Watchfield In The Vale Flying Club with MB
*Remember there are No Secrets from a Bottle, just Hardwork, Dedication & Determination*
Well folks we are now on the 20th February and the new season is fast approaching, as readers will probably know i am a regular member of the pigeon website “pigeonforumotion” who along with friends we regularly have competitions on site. During the winter months we held seven shows for members of the site ie old cock, old hen, young cock, young hen, pairs, colours, show birds etc and we had one of our members in outstanding form, this member entered only five of the shows and unbelievably was voted the winner of all five.
Now i have spoke to this member for over twelves months now and i know that he is very dedicated and determined, he was really pleased with his racing performances during 2010 and what makes this achievement so much better is that unbelievably he is only in his third racing season.
I thought this would be a perfect chance to test my new loft report questionnaire which i hope to be undertaking on various top performers during 2011 and thought this was a great demonstration and testament to the fancier on how this fairly new comer is achieving so much with his birds and i know that during November/December the area where this member lives was battered with snow and icey conditions with temperatures sometimes dropping to -25 for long periods.
LOFT REPORT – Questions & Answers
GARY RITCHIE GIBB, FRASERBURGH, SCOTLAND
INTRODUCTION
1 Please introduce yourself and tell us how you got started in the sport?
My name is Gary Ritchie Gibb, after my late uncle past away i got the chance to get some of his stock birds from his partner. I took the old stock cock who was 12 years old, a son and two hens from bob his flying partner. The old cock was the last g.g grandson of champion Stormqueen, Bob told me that he would not fill his eggs but i took him home, put him in Georges old loft and got 6 youngsters off him in the first year, unbelievably he knew his old box right away, that was me hooked from then on. The old cocks youngsters are now in stock loft but unfortunatley the old man passed away last year aged 15 years old, but has left his mark on my loft.
2 Give the readers the most memorable results?
Last year (2010) was my third year racing, the highlight was when i was 1st club, 1st federation, 1st section, 1st open in the first England young bird race, this was the day my sister’s daughter got married so i called the hen Lori-Anns delight. In 2010 i gained 34 tickets in the North of Scotland, these fed certificates were achieved for 2 x 1st, 1 x 2nd, 1 x 4th, 1 x 6th, 1 x 7th, 2 x 8th, 2 x 9th & 3 x 10th Open place’s were 1 x 1st, 1 x 2nd, 1 x 3rd, 1 x 6th, 3 x 7th, 1 x 8th, 2 x 9th, 3 x 10th plus others
3 Is there anything that you have not won in the sport that you would like to achieve?
Yes there are lots, since i started racing my performances have been getting better each year.
4 What are your lofts made of and how big are they?
My race loft is constructed from wood and my stock section is brick built
5 Do you attach any importance to having a tiled roof on a loft?
No, i don’t think it makes any difference.
6 Do you use any form of heating system in any of your lofts?
No, nothing.
7 Do you control the ventilation in your loft?
No, just natural.
8 Do you have any grills fitted in the loft?
Yes, i have them fitted in the race loft.
9 What families of pigeons do you keep?
I have my late uncle’s Ritchie & White long distance family and recently brought in some Gaby Vandenabeeles for the middle distance races.
BREEDING
10 How do you go about bringing in a new family?
We have some good long distance fancier friends that i exchange birds with each year, most of them knew my late uncle George.
11 Do you line-breed or use a first cross or just pair winners to winners?
I like to line breed, in breed and cross.
12 What method do you use to select your breeders?
I try to keep the family’s together and select pairs by different eye colour if possible.
13 What materials do you use for nesting?
We use both straw and tobacco stalks
14 When do you pair your stock pigeons and why then?
I pair the second week of February each year as it suits me more than pairing early.
15 How many stock birds do you keep?
We have 14 pair of stock birds.
16 Do you breed off the racers?
No.
17 What do you think of later bred youngsters?
We have never had any luck with them but good for stock only.
RACING
18 When do you pair your racers?
Normally the week before the stock birds.
19 How do you race your pigeons and how many do you race?
For 2011 we have 40 racers, these are 8 pair of natural and the rest will be raced on roundabout.
20 What is the farthest distance that you would train your old birds or young birds?
35 miles, i consider this is far enough.
21 Do you race your pigeons every week or do you prefer to condition them for a specific race?
Every week if they are fit enough.
