Hamid Laakvand
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Tips for the novice - The basics
If you give a widower a week-old youngster the day before basketing, this can work wonders.
Pigeons which are well muscled and lean forwards are the fastest. The presentation of the hen and, to a lesser extent, at the beggining of the season at least, putting the nesting bowl into the box are a stimulant and therefore a means of putting the widower into a condition psychologically. It is important that a bird should not be able to take a feed of grit on the Friday before basketing for a short race on the Saturday. It never strikes a good many that a bird should not carry half an ounce or an ounce of grit in its crop if you want it to stand a chance of winning a short race. The natural conclusion to arrive at is to take the grit away from the birds on the Wednesday or Thursday before the race day, and ensure them having a crop free from the weight of the grit for the race day. A more powerful inducement to make a pigeon home in a short distance race and this particularly applies to youngsters is hunger. A much more effective stimulant than any Red Bottle. Some men swear by hungry birds for winning the short races. They are in tiptop condition up to around the Thursday afternoon before the race. After this time they do not get a taste of corn until they are home from the race on the saturday afternoon, except perhaps a few seeds on the Friday to whet thier apetite. The main point here is that a bird that has been prepared for a race using this technique has such a reserve of strength, the distance is so short, and it is lighter that combined with hunger the bird races home. Now compare this bird with one sent on the Friday night with a crop full of beans. It is hundred to one that when liberated at 11:00 to 11:30 on the Saturday morning its crop will not be empty by any means. It will fly heavily and lazy. I like a pigeon to have a good body, but not weight - weight is a handycap. If you are racing natural like I do, the secret is to train them 3 times a week from 20 miles. Short, sharp, sweet. I have found training any further is useless. Pigeons are supposed to enjoy training and return at top speed. Send them 30 - 40 miles and they do not do the same speed. I always like to hand bath my racers after they return on Saturday afternoons. I use a bowel of warm water making sure not to dip the head under. They rest well that night. Click her to go back to the Tips page |