood but we actually have 3 hens sitting on one chick in the corner of the loft. Although they are not coupled one of the hens laid 3 weeks ago, two others decided they wanted to sit on her eggs. Now all 3 fight to sit on the young bird. Only two will be entered, so it will be interesting to see how they perform.
Good luck to everyone who enters, we hope for a West wind and any possible south wind will stay away otherwise the result will again be dominated by the east section.
Bad Returns
28th May
As anticipated the returns from the weekend were very patchy. Our federation raced from Swindon. Some got away with it but most seem to have between 2-8 pigeons missing. This is a lot from 69 miles. The same thing happened with the Rhondda Valley at Newbury returns were patchy.
I think the race controllers did the best job possible. Everyone should know the danger of strong NE winds, we seemed to be the only ones who didn't send but there were plenty of sad faces who wished they didn't. I saw my neighbours birds arrive and they didn't look like they enjoyed the fly.
The other organisation in Wales raced from France yesterday. Again as expected the returns were very bad. Examples of what I was told last night 6 from 30, 2 from 9, 2 from 12, 5 from 11 and 2 from 4. This type of returns from 240 miles is pretty shocking, but again people knew the risk so it's pointless blaming race controllers.
Well done to all the winners over the weekend though in a tough day of racing. Even though we didn't send one of our pigeons won the race locally for a friend with a 20ypm lead, so this was very pleasing.
Now we focus on preparation for Lillers next weekend. An unsettled forecast is ahead but we hope this strong NE wind becomes a little bit lighter.
As anticipated the returns from the weekend were very patchy. Our federation raced from Swindon. Some got away with it but most seem to have between 2-8 pigeons missing. This is a lot from 69 miles. The same thing happened with the Rhondda Valley at Newbury returns were patchy.
I think the race controllers did the best job possible. Everyone should know the danger of strong NE winds, we seemed to be the only ones who didn't send but there were plenty of sad faces who wished they didn't. I saw my neighbours birds arrive and they didn't look like they enjoyed the fly.
The other organisation in Wales raced from France yesterday. Again as expected the returns were very bad. Examples of what I was told last night 6 from 30, 2 from 9, 2 from 12, 5 from 11 and 2 from 4. This type of returns from 240 miles is pretty shocking, but again people knew the risk so it's pointless blaming race controllers.
Well done to all the winners over the weekend though in a tough day of racing. Even though we didn't send one of our pigeons won the race locally for a friend with a 20ypm lead, so this was very pleasing.
Now we focus on preparation for Lillers next weekend. An unsettled forecast is ahead but we hope this strong NE wind becomes a little bit lighter.
A free weekend
25th May
Tonight the birds were basketted for Swindon. There is also a race from Fourgeres in France tomorrow. We took the decision not to enter any pigeons, all the hens stay at home.
The forecast tomorrow is for strong NE winds with early mist and rain. There is also possible Thunderstorms. I suspect the pigeons will be liberated in the afternoon. By this time the temperature will be over 20 degrees, and the wind gusts will be up to 30mph. For me this is usually an awful blend.
I remember back in 2013 the terrible race from Hullavington (only 54 miles). The pigeons were let go in the strong NE winds and it was one of the worst races on record. Even this week I notice my hens, they still train well but they don't even like to fly in this cold wind. So we have taken the decision to keep them home and they will skip a week before we basket them for Lillers on Thursday.
I'm very interested to see what will happen tomorrow.
Tonight the birds were basketted for Swindon. There is also a race from Fourgeres in France tomorrow. We took the decision not to enter any pigeons, all the hens stay at home.
The forecast tomorrow is for strong NE winds with early mist and rain. There is also possible Thunderstorms. I suspect the pigeons will be liberated in the afternoon. By this time the temperature will be over 20 degrees, and the wind gusts will be up to 30mph. For me this is usually an awful blend.
I remember back in 2013 the terrible race from Hullavington (only 54 miles). The pigeons were let go in the strong NE winds and it was one of the worst races on record. Even this week I notice my hens, they still train well but they don't even like to fly in this cold wind. So we have taken the decision to keep them home and they will skip a week before we basket them for Lillers on Thursday.
I'm very interested to see what will happen tomorrow.
Consistency
19th May
Today we raced from Hythe. The pigeons were liberated at 6:50am in a variable wind. Almost every weather site had something different. Here at our loft the wind all morning was South Westerly.
In the club we were again 1st and 2nd. I was satisfied with this, that's 2 x 1st and 2 x 2nd in three races. Our first pigeon was another grandchild of our number 1 breeder "Snow Queen". The father is one of our original HVD pigeons, a brother of "Wooper". Our second pigeon is a direct daughter of "Flyingbolt", our 1st National Brussels winner. Both hens already had a lot of good Federation positions as young birds in 2017.
In all we have now won 15 of our last 17 races we have entered in the club. The other 2 races we finished 2nd. It may give off the impression we fly against no one. But including ourselves there are several multi National winners who also race in our club, so the competition is good.
I've heard 2 different rumours of who is winning the Hythe National, I should find our tomorrow but congratulations to the National and section winners. We now move on to the next race in 2 weeks from Lillers. Next weeks race from Swindon will purely be used as a tune up for the next National.
Today we raced from Hythe. The pigeons were liberated at 6:50am in a variable wind. Almost every weather site had something different. Here at our loft the wind all morning was South Westerly.
In the club we were again 1st and 2nd. I was satisfied with this, that's 2 x 1st and 2 x 2nd in three races. Our first pigeon was another grandchild of our number 1 breeder "Snow Queen". The father is one of our original HVD pigeons, a brother of "Wooper". Our second pigeon is a direct daughter of "Flyingbolt", our 1st National Brussels winner. Both hens already had a lot of good Federation positions as young birds in 2017.
In all we have now won 15 of our last 17 races we have entered in the club. The other 2 races we finished 2nd. It may give off the impression we fly against no one. But including ourselves there are several multi National winners who also race in our club, so the competition is good.
I've heard 2 different rumours of who is winning the Hythe National, I should find our tomorrow but congratulations to the National and section winners. We now move on to the next race in 2 weeks from Lillers. Next weeks race from Swindon will purely be used as a tune up for the next National.
Hythe
17th May
Tomorrow we basket for the first National flight of the year from "Hythe".
The programme is a little but different this year, normally we fly from Maidstone and then Hythe but I understand due to cost that they have taken the decision to jump the pigeons.
To be honest, although our pigeons will be having only their third race and they already go the the furthest U.K. liberation it's not a problem. All these yearlings flew a full programme so as long as the pigeons are in good shape it's perfectly fine.
The main concern is the east wind forecast. It looks a nice light wind, so we will basket every hen we can expect for injuries. If it was a strong east wind it would be a different story.
The wind should suit the fanciers in the West section both in the Federation and National, although I have a feeling there will be some leading birds in the Cardiff area also.
These fanciers have made a great start in the RV fed, although the ones that have switched routes from the North road this may be the first proper test for their pigeons.
Good luck to all who is sending, again I'm hoping for more improvement although I think the wind isn't suitable to compete for the top National positions this week.
Tomorrow we basket for the first National flight of the year from "Hythe".
The programme is a little but different this year, normally we fly from Maidstone and then Hythe but I understand due to cost that they have taken the decision to jump the pigeons.
To be honest, although our pigeons will be having only their third race and they already go the the furthest U.K. liberation it's not a problem. All these yearlings flew a full programme so as long as the pigeons are in good shape it's perfectly fine.
The main concern is the east wind forecast. It looks a nice light wind, so we will basket every hen we can expect for injuries. If it was a strong east wind it would be a different story.
The wind should suit the fanciers in the West section both in the Federation and National, although I have a feeling there will be some leading birds in the Cardiff area also.
These fanciers have made a great start in the RV fed, although the ones that have switched routes from the North road this may be the first proper test for their pigeons.
Good luck to all who is sending, again I'm hoping for more improvement although I think the wind isn't suitable to compete for the top National positions this week.
Adeno arrives
16th May
Over the last couple of days the Adeno virus has found its way into our lofts. It started with the later youngsters, and now the early youngsters (different loft) are effected.
I've treated the later youngsters and already they look much better. There have been no deaths but I have removed 6 which show the worst signs. It seems to be the "normal" Adeno virus that can be treated within a few days with medication from De Weerd, not the stronger version which is hitting lofts all over the country.
I spoke with a friend of mine yesterday who lives close to where I work. He now has had Adeno twice. The first time was mild, now it's the harder virus and he already has 10 deaths. I just hope at our own loft that we now have "got it out of the way". I think May is probably the best time to have it, there is nothing worse than having an outbreak during the racing season and missing 2 weeks of racing!
I've read the below over the weekend on the 13th May regarding what could be the issue - Rota Virus has been in Germany and Australia for 2 years. Below is the translation - very interesting indeed.
Rotavirus detected in pigeons in Baden-Württemberg Germany
Rotavirus detected in pigeons in Baden-Württemberg Germany
Valerij Akimkin (CVUAS), Andreas Hänel (CVUAS), Alexandra Kley-Sonntag (STUA AU-DZ), Anja Spadinger (STUAAU-DZ), Ernst Großmann (STUAAU-DZ)
Translated from German to English
Source: http://www.cvuas.de/pub/beitrag.asp?sub ... No&lang=DE
Rotaviruses are associated with treacherous diarrhea, which can be particularly severe in infants and toddlers. If the little patients are not treated in time, a rotavirus infection can also be fatal. But not only in humans, these diarrhea pathogens occur. Rotaviruses have been detected in many species of mammals and birds. The main symptom of this infection is always the same: diarrhea. At the CVUA Stuttgart and at the STUA Aulendorf – Diagnostic Center, rotavirus tests are routinely performed on calves, piglets, and chicks with gastrointestinal disturbances. In hundreds of samples, we have already found the virus. Recently, the virological laboratory of the CVUA Stuttgart could detect rotaviruses in pigeons. Until recently, rotavirus infection was largely unknown in these birds. Only since 2016, more rotavirus diarrhea in letter and breed pigeons on the Australian continent. In this paper, we report on three rotavirus infection outbreaks in wild and kept pigeons in Baden-Württemberg.
At the beginning of November 2017, there was an outbreak of infection in breeding pigeons in the district of Esslingen. In a stock with about 50 pigeons of the breeds at the Rheinische Ringschläger and Thurgauer Elmer occurred within a few days several deaths. The pigeons were housed in 3 aviaries with sand bottom, which were covered to one third. As the first animal, a young female was puffed up and died within 24 hours. A young robber who had previously been kept in a domestic attack also died after spending a few days in the robbery after the onset of weakness. A third youngster died a few days later without any recognizable signs of illness. The dead animals came from two different aviaries. The third aviary was not affected.
The feed used was a commercial pigeon feed with added wheat. The last new entry was made in early 2017. Participation in exhibitions had not taken place.
Two of the dead birds, a young female, and a youngster, were sent to the State Veterinary Investigation Office Aulendorf – Diagnostikzentrum (STUA Aulendorf-DZ) to determine the cause of death. Both pigeons were in a moderate nutritional status and had a high degree of spleen swelling and catarrhal bowel inflammation. Craw and stomach were food-free.
The liver had profuse, diffuse, acute degeneration and necrosis, as well as a high-grade, multifocal, periportal-accentuated monocytic inflammation (Figure 1). Furthermore, a marked degree of hemosiderosis of the liver was noticeable. Both animals had low-grade, multifocal, interstitial monocytic nephritis.
1: Histological picture of the liver. Shown is a hematoxylin-eosin staining at 20x magnification. High-grade, diffuse, acute degeneration and necrosis can be seen, as well as a high-grade, multifocal, periportal accentuated monocytic inflammation. Also striking is the high-grade hemosiderosis.
Bacteriological examination of the liver revealed only nonspecific germ growth. From the intestine, a physiological intestinal flora could be detected. By means of enrichment procedures, no Salmonella was isolable. Endoparasites were undetectable in both young pigeons. However, both animals had a high infestation with featherlings. An infection with Paramyxovirus 1 could be excluded by molecular biological examination.
Electron microscopic examination of liver and spleen samples at the CVUA Stuttgart clearly identified rotaviruses in large numbers (Figure 2). In this case, it is assumed that rotaviruses were the cause of disease and death of the pigeons.
Figure 2: Rotavirus particles in the liver sample of a diseased pigeon. Electron micrograph, magnification 250,000 times.
At about the same time, another outbreak of infection occurred. In Backnang in the Rems-Murr-Kreis in a narrow circle, 5 street pigeons were found dead. One of the pigeons was forwarded to the CVUA Stuttgart by the competent veterinary office to determine the cause of death. In particular, it was to be clarified whether the pigeons had been shot down or poisoned.
The carcass submitted for examination was – as can be seen from the lentil-sized Bursa cloacalis – a young pigeon in poor nutritional status. Craw and stomach were food-free, in the gizzard only Gritsteinchen available. The main findings were high-grade catarrhal bowel inflammation and hepatic congestion. Evidence of the effects of trauma was not found. Also, poisoning seemed unlikely due to the lack of bait material in the crop and stomach of the animal.
The bacteriological organ findings were inconspicuous. A parasitological examination was able to exclude infestation with both intestinal parasites and trichomonads. A real-time PCR, which was used to examine a pigeon brain sample for Paramyxovirus 1 infection, also revealed a negative result.
Figure 3: Street pigeons in the city can also develop rotavirus infection. Figure
Inspired by a report in a pigeon fancier journal that a novel highly pathogenic rotavirus has been spreading in letter and breeding pigeon flocks in Australia for about one year, an initially frozen liver sample of the pigeon was examined by electron microscopy.
In the electron microscopic examination of liver samples at the CVUA Stuttgart, large numbers of rotaviruses were clearly identified, as in the first described case in racial pigeons (Figure 4). Also, in this case, it is assumed that rotaviruses were the cause of death of the pigeons.
Because of this diagnosis, a dying already a month ago in Althütte, also Rems-Murr-Kreis, again under the magnifying glass. On a company site, several dead street pigeons were found within a few days. An initially suspected poisoning could be ruled out. Also, in this case, numerous rotavirus particles were found in the subsequent electron microscopic examination of an asserted liver sample and thus the diagnosis of a rotavirus infection was made.
Figure 4: Numerous rotaviruses in the liver sample of a pigeon. Electron micrograph, magnification 120,000 times.
The described cases show that rotavirus infections in Baden-Württemberg can lead to an acute illness with death in both wild and caged pigeons. Due to the small number of proven cases, a statement about the spread of the infection in Baden-Württemberg is not yet possible.
The virological institute of the University Hospital Freiburg was able to prove the genome of group A rotaviruses in further investigations of organ samples from both outbreaks of infection.
A molecular biology typing of the virus was initiated. This is to clarify how close the Rotaviruses from Australia and Baden-Württemberg are related to each other.
Information
rotavirus
Rotaviruses are members of the Reoviridae virus family. The pathogen is considered to be the leading cause of diarrhea in humans as well as mammals and birds. The disease occurs mainly in infants or young animals.
In the electron microscope, rotaviruses can be represented as round, about 70 nm to 80 nm large uncoated particles. The virus genome consists of 11 segments of double-stranded RNA. Rotaviruses are divided into 8 groups (A to H) and several subgroups (see P [] and G [] genotypes).
The transmission of the infection is fecal-oral. It is a typical smear infection. In acute cases, large amounts of virus are excreted in the feces (10 9 -10 11 virus particles in 1 g feces). The viruses show high resistance to environmental influences and can remain infectious in feces for several weeks.
The incubation period is usually very short. Already 24 hours after the infection first symptoms appear like watery diarrhea, lack of appetite and restlessness.
The virus is detected directly in the feces or intestinal contents by electron microscopy or by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For some species, ELISA tests are also available to detect the virus antigen.
Therapeutic measures are not very effective. Prophylactic vaccination is possible in some species.
Rotavirus was first detected in pigeons in 1988, but until recently they were not associated with a serious disease of these birds. Accordingly, there is little information in the literature about the distribution of these viruses in pigeons. Since May 2016, more and more outbreaks of pigeon populations have been recorded in Australia. The animals show the typical symptoms of rotavirus infection, such as diarrhea, apathy, and loss of appetite. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) currently estimates morbidity (incidence rate) at 50% and mortality (mortality rate) at 20%. The rotavirus strain isolated from the pigeons is considered harmless to humans.
Over the last couple of days the Adeno virus has found its way into our lofts. It started with the later youngsters, and now the early youngsters (different loft) are effected.
I've treated the later youngsters and already they look much better. There have been no deaths but I have removed 6 which show the worst signs. It seems to be the "normal" Adeno virus that can be treated within a few days with medication from De Weerd, not the stronger version which is hitting lofts all over the country.
I spoke with a friend of mine yesterday who lives close to where I work. He now has had Adeno twice. The first time was mild, now it's the harder virus and he already has 10 deaths. I just hope at our own loft that we now have "got it out of the way". I think May is probably the best time to have it, there is nothing worse than having an outbreak during the racing season and missing 2 weeks of racing!
I've read the below over the weekend on the 13th May regarding what could be the issue - Rota Virus has been in Germany and Australia for 2 years. Below is the translation - very interesting indeed.
Rotavirus detected in pigeons in Baden-Württemberg Germany
Rotavirus detected in pigeons in Baden-Württemberg Germany
Valerij Akimkin (CVUAS), Andreas Hänel (CVUAS), Alexandra Kley-Sonntag (STUA AU-DZ), Anja Spadinger (STUAAU-DZ), Ernst Großmann (STUAAU-DZ)
Translated from German to English
Source: http://www.cvuas.de/pub/beitrag.asp?sub ... No&lang=DE
Rotaviruses are associated with treacherous diarrhea, which can be particularly severe in infants and toddlers. If the little patients are not treated in time, a rotavirus infection can also be fatal. But not only in humans, these diarrhea pathogens occur. Rotaviruses have been detected in many species of mammals and birds. The main symptom of this infection is always the same: diarrhea. At the CVUA Stuttgart and at the STUA Aulendorf – Diagnostic Center, rotavirus tests are routinely performed on calves, piglets, and chicks with gastrointestinal disturbances. In hundreds of samples, we have already found the virus. Recently, the virological laboratory of the CVUA Stuttgart could detect rotaviruses in pigeons. Until recently, rotavirus infection was largely unknown in these birds. Only since 2016, more rotavirus diarrhea in letter and breed pigeons on the Australian continent. In this paper, we report on three rotavirus infection outbreaks in wild and kept pigeons in Baden-Württemberg.
At the beginning of November 2017, there was an outbreak of infection in breeding pigeons in the district of Esslingen. In a stock with about 50 pigeons of the breeds at the Rheinische Ringschläger and Thurgauer Elmer occurred within a few days several deaths. The pigeons were housed in 3 aviaries with sand bottom, which were covered to one third. As the first animal, a young female was puffed up and died within 24 hours. A young robber who had previously been kept in a domestic attack also died after spending a few days in the robbery after the onset of weakness. A third youngster died a few days later without any recognizable signs of illness. The dead animals came from two different aviaries. The third aviary was not affected.
The feed used was a commercial pigeon feed with added wheat. The last new entry was made in early 2017. Participation in exhibitions had not taken place.
Two of the dead birds, a young female, and a youngster, were sent to the State Veterinary Investigation Office Aulendorf – Diagnostikzentrum (STUA Aulendorf-DZ) to determine the cause of death. Both pigeons were in a moderate nutritional status and had a high degree of spleen swelling and catarrhal bowel inflammation. Craw and stomach were food-free.
