Discipline Through The Off-Season

As I understand it good trapping is brought about by having well disciplined pigeons and this is strictly enforced mostly by food and I believe by routine as well.
My question is do you maintain this strict discipline throughout the non-racing parts of the year? I ask because the days are getting considerably shorter, opportunities for the birds to fly out will become less as well, especially when the bad weather becomes more of an issue. Added to which my birds are still moulting reasonably heavily (late breds) and therefore food seems to be just as important as when the birds are more active with the growing of new feathers and even just keeping warm!! I'm inclined to let them have access to food throughout the day or at least for longer periods but am concerned that it might not be possible to restore their trapping discipline when it's required next year

hi mate , i know what you mean but if they have been well trained to trap
as yb then when you let them out again in the spring like i do if kept on short rations before hand
then there no problems with them . ATB

Thanks Kev, that's what I hoped. So I take it we can afford to be less regimented through the off season and maybe prepared to let them have their feed a bit easier, but not so liberally that they'll only take what they like most and waste the rest?

hi steve, my thoughts on the feeding and trapping are that as you have already got your ybs trained to being hopper fed so to speak, once they know this routine that food is always available they generaly just eat what they need and do not gorge themselves.......if fanciers decide they want to hopper feed they have to teach the bnirds but you have already done it as babies, and as kev says, once trained they should still trap even when not hungry........although they always need discipline and routine whichever way you manage them.

Thanks David, TBH I haven't really disciplined them too much and am happy that they come in when I'm ready for them after cleaning and preparing their feed when they're out. But at the moment after flying around for an hour or so they quite like to potter around my garden and heve developed quite a taste for my wifes begonias flower heads - I was a bit concerned about it but if it was going to cause them a problem I think it would have by now as they've eaten loads. I was also thinking there might be something missing from their diet but they get minerals, grit, cider vinegar as well as an assortment of different food, athough an experienced local fancier did tell me I could give every food and supplement known to man and they'd still peck at roofs and in gutters etc. Basically as I'm not intending to race them I'm happy if they are and they're healthy, but as I am thinking of having a go maybe next year I am looking to learn as many lessons as I can when it doesn't matter too much.

Steve for me routine and discipline is a must and the one thing i would say is you are the boss and not the pigeons

Will say the only time pigeons will be the boss is when they are feeding as there is plenty of food about and sometimes you will call you pigeons and they will not respond but this will only be for a short time till the youngsters have been removed and you can ration your pigeons food to suit them

Yeah, I reckon you're spot on there Don. I reckon I'm treating mine as pets at the moment and that to have any sort of success later on I'm going to have to learn to be a lot more regimented and 'in charge',

Steve it is just about getting the balance mate, you have not got to starve them but as soon as you shake the tin the pigeons should know

It all starts when they are youngsters and carry on with the discipline even when they are old birds

Remember your the boss not them

no discipline needed through the closed season pigeons dont need to be out just leave them in let them recharge

Ian so you don't let your birds out not even to bath during the moult

steve, if i was you i would just enjoy your birds and gain experience in looking after them and experriment with feed and suppliments.......if you want to race next year or the year after spend your time learning as one of the biggest mistakes i made was to try race before i was ready, it took me most of the yb season to get it right but then it was too late for 2010................

one thing tho steve, dont let them please themselves and get into bad habits.....you are the boss !!!

More good advice - thanks again gents. It would appear though that I'm being a bit too relaxed with them. Is it possible to get control of birds that maybe haven't been disciplined right from the start or is it too late to try to educate them when they're say 6-8 months old?

leave the birds in the loft they have done enough this year let them go thou the moult in peace and thats all you need to do spend time every day with them study the birds all good things to do in winter holiday time for them

Don Webb wrote:

Ian so you don't let your birds out not even to bath during the moult

not at all don

ian wrote:

Don Webb wrote:

Ian so you don't let your birds out not even to bath during the moult

not at all don

same here ian give them a bath in loft once a fortnight if you like but no not leting any out whats the piont

Must say the way it came over Ian your birds are left in the loft, but for me during the moult i always had my birds out on a sunday morning to have a warm bath which i like to see my birds bath and relax about the loft

stopped that after hawks was geting them on tops of lofts not worth it just herd this and that was enough for me so dont let them out to sit on roofs any roof if i can help it

Don Webb wrote:

Must say the way it came over Ian your birds are left in the loft, but for me during the moult i always had my birds out on a sunday morning to have a warm bath which i like to see my birds bath and relax about the loft

yes i give them a bath in the loft also no need to be out when on heavy moult

the thing is tho, steves ybs are latebreds which he got from me.......the birds are still only young and are just settleing to the loft really so i think they need to be out as much as possible even tho they are moulting because if he keeps them in the loft he might not see them again come the better weather and when the moult has finished.........

these are young pigeons needing to learn their surrounds......

still no need david i also have latebreds these also kept in through moulting

yes but you have other birds ian, steve only has these two and a 2010 hen...........its very hard trying to settle ybs when you dont have any others to hold them round home.....

this is the one only reason for letting out when on a heavy moult, i understand this but when moulting its like having a toothe acre not very nice ,

yes i know what your saying ian, and i arnt letting mine out at the moment due to the moult......but like i say steve needs to get these ybs settled as they are latebreds which havnt had the benefit of surveying the surrounds over the summer like our ybs have..........

Is it wrong to be letting them out to fly every day whilst they're in a heavy moult, it does seem as though the majority of people are keeping their birds in or at least restricting their flying albeit for a variety of reasons - some fearing BOP attacks, others because of the stress and potential pain of the moult, others because of shorter days or a combination of the above.

I try to let mine out everyday and they seem to love flying about, tumbling quite spectacularly, but if this should be restricted for their long term good then I would of course restrict it - it has to be said though they're dead keen to get out and fly into the sputnik ready to be released as soon as they hear me!!!