P.P.News

Saturday Afternoon's Pigeon Racing Results and Info Blog

2010-03-20T19:15:06Z

Hello Race Fans!!

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

Hey Glenn, Whats up?

I found this video that I thought you would enjoy, it shows Alayne Patur Salahuddeen better known as "The Pigeon Lady of NYC". She takes us into the world of urban pigeon keeping on the rooftops of New York City, just like how my uncle got started raising pigeons. She is extremely passionate about her pigeons, after you watch the video be sure to post your comments and let me know what you think.

Look forward to reading your comments,

Yours in the sport

-Chris

The Pigeon Lady of New York City

I found this video that I thought you would enjoy, it shows Alayne Patur Salahuddeen better known as “The Pigeon Lady of NYC”. She takes us into the world of urban pigeon keeping on the rooftops of New York City, sorta like how my uncle got started raising pigeons. Go ahead and check the vid out below I think your gonna find it interesting.

Meet the Pigeon Lady, an East Village pigeon fancier who’s been stealing pigeons from prized coops for nearly a decade. From drug dealers using pigeons to carry illicit messages to bird wars and the sociopaths who fight them, the Pigeon Lady breaks down the New York City pigeon scene and explains where exactly to find it.

Up until the 80s pigeon racing was primarily a “made man’s” sport and a relatively common site around New York, but as the size of the Italian Mafia began to dwindle so did the amount of pigeon fanciers and the amount of pigeon wars. Theres still a notable amount of flocks in the East Village but most of today’s culture thrives in the outer boroughs where new generations of mostly Spanish fanciers hold pigeon auctions where birds are bought and sold for thousands of dollars.

The Pigeon Lady (Alayne Patur Salahuddeen) grew up in the East Village in a building her father, jazz musician Muhammad Salaahuddeen, used as an underground squat and afterhours saloon for touring jazz musicians. Alyne started collecting and racing pigeons on a suggestion from an old boyfriend and today her East Village rooftop coop fluxuates between 200 and 300 birds. If you happen to be in Tompkins Square Park, just before dusk, look up on the corner of 7th Street and admire the sight.

Meet the Pigeon Lady of New York City

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                            Thanks for tuning in!!
                                    Glenn West

The Month Of March In A Pigeon Racing Loft

2010-03-19T23:03:00Z

Welcome back Fanciers!!

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

March in the Loft

Breeders that have been carefully paired in lofts all across the U.S. are reaping one of the most exciting rewards of the time and money and effort that they devote to our sport, and that is babies hatching. American fanciers everywhere acknowledge the legendary status of Belgian pigeon racers, and the enormous contributions that Belgian avian veterinarians have made to the health regimens that keep our birds breeding and racing.

We all want to give these babies as great a start as possible, and I’d like to share with our readers some valuable recommendations from Professor P. De Backer, a pigeon veterinarian at the University of Ghent in Belgium, along with my own commentary and suggestions. The following seven recommendations focus on what the savvy fancier can do to make a baby pigeon’s start as strong as possible and give it a great advantage in future competition.

#1: From age 5 to 6 days until they are 25 to 26 days old, each baby should get an Ideal pill every other day. This gives them an excellent mix of mineral and vitamin supplements that improves their health tremendously. Wean your youngsters at the age of 25 to 26 days, because feeding youngsters is a big job for the parent birds. If they are going to be as vigorous in raising their third and fourth rounds as they are with their first, they need to have each round taken away from them as soon as possible.

Separation from the parents is very stressful for the young birds, so make sure that everything possible is done to make the new babies feel completely safe and at home. Since at this age they cannot fly, they will spend all of their time on the floor of the weaning loft. Place some straw or bedding material (tobacco stems are excellent) on the floor so that the babies can pile on and snuggle up. This close contact with other babies will help to ease the stress of being removed from their parents. The straw will help to keep them warm and the tobacco stems can help to keep parasites away.

In our loft, we dip our youngsters in a mild solution of 57% Malathion and warm water just as we take them from their parents. This warm water solution is not stressful to the babies. In fact, it seems to have a calming effect on them. Since they are wet, it is necessary to keep them in a warm environment, but the Malathion keeps them free of all external parasites for months. In less than an hour, they are dry, clean, happy and all snuggled up with their loft mates.

#2: About 14 days after separation from their parents, all baby pigeons should be treated for canker. 1-1/2 teaspoons per liter of water of Ridzol-S, or Turbosole from the Australian Pigeon Company (1 1/2 teaspoons per gallon of water for 3 to 5 days). Either of these should go far in taking care of any possible outbreak of this most insidious disease. Make sure that several drinkers are placed on the floor of the loft, where the babies can easily access them. We place three one-liter drinkers on the floor of our young bird section, which is 5′x 9′.

