Training methods

Single up or liberate the lot together, does it make any difference?

Only in the fanciers mind set. 'Treat them as What a human would do syndrome' I believe.
Obviously each pigeon is an individual. On the day he has it, not. Many say best to let them singerly, as it will get them to fly on their own!

i think i`d always do them as a team , i know some say it helps them break from the pack on race days, it might do, but i still think i would prefer to liberate as one bunch .

team to start with as ybs ...have single tossed after a good few trainers though

barnie wrote:

Single up or liberate the lot together, does it make any difference?

Yes it makes a massive difference if you have a team of 20 and they are all up together there will be only 3-5 working there brain to get home the rest are just following the leaders

Single ups are best to test the pigeons ability to get home plus it gives the pigeons confidence in getting home when on there own

Never trained at all, if a pigeon is fit and healthy and has a reason to return to it's loft it will do so, it is giving the pigeon the incentive that counts, the rest is natural.

Jumped pigeons into races at all distances and changed from North to South in following weeks some times with the same pigeons.

Health, fitness, you need both along with incentive and BINGO.

Above all though the pigeon must have the initial capability which has nothing to do with anything else, SOWS EAR springs to mind.

Regards.

Shall batches at a time , in groups of 18 or slightly less

Don Webb wrote:

barnie wrote:

Single up or liberate the lot together, does it make any difference?

Yes it makes a massive difference if you have  a team of 20 and they are all up together there will be only 3-5 working there brain to get home the rest are just following the leaders

Single ups are best to test the pigeons ability to get home plus it gives the pigeons confidence in getting home when on there own  

Only if you have plenty of time Don for single tossing them etc. Here we tend to toss in mobs on average & think nothing if the birds they go up with, are birds spreading into a 2/3/4 thousand mile type area       on the day for the experience factor. End of the story     we tend to like pigeons down here with a brain factor     & we also like them to use it as such   .
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Ditto Misty 'Never trained at all'! Not in the earlier years, nor in the last years. Both were the best flying I achieved. Some said one or two things. Good job you had no money or car, or any one who took your 'Pigeons up the Road'! The notion of disdain was actually very true!


Once ranged, after flying with Zealousness they were as fit as well needed. Knew where home was … and making up their minds as to whether they wanted to be there.

Their ranging in over 60 miles in any and every way would show A. 5 mile tosses a waste of time and effort. Breaking points a myth.

First C, the most important  'Contentment.
Getter a safe and warm place to live and bolt to if needs be.  
Interestingly, on the longest race for youngster - likewise for old birds - the fancier aimed and loved to get the 3rd flight just peeking through. A ign of it being full of energy … Energy -admitted - for the moult!

Good distance and hard day flyers would tell me. Single Tossing' is to strengthen the heart.
First landing … others following after, show the last home... those landing first. Maybe a little truth in that … Unless wanting in to the nest box of course.

Daz wrote:

Good distance and hard day flyers would tell me. Single Tossing' is to strengthen the heart.
First landing … others following after, show the last home... those landing first. Maybe a little truth in that … Unless wanting in to the nest box of course.

One of the best distance type flyers I've seen here etc Misty in my time is actually a country type flyer & he thinks nothing of giving his birds a toss or two with us city folk down here. His birds do around 60 odd miles up into mountain type country on there own & they have to fly against the drag of thousands of birds like myself in a local sense & he is 60 odd miles due East of my brigade & further for those well to the West of me when all training together etc from the North & from around 60/80 odd miles for the likes of myself.
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Many roads to Rome Knackered.

Would think at times on open loft some of my pigeons would fly over 300 or more miles a day just for the pure joy of it.

When the loft was on Oliver's Mount all the pigeons would go up together the older with ones would break away after a while and tend their nests etc; and then join the young ones when not attending the nest etc;

They were fed out and had hopper.

The young would fly for several hours out to sea most of the time and only return to feed, they flew for the sheer joy of it, and each and every day flew many more times than a 60 mile training toss, and for fun not forced.

When I decided, after the loft on Oliver's Mount was broken into and all pigeons stolen, only recovered one, which enabled the police to prosecute the culprits, they had kept them in a coalhouse and not fed them, when they went to court I made it clear either they got dealt with properly or I would deal with them.

They got a years jail.

So I decided to have my loft at home some 45 years ago.

Adopted exactly the same system, the pigeons did not fly as long as they did previously on Oliver's Mount all at once but were up and down all day long and must have gained fitness from the efforts of getting in the air and then having a good old fly at their leisure several times a day. (would think at least 200 miles EVERY DAY)

Takes all sorts Knackered, would never ever have considered either widowhood or darkness and been repaid by giving my pigeons as near a normal life as possible.

Regards.

Barry would take them at night, just 10 - 20 miles in all weathers a few times. He gave them just about enough time to get home before too dark. Soon made that. He wanted them to be able to go that little extra on cold / hard and distance races.

As Misty did, so did I. quote '.... Takes all sorts Knackered, would never ever have considered either widowhood or darkness and been repaid by giving my pigeons as near a normal life as possible'. and feel the same.

Often heard said 'Ah but the pigeon doesn't know what I have in store for them'! True, But then you can't tell them. So yes, you can help a little no doubt --- Though most is what the fancier believes is the best for them .. and then often related to in human terms.

Fact is though, only Healthy, fit and conditioned pigeons win races.... regardless how they achieve it. But they certainly don't if the first 'C' isn't there!

i think if i ever race again i will alter how i trained young birds, ive fallen into the trap of just taking them a short distance down the road, usually they have come back crap ..........but in future i will start them off maybe 8 - 10 miles away as i think they will come home better.

if they are exercising and ranging well when exercising around home, i reckon just taking them a mile or two down the road does more harm than good .

A 'Name' we all know, only raced hen birds. The system started in the nest box etc.

But on the Friday / basketing day, hungry, he took them just a mile up the road. Fed lightly in. … Best results were when putting other cock birds in the nest boxes. Hens went crazy for a moment. A few minutes later he took the hens out and basketed them. A little seed in the basket and water.

David wrote:

i think if i ever race again i will alter how i trained young birds, ive fallen into the trap of just taking them a short distance down the road, usually they have come back crap ..........but in future i will start them off maybe 8 - 10 miles away as i think they will come home better.

if they are exercising and ranging well when exercising around home, i reckon just taking them a mile or two down the road does more harm than good .

All comes back to what ones birds are doing around home I suggest David. We all know the Rome scenario etc but a wee bit of an insult in some way's from my way of thinking, when one takes one's birds 1/2 miles down the road for there first toss.
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Oh yes, forgot to add. He tossed te hens less than a hour before basketing at night! then into the basket to the race.


He made his name on the Hens racing. States that they are more genuine.

Later, he added some cock birds to the team, to boost sales I guess.

Dutch guy years ago in a club I was in here, did pretty much the same. However, he was pretty close mouthed about it. He won more of his share. I could beat him at 500 and 600 more so then lesser distances. 400 was about equal. He never mentioned his methods much. Not a widowhood flier. But was always trying to get info from others. Just in case scenario.

halcanada81 wrote:

Dutch guy years ago in a club I was in here, did pretty much the same. However, he was pretty close mouthed about it. He won more of his share. I could beat him at 500 and 600 more so then lesser distances. 400 was about equal. He never mentioned his methods much. Not a widowhood flier. But was always trying to get info from others. Just in case scenario.

say little type but he had big ears etc Hal     amazing I found how some can block out the hustle & bustle of noise on basket night etc & then tune into the whisper type voices telling all to a certain few in a corner as such, away from the noise.
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