The liver had profuse, diffuse, acute degeneration and necrosis, as well as a high-grade, multifocal, periportal-accentuated monocytic inflammation (Figure 1). Furthermore, a marked degree of hemosiderosis of the liver was noticeable. Both animals had low-grade, multifocal, interstitial monocytic nephritis.
1: Histological picture of the liver. Shown is a hematoxylin-eosin staining at 20x magnification. High-grade, diffuse, acute degeneration and necrosis can be seen, as well as a high-grade, multifocal, periportal accentuated monocytic inflammation. Also striking is the high-grade hemosiderosis.
Bacteriological examination of the liver revealed only nonspecific germ growth. From the intestine, a physiological intestinal flora could be detected. By means of enrichment procedures, no Salmonella was isolable. Endoparasites were undetectable in both young pigeons. However, both animals had a high infestation with featherlings. An infection with Paramyxovirus 1 could be excluded by molecular biological examination.
Electron microscopic examination of liver and spleen samples at the CVUA Stuttgart clearly identified rotaviruses in large numbers (Figure 2). In this case, it is assumed that rotaviruses were the cause of disease and death of the pigeons.
Figure 2: Rotavirus particles in the liver sample of a diseased pigeon. Electron micrograph, magnification 250,000 times.
At about the same time, another outbreak of infection occurred. In Backnang in the Rems-Murr-Kreis in a narrow circle, 5 street pigeons were found dead. One of the pigeons was forwarded to the CVUA Stuttgart by the competent veterinary office to determine the cause of death. In particular, it was to be clarified whether the pigeons had been shot down or poisoned.
The carcass submitted for examination was – as can be seen from the lentil-sized Bursa cloacalis – a young pigeon in poor nutritional status. Craw and stomach were food-free, in the gizzard only Gritsteinchen available. The main findings were high-grade catarrhal bowel inflammation and hepatic congestion. Evidence of the effects of trauma was not found. Also, poisoning seemed unlikely due to the lack of bait material in the crop and stomach of the animal.
The bacteriological organ findings were inconspicuous. A parasitological examination was able to exclude infestation with both intestinal parasites and trichomonads. A real-time PCR, which was used to examine a pigeon brain sample for Paramyxovirus 1 infection, also revealed a negative result.
Figure 3: Street pigeons in the city can also develop rotavirus infection. Figure
Inspired by a report in a pigeon fancier journal that a novel highly pathogenic rotavirus has been spreading in letter and breeding pigeon flocks in Australia for about one year, an initially frozen liver sample of the pigeon was examined by electron microscopy.
In the electron microscopic examination of liver samples at the CVUA Stuttgart, large numbers of rotaviruses were clearly identified, as in the first described case in racial pigeons (Figure 4). Also, in this case, it is assumed that rotaviruses were the cause of death of the pigeons.
Because of this diagnosis, a dying already a month ago in Althütte, also Rems-Murr-Kreis, again under the magnifying glass. On a company site, several dead street pigeons were found within a few days. An initially suspected poisoning could be ruled out. Also, in this case, numerous rotavirus particles were found in the subsequent electron microscopic examination of an asserted liver sample and thus the diagnosis of a rotavirus infection was made.
Figure 4: Numerous rotaviruses in the liver sample of a pigeon. Electron micrograph, magnification 120,000 times.
The described cases show that rotavirus infections in Baden-Württemberg can lead to an acute illness with death in both wild and caged pigeons. Due to the small number of proven cases, a statement about the spread of the infection in Baden-Württemberg is not yet possible.
The virological institute of the University Hospital Freiburg was able to prove the genome of group A rotaviruses in further investigations of organ samples from both outbreaks of infection.
A molecular biology typing of the virus was initiated. This is to clarify how close the Rotaviruses from Australia and Baden-Württemberg are related to each other.
Information
rotavirus
Rotaviruses are members of the Reoviridae virus family. The pathogen is considered to be the leading cause of diarrhea in humans as well as mammals and birds. The disease occurs mainly in infants or young animals.
In the electron microscope, rotaviruses can be represented as round, about 70 nm to 80 nm large uncoated particles. The virus genome consists of 11 segments of double-stranded RNA. Rotaviruses are divided into 8 groups (A to H) and several subgroups (see P [] and G [] genotypes).
The transmission of the infection is fecal-oral. It is a typical smear infection. In acute cases, large amounts of virus are excreted in the feces (10 9 -10 11 virus particles in 1 g feces). The viruses show high resistance to environmental influences and can remain infectious in feces for several weeks.
The incubation period is usually very short. Already 24 hours after the infection first symptoms appear like watery diarrhea, lack of appetite and restlessness.
The virus is detected directly in the feces or intestinal contents by electron microscopy or by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For some species, ELISA tests are also available to detect the virus antigen.
Therapeutic measures are not very effective. Prophylactic vaccination is possible in some species.
Rotavirus was first detected in pigeons in 1988, but until recently they were not associated with a serious disease of these birds. Accordingly, there is little information in the literature about the distribution of these viruses in pigeons. Since May 2016, more and more outbreaks of pigeon populations have been recorded in Australia. The animals show the typical symptoms of rotavirus infection, such as diarrhea, apathy, and loss of appetite. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) currently estimates morbidity (incidence rate) at 50% and mortality (mortality rate) at 20%. The rotavirus strain isolated from the pigeons is considered harmless to humans.
1st and 2nd
12th May
The birds today from Epsom were liberated at 7am in a south west wind.
South west isn't a great wind for us, but I expected a big improvement from the hens with a race under their belt after only a light preparation.
They didn't disappoint and locally against 200p we won 1st and 2nd with a 5 minute lead. Our velocity was 1460, which was actually quicker than the other Welsh organisation winner on 1447 racing a little bit further from Maidstone (3,500p).
Our combine liberated around 5,000p, the best I hear from the total release is around 1480 at lofts northerly of our location. I expected this but am very happy to be so close. Next week we race the first National flight from Hythe, so we hope for some more luck and a nicer wind!
The birds today from Epsom were liberated at 7am in a south west wind.
South west isn't a great wind for us, but I expected a big improvement from the hens with a race under their belt after only a light preparation.
They didn't disappoint and locally against 200p we won 1st and 2nd with a 5 minute lead. Our velocity was 1460, which was actually quicker than the other Welsh organisation winner on 1447 racing a little bit further from Maidstone (3,500p).
Our combine liberated around 5,000p, the best I hear from the total release is around 1480 at lofts northerly of our location. I expected this but am very happy to be so close. Next week we race the first National flight from Hythe, so we hope for some more luck and a nicer wind!
Epsom
10th May
I've just seen a copy of the federation result from Newbury and we started with the 40th position against 1,662p. We had 16/18 in a very short time period, if we had a prize system as per in Belgium and Holland I do believe the prize percentage would have been 88% based on the other club results I have seen. In the strong pencoed club our first arrival would have placed 3rd and would have even won the race if she had trapped straight away.
Our first arrival was a full sister to "Denman" and "Kauto Star", so a daughter of Snow Queen (Peter Theunis) and the son of "De Orleans" (Jan VD Putten). This couple has been at the centre of a lot of our best performances since 2014 and I'm sure they will be for years to come.
I'm satisfied with the result considering the preparation was only a very short training flight from a few miles and one hour training once per day. The idea was for this to be the worst result, with improvements week on week.
This week we fly from Epsom, which hopefully every east to west federation in Wales will hold a joint liberation. We should have at least 14 entries tomorrow, one hen has laid and another injured her leg during the race last week. She still trains well, so if she passes an examination she will be entered.
The wind for Saturday seems fairly minimal in the morning turning southerly as the day goes on, so we hope for a morning liberation otherwise the winners will surely again be at the most northerly clubs.
I've just seen a copy of the federation result from Newbury and we started with the 40th position against 1,662p. We had 16/18 in a very short time period, if we had a prize system as per in Belgium and Holland I do believe the prize percentage would have been 88% based on the other club results I have seen. In the strong pencoed club our first arrival would have placed 3rd and would have even won the race if she had trapped straight away.
Our first arrival was a full sister to "Denman" and "Kauto Star", so a daughter of Snow Queen (Peter Theunis) and the son of "De Orleans" (Jan VD Putten). This couple has been at the centre of a lot of our best performances since 2014 and I'm sure they will be for years to come.
I'm satisfied with the result considering the preparation was only a very short training flight from a few miles and one hour training once per day. The idea was for this to be the worst result, with improvements week on week.
This week we fly from Epsom, which hopefully every east to west federation in Wales will hold a joint liberation. We should have at least 14 entries tomorrow, one hen has laid and another injured her leg during the race last week. She still trains well, so if she passes an examination she will be entered.
The wind for Saturday seems fairly minimal in the morning turning southerly as the day goes on, so we hope for a morning liberation otherwise the winners will surely again be at the most northerly clubs.
Newbury
8th May
Over the weekend we entered our first race to Newbury at 90 miles (140km). They had only been given a small prep at 12km so expectations were low, the idea was to bring them on after this flight. We finished 8th against over 200p in the club (1 min lost) and within 15 mins we had 16/18 home.
At this point I was very happy but we never saw the other 2 pigeons. The two hens we lost were fantastic pigeons as young birds, so it left us feeling very disappointed. We weren’t alone, everyone lost at least 2-3 pigeons and about 40 mins after the first arrival no one saw another pigeon the sky became dead. What makes it all the more strange is people seemed to lose their good pigeons, not the ones that are usually in the middle group.
The liberation took place at 6:45 and based on the fact the pigeons seemed to arrive in one wave, I think they probably clashed as fanciers locally have had English pigeons into their lofts. For me the 6:45 lib was too early as there was lots of low lying mist. There was another Welsh federation who waited until 8:40 to liberate and they had a fantastic race. That is now 2/2 poor races, so I hope the race controller learns the lesson for next week regarding an extremely early liberation.
The race controller has a thankless job so I don’t like to criticise anyone, but it was obvious an erratic race would be on the cards if liberated early so I hope for an improvement next week. What hasn’t helped is there have been so many cancellations nobody seems to know where all the federations around the U.K. are racing from. It becomes a nightmare for the person in charge but we try again on Saturday.
I mentioned in a previous post regarding the massive issue with Adeno in the UK. A member of our club has just lost 10 youngsters, all dead within 24 hours of vomiting. Below is a post today from a well known pigeon forum. Last year it was bad, but it seems in some areas it’s even worse this year.
Over the weekend we entered our first race to Newbury at 90 miles (140km). They had only been given a small prep at 12km so expectations were low, the idea was to bring them on after this flight. We finished 8th against over 200p in the club (1 min lost) and within 15 mins we had 16/18 home.
At this point I was very happy but we never saw the other 2 pigeons. The two hens we lost were fantastic pigeons as young birds, so it left us feeling very disappointed. We weren’t alone, everyone lost at least 2-3 pigeons and about 40 mins after the first arrival no one saw another pigeon the sky became dead. What makes it all the more strange is people seemed to lose their good pigeons, not the ones that are usually in the middle group.
The liberation took place at 6:45 and based on the fact the pigeons seemed to arrive in one wave, I think they probably clashed as fanciers locally have had English pigeons into their lofts. For me the 6:45 lib was too early as there was lots of low lying mist. There was another Welsh federation who waited until 8:40 to liberate and they had a fantastic race. That is now 2/2 poor races, so I hope the race controller learns the lesson for next week regarding an extremely early liberation.
The race controller has a thankless job so I don’t like to criticise anyone, but it was obvious an erratic race would be on the cards if liberated early so I hope for an improvement next week. What hasn’t helped is there have been so many cancellations nobody seems to know where all the federations around the U.K. are racing from. It becomes a nightmare for the person in charge but we try again on Saturday.
I mentioned in a previous post regarding the massive issue with Adeno in the UK. A member of our club has just lost 10 youngsters, all dead within 24 hours of vomiting. Below is a post today from a well known pigeon forum. Last year it was bad, but it seems in some areas it’s even worse this year.
New Article
1st May
I’ve added a new article to the articles page called “products”. It’s a small article but I will try to write more articles on this page, and also add some more of our pigeons and their pedigrees. I will add a few pictures over the next few days. The photographer can’t travel to Wales until the end of he season when we wil put more professional pictures up.
I’ve added a new article to the articles page called “products”. It’s a small article but I will try to write more articles on this page, and also add some more of our pigeons and their pedigrees. I will add a few pictures over the next few days. The photographer can’t travel to Wales until the end of he season when we wil put more professional pictures up.
Paratyphoid
29th April
Vaccination in the pigeon sport is done against many diseases, the one mandatory being paramyxovirus.
Today I vaccinated my youngsters against paratyphoid. Now my early youngsters have already been vaccinated against four diseases.
Vets seem to still have different opinions on what to do against paratyphoid. I have to admit the vaccination does seem to effect the pigeons for 48 hours. You see them a bit lifeless for a day or two but after that they are perfectly fine.
Thankfully we have never had a serious issue with paratyphoid. I have seen the devastating effect at other lofts, so now I take no chances. I will say one thing I have noticed in recent years is that the more diseases I have vaccinated against, the better the base health of the pigeons. There has been no sign of the dreaded Adeno so far, and I expect it to stay that way as it has done the past 2 years. I do have some medication here though, just incase it does show we are prepared for it.
The hens are now up to one hour per training session. We have 19 to start training with. Sadly TWO federation winners from 2017 are injured and are likely to now only be raced on the short distance flights later in the year. When you only race a small team to get two of your winners injured before racing is a bit disappointing, but we make no excuses and hopefully some other hens will come to prominence this year.
Vaccination in the pigeon sport is done against many diseases, the one mandatory being paramyxovirus.
Today I vaccinated my youngsters against paratyphoid. Now my early youngsters have already been vaccinated against four diseases.
Vets seem to still have different opinions on what to do against paratyphoid. I have to admit the vaccination does seem to effect the pigeons for 48 hours. You see them a bit lifeless for a day or two but after that they are perfectly fine.
Thankfully we have never had a serious issue with paratyphoid. I have seen the devastating effect at other lofts, so now I take no chances. I will say one thing I have noticed in recent years is that the more diseases I have vaccinated against, the better the base health of the pigeons. There has been no sign of the dreaded Adeno so far, and I expect it to stay that way as it has done the past 2 years. I do have some medication here though, just incase it does show we are prepared for it.
The hens are now up to one hour per training session. We have 19 to start training with. Sadly TWO federation winners from 2017 are injured and are likely to now only be raced on the short distance flights later in the year. When you only race a small team to get two of your winners injured before racing is a bit disappointing, but we make no excuses and hopefully some other hens will come to prominence this year.
Cancelled Races
27th April
All this weekend’s races into Wales have been cancelled due to more adverse weather. I have to say this has to be the worst year I can remember for consistent bad weather in March and April.
There are a lot of questions now regarding the race programme? Personally, I would just push it on a week and drop the short distance race between Hythe (320km) and Lillers (424km). To be honest I was amazed to see a gap between these two races for a 100km race anyway. Of course racing these two flights 7 days apart is nothing for the pigeons, we have done this for several years. We know the reason is cost and the 100km races are money spinners for the federations, but surely common sense should prevail and dropping this needless flight and pushing the next 3 races on a week is the best idea? I know other fanciers I have spoken to agree on this, so I hope the federations make the right decision.
The other idea is to race the cancelled flight on Tuesday or Wednesday. I don’t see an issue with this if the race is self-supporting and becomes a “training flight”. In Wales we have to pay every week whether we enter pigeons or not. Last week we didn’t enter pigeons but we still had to pay a “non-senders fee”. If we had a mid-week race next week there would be no chance of us being able to enter due to work commitments. I really think it would be unfair to hit all working fanciers with a fee to race mid-week, and be punished for working. Its already hard enough for working pigeons flyers, but if the retired fanciers want a midweek training race then of course this is a good idea. Working pigeon flyers are sadly in a minority so generally they get the raw end of the deal.
I wrote an article about buying pigeons, and how April can be a good time to buy some youngsters from fanciers who have satisfied their own numbers. Yesterday some pigeons arrived from Marcel/Koen Cop – Stijn Gijsbrechts. They will form part of our young bird team and race with / against our own pigeons. This loft has put up some excellent results in the past and also are famous for breeding the mother of the “De Leeuw” of Marcel Wouters. I am very satisfied with the pigeons, all very strong, closed ventbones, soft feathers. Included were two youngsters from the 2nd Ace Union Antwerpen. It will be really interesting to see how they cope with the landscape here in Wales, but I am sure there will be no problems with very good results.
All this weekend’s races into Wales have been cancelled due to more adverse weather. I have to say this has to be the worst year I can remember for consistent bad weather in March and April.
There are a lot of questions now regarding the race programme? Personally, I would just push it on a week and drop the short distance race between Hythe (320km) and Lillers (424km). To be honest I was amazed to see a gap between these two races for a 100km race anyway. Of course racing these two flights 7 days apart is nothing for the pigeons, we have done this for several years. We know the reason is cost and the 100km races are money spinners for the federations, but surely common sense should prevail and dropping this needless flight and pushing the next 3 races on a week is the best idea? I know other fanciers I have spoken to agree on this, so I hope the federations make the right decision.
The other idea is to race the cancelled flight on Tuesday or Wednesday. I don’t see an issue with this if the race is self-supporting and becomes a “training flight”. In Wales we have to pay every week whether we enter pigeons or not. Last week we didn’t enter pigeons but we still had to pay a “non-senders fee”. If we had a mid-week race next week there would be no chance of us being able to enter due to work commitments. I really think it would be unfair to hit all working fanciers with a fee to race mid-week, and be punished for working. Its already hard enough for working pigeons flyers, but if the retired fanciers want a midweek training race then of course this is a good idea. Working pigeon flyers are sadly in a minority so generally they get the raw end of the deal.
I wrote an article about buying pigeons, and how April can be a good time to buy some youngsters from fanciers who have satisfied their own numbers. Yesterday some pigeons arrived from Marcel/Koen Cop – Stijn Gijsbrechts. They will form part of our young bird team and race with / against our own pigeons. This loft has put up some excellent results in the past and also are famous for breeding the mother of the “De Leeuw” of Marcel Wouters. I am very satisfied with the pigeons, all very strong, closed ventbones, soft feathers. Included were two youngsters from the 2nd Ace Union Antwerpen. It will be really interesting to see how they cope with the landscape here in Wales, but I am sure there will be no problems with very good results.
Swindon
24th April
The first flight of the year took place on Saturday from Swindon (69 miles / 110km). The weather was warm with tail winds. The returns were indifferent. Some people got them all home, most seemed to lose between 2-5 pigeons. I even heard of one fancier who entered 11 pigeons and by the time the club read the clocks he still had no pigeons home.
Personally I find strong east winds dangerous. If its light winds then usually there isn’t a problem, with velocity’s between 1400-1800mpm. The best pigeons should handle this and still manage to win. When you start to reach between 1800-2100+mpm then the results and returns start to get a little strange. I think, if it’s very strong then form and quality goes out the window. I say this with no disrespect to fanciers who perform better in strong tail winds. Generally now if the wind and velocities are predicted to be above 2000mpm then I keep the best pigeons at home. I remember a very good old fancier who used to keep all his pigeons at home under these conditions. He told me there was no benefit sending, you just risk losing your best pigeons.
The best example I can think of is Hullavington in 2013. It was the second flight with old birds (54 miles / 86km). The east wind was so strong some federations were smart enough not to liberate. The race was a disaster, over 60% of the old birds never returned. Some people had them reported in Ireland, I know two fanciers even had pigeons reported in Belgium from this flight.
