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This article was originally published between 1999 and 2001. Reproduced here as recovered from the archived Boglin Marsh website. It may contain language and attitudes of its time.
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The Novice's Social Circle - Part 8
NOVICES SOCIAL CIRCLE. (part eight - continued )
Hello there Champ's; back for another session of ear bashing are we? Congratulations upon climbing the result sheet, now you are really on your way up Everest. I'm sorry for over simplifying long distance preparation but this was designed to test your mettle for survival and make you think for yourself. So let's examine this in a little more detail. By now certain patterns should be establishing themselves within your loft, you will be learning and recognising individual traits. The system so far has allowed you scope to test pigeons on natural, celibacy and semi widowhood, this has established a pattern and suitability of your birds to each of these. You have learned a few motivational tricks and experimented with a few of your own i.e. Naturals : sitting 5-10-14 days; chipping eggs, 7-14-21-24 days old youngsters, calling to nest. Egg stacking in the nest bowl 2-4-6; maggot inside a dummy egg etc. The pair nesting on the floor have been motivated by moving the water fountain nearer each day; see how protective they become?
Like a good student you have noted it all down and discovered your niche with natural pigeons? Celibate : these have been highly protective of the roost and sensibly all naturals have been basketed for the race ten minutes previously to these. You have seen how lively they become as they go on a tour of investigation or have a stranger in the closed section of the box. You kept one in the meat safe then allowed him a few minutes in his box, now at long last you are starting to think like a pigeon! You have noted the affection displayed for the youngster that has been allowed to grow up and share its box. These are now more precocious and further motivating the bird; eventually they will be pairing together and can be persuaded to sit dummy eggs. Now you are learning that there is no such thing as totally natural racing; he who knows most tricks wins most races, or my name isn't Beetle-Geuse!
The semi widowers are flying with zest around home, trapping like bolts from the blue, eating well in competition with the others and have become highly protective of their property without the slightest sexual motivation until the final moments pre basket time. What a little miracle worker you are becoming whilst discovering both your pigeons and own best forte, all done without the aid of anaesthetic within the confines of one small practical working loft! So now that you have grown in self awareness you are ready to try a couple at the distance. As previously stated; these needed hours on the wing with steady performance and sensible management upon your part. These birds will have raced most weeks up to 200 miles at which point you have divided your team into three. The best yearling cocks have been saved for the future forming team No. 1, the remainder will have earmarked races in which to compete if fit. Each bird should be capable given reasonable chance of competing in 2-3 races beyond this point every second week up to 400 miles. Beyond that point they will require adequate rest and this will be dependant upon the individual bird, as a rough guide 21 days from competition 'til basketing.
During this lay off period these pigeons will still be exercised under the normal routine but building the evening period up to 1hr 15mins., this will take work upon your part, absolutely no slacking at this time! You are building towards an athletic peak and this is the time to really make those pigeons talk to you. You haven't heard them talk so far but now you will and this will light up your life. This is the time to not only get them race fit but mentally fit as well, these birds are going to bust their guts for you so you owe them the special attention. So far they have been members of a team, now they are to become the single most important thing in your life. Each exercise period upon trapping and after feeding you will talk to those birds, you will tickle their chins, you will gently fight and caress them. You will make them feel unafraid kings of the world; teasing them with tit bits; you will give a little hemp seed and they will start to purr like kittens. At last you have heard them talk and you will go to sleep that night and dream about them!
These pigeons will be bouncing with pleasure and fitness, believing that racing has finished, the world is their oyster. Given a few short easy tosses as previously outlined one week prior to racing you complete their fitness taper and spring them into peak condition. Come race day you won't be watching jockeys on your television, cricket will have no interest; you won't casually trundle down to the loft at some time in the day, just half heartedly hoping for an arrival. No sirree; you will have been up early, mentally flying every yard with those feathered wonders as they cross fields, mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and ocean. You will sit in silent contemplation and let no man disturb your thoughts as your psyche reaches out to bring them safely home! Do this and you are starting to become a pigeon racer distinct from pigeon keepers! If your birds can perform for you then so can you do likewise for them! Be pleased to see them home in turn and your winning will be a bonus, whatever they have earned their winter perch!
