young bird racing

If you were starting from scratch, i e an empty loft, how many stock birds would.you get in and.how many young birds would.you breed ??

Cheers guys

Chris as many as you can and as many ybs as you can because you will lose quite a lot in the first year and you don't want to be back at square one again

4 t0 6 pair breed 2 rounds should get you started , word of advice don't buy in breeder buyer y/birds , every chance of buying in a problems

don't overcrowed

In an ideal world I would keep 18 cocks and hens for racing and about 50 ybs.as for stock about 12

If I was starting from scratch I wouldn't breed more than 16 youngens, that's a nice number to manage, it's easy to see if any are under the weather, and you'll be making mistakes to start with until you get into your set routine.

what type of racing do you intend to do ?

edgie wrote:

what type of racing do you intend to do ?

Normal club racing

I meant long or short distance ?

edgie wrote:

I meant long or short distance ?

Was under the impression that club racing covered all angles, short, middle , distance racing, ??

I think edgie is getting at what birds you want , as some will be sprint birds, some for the distance, so if you want to concentrate on shorter races there's no point in having a loft full of long distance birds

Where have you got your stock from Chris, hopefully you'll have some all rounders.
Half the fun is finding out yourself what kind of birds you've got, and what they can do.

Lofty wrote:

I think edgie is getting at what birds you want , as some will be sprint birds, some for the distance, so if you want to concentrate on shorter races there's no point in having a loft full of long distance birds

chris you must have the right tools for the job , you will only have 1 long race a year , most will be 150 miles to 400 miles , the guys you are going to take on will be average but some will be at the top of there game , and you are at ground level , not many will help you as they want to beat you , one thing is certain they will let you do all the hard work , and not thank you for it , only criticize you when you get it wrong ,I wish you luck in the future but be ready for some big dissapointments ? I remember a man saying to me when I first started up in the game , nowt wrong with pigeons only c--ts that keep them , how true he was , as I have found out over the years , I could have quite easily packed up a good number of times , but my birds mean the whole world to me ,and I let them do the talking (pigeons)

I see were your coming from now, to be honest at the moment there is 3 hens and 1 cock in my shed, as for strains/families I ain't got a clue, ones a gaby van something, the other is a bartog soontens, probably spelt them both wrong, or miss heard what they said and the other two aint got a clue. I think as a novice/ beginner I will ne glad to get the birds back off a race and spend the time with the birds as an enjoyment and let the other more experienced club members worry about were they came in the club or federation . If I go all out with high expectations then your right I will be very disappointed, so into the mind set of doing what I can, looking listening and learning.

Sent p.m. chris

no stock whatsoever I would start with a team of ybs and the best of them I would breed from and see whats producing from these don't get bogged down with stock birds jmo

I started back this year and I have 10 pair of yearling to race and going to go 25 yb to see how it goes

Good to have you back phill
I know where edgie is coming from there are some horrible people in this sport but again there are some some fantastic ones as well , which so outweigh the bad one if you know what I mean..I for one have met some great lads on here who I will stay friends with for lifed hopefully. Like steve says pigeons mean the world to him and the same applies to my brother and I. We will have them till the day we die .we started in 1979 and have never once had a break from them ..

Now that's a genuine pigeon man

Looks to me from the response of this topic and talking to.other flyers there is so many ways to go, reading in between the lines its a case of doing what suits the individual and.the individuals finances' but at the end.of the day we all.have.one thing in common and that's the birds welfare and the enjoyment we get out of the sport. There don't seem a right way or a.wrong way, I reckon if you don't go into it with massive expectation's and the fact that success don't come.in one season I won't go far wrong, just enjoy my birds

I'll tell you now Chris, this is my first year back after many decades out of pigeons and to see your bird dropping out of the sky and onto the loft is one exiting experience, don't matter where the bird comes in the race, just getting it home is something else, enjoy yourself and your birds, don't worry about winning (yet )

Yes chris you enjoy your birds all you can.we are all different in many ways.some like to just race and watch them home ect,some like to compete to a certain level again good luck to them but I make no apologies for the way we are.ever since we were kids we where taught to compete hard and let nobody beat us if possible. Its in our blood and always will be.it doesn't matter if it's football , pigeons, darts whatever I will want to win and again I hate losing ,hate it but like I say that's the way we are but good luck to you whatever way you race..

Well in my short time in racing pigeons and in the partnership I've really enjoyed it and now I'm by myself I can love it even more with all the cards and races I'm in it as I like love the feeling the first one lads and then once all home I'm probably the worst pigeon man on site from when I know there released I can't eat or drink and I'm pasteing my time up and down my garden

No matter how many birds a person starts with the important thing is to race them all. Then select the best ones, cull the rest. Most pigeons nowadays (apart from out and out sprinters) can race any distance. If fit, send them. Strict selection and you will win eventually! As Ray says basically, why send them if you do not think you can win? Granted, some send to get the experience on the birds, other times to condition them. But just my opinion.