Seperation time.

When do members do it? Intend to do the stock birds tomorow if the wind drops. Have to clean them out and so many feathers cannot burn them in the open as usual with this wind.

My stock birds have been separated for around two months now the race birds will be patted when the young birds have finished moulting or close to it

K thanks. Did not have the space before now.

separate stock as soon as, and race team along with youngsters stay separate till pairing up, some vet article I read awhile back reckons a hen has only so many eggs in her, so not to let them get pestered all through year get them parted, don't know how true that is but stock hens work hard here for 6months so deserve their rest

our stock was separated about 3 weeks ago ybs end of the month after the moult ...we will have a free section which we are turning into a pigeon office it will be a great space for raceday/hanging out with radio,kettle.microwave etc...put the lighting/electrics in yesterday and took the boxes out

oldstrain wrote:

our stock was separated about 3 weeks ago ybs end of the month after the moult ...we will have a free section which we are turning into a pigeon office it will be a great space for raceday/hanging out with radio,kettle.microwave etc...put the lighting/electrics in yesterday and took the boxes out

Place to go etc O/S when your in the dog house there as such with your better half I suggest, maybe    .

Knackered wrote:

oldstrain wrote:

our stock was separated about 3 weeks ago ybs end of the month after the moult ...we will have a free section which we are turning into a pigeon office it will be a great space for raceday/hanging out with radio,kettle.microwave etc...put the lighting/electrics in yesterday and took the boxes out

Place to go etc O/S when your in the dog house there as such with your better half I suggest, maybe    .

may just put a hammock in their too to make us feel at home

oldstrain wrote:

Knackered wrote:

oldstrain wrote:

our stock was separated about 3 weeks ago ybs end of the month after the moult ...we will have a free section which we are turning into a pigeon office it will be a great space for raceday/hanging out with radio,kettle.microwave etc...put the lighting/electrics in yesterday and took the boxes out

Place to go etc O/S when your in the dog house there as such with your better half I suggest, maybe    .

may just put a hammock in their too to make us feel at home

2 hammocks I suggest O/S, more comfortable  plus a radio, kettle, microwave & power thrown in etc. All you need now is Uber delivery on tap & the world is all there for the taking I suspect for the pair    .  

Separated the stock birds today. 8 x 10 loft. Hard to catch. Hens I moved out. All cocks there have raced for me. Some I could race again as they have had a year off. 4 and 5 year olds. Again a numbers game. Does anyone race a bird over 4 years old? I used to but not last year or so.

halcanada wrote:

Separated the stock birds today. 8 x 10 loft. Hard to catch. Hens I moved out. All cocks there have raced for me. Some I could race again as they have had a year off. 4 and 5 year olds. Again a numbers game. Does anyone race a bird over 4 years old? I used to but not last year or so.

Separating time I'm trying to find Hal      some enthusiasm etc     some where to just mate up here . Suspect another month, maybe & I will get into the groove like every one else local as such, even if a wee bit on the late side to most here.

Stock been split about a month,all except 1 pair.
I bought a hen in and she layed a couple of days later
In the quarantine cage.....so 1 pair still together as feeders
Like to get my money worth

Most of ours are just about through the moult now, so will be parting them all in the next couple of weeks

There was a time when I never - like very many more --separated the sexes. Just left them. Colder weather meant that they stopped breeding and it was - most March (Late on at that) when they started to mate up in earnest. So we had a young bird section and time came when they might go in a replace an old favourite. Saved a lot of hassle etc. Only in later times did I separate them... to re - mate and make sure of no close mating pairs. Had a nest pair that could never leave each other a lone. Would have mated them and raced them this last season and next if I was still in the game … But A. I know that they would race better, and B. would have swapped the eggs of course. Mate had two young cock birds that mated and they both did exceptionally well for him … Like hens. Of course eggs put under them - even a youngster under the cock pairing.

Undecided yet to level the youngsters all together till the moult is over or move the cocks into the next section with the older cock's

Daz wrote:

There was a time when I never - like very many more --separated the sexes. Just left them. Colder weather meant that they stopped breeding and it was -  most March (Late on at that) when they started to mate up in earnest. So we had a young bird section and time came when they might  go in a replace an old favourite. Saved a lot of hassle etc. Only in later times did I separate them... to re - mate and make sure of no close mating pairs. Had a nest pair that could never leave each other a lone. Would have mated them and raced them this last season and next if I was still in the game … But A. I know that they would race better, and B. would have swapped the eggs of course. Mate had two young cock birds that mated and they both did exceptionally well for him … Like hens. Of course eggs put under them - even a youngster under the cock pairing.

Every one here that I know Daz always separate's their stock birds as such. Hard thou to stop many hens laying on a regular basics even when separated I've found unfortunately even in the coldest of winters here that we have at times.

I found that with a completely open loft for the race birds they behaved as the wild birds, ( after several years) .and rarely bred in the winter months.

Later all my birds had open loft the stock birds were from the youngster stage and were settled.

I felt that the dominant and less dominant would sort themselves out and I just periodically sorted the wheat from the chaff.

If I could start again that is the way I would do it again, no prisoners, any new introductions would be by youngsters that no one could say what they were as long as they had the right blood to start with.


Regards.

Every one here that I know Daz always separate's their stock birds as such. Hard thou to stop many hens laying on a regular basics even when separated I've found unfortunately even in the coldest of winters here that we have at times.

I wonder why? A to get early breeding and March racing. Even February. Al trying to steal a March - no pun intended -. Now to keep up!
A fat lot of good it has done the sport to boot.

I say it every year 'once iv filled my rings thats it,SPLIT'.
Definitely next year.....
Trouble is its around the time it starts to get abit more busy around the loft and iv noticed thats when theres not so many weeks in a month..fewer days in a week and less hours in a day...

You know, I also believe that splitting causing them a distress to go through the moult is fool hardy. J.M.O.

Yeah takes a couple of days before they stop sulking..but can't have them laying all year round.
They don't like being split for widowhood but they cheer up on race days.

Agree about the distress caused Daz but the fancier must not be inconvenienced, don't worry about the pigeons.

I am afraid that many fanciers although love their pigeons have no idea what their actions may be causing by using all the methods introduced by the win at any cost brigade.

The vast losses and all the unhealthy pigeons are testiment to the fact that the sport has gone backwards intead of forwards.

Sad but true.


Regards.

You know, pigeons, hens or cock birds DON'T home / race to their mate. Can be a fantail, cuckoo or parrot when getting home. It's their perch or nest box, their territory.
Indeed a far better result would be to lock a parrot or cuckoo in their nest box and let the strive to get at them BEFORE basketing.

That why Hens are more reliable and genuine than the cock bird.

All birds except young ones seoerated. Young were out yesterday flying good. Cool and sunny. Old birds sulking. No big deal they are here for my benefit.
Once the snow flies in a week or so will split them. Young ones. They need all the time on the wing they want. Weather permitting.
Busy winterizing lofts, putting 4 snow tires on car etc,. Was slow last year so getting a head start now.

its soon come round again Hal,snow.
How many months a year does it usually last?
We (uk) grind to a halt with a few inches lasting a couple of week...

Usually get a day or so in October. More in November then snow starts. Some days up to a foot. Other days none. No real pattern as to accumalations. Snow I can handle but with minus 45 degrees it gets to be a problem. The wind is the factor. On the lake here wind gets very strong. But not complaining. We have lived through it for years and adapt. Ahem..first Winter was bad as we had lived in Bermuda for two years. Then US then Canada.