Our hens now fly 30 mins in the morning before work, and 30 mins after work. It will be upped to around 40-50 mins before racing starts. I don’t believe exercise is as important to the results with hens. I’ve had hens that barely train in the week but still manage to win on a weekend. We should start training next weekend, and then race the week after. They will be aimed at the middle / one day long distance flights, so Newbury and Epsom the week after will be used as a tune up for the first Welsh Combine race on the 19th May from Hythe (200 miles / 320km). It will be a jump to get them to 320km for their third flight, but as they flew an intense young bird programme I don’t think an extended break has done them any harm with races from Lillers, Duffel and Kinzweiler to follow. Of course we want to win every race, but with lack of time the sprint races with old birds will be given little importance and we will try to win the Channel races and then the aim is to win every young bird flight on the whole programme. Below is a local result with the young birds last year. This flight we had 40 pigeons arrive at once. We lost 2 mins, but the pigeons still almost managed to win the federation that day. It is something we will try to replicate again this year.
The first flight of the year took place on Saturday from Swindon (69 miles / 110km). The weather was warm with tail winds. The returns were indifferent. Some people got them all home, most seemed to lose between 2-5 pigeons. I even heard of one fancier who entered 11 pigeons and by the time the club read the clocks he still had no pigeons home.
Personally I find strong east winds dangerous. If its light winds then usually there isn’t a problem, with velocity’s between 1400-1800mpm. The best pigeons should handle this and still manage to win. When you start to reach between 1800-2100+mpm then the results and returns start to get a little strange. I think, if it’s very strong then form and quality goes out the window. I say this with no disrespect to fanciers who perform better in strong tail winds. Generally now if the wind and velocities are predicted to be above 2000mpm then I keep the best pigeons at home. I remember a very good old fancier who used to keep all his pigeons at home under these conditions. He told me there was no benefit sending, you just risk losing your best pigeons.
The best example I can think of is Hullavington in 2013. It was the second flight with old birds (54 miles / 86km). The east wind was so strong some federations were smart enough not to liberate. The race was a disaster, over 60% of the old birds never returned. Some people had them reported in Ireland, I know two fanciers even had pigeons reported in Belgium from this flight.
Our hens now fly 30 mins in the morning before work, and 30 mins after work. It will be upped to around 40-50 mins before racing starts. I don’t believe exercise is as important to the results with hens. I’ve had hens that barely train in the week but still manage to win on a weekend. We should start training next weekend, and then race the week after. They will be aimed at the middle / one day long distance flights, so Newbury and Epsom the week after will be used as a tune up for the first Welsh Combine race on the 19th May from Hythe (200 miles / 320km). It will be a jump to get them to 320km for their third flight, but as they flew an intense young bird programme I don’t think an extended break has done them any harm with races from Lillers, Duffel and Kinzweiler to follow. Of course we want to win every race, but with lack of time the sprint races with old birds will be given little importance and we will try to win the Channel races and then the aim is to win every young bird flight on the whole programme. Below is a local result with the young birds last year. This flight we had 40 pigeons arrive at once. We lost 2 mins, but the pigeons still almost managed to win the federation that day. It is something we will try to replicate again this year.
Charity Sale
20th April
Today a charity sale starts on the site of elimarpigeons.com. The set up of the site is very similar to the European site doevepeel.nl.
The auction is to raise money for a local family, so of course we wanted to help and have donated a youngster. The youngster we have given is one from the final round of our number one breeding hen “Snow Queen”. We don’t let many leave the loft from this hen. Everything that has left has given excellent results and actually have ended up returning to our own breeding loft.
This year she is coupled with the son of “Dark Superbreeder” from Ad Schaerlaeckens. The starting bid is only £40. I imagine the pigeons will be sold very cheap so I’m sure the buyers of these pigeons will end up with a bargain.
Our hens are now starting to improve, hopefully if we get suitable conditions we can commence training in one weeks time. The plan is still to enter the third flight if everything goes well.
This year we also get a welcome surprise from our National winner “Rachel Alexandra”. She won the 1st National Maidstone with a 5 min lead in 2010. She comes from the pigeons of Ad Schaerlaeckens. But she flew so hard on this flight, we have only managed very few youngsters from her. The day she won the tress in front of the loft were bending the head wind was so strong. So to have a lead of 5 mins against a total release of over 9,000p it took its toll. She had a fantastic winter and to my surprise 6 youngsters sit in the racing loft for 2018. Normally I don’t breed from old hens, but as she has had so few nests she is one we make an exception. Below are the latest round which should be weaned next week. She sits with the father of our 1st National Brussels, which is also a son of Maverick (1st National Liege), so these youngsters are stacked with National winning blood in every generation!
Today a charity sale starts on the site of elimarpigeons.com. The set up of the site is very similar to the European site doevepeel.nl.
The auction is to raise money for a local family, so of course we wanted to help and have donated a youngster. The youngster we have given is one from the final round of our number one breeding hen “Snow Queen”. We don’t let many leave the loft from this hen. Everything that has left has given excellent results and actually have ended up returning to our own breeding loft.
This year she is coupled with the son of “Dark Superbreeder” from Ad Schaerlaeckens. The starting bid is only £40. I imagine the pigeons will be sold very cheap so I’m sure the buyers of these pigeons will end up with a bargain.
Our hens are now starting to improve, hopefully if we get suitable conditions we can commence training in one weeks time. The plan is still to enter the third flight if everything goes well.
This year we also get a welcome surprise from our National winner “Rachel Alexandra”. She won the 1st National Maidstone with a 5 min lead in 2010. She comes from the pigeons of Ad Schaerlaeckens. But she flew so hard on this flight, we have only managed very few youngsters from her. The day she won the tress in front of the loft were bending the head wind was so strong. So to have a lead of 5 mins against a total release of over 9,000p it took its toll. She had a fantastic winter and to my surprise 6 youngsters sit in the racing loft for 2018. Normally I don’t breed from old hens, but as she has had so few nests she is one we make an exception. Below are the latest round which should be weaned next week. She sits with the father of our 1st National Brussels, which is also a son of Maverick (1st National Liege), so these youngsters are stacked with National winning blood in every generation!
Warm Weather
16th April
The nice weather is on its way (finally!) I hope by the end of the week to have the hens in fairly good shape. Only when they fly for one hour we will take them away in the basket once and then straight into the races.
I’ve been so busy in work over the past two weeks and with only the youngsters going out, I have been flirting with the idea of only racing young birds this year. Next year I will only race young birds, but I have been considering bringing it forward a year. I am still going to prepare the hens, but finding a balance to do everything is extremely tough. If it gets too much then sadly the old birds will stop, and the best racers will move to the breeding loft. That is of course the sliver lining!
Over the weekend again some fantastic results were put up by friends. Peter Theunis in particular had a very good result winning 43/58 prizes and placing 9 pigeons in the top 29 places against almost 6,000p! A top result and the first of many no doubt! The next pigeon I am going to write about comes from this loft, the famous “Super Rossi”.
The nice weather is on its way (finally!) I hope by the end of the week to have the hens in fairly good shape. Only when they fly for one hour we will take them away in the basket once and then straight into the races.
I’ve been so busy in work over the past two weeks and with only the youngsters going out, I have been flirting with the idea of only racing young birds this year. Next year I will only race young birds, but I have been considering bringing it forward a year. I am still going to prepare the hens, but finding a balance to do everything is extremely tough. If it gets too much then sadly the old birds will stop, and the best racers will move to the breeding loft. That is of course the sliver lining!
Over the weekend again some fantastic results were put up by friends. Peter Theunis in particular had a very good result winning 43/58 prizes and placing 9 pigeons in the top 29 places against almost 6,000p! A top result and the first of many no doubt! The next pigeon I am going to write about comes from this loft, the famous “Super Rossi”.
Vermin
14th April
I mentioned in a previous post a simple idea called “marginal gains”. The theory that if you improve several elements by just 1%, overall they add up to a significant increase in performance. I think something that a lot of fanciers overlook is vermin control. Just because you don’t see it, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
It was something in the past that my dad always took care of, but as he has been ill it is something I have had to monitor myself. I always believe you learn more from a mistake or a defeat rather than a successful period. And with vermin control I learnt the hard way.
It’s amazing the amount of lofts I have entered that I have smelt the presence of mice. At our own lofts we have both poison and traps down all year around. Our loft is very close to empty land, and even in the last 6 weeks we have managed to get rid of 16 mice.
Mice generally come out during the night and urinate everywhere they walk, so control of these pests is very important. If you haven’t already, I suggest getting a few good snap traps and some poison and monitor it every few days, you may be surprised at the result.
Another annoyance is moths inside the loft. I remember about 10 years ago it was a problem for us. Now I spray the lofts on a regular basis, give the lofts a smoke treatment and I also place fresh lavender in all the lofts. I picked this up from Henri Van Doorn, it keeps the moths away and makes the loft smell nice. Moths may seem a tiny issue, but if you have an infestation they irritate the pigeons and stop them from resting. An unsettled, unrested pigeon will never win the top prizes.
Although time is very limited at the moment due to work the early and later youngsters are in a good routine. We try now to give time to get the hens into some shape. I deliberately made the new loft closed, as most of our other lofts are open with lots of oxygen. I wanted to try something a bit different. With the warm weather the loft has become heavy, so a simple solution below and a new “false” door has been added. Plenty of oxygen on hot days is never a bad thing. One damp, rainy days the loft can become totally closed.
I mentioned in a previous post a simple idea called “marginal gains”. The theory that if you improve several elements by just 1%, overall they add up to a significant increase in performance. I think something that a lot of fanciers overlook is vermin control. Just because you don’t see it, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
It was something in the past that my dad always took care of, but as he has been ill it is something I have had to monitor myself. I always believe you learn more from a mistake or a defeat rather than a successful period. And with vermin control I learnt the hard way.
It’s amazing the amount of lofts I have entered that I have smelt the presence of mice. At our own lofts we have both poison and traps down all year around. Our loft is very close to empty land, and even in the last 6 weeks we have managed to get rid of 16 mice.
Mice generally come out during the night and urinate everywhere they walk, so control of these pests is very important. If you haven’t already, I suggest getting a few good snap traps and some poison and monitor it every few days, you may be surprised at the result.
Another annoyance is moths inside the loft. I remember about 10 years ago it was a problem for us. Now I spray the lofts on a regular basis, give the lofts a smoke treatment and I also place fresh lavender in all the lofts. I picked this up from Henri Van Doorn, it keeps the moths away and makes the loft smell nice. Moths may seem a tiny issue, but if you have an infestation they irritate the pigeons and stop them from resting. An unsettled, unrested pigeon will never win the top prizes.
Although time is very limited at the moment due to work the early and later youngsters are in a good routine. We try now to give time to get the hens into some shape. I deliberately made the new loft closed, as most of our other lofts are open with lots of oxygen. I wanted to try something a bit different. With the warm weather the loft has become heavy, so a simple solution below and a new “false” door has been added. Plenty of oxygen on hot days is never a bad thing. One damp, rainy days the loft can become totally closed.
Season Begins
9th April
The races in Belgium started a few weeks ago, and over the weekend the first races took place in Holland. Every week I try to follow friends results, although of course it's so early I wouldn't expect to see some of them towards the top of the result so early.
Over the winter we visited and bought some pigeons from Rik Wouters in Brabant 2000. Rik only races a small team (hens and young birds) and it was no surprise to see him put up another very good result on the first flight. He finished 2nd against over 2,000p and overall won 17 prizes from 24 entries. A very nice start to the season!
Here everything goes to plan. The old birds had some freedom yesterday although we still saw the pair of hawks on three occasions. They didn't seem in full hunting mode as they just glided and scanned the area, but I have no doubt someone local will be hit and their race team reduced today. Below is a picture of a hen I have named "Laurina" after the mare that won recently at Cheltenham. She flew for the first time since December yesterday. She won many top prizes as a youngster last year including 1st Federation Swindon. Her father is a son of our "Maverick", her mother comes from Peter Theunis, a child of his famous "Spaceboy". I hope she can race well again and improve even more in 2018.
One thing that has been a very interesting discovery at the loft of Ian and Alan Evans is the use of a Bluetooth device to automatically lower and raise the blinds for the youngsters on darkness. I think this is a fantastic device for fanciers who work and have little help with the pigeons. It means you can be in work while the blinds are lifted but also have enough time in the evenings to exercise the youngsters. If you work 8 hours a day it can be difficult, but this device ensures this worry is a thing or the past. It's trialed at Ian's loft this year but if it works well for the full programme it's something that will definitely be installed at our own loft in 2019.
The races in Belgium started a few weeks ago, and over the weekend the first races took place in Holland. Every week I try to follow friends results, although of course it's so early I wouldn't expect to see some of them towards the top of the result so early.
Over the winter we visited and bought some pigeons from Rik Wouters in Brabant 2000. Rik only races a small team (hens and young birds) and it was no surprise to see him put up another very good result on the first flight. He finished 2nd against over 2,000p and overall won 17 prizes from 24 entries. A very nice start to the season!
Here everything goes to plan. The old birds had some freedom yesterday although we still saw the pair of hawks on three occasions. They didn't seem in full hunting mode as they just glided and scanned the area, but I have no doubt someone local will be hit and their race team reduced today. Below is a picture of a hen I have named "Laurina" after the mare that won recently at Cheltenham. She flew for the first time since December yesterday. She won many top prizes as a youngster last year including 1st Federation Swindon. Her father is a son of our "Maverick", her mother comes from Peter Theunis, a child of his famous "Spaceboy". I hope she can race well again and improve even more in 2018.
One thing that has been a very interesting discovery at the loft of Ian and Alan Evans is the use of a Bluetooth device to automatically lower and raise the blinds for the youngsters on darkness. I think this is a fantastic device for fanciers who work and have little help with the pigeons. It means you can be in work while the blinds are lifted but also have enough time in the evenings to exercise the youngsters. If you work 8 hours a day it can be difficult, but this device ensures this worry is a thing or the past. It's trialed at Ian's loft this year but if it works well for the full programme it's something that will definitely be installed at our own loft in 2019.
Date Change
5th April
I received an email to say the race programme has been put back one week from 14th April to 21st April. The weather is still very unsettled here in Wales, and although I feel sorry for the members who have been training (very few) I think it's the correct decision.
We will part the pigeons over the weekend, and this gives us two weeks to get the hens ready. The are handling great although not race fit. I won't catch the first race but I think the 28th April is possible if we get a good speed of weather. Even if we don't catch 28th April the 5th May isn't too far for the pigeons.
I received an email to say the race programme has been put back one week from 14th April to 21st April. The weather is still very unsettled here in Wales, and although I feel sorry for the members who have been training (very few) I think it's the correct decision.
We will part the pigeons over the weekend, and this gives us two weeks to get the hens ready. The are handling great although not race fit. I won't catch the first race but I think the 28th April is possible if we get a good speed of weather. Even if we don't catch 28th April the 5th May isn't too far for the pigeons.
Young Stock
3rd April
I mentioned in a previous post watching documentaries from other sports, and applying these to the pigeon sport.
Below is a link to a one hour documentary about Sir Alex Ferguson. I may be biased as a Man Utd fan, but he is probably one of the best managers ever, certainly during my lifetime.
What does Sir Alex put down to his success? I won't ruin the film if you haven't watched it, but a big aspect is putting faith in youth, and being extremely ruthless.
I think this is a huge quality to being a successful fancier. You need to be ruthless and select strongly. But I also think young pigeons are also a huge factor to success.
I don't mean racing, I mean in the breeding loft. Young hens, especially yearling hens are gold in the breeding loft. For the past 3 years I haven't allowed my racers to breed, but I always ensure the eggs from the best yearling hens are kept. It's no surprise that every year we get some super birds from these eggs.
We have been fortunate to to win 5 x 1st Nationals, and FOUR of these have been bred from yearling hens.
Of course you can breed good pigeons from older hens, but generally in recent years once a real super breeding hen gets older than 7 years old we rest them, and they are purely used in the summer for some special breeding pairs for latebreds. This has worked very well for us and we have got some real good breeders via latebreds from our old hens. But the hens we keep over 7 have to be the real exceptional ones (only 2!), the good ones older than 7 have either been removed or given away.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SbtZjIEs5r0
I mentioned in a previous post watching documentaries from other sports, and applying these to the pigeon sport.
Below is a link to a one hour documentary about Sir Alex Ferguson. I may be biased as a Man Utd fan, but he is probably one of the best managers ever, certainly during my lifetime.
What does Sir Alex put down to his success? I won't ruin the film if you haven't watched it, but a big aspect is putting faith in youth, and being extremely ruthless.
I think this is a huge quality to being a successful fancier. You need to be ruthless and select strongly. But I also think young pigeons are also a huge factor to success.
I don't mean racing, I mean in the breeding loft. Young hens, especially yearling hens are gold in the breeding loft. For the past 3 years I haven't allowed my racers to breed, but I always ensure the eggs from the best yearling hens are kept. It's no surprise that every year we get some super birds from these eggs.
We have been fortunate to to win 5 x 1st Nationals, and FOUR of these have been bred from yearling hens.
Of course you can breed good pigeons from older hens, but generally in recent years once a real super breeding hen gets older than 7 years old we rest them, and they are purely used in the summer for some special breeding pairs for latebreds. This has worked very well for us and we have got some real good breeders via latebreds from our old hens. But the hens we keep over 7 have to be the real exceptional ones (only 2!), the good ones older than 7 have either been removed or given away.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SbtZjIEs5r0
John Rockx
1st April
I came across a recent article published in De Duif, written by Ad Schaerlaeckens. It's been translated into English below.
In the past 3 years John Rockx has been one of the best in Holland. We actually visited him as far back as March 2009. We purchased a few young birds but we had no luck. That happens, he is still an excellent fancier with some great pigeons.
In conversation with John Rockx
For this category only enthusiasts are eligible who play exceptionally well and that is why they are often well-known names.
But do you have to have 'name' in our sport to play well?
Of course not. Examples of over-the-top enthusiasts who, considering all proportions, play as well or better than many famous names.
Now take John Rockx from Zegge Noord Brabant Netherlands. In 2016 he was one of the very best in the country in the small long distance.
And that with relatively few pigeons on a relatively small accommodation.
He never gave much money to pigeons and yet he became top on the most difficult part of our sport: One day long distance
He did / does it with pigeons from regional fanciers, from friends, by exchanging or breeding together. Thus reaching the top can only be done by a professional. And those who know the now retired John better know that he is a professional. The deserved publicity he never got and nowhere gives us here.
RESULTS
John had the 1st Ace pigeon in the long distance in Brabant 2000 (unique) in 2015 and in 2016 and he classified no less than 6 pigeons in the first 50.
In Rayon 2 (almost 500 members) he had the 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 15th best Long Distance pigeon. In 2016 and in 2017 he also became Champion 4 first from the clock. Results 2016 and 2017 with only the earliest prizes:
-Roye 1,656 d: 4, 6, 14, 18, 21, 38, 39, 56, 57, 70, 76 (21/28),
-Issoudun 756 d (544 km). 3, 4, 8, 9, 11,59,72 etc (10/12, 9 prizes per 10)
-Bourges 418 d (519 km): 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, 22, 26, 36, 37, 38 etc. (13/18 Eleven 1 out of 10).
-La Souterraine 315 d (631 km): 2, 3, 5, 14, 30, 34 etc (11/18).
-Limoges 275 d (669 km) 2, 3, 4, 9, 15, 24 etc (8/12).
-Argenton 528 d (594 km): 2, 3, 6, 8, 14, 19, 20, 21, 41, 42 etc (15/19).
-Chateauroux 253 d: 3, 4, 7, 9, 25, 26, 28 etc. ((9/17).
TOPVLIEGERS
The eye catcher on the loft is the Vale, bred from a pigeon from G de Nijs. Which comes from a direct Donckers Stickers. De Vale won:
Bourges NPO 2nd from 4.464 p.
