Central Carolina Combine of NC
Loft News
Training Methods & Management With Paul:
How to settle young birds
It is advised to only take youngsters that have not yet begun to
fly. If you take or buy older birds, you will not be able to let
them out or else they will go back to their former owners loft
even if this loft is hundreds of miles away.
If you get youngsters older than four weeks, they also will likely
fly off. Most fanciers will know better and will only offer you
birds that have not begun to fly. When you get these birds they
will still be squeaking and they will have yellow peach fuzz on
their heads and chests. Hold them gently and always handle them
gently. You should ask the person you get your young birds
off, show you the proper way to handle these new birds. When you
get them home put them gently on the floor of your loft. They may
stay there as long as a day, but they will quickly find a perch.
Keep the water pan on the floor for these first several days until
you see your birds easily flying to the aviary. Watch for any bird
sitting with shut eyes for an extended period. If you see one
squinting, dunk his head into the water container. He will then
take a large drink. The next morning or several hours later, (if
you get the birds in the morning) go to the loft. Move slowly,
take a handful of feed and put it into the feeder. Now you call
your birds by either saying over and over “come on” ‘come on” or
by whistling to them and shaking a small can with some feed in it.
At first they may not eat but soon they will come to the food and
begin eating. After 20 minutes of feeding then take the feeder and
feed out of the loft till the next feed time. In a short time your
birds will get in to a routine of eating when being called. You
will be feeding them twice a day once in the morning and once in
the late afternoon. Always feed you birds the same way each time.
Soon they learn that when you call or whistle to them and shake
your can, its time to eat. This way you will be able to control
your birds, especially when they are flying around your loft. The
birds should be feed about 1and ½ oz of feed per bird per day.
When the birds are on the landing board in their wire Avery they
can see their surroundings and at the same time learn how to go in
and out of your loft. After a few days let them out on there own
outside the wire Avery for only a ten or 15-minute period, This
period can be extended the more you let them out. The first few
times you should have them hungry, so they come when called for
their food. Do not starve them, but they should always be slightly
hungry when you try to let them out. They need to know that food
is in the loft. They get fed and watered inside the loft. If they
are trained to a whistle or some other auditory signal. Pigeons
associate the sound with being fed. The birds will come inside
when they hear it Until you are sure they know how to find their
way back into the loft, do not force them to fly. They can get
disoriented and are lost if forced to fly away from the loft
before the birds acclimate to there new home ready. It is best if
the first time they go out, they go out on their own. For example,
once you are sure they know how to get back inside, just let a
door or window open and let them wander in and out. Always do this
when they are hungry, so you can call them inside for food. Some
will begin to fly around the loft in a crazy flying pattern. Don’t
worry if they fly into trees or on roofs and most of all do not
chase them. Once all your birds are flying and trapping well you
will soon find that your birds will leave your sight for up to
forty-five minutes. Do not worry, this is natural and they are
just enjoying themselves. However when your birds return to the
loft be sure to call them into the loft and feed them. If you find
they are reluctant to come in, cut down on feed that day. Since
feed, or lack of it, is the only door into the young pigeons mind.
Proper use of feed gets the attention of young birds and leaves a
stamp mark on there brain for life.
People who have no previous
experience raising racing pigeon make some mistakes in loft
design and also in techniques used to settle the birds. This is
why I have decided to share what I have learned, so that other’s
will have an awareness of the potential problems.
You should try to read as much
information about pigeons as you can find, so that you can compare
the information and make your final decision based on all the
facts. There is quite a variance on training techniques used by
the many fanciers today, and you must follow what works best for
you and your birds. click below to see pictures of
Walsh
Loft
A good loft design is crucial
to healthy pigeons The primary considerations are ventilation,
light, adequate space for the birds, and ease of cleaning. I
highly recommend that you have a racing loft and a breeding loft
so that the sexes can be separated during the late summer and fall
(non-breeding season).
