pigeons/ bathing

Ian you want the muscles to ease and the pigeon to relax if you use cold water it will make the pigeons muscles go tite which is the opposite to what you want to happen during the racing season

There is nothing wrong with giving your pigeons a cold bath as i have done that in the past, but when your pigeons have given 100% in any race they may be feeling a little low and using warm water can help the pigeons to relax and recover quickley

But using cold water may harm the pigeon i want the pigeons to relax and recover quickley and not need extra time to recover

When i convoyed, if the weather was going to be hot i would try to get them up early to prevent the pigeons being dehydrated

This type of weather is always around when young bird racing starts

don, do you think enough is done to make sure water is available to race birds on the transporter and do you think the birds manage to get it....

The biggest problem is people don.t learn there pigeons to drink from a drinker placed on the outside of the basket

It is all up to the convoyer to do it when i was convoying i always made sure the pigeons had water avfailable at all time


But you know what they say you can take a water to water but you can't make it drink

But today alot is done by contractors who have never had pigeons and the only thing they want to do is let them go and get back

so would you say the fancier must make sure the birds get as much water as possible before basketing...do they not put troughs on the race panniers while still at the club before they get loaded onto the transporter ?

Yes it would help and my own club would always put water trough on the race baskets

dont all clubs do it...?

No mate not at all

they should make sure that someone keeps a check on them, should there be rules for sending livestock without water available.....

If the journey is only an hour or 2, and the weather is cool, i dont think it is critical, BUT, if longer journey, i tottaly agree, clean water should be provide.
Yes Don, i tend to agree with the warm bath, i never did it though, but it make sense.

don regarding warm bath ,you do your thing and ill do mine many roads to rome but all i can say is out of all the faciers ive talk to in our club and others not one uses warm water in bath , many of these are top fliers in north east so members make your own mind up and do your own thing

don by the way just giving people my opinion dont take it personal thats what this forum is about different peoples views ,

yes ian, that is what a forum is about....its good to get some difference of opinion because if everyone agreed all the time it would be boring......
but maybe sometimes we might also get a good tip off another member which is all we need to get better results....
keep opinions coming everyone, thats what its all about....

I agree more with don, then with ian, that is my opinion, kill me if you like.

so niel do you give your pigeons a warm bath

it is best to thoroughly stretch following a workout, followed by an ice bath. This constricts all of the vessels in the legs, forcing everything out, including the toxins. this is what ask jeves said is best after a long run,

Peace brother peace , i agree a lot of what you said too.
No i didnt give my birds a warm bath, but i would relax in a warm bath.
Like you said, if i would protect my family, like the birds protect theirs.

niel we are talking about pigeons arent we , however a warm bath will not harm the pigeons neither will a cold bath ,you do whatever suits yourself,

NO, i dont want to, that why i need friends like you, who is years in the game to guide me, and other members, thanx for the advice.

ok niel no more said about bathing

are you lost for words david

Ian, how long you been racing?

i raced years ago when i was a kid , with my dad ,came back to them in 2001 , so eight years