-Melun 2nd from 18.466 p
Second 2nd of 735 p
-Argenton 7th of 1,879 p.
-Quievrain 3rd of 372 p.
-Issoudun 17th of 2,823 p
-Issoudun 22nd of 2,670 p.
Chateauroux 35th of 1,066 p. And that's only a grip.
Another topper is the 13-1346827. In 2015, this became 1st Ace Pigeon Long Distance Brabant 2015. That is a combination where on average 5,000 pigeons flew each race. This 827 comes from two pigeons. The father of Braad de Joode, the mother again of G de Nijs.
Here we leave it at. People do not like being buried under numbers and the above should suffice to show how good that man really is.
JOHN ROCKX GENERAL
When and how did you end up in the pigeon sport?
As a child of 8 years. My neighbor, also uncle, was a pigeon fancier.
When did you start playing well? With which pigeons was that?
Shortly after I was married, I was only in my twenties, I could go with the best. I did it with pigeons from regional fanciers and pigeons Heesters from Reusel. He had Klak pigeons, so the pure Janssens. It was in the years that the neighboring Sint Willebrord counted about 350 fanciers. And those men there were good, just not to play against. You could not earn more than there and that is why those men might have such good things.
And after that?
Not to slime but my loft got a huge boost with pigeons from you in the 90's. I gave C Maas Roosendaal a young out for a bon and that became 1st NATIONAL Ace pigeon in the Netherlands.
Photographer Fred La bruyn also succeeded hugely with pigeons that he got here. He even had the 4th and 5th National Ace Pigeon middle distance. They came from a boy from your Wounded Knee that also includes Bubbles, stock pigeon from Verkerk.
How many pigeons do you have now, John?
I start each year with 28 widowers but soon that number is reduced to about 18. The breeders, twelve couples, are elsewhere. Of course there are experiments that you can hardly call 'grower'. Boy I grow a good 40.
You have been around for a long time. Pigeon sport has changed a lot over the years. So there were so-called mega-lofts. How do you think about this?
Do not have anything against people with lots of pigeons, they do not do anything wrong, but something has to be done otherwise the sport will go under.
DutchWhere in pigeon sport are you still annoyed?
I do not get annoyed, but if I have to mention something, it is jealousy. The first time you win a first, everyone wishes you congratulations. If that happens more than a few, keep winning your first prizes then you will almost be ignored.
FLAG BEARERS
Did your best pigeons come from conscious links or was it more of a coincidence?
Most of them happened to be coincidence and often from the pigeons. My best today, I do not call him the Rocket or the Comet or something, but just 'the vale' has a pigeon from G de Nijs as father. My other topper, the '27', has a pigeon from the same G de Nijs as mother.
That is what I mean by 'friends'.
I also succeeded with pigeons from Rinus van Gastel Roosendaal. (Note A S: What should have been good, Cor Leytens Ooselbeers also got super).
What did your best pigeons do in their birth year and did they have specific characteristics?
They were ordinary pigeons, prize flyers and sometimes not even that. Super performance as a youngster does not need a residence permit here. Pigeons that are well in hand and of good origin sometimes also get chances and that has already been rewarded.
How do your good pigeons perform for the small long distance with strong wind?
Then they are there too, fly also head, but not the pure head.
How long do your best pigeons fly?
Four years but I have to say that I have already lost several supers by playing too long. The temptation to pass them on is so great because you breed so few supers.
GAME WITH OLD
What kind of system do you play with old ones?
Traditional widowhood, so only cocks.
How is the preparation for the flights?
They are coupled with the breeders after Christmas. They will be re-connected around April 1 but only for three days. At the same time, when they float, they are trained for consecutive days. I take them away several times a day and so they learn the game quickly.
Is there shown?
With my way of lapping it is not necessary. I only show for the long distance flights and other than most: In the morning on the day of basketing.
Have you ever tried a summer boy?
Certainly. Even pigeons that saw only a few times basket. There are quite a lot of lost, but I also left excellent kites.
You play HaFo and small Fond. Is the guidance the same?
No difference no. They are in the same loft, receive the same training and nutrition.
The yearlings usually stay on the HaFo, the old ones continue.
GAME WITH BOY
And the youngsters? Do you make a lot of work with rags?
I start early, for me it means at the end of May, from 5 km. Then there are driven once or ten to about 30 km.
How do you play them?
Because I do not have room, not everything is in a loft. Do not be either
specialist with boy.
Is there still being driven between the flights?
There is no point with the old. I sometimes ride with a boy. It will certainly not be bad, but whether it is necessary? There are plenty who play well with youngsters without having to ride with them.
Also a lot of problems with Adeno?
In the past enormous but fortunately less. In case of real problems, medication is seized. You have to.
Do you lose a lot of young people?
What is much? About a quarter. Compared with earlier years, that is a lot, to present-day standards, little.
FEED, MEDICAL AND WITH PRODUCTS
To say something special about your way of feeding?
Not really. Or it must be that youngsters get lighter food than old ones. The pigeons for the long distance are given the same as for the Hafo. After all, everything is in a loft.
What are you blindly practicing against?
Paratyphoid. I'm afraid of that and every ten days every ten months is cured.
What do you think about one-day courses after the flight? Do you believe in boosting?
I do not believe in either. In fact, it is simple. Healthy pigeons can miss medication. Do not let pigeons fail, then you can not do without.
Which supplements do you give?
Brewer's yeast, minerals powder, that kind of 'fish meal' from Dr. Marien. Apple cider vinegar and garlic when I think about it.
Which would you absolutely not want to miss? And do you believe in vitamins?
I think you can miss all those supplements and I do not believe that vitamins add anything.
HOKKEN
What do your lofts look like?
They are practically closed. Light from above. In the winter, the windows are half open.
Do you let go of your pigeons in the winter?
If the weather is slightly, they go out. Of course not in the merry-go-round.
Have you ever done anything with regard to the lofts that caused a turnaround for the better? Or vice versa?
Absolutely. What turned out to be a huge improvement was to close the lofts so that the trip would no longer be possible.
With others it is the other way around. They started to play better when they opened the lofts more.
I know, I know. That is pigeon sport.
JOHN ROCKX MISCELLANEOUS
What is the best move you ever did?
Close the lofts.
If you got a lot of money to spend. Who would you get pigeons from?
I really do not want to slim, but that is again with you, W de Bruijn or Rik Hermans, Co Verbree
Gebr Schele.
pigeons?
I am not someone who only talks about pigeons. My grandchildren are worth more to me. I have enjoyed conversations with Co Verbree, Maarten Huijsmans, Scheele and Andre Roodhooft.
Who are those 'good' friends' when I can ask.
My best pigeon mate is Leo Kriesels. We do everything together, train pigeons and wait for the flights.
In particular John van Dongen, Comb. Oomen. Together we sometimes visit champions and that is enjoyment.
What is the biggest myth / the biggest faint kul / nonsense in pigeon racing?
Those gigantic amounts that are given for pigeons nowadays. Too ridiculous for words.
What do you think of the eyes theory?
I do not know anything about it and I'm kul.
Do you read a lot? Do you watch a lot on the internet?
Both, especially in the winter. During the season I prefer to cycle with the woman in nice weather or between the grandchildren. I have someone who takes care of the pigeons. Many make it too difficult, are too slaves of their hobby, forget to live.
What do you do if you once played badly?
Hold the pigeons for three days and feed them lightly.
FINALLY
John Rockx is someone who listens rather than talks. A man who knows what he wants and what lives in pigeon sport. For example, in 2016 he had a long distance in the first ten NATIONAL Ace pigeons. Two cocks and I had to hear from him that the other eight hens were. Do men like G v d Wouwer, Willy Daniels and others have to play hens alone? John, however, does not think about it, he has confidence in himself, goes his own way, and that has taken him far!
People like him who often use a lot of mega-lofts with limited resources are a jewel for the sport.
I came across a recent article published in De Duif, written by Ad Schaerlaeckens. It's been translated into English below.
In the past 3 years John Rockx has been one of the best in Holland. We actually visited him as far back as March 2009. We purchased a few young birds but we had no luck. That happens, he is still an excellent fancier with some great pigeons.
In conversation with John Rockx
For this category only enthusiasts are eligible who play exceptionally well and that is why they are often well-known names.
But do you have to have 'name' in our sport to play well?
Of course not. Examples of over-the-top enthusiasts who, considering all proportions, play as well or better than many famous names.
Now take John Rockx from Zegge Noord Brabant Netherlands. In 2016 he was one of the very best in the country in the small long distance.
And that with relatively few pigeons on a relatively small accommodation.
He never gave much money to pigeons and yet he became top on the most difficult part of our sport: One day long distance
He did / does it with pigeons from regional fanciers, from friends, by exchanging or breeding together. Thus reaching the top can only be done by a professional. And those who know the now retired John better know that he is a professional. The deserved publicity he never got and nowhere gives us here.
RESULTS
John had the 1st Ace pigeon in the long distance in Brabant 2000 (unique) in 2015 and in 2016 and he classified no less than 6 pigeons in the first 50.
In Rayon 2 (almost 500 members) he had the 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 15th best Long Distance pigeon. In 2016 and in 2017 he also became Champion 4 first from the clock. Results 2016 and 2017 with only the earliest prizes:
-Roye 1,656 d: 4, 6, 14, 18, 21, 38, 39, 56, 57, 70, 76 (21/28),
-Issoudun 756 d (544 km). 3, 4, 8, 9, 11,59,72 etc (10/12, 9 prizes per 10)
-Bourges 418 d (519 km): 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, 22, 26, 36, 37, 38 etc. (13/18 Eleven 1 out of 10).
-La Souterraine 315 d (631 km): 2, 3, 5, 14, 30, 34 etc (11/18).
-Limoges 275 d (669 km) 2, 3, 4, 9, 15, 24 etc (8/12).
-Argenton 528 d (594 km): 2, 3, 6, 8, 14, 19, 20, 21, 41, 42 etc (15/19).
-Chateauroux 253 d: 3, 4, 7, 9, 25, 26, 28 etc. ((9/17).
TOPVLIEGERS
The eye catcher on the loft is the Vale, bred from a pigeon from G de Nijs. Which comes from a direct Donckers Stickers. De Vale won:
Bourges NPO 2nd from 4.464 p.
-Melun 2nd from 18.466 p
Second 2nd of 735 p
-Argenton 7th of 1,879 p.
-Quievrain 3rd of 372 p.
-Issoudun 17th of 2,823 p
-Issoudun 22nd of 2,670 p.
Chateauroux 35th of 1,066 p. And that's only a grip.
Another topper is the 13-1346827. In 2015, this became 1st Ace Pigeon Long Distance Brabant 2015. That is a combination where on average 5,000 pigeons flew each race. This 827 comes from two pigeons. The father of Braad de Joode, the mother again of G de Nijs.
Here we leave it at. People do not like being buried under numbers and the above should suffice to show how good that man really is.
JOHN ROCKX GENERAL
When and how did you end up in the pigeon sport?
As a child of 8 years. My neighbor, also uncle, was a pigeon fancier.
When did you start playing well? With which pigeons was that?
Shortly after I was married, I was only in my twenties, I could go with the best. I did it with pigeons from regional fanciers and pigeons Heesters from Reusel. He had Klak pigeons, so the pure Janssens. It was in the years that the neighboring Sint Willebrord counted about 350 fanciers. And those men there were good, just not to play against. You could not earn more than there and that is why those men might have such good things.
And after that?
Not to slime but my loft got a huge boost with pigeons from you in the 90's. I gave C Maas Roosendaal a young out for a bon and that became 1st NATIONAL Ace pigeon in the Netherlands.
Photographer Fred La bruyn also succeeded hugely with pigeons that he got here. He even had the 4th and 5th National Ace Pigeon middle distance. They came from a boy from your Wounded Knee that also includes Bubbles, stock pigeon from Verkerk.
How many pigeons do you have now, John?
I start each year with 28 widowers but soon that number is reduced to about 18. The breeders, twelve couples, are elsewhere. Of course there are experiments that you can hardly call 'grower'. Boy I grow a good 40.
You have been around for a long time. Pigeon sport has changed a lot over the years. So there were so-called mega-lofts. How do you think about this?
Do not have anything against people with lots of pigeons, they do not do anything wrong, but something has to be done otherwise the sport will go under.
DutchWhere in pigeon sport are you still annoyed?
I do not get annoyed, but if I have to mention something, it is jealousy. The first time you win a first, everyone wishes you congratulations. If that happens more than a few, keep winning your first prizes then you will almost be ignored.
FLAG BEARERS
Did your best pigeons come from conscious links or was it more of a coincidence?
Most of them happened to be coincidence and often from the pigeons. My best today, I do not call him the Rocket or the Comet or something, but just 'the vale' has a pigeon from G de Nijs as father. My other topper, the '27', has a pigeon from the same G de Nijs as mother.
That is what I mean by 'friends'.
I also succeeded with pigeons from Rinus van Gastel Roosendaal. (Note A S: What should have been good, Cor Leytens Ooselbeers also got super).
What did your best pigeons do in their birth year and did they have specific characteristics?
They were ordinary pigeons, prize flyers and sometimes not even that. Super performance as a youngster does not need a residence permit here. Pigeons that are well in hand and of good origin sometimes also get chances and that has already been rewarded.
How do your good pigeons perform for the small long distance with strong wind?
Then they are there too, fly also head, but not the pure head.
How long do your best pigeons fly?
Four years but I have to say that I have already lost several supers by playing too long. The temptation to pass them on is so great because you breed so few supers.
GAME WITH OLD
What kind of system do you play with old ones?
Traditional widowhood, so only cocks.
How is the preparation for the flights?
They are coupled with the breeders after Christmas. They will be re-connected around April 1 but only for three days. At the same time, when they float, they are trained for consecutive days. I take them away several times a day and so they learn the game quickly.
Is there shown?
With my way of lapping it is not necessary. I only show for the long distance flights and other than most: In the morning on the day of basketing.
Have you ever tried a summer boy?
Certainly. Even pigeons that saw only a few times basket. There are quite a lot of lost, but I also left excellent kites.
You play HaFo and small Fond. Is the guidance the same?
No difference no. They are in the same loft, receive the same training and nutrition.
The yearlings usually stay on the HaFo, the old ones continue.
GAME WITH BOY
And the youngsters? Do you make a lot of work with rags?
I start early, for me it means at the end of May, from 5 km. Then there are driven once or ten to about 30 km.
How do you play them?
Because I do not have room, not everything is in a loft. Do not be either
specialist with boy.
Is there still being driven between the flights?
There is no point with the old. I sometimes ride with a boy. It will certainly not be bad, but whether it is necessary? There are plenty who play well with youngsters without having to ride with them.
Also a lot of problems with Adeno?
In the past enormous but fortunately less. In case of real problems, medication is seized. You have to.
Do you lose a lot of young people?
What is much? About a quarter. Compared with earlier years, that is a lot, to present-day standards, little.
FEED, MEDICAL AND WITH PRODUCTS
To say something special about your way of feeding?
Not really. Or it must be that youngsters get lighter food than old ones. The pigeons for the long distance are given the same as for the Hafo. After all, everything is in a loft.
What are you blindly practicing against?
Paratyphoid. I'm afraid of that and every ten days every ten months is cured.
What do you think about one-day courses after the flight? Do you believe in boosting?
I do not believe in either. In fact, it is simple. Healthy pigeons can miss medication. Do not let pigeons fail, then you can not do without.
Which supplements do you give?
Brewer's yeast, minerals powder, that kind of 'fish meal' from Dr. Marien. Apple cider vinegar and garlic when I think about it.
Which would you absolutely not want to miss? And do you believe in vitamins?
I think you can miss all those supplements and I do not believe that vitamins add anything.
HOKKEN
What do your lofts look like?
They are practically closed. Light from above. In the winter, the windows are half open.
Do you let go of your pigeons in the winter?
If the weather is slightly, they go out. Of course not in the merry-go-round.
Have you ever done anything with regard to the lofts that caused a turnaround for the better? Or vice versa?
Absolutely. What turned out to be a huge improvement was to close the lofts so that the trip would no longer be possible.
With others it is the other way around. They started to play better when they opened the lofts more.
I know, I know. That is pigeon sport.
JOHN ROCKX MISCELLANEOUS
What is the best move you ever did?
Close the lofts.
If you got a lot of money to spend. Who would you get pigeons from?
I really do not want to slim, but that is again with you, W de Bruijn or Rik Hermans, Co Verbree
Gebr Schele.
pigeons?
I am not someone who only talks about pigeons. My grandchildren are worth more to me. I have enjoyed conversations with Co Verbree, Maarten Huijsmans, Scheele and Andre Roodhooft.
Who are those 'good' friends' when I can ask.
My best pigeon mate is Leo Kriesels. We do everything together, train pigeons and wait for the flights.
In particular John van Dongen, Comb. Oomen. Together we sometimes visit champions and that is enjoyment.
What is the biggest myth / the biggest faint kul / nonsense in pigeon racing?
Those gigantic amounts that are given for pigeons nowadays. Too ridiculous for words.
What do you think of the eyes theory?
I do not know anything about it and I'm kul.
Do you read a lot? Do you watch a lot on the internet?
Both, especially in the winter. During the season I prefer to cycle with the woman in nice weather or between the grandchildren. I have someone who takes care of the pigeons. Many make it too difficult, are too slaves of their hobby, forget to live.
What do you do if you once played badly?
Hold the pigeons for three days and feed them lightly.
FINALLY
John Rockx is someone who listens rather than talks. A man who knows what he wants and what lives in pigeon sport. For example, in 2016 he had a long distance in the first ten NATIONAL Ace pigeons. Two cocks and I had to hear from him that the other eight hens were. Do men like G v d Wouwer, Willy Daniels and others have to play hens alone? John, however, does not think about it, he has confidence in himself, goes his own way, and that has taken him far!
People like him who often use a lot of mega-lofts with limited resources are a jewel for the sport.
“Chrisje”
29th March
The last 3 pigeons I have written about have been cocks. Now is the time to write about an exceptional hen. I first heard of Henri Van Doorn in 2006 after a conversation with Ad Schaerlaeckens. I wanted to add some speed into my pigeons. I wanted pigeons that could race well at middle distance and mature quickly. Ad didn't hesitate to recommend Henri and we arrange a visit with the view of bringing some to Wales.
The topper of the loft when we visited was the hen "Chrisje". She raced fantastically and was also a sensational breeder. We managed to bring 9 back to Wales including a sister and a son of "Chrisje".
In 2018 the son of Chrisje is still fertile. His first egg gave the 1st National Maidstone and even now he breeds good pigeons. I don't believe Henri has many children left of this hen, so we are lucky to have him and will breed as many as we can. By coincidence he picks a new hen from Henri this year, a daughter of "Copij" for 2018.
Below are some examples of the results obtained from this bloodline in Holland. A sensational hen who is responsible for some fantastic pigeons not just in Holland but also in the U.K.!