Breeding, feeding, medicating,
training, and handling are things that you must learn. Feeding,
medicating, and handling should be researched prior to getting any
birds to insure you don't make any mistakes early on. This sounds
so simple, but,
a source for their feed and
supplies
Lizzie Mae's Bird
Seed & Dry Goods
"Blended
with Amish Pride"
Main Line: 330.473.4912
Email:
customercare@lizziemaesbirdseed.com
Fax: 330.437.0433
Rob Cell: 215.262.8592
Email: rob@lizziemaesbirdseed.com
I have also used Purina Gold
and Purina Green pellets.
It is difficult to find pigeon feed in some locations, so do be
sure to investigate for suppliers prior to getting the birds.
I believe in the simple principle of genetics. HEREDITY IS
HANDED DOWN FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT. LIKES BREED LIKES.
Intelligence, compass, homing instinct, navigation skills,
determination, courage and heart are inherited from the bird’s
pedigree or Ancestors' Bloodlines.
APPROACH TO BREEDING
After years of study Paul pays
no attention to strains. His is only interested in champion
pigeons. "I am not a breeding station but a skilled flyer. My view
on breeding depends on the situation. If l am going to breed for
stock or flying," Paul says.
He likes to inbreed for stock
and outcross
For flying. As a rule, he does
not put just any bird in the breeding loft. It must be a champion
or a daughter or a son of a champion. In the flying loft he will
let two birds mate the way they like and may or may not take a
pair of youngsters off them.
"I have a rule here at Walsh
Loft. Breeders are for breeding and flyers are for flying. I do
not ask my flyers to become my breeders, even the race winners,"
he says.
Paul likes to cite a story about
Ad Schaerlaeckens, the famed Dutch flyer and author. "When asked 'What
strain do you have?' Schaerlaeckens says the champions in
Holland and Belgium do not understand. What does this man want, a
strain or a good bird? This is because the majority of the super
birds in Europe are products of crossing."
Paul goes on to question if
'pure strains' really exist? In Schaerlaeckens’ opinion they
don't.
What is the
best way to acquire new stock?
Edited BY
Paul 7-25-10 Today with the World Wide Web, it is easy
to find a Champion loft from coast to coast. We are able to view
this Champion loft’s racing performance and look at his birds
online. I recommend that this is
the best way to acquire new stock, from a Champion Loft,
“from the web”. Buy the best you can afford. It is also advisable
to look at high dollar one loft races and study the winning birds,
make sure they are consistent birds in this one loft series of
races. You are not interested in winners of a single race at this
one loft race, but only birds clocked on top of the sheet in the
whole series of races. Before the web, we would go and see the
best loft in the neighboring combine. A loft that was doing all
the winning and always in the top diplomas is what I looked for.
This loft, you would not have to compete against with there birds
when you bred and raced the birds. With out the worry of you
challenging against his loft with his blood lines made for an easy
exchange of birds. It is now a good chance a champion fancier
will more than likely; sell you brothers or sisters to his winning
birds. In some cases even the winners them self’s! Some times for
the right price you will be able to buy the breeders of these
winners. From this super loft you may get lucky and get much
needed and valuable advice on how to care for and train your
birds. How to care & train birds information, can benefit you for
a life time. It is wise to secure Pigeons from lofts like this, a
Champion loft, a real racing loft, not just lofts that market
pigeons for sale, and have an endless supply of birds to sell.
