problem now

up until now I found it very easy to bin a bird now I find it difficult any one else have this problem

I can never kill a pigeon George, maybe its whats needed to be a successful fancier, being able to keep the best and dispose of the rubbish...........maybe life means more to you at some stage in your own life.

agree dsvid

Unfortunately that's part of the game and like a book once said a good pigeon eats has much has a bad one.

I don't get rid of a pigeon until after the season gone through the records andif it needs to go then it goes before it finishs the moult when they all look like a world beater
Ken

if they are here after yb season they get their chance as yearlings ...flying north road you don't get many left after a season and that's not only at my loft the ybs go out to Berwick 300 mile ..however I usually draw the line at the race before that which is ripon 190 miles we have had a lot of headwinds the last few seasons and for ybs to still be here shows some potential as long as they have not come last every race but we are not a serious loft but a fun loft that enjoys racing and anything else is a bonus ...no I don't like the aspect of culling pigeons at all if they are healthy ...will I ever be a champ ,probably not   but who cares I enjoy the pigeons and don't have the stress or ego to be a champ which suits me fine atb enjoy what you do but my conscience is clear   

we all hate it but it has to be done

peel bros wrote:

we all hate it but it has to done

this is one of the reasons why I will probably pack in racing after this year as I cant stand this aspect of pigeon racing I think its wrong

i know what your saying darren.its hard to do but we all have to do it.its even worse for me with having a big team and we all have favorites which again is hard to do..when its done you have to block it from your mind and carry on.another i hate is when they win one race then nothibg else.then thats a hard decision...

I also struggle with it.
I send them to Thurso as one last chance, if they get home from there they've earned their perch in my eyes.
when ive lost them from Thurso they never seem to get reported.

oldstrain wrote:

if they are here after yb season they get their chance as yearlings ...flying north road you don't get many left after a season and that's not only at my loft the ybs go out to Berwick 300 mile ..however I usually draw the line at the race before that which is ripon 190 miles we have had a lot of headwinds the last few seasons and for ybs to still be here shows some potential as long as they have not come last every race but we are not a serious loft but a fun loft that enjoys racing and anything else is a bonus ...no I don't like the aspect of culling pigeons at all if they are healthy ...will I ever be a champ ,probably not   but who cares I enjoy the pigeons and don't have the stress or ego to be a champ which suits me fine atb enjoy what you do but my conscience is clear   

It's just a mind set thing O/S    & no body wishes to do it with our birds unfortunately. But at times it just has to be done within moderation in my view. If one looks at the greyhound/horse racing industry as an example or the animal welfare societies (lost dogs & cats) culling happens just the same as in our sport. Then !!!     we have the chickens & the  meat in our supermarkets etc. So one could say     I'm    it's a cruel world we just happen to live in.  

If they are not good enough for racing either nuke them or put up a retirement Loft. Fancier 1. Keeps the best (winners) kills the rest. Fancier 2. Gives many a second chance. Fancier 3. Observes the birds and if a not good racer but consistent will try it at breeding. Fancier 4. Just loves to see the birds come home and will sometimes win. It all depends on what one expects from the birds. Numbers do not matter as to how many sent. Best bird on that particular day wins. Weather varies tremendously, so a blow home can be a headwind next week. Freind of mine in London, Ontario did not race one year old birds. Open race he sent 1 cock to 500 miles. First by almost an hour. Asked him how he did it his reply was "it looked right, eye sparkling etc,."
They laughed at him when he only entered the one bird. Had been raced in previous years with success. He picked up a pile of money! Good for him! Personally just starting here in Canada early 70's could not do nothing first year. Pigeons were from God knows were. Few homers, some ferals. Anyway next year bought some better quality birds. Strain unknown. BB hen was only day bird. Young bird race 300 miles. Terrible weather. Beat the whole fed. I was lucky. Took to much out of her. Never raced much and bred nothing worthwhile. But just kept her around. Each to their own.