Duiven
5.607 p
4.240 p
3.818 p
3.134 p
1.713 p
1.542 p
1.559 p
1.344 p
11.535 p
5.824 p
1.539 p
1.010 p
2.180 p
1.327 p
2.254 p
446 p
507 p
784 p
2.425 p
784 p
4.737 p
1.558 p
697 p
1.713 p
1.514 p
849 p
1.876 p
1.542 p
1.784 p
981 p
988 p
1.294 p
8.617 p
5.344 p
4.649 p
Prijs
1e
1e
1e
1e
1e
1e
1e
1e
2e
2e
2e
2e
2e
2e
3e
3e
4e
4e
6e
6e
7e
7e
7e
7e
7e
7e
8e
8e
10e
10e
10e
10e
11e
11e
18e
1e duifkampioen dagfond
1e duifkampioen midfond cc midebo
1e duifkampioen 1e tour jong cc midebo
1e duifkampioen midfond cc midebo
1e duifkampioen Oost-Brabant ZK
1e duifkampioen cc midebo fond jong
2e asduif cc midebo
3e asduif cc midebo
3e duifkampioen fond jong cc midebo
5e duifkampioen cc midebo
5e asduif cc midebo
6e NAT duifkampioen
18e NAT duifkampioen
11e WHZB JONG
The last 3 pigeons I have written about have been cocks. Now is the time to write about an exceptional hen. I first heard of Henri Van Doorn in 2006 after a conversation with Ad Schaerlaeckens. I wanted to add some speed into my pigeons. I wanted pigeons that could race well at middle distance and mature quickly. Ad didn't hesitate to recommend Henri and we arrange a visit with the view of bringing some to Wales.
The topper of the loft when we visited was the hen "Chrisje". She raced fantastically and was also a sensational breeder. We managed to bring 9 back to Wales including a sister and a son of "Chrisje".
In 2018 the son of Chrisje is still fertile. His first egg gave the 1st National Maidstone and even now he breeds good pigeons. I don't believe Henri has many children left of this hen, so we are lucky to have him and will breed as many as we can. By coincidence he picks a new hen from Henri this year, a daughter of "Copij" for 2018.
Below are some examples of the results obtained from this bloodline in Holland. A sensational hen who is responsible for some fantastic pigeons not just in Holland but also in the U.K.!
Duiven
5.607 p
4.240 p
3.818 p
3.134 p
1.713 p
1.542 p
1.559 p
1.344 p
11.535 p
5.824 p
1.539 p
1.010 p
2.180 p
1.327 p
2.254 p
446 p
507 p
784 p
2.425 p
784 p
4.737 p
1.558 p
697 p
1.713 p
1.514 p
849 p
1.876 p
1.542 p
1.784 p
981 p
988 p
1.294 p
8.617 p
5.344 p
4.649 p
Prijs
1e
1e
1e
1e
1e
1e
1e
1e
2e
2e
2e
2e
2e
2e
3e
3e
4e
4e
6e
6e
7e
7e
7e
7e
7e
7e
8e
8e
10e
10e
10e
10e
11e
11e
18e
1e duifkampioen dagfond
1e duifkampioen midfond cc midebo
1e duifkampioen 1e tour jong cc midebo
1e duifkampioen midfond cc midebo
1e duifkampioen Oost-Brabant ZK
1e duifkampioen cc midebo fond jong
2e asduif cc midebo
3e asduif cc midebo
3e duifkampioen fond jong cc midebo
5e duifkampioen cc midebo
5e asduif cc midebo
6e NAT duifkampioen
18e NAT duifkampioen
11e WHZB JONG
The time has come
28th March
Hopefully the time has finally come that we can start exercising the old pigeons over the weekend. They sit in the new loft but as they are on eggs it shouldn't be difficult to break them in after two or three times outside.
Next week we face the prospect of even more snow. I've never experience snow in April, but we will wait patiently as mentioned previously even if we miss two or three races we will do what's best for the pigeons. I know some fanciers locally who have already lost over 10 pigeons. As we are only racing 20 hens we couldn't afford to lose half a team before the races even start. Once they are flying one hour they will be given one reminder of the basket and then straight into the races.
The youngsters at the moment are immaculate. We have selected a few out when we weaned them, but the droppings are perfect and the early youngsters are already in a good routine they know what's is expected of them when they hear the feeding whistle.
Adeno is still causing massive issues for some. I'm sure it is going to be around until the end of July as it was last year. The circovirus was also a big issue in some areas last year. Our pigeons have already been vaccinated, droppings checked and everything remains perfect. We will just acidify the water everyday with our homemade product and I expect little problems just like last year. At the first sign of a pigeon not looking in good shape they are instantly removed. We always select on natural health and I think it's one of the reasons why we don't need to use medication often.
Hopefully the time has finally come that we can start exercising the old pigeons over the weekend. They sit in the new loft but as they are on eggs it shouldn't be difficult to break them in after two or three times outside.
Next week we face the prospect of even more snow. I've never experience snow in April, but we will wait patiently as mentioned previously even if we miss two or three races we will do what's best for the pigeons. I know some fanciers locally who have already lost over 10 pigeons. As we are only racing 20 hens we couldn't afford to lose half a team before the races even start. Once they are flying one hour they will be given one reminder of the basket and then straight into the races.
The youngsters at the moment are immaculate. We have selected a few out when we weaned them, but the droppings are perfect and the early youngsters are already in a good routine they know what's is expected of them when they hear the feeding whistle.
Adeno is still causing massive issues for some. I'm sure it is going to be around until the end of July as it was last year. The circovirus was also a big issue in some areas last year. Our pigeons have already been vaccinated, droppings checked and everything remains perfect. We will just acidify the water everyday with our homemade product and I expect little problems just like last year. At the first sign of a pigeon not looking in good shape they are instantly removed. We always select on natural health and I think it's one of the reasons why we don't need to use medication often.
Adeno
24th March
I read yesterday two interesting posts on Adeno (young bird sickness) on the site of Ad S and PT.
Peter mentioned the U.K. and in particular a more aggressive form of Adeno here than our friends on the continent. Is it down to over use of medication?
I think for a lot of fanciers in the U.K. sadly the answer is probably yes. Last year in particular if you read chat forms and speak to local fanciers some people were wiped out. The pigeons were flying for 30 mins and within 48 hours they were dead. I think over use of medication in some areas is a big problem. If you look back at some of the posts during the winter one of the main topics of conversation was medication, when to use it and where to buy it. You even had people advising weekly medication for an entire season. If you do this for several years it's no wonder you end up with pigeons that cannot stay healthy without it. I would ask the fancier do they take weekly paracetamol for headache prevention? I certainly hope not!
We have suffered Adeno in the past, we have been lucky that the last time we had it was 2015. Within 3 - 4 days of medication the droppings were good again and after one week they started exercising again. I think it's important not to rush pigeons back from Adeno especially during racing. I think at least 10 - 14 days before they sit in the training basket again.
What can you do to prevent Adeno? I'm not so sure you can ever 100% prevent it. Everyone has had it at some point. We use deep litter in all our lofts. The lofts are given a proper clean once per week. I think it certainly helps as you find the weak ones very quickly and they are removed.
Some fanciers cannot get along with deep litter for numerous reasons. I know some who virtually clean up behind each pigeon all day long. There is never a dropping in the loft. I think they create an environment that becomes almost too clean.
I would never buy pigeons from such a fancier. I could never replicate the environment in my own loft so their pigeons would become sick very quickly. It's no surprise that the pigeons I've been successful with come from fanciers who use some form of deep litter at some stage throughout the year.
I read yesterday two interesting posts on Adeno (young bird sickness) on the site of Ad S and PT.
Peter mentioned the U.K. and in particular a more aggressive form of Adeno here than our friends on the continent. Is it down to over use of medication?
I think for a lot of fanciers in the U.K. sadly the answer is probably yes. Last year in particular if you read chat forms and speak to local fanciers some people were wiped out. The pigeons were flying for 30 mins and within 48 hours they were dead. I think over use of medication in some areas is a big problem. If you look back at some of the posts during the winter one of the main topics of conversation was medication, when to use it and where to buy it. You even had people advising weekly medication for an entire season. If you do this for several years it's no wonder you end up with pigeons that cannot stay healthy without it. I would ask the fancier do they take weekly paracetamol for headache prevention? I certainly hope not!
We have suffered Adeno in the past, we have been lucky that the last time we had it was 2015. Within 3 - 4 days of medication the droppings were good again and after one week they started exercising again. I think it's important not to rush pigeons back from Adeno especially during racing. I think at least 10 - 14 days before they sit in the training basket again.
What can you do to prevent Adeno? I'm not so sure you can ever 100% prevent it. Everyone has had it at some point. We use deep litter in all our lofts. The lofts are given a proper clean once per week. I think it certainly helps as you find the weak ones very quickly and they are removed.
Some fanciers cannot get along with deep litter for numerous reasons. I know some who virtually clean up behind each pigeon all day long. There is never a dropping in the loft. I think they create an environment that becomes almost too clean.
I would never buy pigeons from such a fancier. I could never replicate the environment in my own loft so their pigeons would become sick very quickly. It's no surprise that the pigeons I've been successful with come from fanciers who use some form of deep litter at some stage throughout the year.
SparrowHawk 2
22nd March
Below is an email I received today from a fellow fancier who also has been plagued with the sparrowhawk problem. It's a very interesting point which I agree with. In February and March they will go where they know there is a food source. If you take the food source away for a period of time they will move onto a different location. Personally I'd like to see the season start a bit later at the end of April, but also it's an issue of some fanciers changing their mind set. For some they cannot wait and must win the first race at all costs.
Hi
I've been reading your blog and can tell you that I had been plagued with Sparrowhawks for years. I lost at least one per day in springtime. Not always killed by the hawks, some killed themselves flying into windows others just disappeared panicked by the hawks.
About 5 years ago I started keeping my birds in from end of racing until March. None out at all during this period. Every year since the attacks have got less and less. This year 'touch wood' the birds have been out everyday weather permitting since 1st February not one attack! I always stay in the garden when they are out and they have not even had a fright. I do get them straight in.
Hawks as you say are very clever, they soon learn where there is a ready meal and don't waste their time where there's no success. I believe that this is the reason that I'm no longer plagued.
Yours In Sport
Val
Below is an email I received today from a fellow fancier who also has been plagued with the sparrowhawk problem. It's a very interesting point which I agree with. In February and March they will go where they know there is a food source. If you take the food source away for a period of time they will move onto a different location. Personally I'd like to see the season start a bit later at the end of April, but also it's an issue of some fanciers changing their mind set. For some they cannot wait and must win the first race at all costs.
Hi
I've been reading your blog and can tell you that I had been plagued with Sparrowhawks for years. I lost at least one per day in springtime. Not always killed by the hawks, some killed themselves flying into windows others just disappeared panicked by the hawks.
About 5 years ago I started keeping my birds in from end of racing until March. None out at all during this period. Every year since the attacks have got less and less. This year 'touch wood' the birds have been out everyday weather permitting since 1st February not one attack! I always stay in the garden when they are out and they have not even had a fright. I do get them straight in.
Hawks as you say are very clever, they soon learn where there is a ready meal and don't waste their time where there's no success. I believe that this is the reason that I'm no longer plagued.
Yours In Sport
Val
The Nearly Cock
22nd March
The next pigeon I wanted to write a brief post about is called The Nearly Cock. He is a small to medium sized dark chequer cock, and was raced by the partnership Scammell and Peploe.
He raced many top prizes in his career with the best being 3 x 2nd National from Lillers, Bonn and Kassel in Germany. But he also raced some excellent prizes on the short distance. One example being 3rd Federation Reading against 6,000p.
He was bred in 2002 from two unrelated pigeons. What's interesting is the father came for free via a swap, the mother came from a clearance sale. She was one of the last unsold pigeons! It goes to show that not only do you not need to spend a fortune for good pigeons, but you also need a lot of luck!
I think now this pigeon is more famous as a breeder than a racer. For Scammell and Peploe many top prize winners have been bred from him and his children.
Other fanciers have also reaped the rewards from the Nearly Cock such as Derek Flowers, Ian Bromley etc.
We were very fortunate to have the Nearly Cock at our own loft for some joint breeding. I think what struck me most was although not the most special pigeon in the hand, he was so intelligent. He watched and knew everything they was going on around him. A once in a lifetime pigeon for sure!
The next pigeon I wanted to write a brief post about is called The Nearly Cock. He is a small to medium sized dark chequer cock, and was raced by the partnership Scammell and Peploe.
He raced many top prizes in his career with the best being 3 x 2nd National from Lillers, Bonn and Kassel in Germany. But he also raced some excellent prizes on the short distance. One example being 3rd Federation Reading against 6,000p.
He was bred in 2002 from two unrelated pigeons. What's interesting is the father came for free via a swap, the mother came from a clearance sale. She was one of the last unsold pigeons! It goes to show that not only do you not need to spend a fortune for good pigeons, but you also need a lot of luck!
I think now this pigeon is more famous as a breeder than a racer. For Scammell and Peploe many top prize winners have been bred from him and his children.
Other fanciers have also reaped the rewards from the Nearly Cock such as Derek Flowers, Ian Bromley etc.
We were very fortunate to have the Nearly Cock at our own loft for some joint breeding. I think what struck me most was although not the most special pigeon in the hand, he was so intelligent. He watched and knew everything they was going on around him. A once in a lifetime pigeon for sure!
Sparrowhawk
21st March
Below is a picture taken of a sparrowhawk attack on one of our neighbours yearlings today. She chased the pigeons, but 5 minutes after they landed she struck again hitting two of them off the roof into the next garden. This pigeon was very lucky. The end of March / early April is the worst time for the sparrowhawk attacks. They are building to go down to nest and stocking up on a good supply. You need to especially be careful with the young pigeons who sit on the roof, these are easy targets for them. When our babies go out both me and my dad are watching at all times.
Below is a picture taken of a sparrowhawk attack on one of our neighbours yearlings today. She chased the pigeons, but 5 minutes after they landed she struck again hitting two of them off the roof into the next garden. This pigeon was very lucky. The end of March / early April is the worst time for the sparrowhawk attacks. They are building to go down to nest and stocking up on a good supply. You need to especially be careful with the young pigeons who sit on the roof, these are easy targets for them. When our babies go out both me and my dad are watching at all times.
Patience
20th March
The new racing season will start again in 3 weeks. The pigeons are now nice and settled into their new loft, and this week we should have some eggs from the racers. I’ll slip eggs from the best racers under feeders, even if they are weaned around the 7th May I still find they can make some great results as young birds on the races in September. I’ve decided this year as we only race hens to only allow them to just sit for 10 days, and then they will go straight onto the widowhood system.
After a six-month split, the pigeons of course are carrying some excess fat but after being hit (again) with more snow, we will for sure miss at least the first race, maybe the first two or even three races. I know a lot of fanciers are starting to panic, but I think trying to rush the pigeons at this stage will only result in heavy losses. The first 4 races on the programme are from only 68, 68, 90 and 90 miles. We have sent young birds straight to 90 miles and won with these pigeons so for yearlings that flew 10 races in 2017 as young birds, 90 miles will be no problem at all. It’s a long programme for the old birds, and for me racing and training those in extremely cold weather will only do more harm than good in the long run. We are still racing old birds from Germany to Wales in July, so keeping them locked up and fresh at the start of March while others train in freezing conditions I think it more of a benefit than a negative. It's also a point that this is where the working fancier has a massive disadvantage against the professional / retired fancier. Until the clocks change at the end of March it's almost impossible to get into a set routine.
Usually in the off season I watch a lot of pigeon DVDs and I read a lot of pigeon books.
This year I've done something different. I've watched DVDs and documentaries about other sports, and how great teams and individuals have become successful. I think you can always learn from successful people, and one thing that caught my attention was the success of Team GB in the sport of cycling.
The man behind the success is Sir Dave Brailsford. He was the coach that dominated the Olympics, and now his team dominates the mountain races.
It must be mentioned that his Team Sky has recently been caught up in a lot of controversy regarding their first Tour De France winner Bradley Wiggins, and now there are question marks regarding Chris Froome on the use of TUE's. But it's the applications that Brailsford applied to his Olympic success that caught my attention.
Brailsford is a fellow Welshman, and he turned the British Cycling team from also-rans to superstars. How did he do it? It's a very simple theory called the aggregation of marginal gains.
He explained it as “the 1 percent margin for improvement in everything you do.” His belief was that if you improved every area related to cycling by just 1 percent, then those small gains would add up to remarkable improvement.
It is a very simple approach, and it can be applied to literally everything in life.
Pigeon racing is a sport that is separated by seconds. If you improved the trapping, fitness, quality of feed, environment etc by even just one percent then of course it could well be the difference between 1st and 5th.
I'll give trapping as an example. I think in some (not all) cases bad trapping is down to the fancier. We flew the 1st and 3rd National Maidstone in 2014. This was still after a 2 mins lost though bad trapping. This was totally my fault as I had allowed the pigeons to pick up some bad habits prior to racing. If I had concentrated on making improvements earlier on then there is no doubt we would have finished 1st and 2nd National with a two minute lead.
Observation is the key, and spotting a problem / improving it before it becomes an issue is something all the best fanciers I have visited have. The fancy word for it in other sports is called marginal gains. But it doesn't hurt to be reminded, especially after a successful season. I myself have taken my foot off the pedal after success, so a reminder not to do it again is never harmful 👍.
The new racing season will start again in 3 weeks. The pigeons are now nice and settled into their new loft, and this week we should have some eggs from the racers. I’ll slip eggs from the best racers under feeders, even if they are weaned around the 7th May I still find they can make some great results as young birds on the races in September. I’ve decided this year as we only race hens to only allow them to just sit for 10 days, and then they will go straight onto the widowhood system.
After a six-month split, the pigeons of course are carrying some excess fat but after being hit (again) with more snow, we will for sure miss at least the first race, maybe the first two or even three races. I know a lot of fanciers are starting to panic, but I think trying to rush the pigeons at this stage will only result in heavy losses. The first 4 races on the programme are from only 68, 68, 90 and 90 miles. We have sent young birds straight to 90 miles and won with these pigeons so for yearlings that flew 10 races in 2017 as young birds, 90 miles will be no problem at all. It’s a long programme for the old birds, and for me racing and training those in extremely cold weather will only do more harm than good in the long run. We are still racing old birds from Germany to Wales in July, so keeping them locked up and fresh at the start of March while others train in freezing conditions I think it more of a benefit than a negative. It's also a point that this is where the working fancier has a massive disadvantage against the professional / retired fancier. Until the clocks change at the end of March it's almost impossible to get into a set routine.
Usually in the off season I watch a lot of pigeon DVDs and I read a lot of pigeon books.
This year I've done something different. I've watched DVDs and documentaries about other sports, and how great teams and individuals have become successful. I think you can always learn from successful people, and one thing that caught my attention was the success of Team GB in the sport of cycling.
The man behind the success is Sir Dave Brailsford. He was the coach that dominated the Olympics, and now his team dominates the mountain races.
It must be mentioned that his Team Sky has recently been caught up in a lot of controversy regarding their first Tour De France winner Bradley Wiggins, and now there are question marks regarding Chris Froome on the use of TUE's. But it's the applications that Brailsford applied to his Olympic success that caught my attention.
Brailsford is a fellow Welshman, and he turned the British Cycling team from also-rans to superstars. How did he do it? It's a very simple theory called the aggregation of marginal gains.
He explained it as “the 1 percent margin for improvement in everything you do.” His belief was that if you improved every area related to cycling by just 1 percent, then those small gains would add up to remarkable improvement.
It is a very simple approach, and it can be applied to literally everything in life.
Pigeon racing is a sport that is separated by seconds. If you improved the trapping, fitness, quality of feed, environment etc by even just one percent then of course it could well be the difference between 1st and 5th.
I'll give trapping as an example. I think in some (not all) cases bad trapping is down to the fancier. We flew the 1st and 3rd National Maidstone in 2014. This was still after a 2 mins lost though bad trapping. This was totally my fault as I had allowed the pigeons to pick up some bad habits prior to racing. If I had concentrated on making improvements earlier on then there is no doubt we would have finished 1st and 2nd National with a two minute lead.
