Sending Natural YB's

I've read, been told and have come to accept that as a bird progresses through its moult when it comes to the last 2 flights don't race them as the time immediately prior to losing them is quite painful whilst the feather loosens in its socket, something along the lines of a toothache type pain apparantly.

My question is if the 3rd or even 2nd to last flight has dropped and the replacement is below half grown ie a few days before the next is going to drop, would it be ok to send on a race? I ask because mine are on the natural system and as we approach the end of the season some are quite close to dropping these last couple of flights. I'm not looking to just send them and hope for the best but I am of the opinion that if they can race and they're properly prepared then I should send them.

always call you mr brown so thats ya name to me you have had a great y/ bird season and 1 galant bird was hawked me the way your birds have come this year ide stop now they have nothing more to prove let them mault and rest they have a good future a head whats 2 more y/b races nothing jmo mate

Cheers G, I've a bit of a dilemma in that I know you're right about birds that have proved themselves and for me most have, but I've a few that have only done 1 race (they've gone on their second today) and I was contemplating completing the program with them I.E. their first which was a 90 miler, their second tomorrow a 120 miler, 3rd next week a 150 and the last a cross chanel 250. I realise I might be being unrealistic though

as ive said your birds have done you proud one bad y/b could set you back 2 years think about it whats 1 or 2 more y/b races my advice is to keep them now and have an old bird team or if you loose them your back to where you are now y/b racing they have a future flown well for you now its time to say ok you have a perch lets see how you do next year

hi steve, if it was me i would see how they are moulting for when the longer races are flown, if the flights are nearly grown i would think its ok, but if small or newly dropped i would keep at home..........

ive found that when heavily moulting birds dont want to fly very much........ and as graham says you have nothing to prove and will need to have some left for your oldbird team next season.

Cheers guys - sage advice as always

i never used to send my birds on the last 2 flights when i flew them on natural...if i new they had enough experience that was enough for us, i raced maybe the first five races then up to 175 miles but we where miles behind ,thats why we put the whole lot on the dark ,if they have flew better than expected on natural thats even better,you,ll have a good team for next season

will you be trying dark next season steve ? youve done very well to say your flying natural so i would emagine you could do even better on the dark.......


(not saying the dark makes bad pigeons good, but it does give them an advantage over naturals most of the time)

Going onto the dark system is something I need to consider. It's quite obvious, especially at basketting time that the dark birds look in pristine condition whereas mine look rather shabby in comparison. Apart from the hassle factor the only thing I'm concerned about is stress on the bird and their yearling performance. I must admit I don't know much about it though.

hi steve, yes i think they are under stress but im not sure if its any more than naturals to be honest, im not experienced enough to say but in my opinion having them on the dark is well worth it..................

as far as i know by having ybs on the dark it alters their hormones.

from what i have been told . dont send birds that are on there last three flights as you are correct its like toothache pain to them .also use the dark system if you only want to have a good youngbird season out of the birds. they will fall to bits as yearlings . i was told that when looked at the dead darkness birds have a liver that is twice the size of natural birds as they inevitably been forced .as with ducks to make pate. some happens to them. so if you want good old birds stay natural. everybody to there own tho thats what makes it so interesting. people have told me that thay know folk that use the darkness syatem but at end of the season sell the birds for stock , keep them for stock if any good or kill them. never race them as yearlings or older birds. its a case of do you want 6 weeks or 6 years ?? up to you guys good luck to all for the last couple of races .

An interesting read, thanks Yorkshireterrior.

Do darkness reared YB's race the following OB season with their original flights?

i dont think they do steve, later on in the season the dark ybs will moult again....altho i did have some last year which held the end flights for some reason.

for the last 3 seasons i,ve had all my ybs on the dark,we used to only put about a dozon on just to try and compete,well anyway that was a waste of time so thats why we put the lot on it and i think i,m right in saying it makes ne difference what so ever.i,ve had my best birds on the dark,this season alone one cock with 2 wins ,one hen with 3 wins one of them was as a yb, a cock 3 seasons ago had 3 wins as a yearling,including 1st fed 1st section,thats just to name a few.so i think for me its safe to say i,ll be staying on the dark

this is one of the main factors of yb sickness and big losses i know its not all down to the darkness system but it does play a part in it . if you want to compeat at the top then go for it why not , but all i want young bird racing for is to educate them for future years racing not to get burnt out as yb all way through the yb programe . mine have been natural all year having a open hole dawn till dusk and ranging the country side trying to avoid the hawks which keeps them on there toes , don,t forget there just babies treat them right and they will reward you in years to come all im saying is darkness is not for me horses for courses as they say .

i think having ybs on the dark does, in some way add to them getting yb sickness........weather itis because of stress or altering their body clock/hormones or not i dont know, but i do think it has an effect on them, if they do get yb sickness if it is treated i dont see any reason why a cured pigeon cant go on to be a winner and certainly dont see any reason or evidence to say being on the dark makes crap old bird racers...........top flyers who i know win with ybs on the dark and also win with them when they are yearlings/oldbirds.

altho i do think this is not the case for all fanciers, but then again there are good pigeon men and crap pigeon men, also good pigeons and crap pigeons..........

and there a lot who don,t tell us the truth david about what happens in there loft
a lot have 2 teams natural and dark but i bet the bulk of them as yearling doing well are are the natural yb
ok you have the the ones who do well as yearlings what have been on the dark , but don,t all ways believe what you read or told .

forgot to add my bird from the national yesterday was natural 8hrs on the wing 10th section
with out any medication or pills just clean water and common sense and good quality corn
and my pigeons are mongrels lol .

kev d wrote:

and there a lot who don,t tell us the truth david about what happens in there loft
a lot have 2 teams natural and dark but i bet the bulk of them as yearling doing well are are the natural yb
ok you have the the ones who do well as yearlings what have been on the dark , but don,t all ways believe what you read or told .

very rare i beleive anything what people tell me kev, but how would being on the dark as a yb effect the performance when older......? i personally cant see how it would, people talk about the moult but pigeons moult, thats it i cant see any difference in how it would effect performance unless half the feathers were missing.

kev d wrote:

forgot to add my bird from the national yesterday was natural 8hrs on the wing 10th section
with out any medication or pills just clean water and common sense and good quality corn
and my pigeons are mongrels lol .

like i said earlier kev, darkness doesnt make a bad bird good, nor will a dark always beat a natural..........but as you say, we dont get to hear the truth about peoples performances or management methods, and certainly we dont hear it off the top flyers.......

ive never heard a straight answer when asking a top flyer, they avoid the question basically.

its true many do have second teams dark and none dark its more of a numbers game now
but as we all know you only need 1 good one to win and a bit of luck to