22 When do you allow your racers to take a bath?
Every week is the weather is ok.
23 Do you use any floor dressing or clean the pigeons out daily?
No floor dressing, all cleaned out every morning.
24 How do you feed the birds and what do you feed them on?
The birds are fed ounce per day when racing and more is given for the longer distance
25 Do you measure the amount?
Yes, see above.
26 Do you attach any importance to grits and minerals?
Yes, give fresh grit every day and minerals at the time of breeding
27 Do the pigeons need any special treatment on their return from the race?
We give a light mixture and a tonic in the water.
28 If your race team went off form during the season what action would you take?
To be honest, luckily this hasn’t happened yet so i don’t know.
29 What happens when you have a bad race?
Well i blame father, he blames me and we put our heads together and work through.
30 Sprinter or distance, is there any difference or is all down to feeding?
Firstly i feel that you need the birds that can do the distance, feeding is also important for distance
31 How far do you race your yearlings?
Our yearlings will go to 483 miles if fit and ready
YOUNG BIRDS
32 Young bird sickness is a problem, what preventative/cure do you use?
Luckily we have never had it so cant answer that one, touch wood i don’t get it.
33 Do you race your young birds?
Yes, every young bird gets raced some getting stopped after 140 miles, but the rest will go on to 230 miles
34 Do you use darkness/light systems?
I didnt do darkness the first year and found that the birds couldn’t compete, been on darkness ever since and sticking with it as they are getting better each year
35 Do you separate sexes or natural?
I separated two years ago, but didnt last year and had my best results so far so i will be keeping them together for the future.
36 Are there any specific feeding methods for the young birds?
All youngsters get the same ounce per day after they are flying out properly
THE MOULT/WINTER
37 Do you attach any real importance to the pigeon’s wing/eye/throat?
No
38 What criteria do you set down for the pigeons you winter?
Keep them in all winter until they are sitting on youngsters again then start to exercise.
39 Are there any special treatments that you give your birds once the season has finished?
Not really, i try to keep things simple as possible.
40 What were the last four things that you put in your drinking water?
Cider vinrgar, TCP, Worming liquid and good old scottish water.
41 If you could only give your pigeons one supplement what would it be?
Cider vinegar.
GENERAL
42 Which fancier has influenced you most, in the way in which you fly your pigeons?
Most of my club flyers and John Ritchie who lives across the road from me, he has helped me a lot in this sport, a great flyer and friend .
43 What past mistakes have you made/learned from?
The last three years i have never let the racers bring up youngster so this year they are all going to bring up a nest from stock loft.
44 What motivates you to remain successful?
Every year is better than the last one and i would love to get a bird from France. My late uncle was 2nd Open with Stormqueen, i will never get close to that but just to get one in the clock would be fantastic.
45 What is your vaccination/medication programme for the pigeons?
Pre-Season:- Canker, Paramyxo and Paratyphoid.
During:- None.
Post Season:- Canker.
46 Do you read many magazines/Articles?
My father does the reading and i look at video’s
47 Is there anything that you do not like about the sport?
Not a thing, i love it all, the up’s and the down’s
48 Is your loft of pigeons as strong as it was 5yrs ago?
I have only been at it for 4 years now but yes stonger every year.
49 If you could pass on one piece of advice or tip, what would it be?
Try to build a good family of your own pigeons and not take in to many different family’s, go to a good flyer thats getting good results with an old strain of pigeons
50 Do you have any further comments about anything that we may have missed?
Just a big thank you to my club mates at Fraserburgh & District flying club, Bob Whyte of Ritchie and Whyte for giving me a great start by giving me 4 pigeons and my late uncles two stock cocks back once i said i was going to start up and keep the name Ritchie and Whyte pigeons going
Well that’s it for this week, a fantastic report on a truly up and coming fancier who will be around for many years to come and may yet better that tremendous performance by that little marvellous hen Stormqueen.
Try hard, work harder, be happy and good returns.
Any news/views to Mark Brown
Email -
mb1973@hotmail.co.ukTel - 07593 279 375
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The N.E.H.U race from Melton Mowbray 21/4/2012 was won by Peel bros of South Shields, they took 1st club 1st fed, also taking 2nd and 4th club and 15 of the 25 birds clocked in the club......well done Peel brothers.