Observation is the key, and spotting a problem / improving it before it becomes an issue is something all the best fanciers I have visited have. The fancy word for it in other sports is called marginal gains. But it doesn't hurt to be reminded, especially after a successful season. I myself have taken my foot off the pedal after success, so a reminder not to do it again is never harmful 👍.
Drug Testing
18th March
There has been a lot of controversy recently in many sports regarding failed drug tests. The biggest cases have been cycling, athletics and boxing. But it's something that is an issue in every sport.
The RPRA have issued new drug testing procedures which I have attached below. I am a member of both the RPRA and WHU, although almost all races we send to fall under WHU rules. The stance on drug testing between the two unions is massive.
The RPRA have invested a lot of money in the testing programme. I think this is a great thing but there are grey areas, especially regarding products.
I've read that the RPRA are going to test the products and issue a kite mark for the products that meet the guidelines. This can only be a great thing and gives fanciers some clarity if tested. It also relies on a change of attitude. I have no doubt some fanciers will believe a product without the kite mark will somehow be better than one with it.
Under the WHU, the testing is almost non existent. It's not difficult to spot the people who are boosting their pigeons, especially for breeder buyer races where much money is at stake. Hopefully the WHU can follow suit and bring in a proper testing programme moving forward.
There has been a lot of controversy recently in many sports regarding failed drug tests. The biggest cases have been cycling, athletics and boxing. But it's something that is an issue in every sport.
The RPRA have issued new drug testing procedures which I have attached below. I am a member of both the RPRA and WHU, although almost all races we send to fall under WHU rules. The stance on drug testing between the two unions is massive.
The RPRA have invested a lot of money in the testing programme. I think this is a great thing but there are grey areas, especially regarding products.
I've read that the RPRA are going to test the products and issue a kite mark for the products that meet the guidelines. This can only be a great thing and gives fanciers some clarity if tested. It also relies on a change of attitude. I have no doubt some fanciers will believe a product without the kite mark will somehow be better than one with it.
Under the WHU, the testing is almost non existent. It's not difficult to spot the people who are boosting their pigeons, especially for breeder buyer races where much money is at stake. Hopefully the WHU can follow suit and bring in a proper testing programme moving forward.
Keep it Simple
16th March
One thing I've learnt over the years is pigeon racing is only as complicated as you make it.
The Cheltenham festival is in full flow and the most successful trainer so far is Gordon Elliot. He was asked why is he so successful? His reply was to keep it simple. I think the same applies to pigeon racing.
Below are some of the key points that I follow. No secrets, no fancy potions in the water just common sense:
1) Strong Selection. You have to select very strongly if you want to succeed. Always pick quality over quantity, and always select on results not pedigree.
2) Don't overcrowd. Less pigeons with more space is far better than keeping too many. Too many pigeons will only cause problems.
3) A dry loft. A dry loft is very important. We use deep litter in our lofts as we have little time to clean, and it keeps the loft lovely and dry. You can never win and keep the pigeons healthy in a damp environment. The price and attractiveness of the loft isn't important. I've seen many lofts that are awful to look at, but are perfectly dry and the pigeons race extremely well.
4) Not too many blind cures. Too much medication is never good. The pigeons will become dependent on it, and you will end up work weak pigeons. All our best pigeons rarely get sick. You should also select the pigeons on natural health.
5) Varied diet. A good mixture with many different grains is also important. And you should never under feed the pigeons, this might work for a couple of races in a tail wind but generally this will never end well.
6) Dedication. Of course this is the most basic one of all. In anything you do, pigeon racing especially you only get out what you put it. I'm not saying you should be at the loft 13 hours a day, but a dedicated fancier, with a good loft and good pigeons will always be towards the top of the results sheet every year.
One thing I've learnt over the years is pigeon racing is only as complicated as you make it.
The Cheltenham festival is in full flow and the most successful trainer so far is Gordon Elliot. He was asked why is he so successful? His reply was to keep it simple. I think the same applies to pigeon racing.
Below are some of the key points that I follow. No secrets, no fancy potions in the water just common sense:
1) Strong Selection. You have to select very strongly if you want to succeed. Always pick quality over quantity, and always select on results not pedigree.
2) Don't overcrowd. Less pigeons with more space is far better than keeping too many. Too many pigeons will only cause problems.
3) A dry loft. A dry loft is very important. We use deep litter in our lofts as we have little time to clean, and it keeps the loft lovely and dry. You can never win and keep the pigeons healthy in a damp environment. The price and attractiveness of the loft isn't important. I've seen many lofts that are awful to look at, but are perfectly dry and the pigeons race extremely well.
4) Not too many blind cures. Too much medication is never good. The pigeons will become dependent on it, and you will end up work weak pigeons. All our best pigeons rarely get sick. You should also select the pigeons on natural health.
5) Varied diet. A good mixture with many different grains is also important. And you should never under feed the pigeons, this might work for a couple of races in a tail wind but generally this will never end well.
6) Dedication. Of course this is the most basic one of all. In anything you do, pigeon racing especially you only get out what you put it. I'm not saying you should be at the loft 13 hours a day, but a dedicated fancier, with a good loft and good pigeons will always be towards the top of the results sheet every year.
Maverick
13th March
The last pigeon I wrote about was a fantastic red cock called "Gatch". I don't want to write too much about my own pigeons but, after writing about "Gatch" I want to touch on his grandson "Maverick".
Maverick was born in 2001. At the time we didn't really focus on the youngsters, they were darkened for 6 weeks but the programme was seen as experience only.
Maverick showed his potential as a young bird. He won 2nd Federation Newbury against over 2000p, and from Epsom the following week won 3rd Federation against over 2,000p although he came to win this race.
As a yearling, this was probably his worst season. He only flew a few top prizes but he showed his quality from an awful race from Lillers. We entered four pigeons and he was the only one home on the day. We actually lost 3 federation winners that day. Many people were finished for the season.
The turning point that I believe turned him from a very good pigeon into a great pigeon was the first race of the season in 2003. He was the only pigeon missing from a 68 mile race, and he came home the following day. He certainly didn't enjoy this experience.
After this race, he never put a foot wrong at any distance. The biggest win was of course him winning 1st National Liege from over 400 miles against 6,200p but this is just a small part of a big prize list.
An example is the week before the National win he won 1st Federation Newbury against 2,800p (his full brother "91" was close behind winning the 2nd place). He flew top prizes almost weekly during 2003 and 2004.
After his National win he was moved to the breeding loft. Not all top racers make top breeders. He struggled for 2 seasons in the breeding loft but the direct hit came via a hen from Henri Van Doorn. A daughter of his "Flycon".
Many top prizes were won, the best being by a grandchild winning 1st National Brussels. Even in 2017 he makes his mark. A granddaughter of Maverick wins 1st and 4th Federation Swindon crossed with pigeons from Peter Theunis.
The next pigeon I will write about is called "The Nearly Cock". A pigeon that won 3 x 2nd National and is responsible for many big winners in the East of Wales.
The last pigeon I wrote about was a fantastic red cock called "Gatch". I don't want to write too much about my own pigeons but, after writing about "Gatch" I want to touch on his grandson "Maverick".
Maverick was born in 2001. At the time we didn't really focus on the youngsters, they were darkened for 6 weeks but the programme was seen as experience only.
Maverick showed his potential as a young bird. He won 2nd Federation Newbury against over 2000p, and from Epsom the following week won 3rd Federation against over 2,000p although he came to win this race.
As a yearling, this was probably his worst season. He only flew a few top prizes but he showed his quality from an awful race from Lillers. We entered four pigeons and he was the only one home on the day. We actually lost 3 federation winners that day. Many people were finished for the season.
The turning point that I believe turned him from a very good pigeon into a great pigeon was the first race of the season in 2003. He was the only pigeon missing from a 68 mile race, and he came home the following day. He certainly didn't enjoy this experience.
After this race, he never put a foot wrong at any distance. The biggest win was of course him winning 1st National Liege from over 400 miles against 6,200p but this is just a small part of a big prize list.
An example is the week before the National win he won 1st Federation Newbury against 2,800p (his full brother "91" was close behind winning the 2nd place). He flew top prizes almost weekly during 2003 and 2004.
After his National win he was moved to the breeding loft. Not all top racers make top breeders. He struggled for 2 seasons in the breeding loft but the direct hit came via a hen from Henri Van Doorn. A daughter of his "Flycon".
Many top prizes were won, the best being by a grandchild winning 1st National Brussels. Even in 2017 he makes his mark. A granddaughter of Maverick wins 1st and 4th Federation Swindon crossed with pigeons from Peter Theunis.
The next pigeon I will write about is called "The Nearly Cock". A pigeon that won 3 x 2nd National and is responsible for many big winners in the East of Wales.
Forums / Social Media
11th March
I’m not a big fan of web forums or social media, but I do look from time to time. There is currently only one topic for discussion, and the below is an example of many similar posts all over the country.
I’m not a big fan of web forums or social media, but I do look from time to time. There is currently only one topic for discussion, and the below is an example of many similar posts all over the country.
Job Vacancy
11th March
Below is a link to a job offer from the RPRA union. They are looking to employ someone who will travel all over the UK and promote the pigeon sport and try to attract new members. It will be a nice job for someone, hopefully they can attract the right person for the job.
http://www.rpra.org/development-officer-vacancy/
Below is a link to a job offer from the RPRA union. They are looking to employ someone who will travel all over the UK and promote the pigeon sport and try to attract new members. It will be a nice job for someone, hopefully they can attract the right person for the job.
http://www.rpra.org/development-officer-vacancy/
Vaccinations
10th March
Tomorrow we will vaccinate our early youngsters. For the past 2 years with my dad being ill, I decided it was time for us to reverse the roles. In the past I would hold the pigeon while my dad would inject the pigeons for paramyxovirus.
Now the role is the opposite. With practice I'm getting much better at doing it. I've also vaccinated other fanciers pigeons, and thankfully everything has gone smoothly.
One day before we vaccinate I always like to handle all the youngsters. I look for anything that I don't like. I do this prior to weaning and over time if you select strongly for several years then there isn't many that are flawed. Only one was removed today and I'm looking forward to getting them into a better training routine once the nice weather begins.
The same applies with the old birds, although they had an accidental training session on Thursday. The aviary door fell off and both the cocks and the hens managed to escape. Neither me or my dad were around and at the end of the day we already lose one yearling cock to the hawk. We don't race cocks but it still now leaves us one short.
I mention the hawk, our neighbour yesterday also lost a 3 year old cock taken by a hawk in front of his eyes. His best candidate for the one day races already gone.
With 5 weeks to go if you haven't already it's always best to have a check by the vet. Everyone I speak to seems to be blind treating their pigeons for all different diseases without consulting the vet. What's more worrying it seems a lot of the medication is bought from rogue sellers on Facebook. It's always best to consult a vet who is a pigeon specialist.
We wait for the results before any treatments are given, but based on what I see with my own eyes I suspect no or at worst a minor problem.
Tomorrow we will vaccinate our early youngsters. For the past 2 years with my dad being ill, I decided it was time for us to reverse the roles. In the past I would hold the pigeon while my dad would inject the pigeons for paramyxovirus.
Now the role is the opposite. With practice I'm getting much better at doing it. I've also vaccinated other fanciers pigeons, and thankfully everything has gone smoothly.
One day before we vaccinate I always like to handle all the youngsters. I look for anything that I don't like. I do this prior to weaning and over time if you select strongly for several years then there isn't many that are flawed. Only one was removed today and I'm looking forward to getting them into a better training routine once the nice weather begins.
The same applies with the old birds, although they had an accidental training session on Thursday. The aviary door fell off and both the cocks and the hens managed to escape. Neither me or my dad were around and at the end of the day we already lose one yearling cock to the hawk. We don't race cocks but it still now leaves us one short.
I mention the hawk, our neighbour yesterday also lost a 3 year old cock taken by a hawk in front of his eyes. His best candidate for the one day races already gone.
With 5 weeks to go if you haven't already it's always best to have a check by the vet. Everyone I speak to seems to be blind treating their pigeons for all different diseases without consulting the vet. What's more worrying it seems a lot of the medication is bought from rogue sellers on Facebook. It's always best to consult a vet who is a pigeon specialist.
We wait for the results before any treatments are given, but based on what I see with my own eyes I suspect no or at worst a minor problem.
RPRA
8th March
Ive read a lot on many websites regarding the bird of prey issue including on the sites of PT and Ad S. Ive also written about it a lot on this website.
For many years the RPRA have distributed the below sticker, all pigeons fanciers place it in their car window. Has it made a difference? Initially I think people didn’t really care but now everyone who has a bird feeder has seen the problem with their own eyes.
I’ve attached a pdf file of the sticker for anyone who would like to place it in their car, or on a notice board so they can raise awareness or the issue the bird population faces from the overpopulation of birds or prey.
Ive read a lot on many websites regarding the bird of prey issue including on the sites of PT and Ad S. Ive also written about it a lot on this website.
For many years the RPRA have distributed the below sticker, all pigeons fanciers place it in their car window. Has it made a difference? Initially I think people didn’t really care but now everyone who has a bird feeder has seen the problem with their own eyes.
I’ve attached a pdf file of the sticker for anyone who would like to place it in their car, or on a notice board so they can raise awareness or the issue the bird population faces from the overpopulation of birds or prey.
| songbirds-sticker.pdf |
Cheltenham
7th March
It's very rare that I will ever write about something that isn't about pigeons.
But this will be one of the few exceptions.
Next Tuesday (13th) is the start of the Cheltenham Festival which lasts for 4 days. I only follow National hunt racing, I don't have much interest in the flat season. The Cheltenham festival is the biggest event of the year. There will be millions of pounds gambled over the 4 days, and I will be one of the many having a (small) bet on a couple of horses. I think the wet weather forecast is going to make it very difficult for the favourites to win. I am most looking forward to seeing Apples Jade race. She is a fantastic mare who has never been beaten. She will win again but at 4/7 there isn't much value.
I think for the gold cup, the biggest race of the meeting it will be a three way battle between Might Bite, last years winner Sizing John and last years third Native River.
I would generally side with the younger legs (Might Bite) but at 7/1 last years winner Sizing John seems a big price.
If it rains heavily and the ground becomes heavy then we may see a shoot out between Native River and the mud lover Definitely Red who if the conditions suit won't be 16/1 as he is now!
Good luck to everyone who will be having a bet next week I hope you can beat the bookies and win some money.
It's very rare that I will ever write about something that isn't about pigeons.
But this will be one of the few exceptions.
Next Tuesday (13th) is the start of the Cheltenham Festival which lasts for 4 days. I only follow National hunt racing, I don't have much interest in the flat season. The Cheltenham festival is the biggest event of the year. There will be millions of pounds gambled over the 4 days, and I will be one of the many having a (small) bet on a couple of horses. I think the wet weather forecast is going to make it very difficult for the favourites to win. I am most looking forward to seeing Apples Jade race. She is a fantastic mare who has never been beaten. She will win again but at 4/7 there isn't much value.
I think for the gold cup, the biggest race of the meeting it will be a three way battle between Might Bite, last years winner Sizing John and last years third Native River.
I would generally side with the younger legs (Might Bite) but at 7/1 last years winner Sizing John seems a big price.
If it rains heavily and the ground becomes heavy then we may see a shoot out between Native River and the mud lover Definitely Red who if the conditions suit won't be 16/1 as he is now!
Good luck to everyone who will be having a bet next week I hope you can beat the bookies and win some money.
Finally
6th March
The snow has subsided and we finally managed to get the young birds out again today. Some flew nicely while the younger ones jumped from roof to roof having a good look around.
We have 35 at our own loft and by the weekend there will be 23 at Ian and Alan Evans loft. Ian always flys a good young bird especially right at the end of the season usually with a tiny team of pigeons. It's going to be really interesting to see how the birds race for him this year with more time and with not having any old birds it means more pigeons can be flown. Of course you need luck before the races start especially with many factors in play.
One of the factors is of course the birds of prey. I read today there are now over 1,800 known breeding pairs in the U.K. Of course the actual number is higher. The increase has been put down to the RSPB placing falcon nests in unnatural places like city centres. Basically the study tells us what we already know, they are everywhere.
Our old birds are yet to fly out due to the recent conditions and settling into the new loft. I handled them today and they are carrying some excess fat, but as we only race hens they will come into shape quickly so it's no worry at the moment.
I remember my dad used to enter the first race with no basket training and very little exercise. It gave mixed results. One year we won 1st and 2nd against almost 3,000p but it didn't happen often on the first flight. We always got one or two birds that came home late either flown out or injured and this was down to lack of shape. It ruined these pigeons for weeks.
Personally I think it's best to get them flying one hour and then a little reminder in the basket from a small distance before the first entered flight. Even just once is fine.
Our first official flight will be on the 14th April. I doubt we will bother with this, the 21st or even the 28th April is a far more realistic target. I have no doubt there will be fanciers who will panic and rush the pigeons on too quickly. From experience this never ends well.
The snow has subsided and we finally managed to get the young birds out again today. Some flew nicely while the younger ones jumped from roof to roof having a good look around.
We have 35 at our own loft and by the weekend there will be 23 at Ian and Alan Evans loft. Ian always flys a good young bird especially right at the end of the season usually with a tiny team of pigeons. It's going to be really interesting to see how the birds race for him this year with more time and with not having any old birds it means more pigeons can be flown. Of course you need luck before the races start especially with many factors in play.
One of the factors is of course the birds of prey. I read today there are now over 1,800 known breeding pairs in the U.K. Of course the actual number is higher. The increase has been put down to the RSPB placing falcon nests in unnatural places like city centres. Basically the study tells us what we already know, they are everywhere.
Our old birds are yet to fly out due to the recent conditions and settling into the new loft. I handled them today and they are carrying some excess fat, but as we only race hens they will come into shape quickly so it's no worry at the moment.
I remember my dad used to enter the first race with no basket training and very little exercise. It gave mixed results. One year we won 1st and 2nd against almost 3,000p but it didn't happen often on the first flight. We always got one or two birds that came home late either flown out or injured and this was down to lack of shape. It ruined these pigeons for weeks.
Personally I think it's best to get them flying one hour and then a little reminder in the basket from a small distance before the first entered flight. Even just once is fine.
Our first official flight will be on the 14th April. I doubt we will bother with this, the 21st or even the 28th April is a far more realistic target. I have no doubt there will be fanciers who will panic and rush the pigeons on too quickly. From experience this never ends well.
Ace Pigeons
4th March
I read a lot recently on several sites about the way championships in Holland and Belgium are awarded and which ones are the best.
For example there are many in Holland like WHZB, NPO, TBOTB, Top Wings, Pipa etc. In Wales we have just one that is given by the WHU (union).
One set of awards I think is a good thing, but the way they are judged? It's a very, very poor system.
You have to send in the results of your pigeon, but then they are sent off to one person from another union (different every year) to decide who they believe is the best.
This system has resulted in some shocking decisions over the years. I remember a fancier in the early 90s who raced a fantastic pigeon that flew top prizes on every flight. In everyone's eyes he was the sure winner. What happened? He was beaten to the Ace pigeon award by a pigeon with just ONE single performance during the entire season on a tail wind.
This system then results in some fanciers with great pigeons who don't even bother sending results in anymore. It's happened time and time again where the rightful winner hasn't won, and there are many examples where the best pigeon hasn't even been entered.
I am one of the fanciers who no longer even bothers to enter. I won't bore everyone with the minor details but we have had 3 occasions over the years where we were edged out by a pigeon who we beat on every race head to head.
The big issue is birdage. Some areas have stronger competition with lesser birdage, and sometimes a 1st against 3,000p would only be a 5th in another area against 1,000p. The result on paper looks better against 3,000p.