Can they be carbohydrate loaded for this marathon effort? Well yes they can; fat and energy fuel is needed to burn instead of muscle. Pigeons may be carbohydrate loaded with the seed mixture of safflower, hemp and linseed; peanuts in moderation, glucose and honey. Carbohydrate loading must only be used as the event draws near, if used too early the pigeon will cease to eat adequate food and reach its peak too soon. Never overcook the metabolism or the engine will race before blowing up at the end of the street! There are also commercial products upon the market to achieve this aim, several companies advertise them in the pages of the B.H.W., their use is down to individual fanciers whim. None of these will harm the pigeon but I cannot recommend one above another and wonder sometimes if the expense equates with results when similar effect can be produced by intelligent feeding.
What other things should you be looking for? One important factor will be the stage of the moult, each pigeon might be advanced to a different level, particularly in a kit of mixed families. From a Feb. 14th mating this could be anything between 3rd - 5th primaries with 1st secondary dropped or about to drop. Experienced fanciers do not worry unduly but novices need to take a little care and be certain that the gaps are not too large. It is wise to hold the bird a further week if the flight is "Pinning" and not yet bursting from the sheath. Sometimes a very fit pigeon can drop two primaries in short succession or together, this is not an ideal situation for a 500 mile race. Often it is caused by previous exertion, the pigeon holding the flight until condition returns then catching up in the moult. Experience will teach you to anticipate this happening but even the best fancier can be caught out and when this coincides with the loss of a secondary the pigeon might have a problem.
Ideally if there is such a thing, you should be hoping for two primaries fully grown, with the third slightly less than half grown. At the half grown stage the pigeon could drop a flight in the basket, which is not too great a problem unless it happens to be the fifth. The secondaries start to moult at this stage; some fanciers don't mind this, regarding the additional gap as better aerodynamics.Comparing this to a larger step in the wing and less exerting on the upward stroke; there is some truth in this but the condition is better monitored by individuals that know their own family and individual bird. For you the novice I would recommend that you err on the side of caution by attempting to enter competitors that only have the fullest of wings. It would be a shame to lose a good bird or spoil its performance overall just for the sake of a few days patience. Once again be sure to note the wing condition in your stud book so that it may be prepared for and repeated in future seasons to equal or better the result.
This actually brings me back to carbohydrate loading and why it should only be used close to competition. Small heating seeds can effectively increase the speed of moulting, their witholding can help control. By judicious use it is possible to manipulate the situation ever so slightly, the use of preparations could have this same effect so use only in moderation as and when required. Once again I shall repeat : always take a drink trough with you on race marking night and leave it in place until the last moment possible. Make your final feed before lunch time and transport the pigeons inside your car and not inside the boot, you don't want them throwing up food in the baskets. Common sense but oft neglected! On hot days be sure to stand your entries in a shady place, not where they might dehydrate, in other words think on your feet and think like a pigeon.
Now then champ's, I'm going to refer back to the first couple of chapters because some of you aren't thinking clearly, judging by the 'phone calls. I told you how to feed whilst rearing; then somebody (a few) have experienced problems with pigeons selecting grain and scattering the remainder from generously filled ever available pots? *!!! Now where in Sarah's name did I tell you to do that? Is not a permanent pot a hopper under a different name??? Does mixture in any way resemble maple peas??? The feeding method that I outlined was the way the birds themselves choose their feed, there should have been no wastage if only fed sufficient two to three times daily. Pump up the squeaker (1) Pump up the squeaker (2) Pump up the squeaker then feed the old birds!!! Get it? Got it? Good!!! Maples - Maples - Maples & Mixture!
The next thing, what has happened to the perches that were for hanging in the loft to be used at a later date? Are they still in your garage and forgotten? You split your young bird sexes as near as you could determine and placed one in the hen section and one with the cocks. Now a few weeks later, some young hens have started to show themselves as cocks. Well put those perches in the hen section and also the extra young cocks, then you won't have any awkward incidents. There will only be born survivors climbing Everest; I don't expect to have to tell you when to tick and when to tock but I will if possible guide your steps. Not even Spinksy can make a silk purse out of a sows ear, but I can make a winner out of a stockman or my name isn't Beelzebub!
