pairing up date

when you gonna pair up we have decided to bring things forward 3 weeks earlier some time ago and will be pairing breeders up on 7th January really looking forward to it this year now I have more time on my hands

We are going to pair up between Xmas and new year, Luke (skywalker) is on holidays and we're a bit more organised this season, no old bird team to race so we can concentrate on getting a good yb team going

i was hoping for around middle of jan (ish) or around 2 weeks earlier than the first Saturday in feb.......

This weekend I don't put the birds on the dark anymore as its too much of a tie with a young family. I only send to the first 5/6 races before they start the moult so that's good enough for me.

cowandchicken wrote:

This weekend I don't put the birds on the dark anymore as its too much of a tie with a young family. I only send to the first 5/6 races before they start the moult so that's good enough for me.

they`ll be early then chicken, by the time yb racing comes around they must be nearly moulted wont they, apart from a few wing flights...?

cowandchicken wrote:

This weekend I don't put the birds on the dark anymore as its too much of a tie with a young family. I only send to the first 5/6 races before they start the moult so that's good enough for me.

will they moult naturally pairing this early I did it like this my first year they moulted out apart from 3 nest flights that some carried until the next year I had my first egg boxing day that year but only had 1 race we were 1st 4th 5th 6th we sent 6 birds to our first ever race it was the 3rd race of the programme we missed the first 2 due to adeno/coli syndrome then had to go church on sundays as we were getting married so much to my dismay only the 1 race but I can remember thinking they were in good feather to go atb with it anyway m8

Should be about moulted thru. Mine are just laying now. However, may dump eggs in 10 days. 11 F here. Having to buy few tins of biscuits, round tins. Put the biscuits in plastic bags for the g.kids and use the tins for heated waterers.
Drill holes in the lid, put in a light bulb on a small extension cord set waterer on top.

sounds a good idea hal, and does it stop the water freezing even when its very cold...?

David wrote:

cowandchicken wrote:

This weekend I don't put the birds on the dark anymore as its too much of a tie with a young family. I only send to the first 5/6 races before they start the moult so that's good enough for me.

they`ll be early then chicken, by the time yb racing comes around they must be nearly moulted wont they, apart from a few wing flights...?

Most will have had a full moult as there on the dark naturally. you could put the lights on just to bring summer a bit earlier but I find most of mine are ok for what I need as iam not into thrashing ybs.

Brilliant Hal, quick , simple and cheap, just as I like it

Down to 5 F tonight. Without heaters water freezes 20 mins after going in.

thanks for sharing that hal ...20 mins and frozen

We are going to pair up our Stock Birds on December 27th and our race team sometime between the 3rd January and the 17th Jan.

I used our new 'super-dooper' microscope yesterday to test the birds droppings. Out of three tests on three lots of droppings (stock cocks, stock hens and race birds) I couldn't find any cocci or worm eggs.

I found other things, mainly the cellulose coatings of seeds and broken down grit - but NO nasties.

So no need to treat for cocci or worm them - at least not yet. Everything else has been done.

All the very best to EVERYONE for the forthcoming breeding season.

Phil

great news phil I am looking at similar dates the birds will be ready after the weekend

Our hens have started to lay in their section, time to get them in with they're boyfriends I think

ours are on a grilled floor and v-perches with dividers fed tight too I am just getting away with it at the moment don't want to pair these til mid jan hope all goes well for ya lofty ...does that mean yer pairing up shortly

great idea that hal, do you leave them turned on all night when its freezing, or forecast to be freezing...?

oldstrain wrote:

ours are on a grilled floor and v-perches with dividers fed tight too I am just getting away with it at the moment don't want to pair these til mid jan hope all goes well for ya lofty ...does that mean yer pairing up shortly

Looks like daz, phoned our sec and he says rings should be with us by 2nd January so if we've got a couple of hours over the weekend we probably will, here we go

everyone seems early this year........

David wrote:

everyone seems early this year........

You'd think it Christmas or summat David.

Lofty wrote:

David wrote:

everyone seems early this year........

You'd think it Christmas or summat David.

I get that impression too lofty............

after blackpool for me, looking forward to it.

"great idea that hal, do you leave them turned on all night when its freezing, or forecast to be freezing...?"

24 F high today. Above freezing tomorrow then back down again.

Wow,how do the birds manage in those temperatures Hal, is the loft front open or have you got it closed