The next few pigeons from Wales I am going to write about also didn't win the 1st Nat Ace pigeon, but were outstanding racers and their descendants are still winning throughout the UK in 2017/18.
I read a lot recently on several sites about the way championships in Holland and Belgium are awarded and which ones are the best.
For example there are many in Holland like WHZB, NPO, TBOTB, Top Wings, Pipa etc. In Wales we have just one that is given by the WHU (union).
One set of awards I think is a good thing, but the way they are judged? It's a very, very poor system.
You have to send in the results of your pigeon, but then they are sent off to one person from another union (different every year) to decide who they believe is the best.
This system has resulted in some shocking decisions over the years. I remember a fancier in the early 90s who raced a fantastic pigeon that flew top prizes on every flight. In everyone's eyes he was the sure winner. What happened? He was beaten to the Ace pigeon award by a pigeon with just ONE single performance during the entire season on a tail wind.
This system then results in some fanciers with great pigeons who don't even bother sending results in anymore. It's happened time and time again where the rightful winner hasn't won, and there are many examples where the best pigeon hasn't even been entered.
I am one of the fanciers who no longer even bothers to enter. I won't bore everyone with the minor details but we have had 3 occasions over the years where we were edged out by a pigeon who we beat on every race head to head.
The big issue is birdage. Some areas have stronger competition with lesser birdage, and sometimes a 1st against 3,000p would only be a 5th in another area against 1,000p. The result on paper looks better against 3,000p.
The next few pigeons from Wales I am going to write about also didn't win the 1st Nat Ace pigeon, but were outstanding racers and their descendants are still winning throughout the UK in 2017/18.
Gatch
2nd March
Over the next few months I'm going to write about some of the best pigeons I have been lucky enough to hold in my hands over the last 20 years.
The first place to start is a red cock called "Gatch".
"Gatch was born in 1995. He was bred and raced in Wales by Dave and Gloria Clappe in Cardiff. Dave was an excellent fancier but in my opinion his wife Gloria was even better.
You could see the pigeons in the loft loved her and she was a very very strict selector.
Dave and Gloria lived in a small terraced house and raced very few pigeons. "Gatch" won loads of top prizes as a young bird and yearling.
The final flight in 1996 was the biggest race of the year from Thurso. There was an entry of 4500p from 500 miles. Dave was in hospital for two weeks and told Gloria which pigeons were to be entered. "Gatch" the new star yearling of the loft was to remain home for the next season on Dave's instructions.
But Gloria didn't listen. She saw the form of the pigeon and basketted him for the race anyway. She told Dave he remained at home.
What happened? Of course Gatch would win 1st Welsh Combine in the biggest race of the year from 4500p. Just for reference - Dave and Gloria won the same race again in 1997 with another famous pigeon "Hattrick". He was also 1st National Ace pigeon that year. Not bad for a loft with only 16 cocks!
But for me Gatch was superior to Hattrick. When they raced head to head in 1996 Gatch would win most weeks against his rival. But both were excellent pigeons. "Gatch" would never race again after his win. During March 1997 he disappeared for 1 week. By an amazing stroke of luck a neighbour found him in the chimney of the house, stuck at the top, barely still alive.
He recovered and became a sensational breeder. His daughter we purchased for only £35 in 1999. We named her "Gloria" and she became the mother of 2 National winners for us in two years. Her son "Maverick" was born from "Gloria" x "Jacks Lad". He was our star racer at the time and came close to beating Gatch in 1996 and Hattrick in 1997. "Jacks Lad" did have further to travel in a head wind but he fell short and was beaten for the 1st National in 96 and 97. He actually came from pigeons from Leen Boers in Holland via a friend for free. Leen Boers was a famous young bird racer in the 80s and 90s. His "Mirage" would win the 1st National Orleans against over 100,000p! I mention he comes from a successful young bird racer, this is something I also think is important and will write about soon.
Dave and Gloria had to finish in the sport in 2001 and our biggest mistake was not purchasing "Gatch". He actually ended up in China but we missed our opportunity to buy him for little money.
An interesting note about this pigeon - he came from two yearlings that coupled by accident. His origin is based on the "Motta"
of Van Hee, Wervik. The pigeons from Dave and Gloria still remain at our loft and still win in 2017. They prefer a strong headwind, but it’s testiment to the quality that after so many years we still have the lines here today.
For me youth is one of the most important part of a good breeding loft. Dave and Gloria recognised this and always bred from their yearling hens.
This is just a brief post about a fantastic pigeon who is only really known in Wales, but should be talked about a lot more.
Over the next few months I'm going to write about some of the best pigeons I have been lucky enough to hold in my hands over the last 20 years.
The first place to start is a red cock called "Gatch".
"Gatch was born in 1995. He was bred and raced in Wales by Dave and Gloria Clappe in Cardiff. Dave was an excellent fancier but in my opinion his wife Gloria was even better.
You could see the pigeons in the loft loved her and she was a very very strict selector.
Dave and Gloria lived in a small terraced house and raced very few pigeons. "Gatch" won loads of top prizes as a young bird and yearling.
The final flight in 1996 was the biggest race of the year from Thurso. There was an entry of 4500p from 500 miles. Dave was in hospital for two weeks and told Gloria which pigeons were to be entered. "Gatch" the new star yearling of the loft was to remain home for the next season on Dave's instructions.
But Gloria didn't listen. She saw the form of the pigeon and basketted him for the race anyway. She told Dave he remained at home.
What happened? Of course Gatch would win 1st Welsh Combine in the biggest race of the year from 4500p. Just for reference - Dave and Gloria won the same race again in 1997 with another famous pigeon "Hattrick". He was also 1st National Ace pigeon that year. Not bad for a loft with only 16 cocks!
But for me Gatch was superior to Hattrick. When they raced head to head in 1996 Gatch would win most weeks against his rival. But both were excellent pigeons. "Gatch" would never race again after his win. During March 1997 he disappeared for 1 week. By an amazing stroke of luck a neighbour found him in the chimney of the house, stuck at the top, barely still alive.
He recovered and became a sensational breeder. His daughter we purchased for only £35 in 1999. We named her "Gloria" and she became the mother of 2 National winners for us in two years. Her son "Maverick" was born from "Gloria" x "Jacks Lad". He was our star racer at the time and came close to beating Gatch in 1996 and Hattrick in 1997. "Jacks Lad" did have further to travel in a head wind but he fell short and was beaten for the 1st National in 96 and 97. He actually came from pigeons from Leen Boers in Holland via a friend for free. Leen Boers was a famous young bird racer in the 80s and 90s. His "Mirage" would win the 1st National Orleans against over 100,000p! I mention he comes from a successful young bird racer, this is something I also think is important and will write about soon.
Dave and Gloria had to finish in the sport in 2001 and our biggest mistake was not purchasing "Gatch". He actually ended up in China but we missed our opportunity to buy him for little money.
An interesting note about this pigeon - he came from two yearlings that coupled by accident. His origin is based on the "Motta"
of Van Hee, Wervik. The pigeons from Dave and Gloria still remain at our loft and still win in 2017. They prefer a strong headwind, but it’s testiment to the quality that after so many years we still have the lines here today.
For me youth is one of the most important part of a good breeding loft. Dave and Gloria recognised this and always bred from their yearling hens.
This is just a brief post about a fantastic pigeon who is only really known in Wales, but should be talked about a lot more.
Snow
28th February
The big freeze has begun. For the past 3 days frozen drinkers in every loft. But the next 3 days will make the last 3 feel tame.
Tomorrow the met office are forecasting conditions that feel like -13 degrees here in the Welsh Valleys. They also say that there will be up to 50cm of snow. Our pigeons are used to bad weather, but this even by our standards is pretty bad.
If you look on the blog of Peter Theunis he mentions his youngsters remain unvaccinated due to the cold weather. We are in the same position here in Wales.
Peter gives good advice it's far too cold at the moment and what would be the point when in one more week the conditions will be 10 - 15 degrees warmer?
There are many buses due to leave Wales for the show in Houten over the weekend. The big question is will they make it? I think the wise move would be to leave tonight a day earlier but whether they can arrange this I'm not sure? I hope for everyone they can make the trip and enjoy the weekend.
The big freeze has begun. For the past 3 days frozen drinkers in every loft. But the next 3 days will make the last 3 feel tame.
Tomorrow the met office are forecasting conditions that feel like -13 degrees here in the Welsh Valleys. They also say that there will be up to 50cm of snow. Our pigeons are used to bad weather, but this even by our standards is pretty bad.
If you look on the blog of Peter Theunis he mentions his youngsters remain unvaccinated due to the cold weather. We are in the same position here in Wales.
Peter gives good advice it's far too cold at the moment and what would be the point when in one more week the conditions will be 10 - 15 degrees warmer?
There are many buses due to leave Wales for the show in Houten over the weekend. The big question is will they make it? I think the wise move would be to leave tonight a day earlier but whether they can arrange this I'm not sure? I hope for everyone they can make the trip and enjoy the weekend.
Hens
27th February
The old birds are now starting to settle nicely in the new loft. This year I will start with only the hens, and if I can get some time the cocks will race on the short distance flights in June and July. They will train with the youngsters.
We started racing with hens 20 years ago. It was only 8 hens, and we raced them on the jealousy system. My dad made special boxes, 2 hens paired to one cock. The winner would see the partner, the other would look through the box. You could almost guarantee the loser would win the following week.
What was amazing that year was we raced 8 yearling hens. 7 of them won a 1st prize that year. It opened our eyes and we started to think hens were maybe superior to the cocks, especially on the middle distance / long distance flights.
We actually tried one year to race the cocks on the same jealousy system, so two cocks to one hen. It was a bad experiment. It actually made the cocks crazy. There were more concerned with killing each other than actually racing home to beat its rival.
Our biggest issue over the years has been taking on too much work. We had to find time to work 9am - 5pm and also try to train the cocks, hens and youngsters. You also factor in looking after the breeders and it becomes an impossible task.
Now we have made the decision to focus on only hens and young bird racing. The hens will race on the widowhood system this year and train once per day, if I get time in the winter I will re-make the jealousy boxes to my dads old design for 2019. I found it the best system but it also has the benefit that if I race 20 hens, I only have to keep 10 cocks at home.
Below is a picture of the boxes. There are 3 connected boxes per row for the hen to sit in the left and right, the cock in the centre.
The old birds are now starting to settle nicely in the new loft. This year I will start with only the hens, and if I can get some time the cocks will race on the short distance flights in June and July. They will train with the youngsters.
We started racing with hens 20 years ago. It was only 8 hens, and we raced them on the jealousy system. My dad made special boxes, 2 hens paired to one cock. The winner would see the partner, the other would look through the box. You could almost guarantee the loser would win the following week.
What was amazing that year was we raced 8 yearling hens. 7 of them won a 1st prize that year. It opened our eyes and we started to think hens were maybe superior to the cocks, especially on the middle distance / long distance flights.
We actually tried one year to race the cocks on the same jealousy system, so two cocks to one hen. It was a bad experiment. It actually made the cocks crazy. There were more concerned with killing each other than actually racing home to beat its rival.
Our biggest issue over the years has been taking on too much work. We had to find time to work 9am - 5pm and also try to train the cocks, hens and youngsters. You also factor in looking after the breeders and it becomes an impossible task.
Now we have made the decision to focus on only hens and young bird racing. The hens will race on the widowhood system this year and train once per day, if I get time in the winter I will re-make the jealousy boxes to my dads old design for 2019. I found it the best system but it also has the benefit that if I race 20 hens, I only have to keep 10 cocks at home.
Below is a picture of the boxes. There are 3 connected boxes per row for the hen to sit in the left and right, the cock in the centre.
The Big Freeze
25th February
The forecast for the next 7 - 10 days is very grim. Freezing temperatures, cold east winds and snow are forecast for at least the next week.
I noticed two things today.
1) At the end of February / start of March, regardless of conditions people will still train their pigeons.
2) The hawk problem is bigger than ever.
I saw two hawks pass over the loft this afternoon. In between this I saw pigeons training. For me it's madness to train this early in these weather conditions. The season starts the middle / end of April, and the big races don't start until May.
Why train them in the basket so early? I think it's does more harm than good. You see the same fanciers who win the first two or three races but they run out of gas very quickly.
I mentioned the wind, I don't even like letting my birds out anymore when it's very strong east winds. It's bitterly cold. But also, the hawks are so smart they use it to their advantage.
One a straight line race they will never catch a fit pigeon. But when the wind is so strong, and the pigeons are not totally fit they use this wind to catch the pigeons.
These days once the birds are fit I don't mind skipping a day in the week if the winds are very strong East. It's not worth the risk anymore. Hopefully the weather changes quickly and we get some nice conditions soon, but while this forecast lasts the pigeons will stay locked up in the aviaries, even if it means missing the first one or two races.
The forecast for the next 7 - 10 days is very grim. Freezing temperatures, cold east winds and snow are forecast for at least the next week.
I noticed two things today.
1) At the end of February / start of March, regardless of conditions people will still train their pigeons.
2) The hawk problem is bigger than ever.
I saw two hawks pass over the loft this afternoon. In between this I saw pigeons training. For me it's madness to train this early in these weather conditions. The season starts the middle / end of April, and the big races don't start until May.
Why train them in the basket so early? I think it's does more harm than good. You see the same fanciers who win the first two or three races but they run out of gas very quickly.
I mentioned the wind, I don't even like letting my birds out anymore when it's very strong east winds. It's bitterly cold. But also, the hawks are so smart they use it to their advantage.
One a straight line race they will never catch a fit pigeon. But when the wind is so strong, and the pigeons are not totally fit they use this wind to catch the pigeons.
These days once the birds are fit I don't mind skipping a day in the week if the winds are very strong East. It's not worth the risk anymore. Hopefully the weather changes quickly and we get some nice conditions soon, but while this forecast lasts the pigeons will stay locked up in the aviaries, even if it means missing the first one or two races.
Spring Fair
23rd February
Tomorrow is the annual Welsh Spring Fair. There will be many trade stands in attendance.
It's a nice event and good to catch up with fanciers who I haven't seen for a while. Also to pick up a few bits and pieces for the season. Although it's a sign of the times it seems to get a little bit smaller every year.
It always surprises me how many bags of products everyone carries around with them that they have just bought. It costs a lot of money.
Everyone has their own ideas but one thing that I always noticed was that the best fanciers tend to buy very little and only have small bags.
One thing I don't use is oil. It's a personal preference and I know some good flyers who use it. I tried it twice when I was younger and the pigeons didn't eat the corn. So I took it away and decided not to use it again. I like to see my pigeons eat well. You only need a small amount anyway but is it important? For me there are plenty of vitamins in the feed so I'm not sure there is massive value adding even more?
All Im using at the moment is a homemade product to acidify the water and I'm happy with it. Just a few cheap things from the supermarket mixed together in the water but it keeps the birds in good shape.
Tomorrow is the annual Welsh Spring Fair. There will be many trade stands in attendance.
It's a nice event and good to catch up with fanciers who I haven't seen for a while. Also to pick up a few bits and pieces for the season. Although it's a sign of the times it seems to get a little bit smaller every year.
It always surprises me how many bags of products everyone carries around with them that they have just bought. It costs a lot of money.
Everyone has their own ideas but one thing that I always noticed was that the best fanciers tend to buy very little and only have small bags.
One thing I don't use is oil. It's a personal preference and I know some good flyers who use it. I tried it twice when I was younger and the pigeons didn't eat the corn. So I took it away and decided not to use it again. I like to see my pigeons eat well. You only need a small amount anyway but is it important? For me there are plenty of vitamins in the feed so I'm not sure there is massive value adding even more?
All Im using at the moment is a homemade product to acidify the water and I'm happy with it. Just a few cheap things from the supermarket mixed together in the water but it keeps the birds in good shape.
Feeding
22nd February
The young birds had their second look around today. More bad weather is on its way so hopefully we can get them out again tomorrow. Sadly the bad weather could last for weeks.
Watching the young birds change and grow everyday made me think about something I used to study, but now I'm not so sure it's as important as fanciers think?
When I was younger one of the aspects I was obsessed with in the pigeon sport was feeding. I would hear from older members in the club you should feed this much food per day, this brand of corn etc.
At the time my dad’s system was quite simple. He worked 9am to 5pm so the birds feeder was always full. Once it got low he would fill it up again. We flew the north road route at the time from Scotland to Wales and the pigeons used to cross many mountains the entire route. It was tough and almost always low velocities, so the feed was quite heavy. We had up to 30,000p per race back then. The trust was put in the pigeons to make their own decision and eat what they wanted, when they wanted.
Over the following years I changed it and tried everything. Different brands, measuring the feed, breaking them down with a “depurative” mix etc. You name it, I tried it.
Did it improve us? I don’t think so. If anything when I measured the corn the results went down. The idea that pigeons should eat the same amount every day for me, is a bit silly. Do I eat the same amount of food every day? Of course not. In the summer I tend to eat less in the warm weather, and in winter (especially over Christmas!) I eat more. Why should the pigeons be any different. I know people who measure the feed every day, and these are not amongst the best names in Wales. But, they do tend to race well on the short races in nice weather.
I do wonder why my dad allowed me to change the system. I think he probably made similar mistakes in his younger days, but thought it was better for my education in the long run to make them myself so I would never make them again. A pigeon never goes hungry in our loft anymore.
Regarding the feed, I’ve come to the conclusion that most companies produce clean, good feed. So now I tend to use what is available at the local stockist whether it be Versele-Laga, Beyers, Teurlings, Matador, Gem etc I find it doesn’t make a massive difference. Below is a picture of the mix we fed during the winter. It’s actually all the left overs from the racing season.
Above all the most important thing is the quality of the pigeons.
The young birds had their second look around today. More bad weather is on its way so hopefully we can get them out again tomorrow. Sadly the bad weather could last for weeks.
Watching the young birds change and grow everyday made me think about something I used to study, but now I'm not so sure it's as important as fanciers think?
When I was younger one of the aspects I was obsessed with in the pigeon sport was feeding. I would hear from older members in the club you should feed this much food per day, this brand of corn etc.
At the time my dad’s system was quite simple. He worked 9am to 5pm so the birds feeder was always full. Once it got low he would fill it up again. We flew the north road route at the time from Scotland to Wales and the pigeons used to cross many mountains the entire route. It was tough and almost always low velocities, so the feed was quite heavy. We had up to 30,000p per race back then. The trust was put in the pigeons to make their own decision and eat what they wanted, when they wanted.
Over the following years I changed it and tried everything. Different brands, measuring the feed, breaking them down with a “depurative” mix etc. You name it, I tried it.
Did it improve us? I don’t think so. If anything when I measured the corn the results went down. The idea that pigeons should eat the same amount every day for me, is a bit silly. Do I eat the same amount of food every day? Of course not. In the summer I tend to eat less in the warm weather, and in winter (especially over Christmas!) I eat more. Why should the pigeons be any different. I know people who measure the feed every day, and these are not amongst the best names in Wales. But, they do tend to race well on the short races in nice weather.
I do wonder why my dad allowed me to change the system. I think he probably made similar mistakes in his younger days, but thought it was better for my education in the long run to make them myself so I would never make them again. A pigeon never goes hungry in our loft anymore.
Regarding the feed, I’ve come to the conclusion that most companies produce clean, good feed. So now I tend to use what is available at the local stockist whether it be Versele-Laga, Beyers, Teurlings, Matador, Gem etc I find it doesn’t make a massive difference. Below is a picture of the mix we fed during the winter. It’s actually all the left overs from the racing season.
Above all the most important thing is the quality of the pigeons.
Bird of Prey part 2
21st February
I just read on the website of Ad S about the massive issue fanciers in Holland and Belgium are having with the hawk problem.
