What do you do with birds who lose?

Red Bull Lofts wrote:

I don't cull birds that come back in a box unless there is serious health issues that dictate otherwise.

There are too many factors now beyond our control and that of the pigeon to judge them as rubbish or failures without justifiable reason - 15 years ago it was different but with the mobile phone networks and the serious hawk problems how can we judge a pigeon in such a way?.

Also think pigeon fanciers are too keen to blame the pigeons without looking in the mirror - come and visit my loft there is a mirror hung on my fence and then in my corn section.

The high losses are scary but with regret it now seems part of the hobby now - I will still stick to my strict small team numbers and sink and swim with them figures.

Good look to all

good reply mate

David wrote:

hi redbull, when i raced many years ago the threat of hawk attacks very entered my head, i could let me birds out without having to worry about them.........apart from the ocasional cat attack , now im on constant alert for a hawk attack which i ruining the hobby/sport of pigeon racing..............you only have to read and listen to other fanciers to know how bad it is becoming.

Quite agree David, I think it is many factors but in our first 3-4 seasons i think we dropped many 8-9 birds in all that time.

There is too much now to hinder them and it is an achievement to carry a strong team over from the YB loft to replenish what in most cases is a depleted old bird team. (myself included) unless of course you are prepared to carry large numbers in the hope you can do this - which i am not

I too believe in the birds which come back on there own, this happened to me 2 years ago, first race I lost a blue cock, it was reported 80 miles away, I would point out the bird had been hit by a hawk as a youngster weeks before and had been reported 4 miles away during training and I colleced it..., however this chap 80 miles away rung me about it and because he liked it and it was on line of flight I said keep it...anyway 4 weeks later on a saturday he rung again and said the bird had been restless and shy and had gone, that day a few hours later the bird was on the loft wanting to go in, just goes to show with a bit of rest good one work back.

have heard of this happening before martyn, but ddo you think the birds which do this are better birds than the ones who just get lost never to return.....? does it show that quality birds can still get lost ?

David wrote:

i think theres too many pigeon men shurking their responsibilities for getting lost/reported birds home........they automatically assume the finder will keep it, therefor solving their problem of getting it back home. yes, i know its expensive to get a courier to collect your lost bird, but this should be taken into account when taking up the hobby/sport and when breeding loads and loads of ybs each season......if you cant afford to get them back, dont send them..........(just my opinion dont shoot me)

yeah thats true mate 9 times out of ten i send a courire to get mine back,to be honest i feel guilty for sending them to the race and get them back lol.

David wrote:

have heard of this happening before martyn, but ddo you think the birds which do this are better birds than the ones who just get lost never to return.....? does it show that quality birds can still get lost ?

I may be wrong but sure one of the recent UK international winners was reported and returned in a box in a previous race.

A friend of mine topped the section last year from NFC Saintes with a bird that had returned in a box at the start of the season from a 30 mile toss (ended up going 120 miles the wrong way)

yes i read something similar in the homing world the other week redbull, and it just goes to show that all birds which get lost are not all rubbish doesnt it.......

David wrote:

yes i read something similar in the homing world the other week redbull, and it just goes to show that all birds which get lost are not all rubbish doesnt it.......

david the cock what got me 19th section D in the NFC from messac was missing for 3 weeks in his first channel race this season rested him for 2 weeks then bang came like a good un .

kev d wrote:

David wrote:

yes i read something similar in the homing world the other week redbull, and it just goes to show that all birds which get lost are not all rubbish doesnt it.......

david the cock what got me 19th section D in the NFC from messac was missing for 3 weeks in his first channel race this season rested him for 2 weeks then bang came like a good un .

also forgot to say sent him to tarbes 560 miles but got him back after 5days in good nick , will try him again next year .

kev d wrote:

David wrote:

yes i read something similar in the homing world the other week redbull, and it just goes to show that all birds which get lost are not all rubbish doesnt it.......

david the cock what got me 19th section D in the NFC from messac was missing for 3 weeks in his first channel race this season rested him for 2 weeks then bang came like a good un .

just goes to show kev , they must have a good fly round while they are missing from home........and they eventually find they way on their own so it must have done him some good eh......