Big 400 young bird race.

Birds released this morning from Quebec. Northern part. Driving 1090 km for me. Shorter by air of course. Not good weather. From short loft to longest 320 miles. I wish them luck!!

have you sent to it hal, if so good luck.....

is this the long yb race you were talking about earlier this year hal atb to them

Hope they make it OK and the weather doesn't turn bad

No, I did not send. Would be 500 miles for me. Next year will probably go for it. Could not this year as young birds were moulting too bad. Thinking of the light system for them next year. 24 hours light, but cannot find info on it. Did read posts on here from few years ago. I do not want to pull or cu flights however.

no, me neither hal, I don't like the idea of pulling flights etc........could you do dark...?


scroll down the page here hal, our old friend graham gives a basic outline of it

https://pigeons.forumotion.com/t3824-light-system-for-yb-s?highlight=light+system

Yes, read those earlier when I googled it. I can do dark. Just have to increase the ventilation. Was not adequate this year.
The big 400. IF they change to an earlier date will go for it next year. However with 8 am release and sunset at 7.30 pm there is not enough daylight for birds to make it before dark from 500 miles.

Was talking with a friend of mine out West. He does well. He wrote this.

I like to breed early youngsters because there is not much else to do in the long winter. I just switch on the lights and wean the youngsters when they are 5 weeks old. By that time they can eat and drink all by themselves and I don't have to worry about them. The stress of weaning is also minimized because they don't need their parents any longer. I put them into the young bird loft without any artificial light and they begin to molt, usually just the small feathers. The same may still work for the second round but not so for the later ones. Those would need to be darkened because the daylight is longer than was the case for the first couple of rounds.
I also keep the day-length constant after the end of June and switch off the lights after the last young bird race. That weekend I do my yearly selection and move the birds into the lofts they will call their home for the coming year. After switching off the lights most birds will fall apart but not all. They are individuals and not clones. Very few of my young birds will molt all of their flight feathers in the fall but I no longer even look at that. With or without some baby flights they perform to my satisfaction in the Old Bird races as yearlings.
Each of us gets excited about different aspects of this hobby. While shows leave me completely indifferent, a friend of mine likes shows and even wanted to bring over some of his birds that had molted through completely already just to show me how pretty they are. To me that's completely irrelevant. The only things that count for me is a bird that wins first prize(s) or being the parents of such a bird, the latter of which will soon start their jobs and make this season enjoyable.

Talked with the fellow who organised the 400. via Facebook. Well, read for yourself. Seems open to suggestions.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/270707400009401/?ref=bookmarks

If anyone is interested in the 'Light System' - follow this link:-

http://www.sampsonbrothers.com/light_video.html

I don't know about it on DVD yet.

Phil

Phil. Yes looked at the link. Pretty certain now will go with the friends system. No hassle. Simple and effective.

blueskylofts wrote:

If anyone is interested in the 'Light System' - follow this link:-

http://www.sampsonbrothers.com/light_video.html

I don't know about it on DVD yet.

Phil

Its a good DVD I have it but if you can get the one John McGee did were he had his youngsters on the light system for 23.5 hours that's interesting

No results as yet posted. However, from some posts on line half the birds clocked were from this Combine, which is basically a Sprint combine. Sort of shows birds can perform wether Sprint classified or mid distance. Weather was not good around here. Tail end of the hurricane from the US brought clouds and rain. The longest flier got day birds. He is 108 km shorter than me. I will have to wait and see as to the time clocked. Big loft, many birds. His loft manager is from the UK. Pete Sloan. He was a professional soccer player there years ago. Do not know the club he played for. He was almost always on top when he himself raced here. Heavy in to eye-sign. Anyway, results will be interesting.

Don Webb wrote:

blueskylofts wrote:

If anyone is interested in the 'Light System' - follow this link:-

http://www.sampsonbrothers.com/light_video.html

I don't know about it on DVD yet.

Phil

Its a good DVD I have it but if you can get the one John McGee did were he had his youngsters on the light system for 23.5 hours that's interesting

Don, Can you tell me how to get the DVD version on The Lightness system and also - do you have a link to the John McGee one as well.

Is this John McGee the same John that runs the French Young bird Derby?

Phil