how many members use droppers

hi all just to ask how many members use dropper and do u find that they help or a waste of time as i have 2 stories .. and what breed do u use ...


just a was breeding birmingham rollers as droppers untill over day as philip let out the wrong hen and we found her today killed by the fox as he tryed to call her back in and wouldnt come in so he left her out so im now floating her eggs with a old hen from a guy by me ....

know some use fantails whites but i havent used any

never used droppers as such phil, sometimes had birds from the same section who didnt go to the race outpecking inthe garden........but always thought it risky as they can sometimes cause more harm than good.

you must use trappers on race days lads,i tried without them and its no good,i only have one now as mine got pinched but i could,nt do without it.sorry training as well to get them used to them

we use trappers on race days, we just use a couple of cut down hens (actually have one with a busted wing from a hawk strike and she can flutter onto board ok

if you time it right it will help get them down, time it wrong and you will spook the bird which may have been coming straight in

We used to have an old pied hen years ago, she was fantastic - we would let her go at the top of the garden and she would clap all the way through the doors, and most times the cocks would follow her in.

You can't beat a good flirt bird, I think it helps although I only use one for babies

cant do with out my half fantail half racer white trapper hen

when you have a flirt bird does it hae to be kept very hungry ? what happens if it flies up when a racer comes home ? does it live with the racers and if so does it bring them down too early when exercising around home ?

not sure if i like the idea of flirts, its ok if the racers are used to it but if they are used to just trapping without isnt that ok ?

David, I keep mine fairly tight on grub, they are tipplers/rollers, I have a fantail hen that I keep in a basket on race days, I hold her just before the youngsters are due, I have a couple walking about the decking in front of the shed, as soon as I see the first youngsters home, I let the fantail go, this usually brings them down, as pigeons are gregarious they want to get with the others, I've always said my flirts have won me many races

ah right, so fred would you say the flirt is a neccessity for trapping from races and do you think your birds wouldnt trap good enough to win if you didnt use a flirt....? i do see the logic in a flirt because if they are walking around the loft when the racers are due home it creats a calm safe atmosphere and would encourage the racer to land better.....do you have the flirt out when the racers are sent training to make it normal for when they come home ?

yes I leave them out, when they're training or out flying, they get used to them and are an intricate part of the team, and because the tipplers are so fond, the youngsters like to pair to them

so really the tipplers help to creat calm in the loft and a happy environment..........? when you let the birds out for exercise do you catch the tipplers ?

fred, do you flag your birds at exercise......? if so do you get problems with them landing on the house roofs and if so how do you solve this problem....?

I agree witth you mark get it wrong and the race is lost

I will agree with fred always best to have them and a little hungary as soon as you throw corn they are there after it

Ive seen Davey use them. But ive never used them. But i will be this year

going to try a fantail

Mainly when the youngsters are flying strong the youngsters go out with such vigour, the flirts don't want to know and stay in the shed, I've got a corridor so I just shut the internal door.

You need calm in the loft, and yes the flirts do create this, a lot of it is confidence in the environment, ie if you get a cat/fox/bop about round the loft the youngsters don't want to land, the flirts combat this

Yes I flag my birds sometimes when needed, its just to get them in a routine, once they are flying as long as you want, then you can stop, I never needed to do it last year, as my youngsters were running for a couple of hours in the summer

when i first used trappers i was a bit unsure,as mine was a hen and thought that the cocks returning from a race would be distracted by it but no they are not,when you think about it a cock racing home for his hen should only be interested in going straight in the loft and most of the time this is the case,unless they have had a hard race and they hit the garden first

yes only use mine for inland races dont use her for channel not needed

interesting point there ray, is it wise to use a flirt when racing widowhood.....? never thought about it untill you said, but as we all know a widowhood cock is motivated by the need to mate with their hen i would emagine.....??? so when he lands and sees another hen does he not want to chase and mate with her.....?
ive heard fanciers say that when their w/hood cocks are on form when they are exercising they can fly after any other pigeon they see in the sky......

david when i let go of my trapper hen she goes straight through the trap and into the loft and the cock follows

ah right ian, but the flirt needs to be well trained or hungry then.....?

yes david they do

weve never used a flirt as such, but we have used birds which havnt gone to the race to walk around the garden to help trap.......

well ive been gifed 2 fantails wich have been uesed as droppers/trappers and ive been trying it out with a few birds wich i have settled wich are L/B and it seems to be ok with them but like i say whats yb going to be like .... nightmear