I mentioned in a previous post it's a massive problem for people in Wales especially over the past 10 years. Some fanciers can no longer fly their pigeons as they wait in the tree for them to open the loft doors.
There are some useful things you can do to keep them away, but the hawks are smart and it only works for a short period.
1) Draw eyes on the back of the bird using a felt pen. This does seem to startle the hawk, it works especially well on white pigeons but they do get used to it. The brighter the colour the better.
2) Discs. I know a lot of people who hang CD discs all around the loft. I never tried this myself but I know some people are convinced they help. The sun shines on them and the light reflection startles the hawk.
3) Dummy Eagle Owl. The eagle owl is one the of the few animals that will attack and kill a hawk. A fancier in my club has had a dummy owl on top of his loft for years. The head moves in the wind. He still suffers hawk attacks so this seems to be a very short term fix.
4) Fireworks. Another club member let's off a rocket every time he sees the hawk. He also lets one go before training flights at the training site. It puts the hawk off its track but over time they get used to it and they will still attack.
5) Whistle. One thing I always have in my loft coat is a very sharp, loud whistle. When the hawk is nearby I use it to make as much noise as possible. Like the rocket it puts them off but it's useless unless the birds stay close to the loft. Plus if you use it too often the neighbours are not happy.
6) Tail Flute. This is something my dad came across about 20 years ago. He attached a wooden bell / flute to one of the youngsters tails before every training flight. We used to catch one before we opened the basket. He used 2 match sticks to hold it in place. When the birds took off the bell would create a loud whistle in the wind for the entire flight. It was amazing you would hear them home from miles away. We never had any issues with the hawk, but I must admit it was a much smaller problem back then. In 2018 I will again use my dads original bell and hopefully it will help with the basket training.
I mentioned the Eagle owl, it's been making a return to the UK for several years. Yet the RSPB (protection of birds!) is not happy at the threat to their big money spinner, the hawk.
Below is a link an old article by cricket and sporting legend Sir Ian Botham. He has been outspoken about the the hawk issue in the UK for many years and people now seem to be noticing the massive decline in song birds. No longer do you see small birds in the garden. A bird feeder is a death sentence to a small bird. It just attracts the sparrow hawk.
I just hope it's something that we can change sooner rather than later before it's too late.
The hawk is a magnificent bird, there is no doubt, but they have become massively overpopulated in recent years.
I just read on the website of Ad S about the massive issue fanciers in Holland and Belgium are having with the hawk problem.
I mentioned in a previous post it's a massive problem for people in Wales especially over the past 10 years. Some fanciers can no longer fly their pigeons as they wait in the tree for them to open the loft doors.
There are some useful things you can do to keep them away, but the hawks are smart and it only works for a short period.
1) Draw eyes on the back of the bird using a felt pen. This does seem to startle the hawk, it works especially well on white pigeons but they do get used to it. The brighter the colour the better.
2) Discs. I know a lot of people who hang CD discs all around the loft. I never tried this myself but I know some people are convinced they help. The sun shines on them and the light reflection startles the hawk.
3) Dummy Eagle Owl. The eagle owl is one the of the few animals that will attack and kill a hawk. A fancier in my club has had a dummy owl on top of his loft for years. The head moves in the wind. He still suffers hawk attacks so this seems to be a very short term fix.
4) Fireworks. Another club member let's off a rocket every time he sees the hawk. He also lets one go before training flights at the training site. It puts the hawk off its track but over time they get used to it and they will still attack.
5) Whistle. One thing I always have in my loft coat is a very sharp, loud whistle. When the hawk is nearby I use it to make as much noise as possible. Like the rocket it puts them off but it's useless unless the birds stay close to the loft. Plus if you use it too often the neighbours are not happy.
6) Tail Flute. This is something my dad came across about 20 years ago. He attached a wooden bell / flute to one of the youngsters tails before every training flight. We used to catch one before we opened the basket. He used 2 match sticks to hold it in place. When the birds took off the bell would create a loud whistle in the wind for the entire flight. It was amazing you would hear them home from miles away. We never had any issues with the hawk, but I must admit it was a much smaller problem back then. In 2018 I will again use my dads original bell and hopefully it will help with the basket training.
I mentioned the Eagle owl, it's been making a return to the UK for several years. Yet the RSPB (protection of birds!) is not happy at the threat to their big money spinner, the hawk.
Below is a link an old article by cricket and sporting legend Sir Ian Botham. He has been outspoken about the the hawk issue in the UK for many years and people now seem to be noticing the massive decline in song birds. No longer do you see small birds in the garden. A bird feeder is a death sentence to a small bird. It just attracts the sparrow hawk.
I just hope it's something that we can change sooner rather than later before it's too late.
The hawk is a magnificent bird, there is no doubt, but they have become massively overpopulated in recent years.
WSEN
20th February
The AGM of the WSEN took place yesterday and it was an important meeting.
The WSEN along with the Welsh Combine form together by far the biggest organisation in Wales. My dad used to be the secretary of the WSEN several years ago and there were some races along with the Combine where we had over 17,000p per race.
The sport in Wales has become a little more fragmented in recent years, with some people forming their own rival organisation. For me this is a massively backward step. The WSEN / Welsh Combine is still the biggest by far and hardest to win.
Over the winter there has been a dispute between the two and many have been asking what would happen if it wasn't resolved. Would there be another breakaway?
Thankfully the meeting ended with an end to the dispute, some new people on the committee and now we can put the speculation to bed and finalise the plans for the 2018 season.
I mentioned in a previous post about National Racing in Wales, hopefully not in the too distant future everyone in Wales will be back flying as one.
The AGM of the WSEN took place yesterday and it was an important meeting.
The WSEN along with the Welsh Combine form together by far the biggest organisation in Wales. My dad used to be the secretary of the WSEN several years ago and there were some races along with the Combine where we had over 17,000p per race.
The sport in Wales has become a little more fragmented in recent years, with some people forming their own rival organisation. For me this is a massively backward step. The WSEN / Welsh Combine is still the biggest by far and hardest to win.
Over the winter there has been a dispute between the two and many have been asking what would happen if it wasn't resolved. Would there be another breakaway?
Thankfully the meeting ended with an end to the dispute, some new people on the committee and now we can put the speculation to bed and finalise the plans for the 2018 season.
I mentioned in a previous post about National Racing in Wales, hopefully not in the too distant future everyone in Wales will be back flying as one.
Youngsters
19th February
Yesterday for the first time we let out our youngsters. Touch wood it was a success.
The weather in Wales has been awful for the past few weeks. I like to give my youngsters as much freedom as possible once they are weaned from the parents. It hasn’t been possible to do this but we didn’t have a visit from the sparrow hawk so that was the main thing.
Also this weekend the first youngsters move to our friends Ian and Alan Evans in Bargoed. We race as normal to our own loft, but we are also racing with Ian at his loft in Bargoed in the WNR Fed. I’m sure Ian and Alan will do well with them this season and it’ll be exciting to see how they perform at both lofts in 2018.
Yesterday for the first time we let out our youngsters. Touch wood it was a success.
The weather in Wales has been awful for the past few weeks. I like to give my youngsters as much freedom as possible once they are weaned from the parents. It hasn’t been possible to do this but we didn’t have a visit from the sparrow hawk so that was the main thing.
Also this weekend the first youngsters move to our friends Ian and Alan Evans in Bargoed. We race as normal to our own loft, but we are also racing with Ian at his loft in Bargoed in the WNR Fed. I’m sure Ian and Alan will do well with them this season and it’ll be exciting to see how they perform at both lofts in 2018.
Uk vs Europe
15th February
Ever since I can remember one of the topics talked about at the clubs has been who has the best pigeons.
The are some fanciers who believe that you should only buy from other UK fanciers and there is no point travelling to Europe for pigeons. The pigeons in the UK are good enough and are acquainted with the terrain. There are some who won't buy UK birds and will only buy from fanciers in Europe. I fall into the category in the middle.
I like to swap with other UK fanciers but I also like to buy pigeons from Europe. But it's not just about the pigeons. If you speak to the same people and never leave your own backyard, how can you learn and improve?
When I visit Belgium or Holland it's not just to buy pigeons, it's to learn from the fanciers I visit and to try and pick up new ideas. I've met some great people. Too many to name but the fanciers I speak to most are Ad S, Peter T, Jan VDP and HVD. They have been very kind and I'd like to thank them for the pigeons and help over the years.
A new fancier I visited over the winter, purely to study and speak to was Maarten Huisjmans. Maarten let us look at all the lofts and handle all his best pigeons. You don't get this at some lofts there was one famous name I visited and you couldn't see the lofts or the pigeons. There were some fantastic pigeons at Maarten's and he is a really nice guy.
What struck me most was almost all the stock birds (6 couples) were top racers. My dad brought me up on the saying "winners breed winners". So it's no surprise Maarten races so well.
I think the first group of fanciers make a good point that you don't have to travel 500 miles to get good birds. They refer to cases in the past where some European fanciers use the U.K. as a "dumping ground" for pigeons they can't sell in their own country. I blame the fanciers who were stupid enough to buy the pigeons in the first place, not the seller. Why would you buy from someone when you know nothing about the birds or the results?
If you have never visited fanciers in Europe or anywhere in the world for that matter I would encourage it, you can always learn something new and make some great friends along the way.
Ever since I can remember one of the topics talked about at the clubs has been who has the best pigeons.
The are some fanciers who believe that you should only buy from other UK fanciers and there is no point travelling to Europe for pigeons. The pigeons in the UK are good enough and are acquainted with the terrain. There are some who won't buy UK birds and will only buy from fanciers in Europe. I fall into the category in the middle.
I like to swap with other UK fanciers but I also like to buy pigeons from Europe. But it's not just about the pigeons. If you speak to the same people and never leave your own backyard, how can you learn and improve?
When I visit Belgium or Holland it's not just to buy pigeons, it's to learn from the fanciers I visit and to try and pick up new ideas. I've met some great people. Too many to name but the fanciers I speak to most are Ad S, Peter T, Jan VDP and HVD. They have been very kind and I'd like to thank them for the pigeons and help over the years.
A new fancier I visited over the winter, purely to study and speak to was Maarten Huisjmans. Maarten let us look at all the lofts and handle all his best pigeons. You don't get this at some lofts there was one famous name I visited and you couldn't see the lofts or the pigeons. There were some fantastic pigeons at Maarten's and he is a really nice guy.
What struck me most was almost all the stock birds (6 couples) were top racers. My dad brought me up on the saying "winners breed winners". So it's no surprise Maarten races so well.
I think the first group of fanciers make a good point that you don't have to travel 500 miles to get good birds. They refer to cases in the past where some European fanciers use the U.K. as a "dumping ground" for pigeons they can't sell in their own country. I blame the fanciers who were stupid enough to buy the pigeons in the first place, not the seller. Why would you buy from someone when you know nothing about the birds or the results?
If you have never visited fanciers in Europe or anywhere in the world for that matter I would encourage it, you can always learn something new and make some great friends along the way.
Race Programme 2018
14th February
Below is the provisional race programme for 2018. I think it has some good and bad points.
Personally I think 8 races to start before we get to 300km with old pigeons is poor. We could go up a little bit quicker and we should have more middle distance / one day races. The programme has been more about cost cutting in recent years rather than producing the best for all members. Im sure on the final version there will be far too many "Swindon's" as per last year. The lorry can get there and back on one tank of petrol so the organisers are happy.
There is a reason so many good birds get lost from this race point. The hawks are not stupid if you continue to go to the same place 10 times a year for several years (40% of the programme!) then they will build a nest as close as possible to the food source. The biggest positive is Lillers being back on the calendar for young birds. I applaud the organisers for making the decision the members wanted and bring the race back.
Below is the provisional race programme for 2018. I think it has some good and bad points.
Personally I think 8 races to start before we get to 300km with old pigeons is poor. We could go up a little bit quicker and we should have more middle distance / one day races. The programme has been more about cost cutting in recent years rather than producing the best for all members. Im sure on the final version there will be far too many "Swindon's" as per last year. The lorry can get there and back on one tank of petrol so the organisers are happy.
There is a reason so many good birds get lost from this race point. The hawks are not stupid if you continue to go to the same place 10 times a year for several years (40% of the programme!) then they will build a nest as close as possible to the food source. The biggest positive is Lillers being back on the calendar for young birds. I applaud the organisers for making the decision the members wanted and bring the race back.
Oswaldtwistle
13th February
In every area in the UK over recent years clubs have been getting smaller, in some areas clubs have even merged as numbers are so low. It’s a trend which is getting worse as most fanciers are older, but one club in the north of England have proved it’s possible to change this trend.
The club is called Oswaldtwistle. Like other clubs it was down to only a handful of members. But one of the members decided he was going to try and do something about it.
His idea was simple but risky and at the same time an expense to himself. He re-built / fixed all the unused lofts in the area. Whether they needed new boxes, a new roof he fixed them one by one. Local fanciers then placed birds in these lofts, and they were available to anyone who wanted to take up pigeons.
The results have been nothing short of spectacular. The club now has over FIFTY members. The intake of new members has ranged from all ages. To start in the pigeon sport it’s really expensive. This gave people an opportunity they didn’t have previously.
For new members it’s also daunting to race against the established members. Oswaldtwistle operates a league system, so several results are produced and the new members can compete against each other. How often does a new fanciers finish in the sport because they get fed up not getting on a result? This system solves this problem.
This club is a great example of what can be achieved with investment and ambition. I think a good target group for new members are people who are retiring and were involved in the sport when they were younger. They no longer have a young family and the pigeon sport can be a great way for them to fill the void left by no longer working. I hope the unions invest some of their money into a similar project and look at the areas who are struggling for members the most. There are two empty lofts close to me, it would be great to see them used once again.
In every area in the UK over recent years clubs have been getting smaller, in some areas clubs have even merged as numbers are so low. It’s a trend which is getting worse as most fanciers are older, but one club in the north of England have proved it’s possible to change this trend.
The club is called Oswaldtwistle. Like other clubs it was down to only a handful of members. But one of the members decided he was going to try and do something about it.
His idea was simple but risky and at the same time an expense to himself. He re-built / fixed all the unused lofts in the area. Whether they needed new boxes, a new roof he fixed them one by one. Local fanciers then placed birds in these lofts, and they were available to anyone who wanted to take up pigeons.
The results have been nothing short of spectacular. The club now has over FIFTY members. The intake of new members has ranged from all ages. To start in the pigeon sport it’s really expensive. This gave people an opportunity they didn’t have previously.
For new members it’s also daunting to race against the established members. Oswaldtwistle operates a league system, so several results are produced and the new members can compete against each other. How often does a new fanciers finish in the sport because they get fed up not getting on a result? This system solves this problem.
This club is a great example of what can be achieved with investment and ambition. I think a good target group for new members are people who are retiring and were involved in the sport when they were younger. They no longer have a young family and the pigeon sport can be a great way for them to fill the void left by no longer working. I hope the unions invest some of their money into a similar project and look at the areas who are struggling for members the most. There are two empty lofts close to me, it would be great to see them used once again.
Two Bird Club
11th February
To try and add some excitement our club is forming a 2 bird club for 2018. It's open to any member in the federation.
The idea is simple. All members pick 2 birds who complete for a nice pot of money each week. I remember when I was very young you could win some nice money but those days are long gone. Even if you win the 1st National the prize money is minimal. Certainly now the money in the pigeon sport lies with the sellers.
The new 2 bird club evens up the field and if anything gives the smaller fanciers a slight advantage when it comes to picking the right pigeon. I know there are several clubs like this already in Wales but nothing locally so I'm sure it will be a success if there is good money available to the winners.
To try and add some excitement our club is forming a 2 bird club for 2018. It's open to any member in the federation.
The idea is simple. All members pick 2 birds who complete for a nice pot of money each week. I remember when I was very young you could win some nice money but those days are long gone. Even if you win the 1st National the prize money is minimal. Certainly now the money in the pigeon sport lies with the sellers.
The new 2 bird club evens up the field and if anything gives the smaller fanciers a slight advantage when it comes to picking the right pigeon. I know there are several clubs like this already in Wales but nothing locally so I'm sure it will be a success if there is good money available to the winners.
Compuclub
9th February
Compuclub is a website I look at almost every weekend during the racing season. It's a great system and something we don't have here in Wales. I really appreciated it when I watched an NPO flight at Henri Van Doorn's loft several years ago. Henri had a great race and knew the result within a matter of hours and how many prizes he won.
In Wales we don't have a prize system. In the SWG fed for example they only give the first 40 positions, regardless of number of birds. The best example of this not being a great system is the Welsh Combine. They get between 5,000 - 10,000 birds and only give the first 120 positions. You may have a fancier place 121 and 122 with 2 entries from 10,000p and you never know of this result. Hopefully it's something our organisations will look at. Most of our organisations don't even have a website and you have to wait a week to see a result. It's not the secretaries fault they have to enter everyone's birds manually. If we had a Compuclub system it would help them and give them more time to focus on other aspects of their job. Plus everyone would see a bigger, quicker result which can only be a good thing.
Compuclub is a website I look at almost every weekend during the racing season. It's a great system and something we don't have here in Wales. I really appreciated it when I watched an NPO flight at Henri Van Doorn's loft several years ago. Henri had a great race and knew the result within a matter of hours and how many prizes he won.
In Wales we don't have a prize system. In the SWG fed for example they only give the first 40 positions, regardless of number of birds. The best example of this not being a great system is the Welsh Combine. They get between 5,000 - 10,000 birds and only give the first 120 positions. You may have a fancier place 121 and 122 with 2 entries from 10,000p and you never know of this result. Hopefully it's something our organisations will look at. Most of our organisations don't even have a website and you have to wait a week to see a result. It's not the secretaries fault they have to enter everyone's birds manually. If we had a Compuclub system it would help them and give them more time to focus on other aspects of their job. Plus everyone would see a bigger, quicker result which can only be a good thing.
Work vs Results
6th February 2018
Like many fanciers I work full time usually 9am to 5pm. It's almost impossible to work these hours and fly fantastic week in week out. Especially in April and May are my busiest months which is why I focus on the young birds.
This year I will just fly a few old hens for fun along with the young birds. If you notice most of the best lofts are partnerships or retired fanciers who have all day to take care of their pigeons. Working fanciers need to be smart with how they maximise the time at the loft.
An example is me and my dad used to clean the lofts twice a day and we never had time to watch the pigeons exercise. Now for several years we stopped cleaning. Deep litter is used and the perches are cleaned at the weekend as neither of us have time to clean. It means I can watch the birds train and make sure they train well and not get lazy on the roof. Also the birds have to toughen up and any weaklings who can't cope in this environment get found out very quickly.
Work is certainly a big disadvantage if you want to fly week in week out, but there is some hope if you use the time wisely and prioritise certain races.
Like many fanciers I work full time usually 9am to 5pm. It's almost impossible to work these hours and fly fantastic week in week out. Especially in April and May are my busiest months which is why I focus on the young birds.
This year I will just fly a few old hens for fun along with the young birds. If you notice most of the best lofts are partnerships or retired fanciers who have all day to take care of their pigeons. Working fanciers need to be smart with how they maximise the time at the loft.
An example is me and my dad used to clean the lofts twice a day and we never had time to watch the pigeons exercise. Now for several years we stopped cleaning. Deep litter is used and the perches are cleaned at the weekend as neither of us have time to clean. It means I can watch the birds train and make sure they train well and not get lazy on the roof. Also the birds have to toughen up and any weaklings who can't cope in this environment get found out very quickly.
Work is certainly a big disadvantage if you want to fly week in week out, but there is some hope if you use the time wisely and prioritise certain races.