Most fanciers start off with gift pigeons from some of there new
club mates. Lets face it, are the new club mates giving you the
best from there loft? Are you willing to buy a bird for x amount
of dollars and give it to some one you just met or received a call
from looking for some free birds? Some times people do give the
best in this kind of situation, they are folks indeed who show
this kind of kindheartedness, but I feel that most of the time
fanciers give you just birds and that bird is a So-So bird. Once
the bird breeds or they race the bird, and if it breeds well or
races on top of the sheet then, these gift givers are as excited
as you. In reality it is because they did not know in the first
place, the bird would of done so good, or it would still be at
there loft breeding and racing. Remember there is always an
exception to every thing in life, and you might be in the right
place, at the right time, and the great pigeon master will shower
you with champion birds. Good Luck! Today there are lots of pigeon
dealers selling birds. From these merchants of pigeons you will
see most of there for sale birds, are out of, and there so called
good ones. The birds bred out of a bird whose grand sire was a
champ in most cases. What they do not tell you is they send loads
of birds out to the futurity races, friends loft etc. when one
scores from the merchants loft in a race they flood the
advertising channels with there story of this winning bird. You
never hear about the many birds they sent out all over the USA
that did not score or even make it to the race. We also see the
fellow who only started racing two or three years ago and won a
race or two. He now believes he earned the right to market and
sells his stock, one or two races do not make a champion. A lot of
these web auctions rarely auction off the winners themselves, but
back in the pedigree there was a great champion years ago. I
personally think the pigeon internet auction clearing houses is
not the way to go, to start with birds to enter into this world of
pigeon racing. These auction sites are filled with pigeons from
wantabe champions. Most birds at auction are birds bought by
fanciers, some times for high dollars, and now that they have bred
them once or twice, now they want to resell them to get a portion
of there investment back, with no regard how well the young birds
flew. some times these fanciers bred these auction birds and fly
the youngsters, if the young birds do well then the birds are
kept for stock , if they do not breed well then back on the
auction block for you or some one else to try and repeat the
process.
I have heard people say they are going to clean out the loft and
put the birds up for auction; they do not want the birds so why
should you? Do not bring in birds, like this. A lot of these
auctions rarely auction off the race winners, but back in the
pedigree there was a pigeon with great market ability, Name brand
birds, birds whose names are pasted over and over in the magazine
with many people selling birds bred out of these old champions. I
want to say again the champion may be well back in the pedigree
and the blood line is very thin, but the champion birds name
become, house hold names in the sport. These types of pigeon were
marketed and sold like Christmas toys to kids and every one wants
one or has one of them. I also know you should consider your self
lucky if you get a bird after paying for it from some of these
people who sell there birds at auction, I personally have heard of
many cases where some one would pay for the bird or birds at
auction, and the bird or birds would not ever get shipped, the
seller does not return your calls, but he cashes your check. Or he
takes your money back from your pay pal account. When this
happens you lose, because these snakes who call them self breeders
wait the specific time period of 30 or 60 days and pay pal will
not issue your money back to you, your check is cashed and cleared
and this crook or ass does not respond to any of your contact
tries. . Be Careful!!! You think you are going to save a few
bucks by going the cheaper route, but it will cost you more in the
end, these snakes can not advise you how to win because they can
not win themselves. Remember the pedigree is only as good as the
guy who makes it out... A person has to make his own decisions
and get what is pleasing to him, and then have trust in his
breeder. I like a performance pedigree with lots of winners in
the pedigree or birds that breed winners. I believe there is no
room in the breeding loft for beginners. I guess I am proof that
if a fellow goes to the top flyers and pays attention to his
advice arid gets some of his good ones he will get to the top of
the race sheet.
You should start off with
pigeons that can and will put you on top of the race sheet, and at
Walsh loft we have them! So can you!
Feel free to
contact Walsh Loft on the pricing of our outstanding Old Birds
or 10 bird Kits of young birds.
All young birds are out of our record winning and proven birds.
I hope you enjoy my Website; I have tried to make it simple, yet
interesting and easy to move around in. I have tried to keep it
from being too commercial, but do sell a few pigeons each year.
Feel free to contact me, if you like the pigeons. If you have any
suggestions or comments on our Website, don’t hesitate to let us
know. I will be pleased to put you on top of the race sheet.
picture below is widowhood cocks flying in the NC sunshine
