to Train or not to Train

well that is the question ?

over the last few years ive read loft reports in the BHW and RP about fanciers training regimes and more and more people are doing less training. relying more on loft flying. and it doesn't seem to be hindering there results any. even some of the classic and national flyers are doing it.

so just thought id put up a thread to see who people on the form train there birds and some of the reasons WHY which i think is the most important thing. as ive always hated the answer just because as i was told that allot as a child LOL hated it then still do .

im a fan of loft flying. get them trained early on and then fly them twice a day to maintain the fitness. personally i think the birds can get quite stressed during training especially if its on a club van theres also the added problem with BOP but also when the birds are loft training you can see exactly how much of what type of flying the birds are doing and i fell its easer to gauge there fitness.

hi cawdy, personally if i were racing oldbirds it is on widowhood, and once racing has started i stop training............and exercise around the loft twice a day.


ybs i have trained so far, but the top prize winner in my club also stops training his ybs once racing has started, and it hasnt harmed hes results.....

yea i was meaning OB raceing

Hi mate, each to our own but I train my old birds up to about 30/40 miles before the first race, then aim to send every week so as the distance increases I dont train any more, so no more training after race 1, just exercise around the loft

but is there any reason you stop training after the first race. i agree that they need training b4 racing

HI CAWDY, PAUL SAID WHAT I SAID, AND STOPS TRAIning once they have started racing...........not before they start racing....

Loft flying is ok until your birds start ranging, when they are in the right condition they will probably fly for an hour or more. You run the risk of BOPS, even more when loft flying, as once they have discovered the larder. They will visit regular. this I know from experience.
I do all my own training and always will.
One thing you will learn about the pigeon game, is never believe all you read.
If you race natural pigeons, ease up on the training regime, they will become lazy and will begin to lose condition and become complacent. Then sooner or later begin to fall to pieces and start to moult heavily.
I always start them off gradually, 5 miles in a morning, loft fly mid afternoon, 5 miles evening. then fed in the loft. 3 days later, 10 miles, week later 15 miles, 10 days later 20 miles. 14 days 30 miles. then I do hop skip jump. 10 miles morning, loft fly afternoon, 30 miles evening. 3 weeks later, 30 miles morning, loft fly afternoon and then evening. Now they are beginning to tighten up. Now we begin to increase the carbs slightly.
I'll take them up to 70 miles at least two of these prior to the first race. and then alternate days 30, 20. Then change their routine. Loft fly morning, training afternoon, loft fly evening and so forth right up to the first race. once racing begins, three tosses a week, keep changing their routine. The first day they range and come back with mud on their feet, they are down the road to 70 miles. Reason being they are dossing in field or down the river.
Ease of training then it's at your peril.
There you have it my system.

cawdy, whats that on your head in the avatar, i cant make it out........



is it a crow...?

it will be a janssen lol

looks like a black walter docx graham......


(sorry ray, only bit of fun)

no doubt ray will want it

thats my hawk scarer can you guess what it is?????
guaranteed to see any sparrow hawk running for its life

Gary Burgess wrote:

Loft flying is ok until your birds start ranging, when they are in the right condition they will probably fly for an hour or more. You run the risk of BOPS, even more when loft flying, as once they have discovered the larder. They will visit regular. this I know from experience.
I do all my own training and always will.
One thing you will learn about the pigeon game, is never believe all you read.
If you race natural pigeons, ease up on the training regime, they will become lazy and will begin to lose condition and become complacent. Then sooner or later begin to fall to pieces and start to moult heavily.
I always start them off gradually, 5 miles in a morning, loft fly mid afternoon, 5 miles evening. then fed in the loft. 3 days later, 10 miles, week later 15 miles, 10 days later 20 miles. 14 days 30 miles. then I do hop skip jump. 10 miles morning, loft fly afternoon, 30 miles evening. 3 weeks later, 30 miles morning, loft fly afternoon and then evening. Now they are beginning to tighten up. Now we begin to increase the carbs slightly.
I'll take them up to 70 miles at least two of these prior to the first race. and then alternate days 30, 20. Then change their routine. Loft fly morning, training afternoon, loft fly evening and so forth right up to the first race. once racing begins, three tosses a week, keep changing their routine. The first day they range and come back with mud on their feet, they are down the road to 70 miles. Reason being they are dossing in field or down the river.
Ease of training then it's at your peril.
There you have it my system.

Bity little Micheal van Lint mate keep the birds thinking

harris hawk.
just a guess.

birdy2011 wrote:

no doubt ray will want it

if its a hen ,yes

It works Don, that's the difference between winning and losing mate there's a few other little things obviously, but that is the basic youngbird system, that I have used for years. Straight down the M6 as far as Staffordshire.
BOPS just become part of the course, hence varying the times the birds go training. Old birds are a different matter all together.

Spot on mate don't doute that one bit

stormqueen wrote:

harris hawk.
just a guess.

spot on give the man a coconut. i never known one that hated other bops so much, she used to go mental at the buzzards and sarrs were just a snack.

Gary Burgess wrote:

It works Don, that's the difference between winning and losing mate there's a few other little things obviously, but that is the basic youngbird system, that I have used for years. Straight down the M6 as far as Staffordshire.
BOPS just become part of the course, hence varying the times the birds go training. Old birds are a different matter all together.

so what do you do with your ob's gary ?

cawdy wrote:

stormqueen wrote:

harris hawk.
just a guess.

spot on give the man a coconut. i never known one that hated other bops so much, she used to go mental at the buzzards and sarrs were just a snack.

how long have you had this hawk cawdy, was she very small when you got her or did you hand rear her ? just thinking maybe this is why she hates other hawks/bops...?

ive not got her any-more but i think she was about 24 weeks or just a bit older which is a bit old as i like to get them at about 16 weeks makes building a bond with them a bit easer and its a blank canvas as once they have something in there head theres not much shifting it . but when i got her she hadn't been touched and was still with the parents so thats why i didn't wory about the age

but im my experience most bop hate each other. Harris will tolerate and fly together. they are the only raptor that with hunt in a pack but anything is fair game

but the way she used to chase after buzzards was very strange.

ive said it before at the club and got laughed at but i still recommend if anyone is having a major sparr problem to either get some one with a harris to fly there birds roud about your loft or if our into falconry tie the hawk is view of the lofts and the sparrs wont come near

and the harris will learn when it is tied up and cant go any where so wont bother the pigeons when they are out

sounds like good advise to me, what could be better to keep our pigeons safe from the sparrow hawks...........if as you say they learn not to harm the pigeons, why not.....

don't get me wrong they don't learn not to harm the pigeons its in there nature to hunt and if given half a chance the will take one but they learn very quickly that when they are placed on there perch that they can come off untill you come with the glove

its a bit like a guard dog on a chain

I think a owl would work just the same as the sparr thinks its going to be robbed of its kill and possibly injured in the process so doesn't bother trying

also owls will just sit there but a Harris can get a bit ratty if there not flown and hunted regularly.

ah right, thanks for the info...........i think we best all get an owl each

that;s a raid on the farm up the road for a barn owl.