Be very mindful of the youngsters that stay in the corners of the loft or those whose eyes are constantly squinting. These youngsters have not found the drinkers yet and need to be assisted with their first drink. (When we find a “squinting” youngster, we take its head gently between our thumb and forefinger and place the tip of its beak in the drinker. As soon as the baby’s tongue gets wet, it will drink like mad, and will never forget where the water is.)

#3: For the first fourteen days after a baby has been weaned from its parents, it should be given the same feed as its parents, for example, a breeding mix, or breeding mix with added corn. After fourteen days, the mix can be switched to a standard young bird mix of about 14-16% protein. Keep in mind that pigeons should “go to bed with a light meal,” not the other way around.

It is also important to remember that young pigeons should be fed lightly and sparingly. To overfeed a youngster leads to disaster. This concerns their health as well as their discipline in the loft, as young pigeons should be taught to listen as soon as they are weaned. Always use some method of calling to the birds when you are feeding them. In this way, they associate the call with the feed and learn to listen to the fancier. Some fanciers use whistles, some shake a tin full of feed, some whistle with their mouth and others just talk to the birds.

Whatever method you decide to use, do it at every feeding. This can only serve to help create the bond of understanding that is so necessary as the babies grow up and take to the air.

#4: Slow down the moult without using drugs by darkening the loft. For maximum effect, the darkening should be started immediately as they are weaned, this from 6 in the evening to 8 in the morning. You certainly can adjust this to fit your work schedule, but no more than 10 hours of “light” time should be allowed. Fit your windows with drapes or covers, so that extraneous light cannot enter the loft. Some extra method of ventilation may be necessary, such as ventilators, but the race results can surely be most inspiring later in the year, as the young will moult all of their body feathers but retain most of their wing flights.

Generally speaking, the darker the loft, the better. It has been proven that youngsters treated in this way also mature faster and are much more inclined to respond to the mating urge than those that are left on natural light. But be careful when letting young birds out of the loft after they have been in the dark. Many fanciers have experienced horrendous “fly-aways” because they didn’t give their babies enough time in the aviary to “orient” after they’ve been in the dark.

The most successful fanciers we know who use the darkening method always let their babies have a couple of hours in the aviary before letting them out to fly. Some will even let them fly for a while, then call them in before taking them out on a training toss. The theory here is that once the babies have oriented around the loft for a few minutes, they basically know where they are.

#5: What is the safest, cheapest and most efficient medication? Oxygen! Pigeons can never have too much of it! Oxygen has nothing to do with drafts. The simplest solution to having a well-oxygenated loft is to put windows where the air is stagnant. Many fanciers today are using small room ventilators set on a thermostat or timer to ensure that the “contaminated” air is continually removed.

In our lofts, we have our front windows underneath our landing boards. The usual wind direction will cause air to enter the loft from low, drift through the loft taking the contaminated air with it, and leave through the roof ventilators. During particularly windy weather, we close the windows partly or entirely depending upon the severity of the weather. A little can go a long way in providing good oxygen for your birds. Be mindful that the “best bird sitting on a bad perch can’t beat a bad bird sitting on a good perch.”

#6: Young pigeons are just that, young pigeons. Their bodies need to mature and develop, and to do this they need sufficient grit, calcium, minerals and trace elements in their diet. It is a proven fact that baby pigeons given the proper amount of supplementation develop stronger and more robust bodies and brains than pigeons that are deprived of these supplements. Since these are potential racing birds, they need not only have a healthy and robust body, but they must be able to think quickly to orient.

Mineral and trace elements play a larger than expected role in proper brain functions. We always give our birds, especially the babies, an abundance of supplements like grit, picking stones, seaweed grit (which has iodine), and herbal supplements. We especially like the herbal supplement Naturaline from the Natural Company. Another one that we use which is very good and very popular is Orovital from Oropharma.

Another must for the young bird loft is a pro-biotic, which supplements the good gut bacteria and can actually contribute to an increase in resistance to disease. We highly recommend Health Gard, and Digestal from Versele-Laga, Prodigest from Herbots or Cometose from Comed are also all good choices for pro-biotics. It is a well-proven fact that pigeons whose diets include these types of supplements are far less likely to become ill due to bacterial infections.

#7: As soon as the young birds begin to “route” or “trip” away from the loft, it is a good idea to take them on their first training tosses. We like to let our babies become totally comfortable in the training baskets, so we leave the baskets in the loft and let them enter the basket to eat and drink. Often when we go into the loft, we find an entire group of youngsters piled together in one of our training baskets, just relaxing. It is much easier to teach a bird how to eat or drink in the basket, if that bird has been doing it since it was a baby.

Once they become comfortable in the basket, it will be far less stressful on them to be taken on training tosses. Training is just that, training. A baby pigeon need not be taken on a marathon to teach it how to come home. Homing instinct is hereditary. They either have it, or they don’t, but taking baby pigeons on long tosses can often lead to disastrous results that could have been avoided. Let the babies mature into the game by taking them on more short tosses.

We prefer many short tosses. This gets them “coming home fast,” racing home, which is what we want. Our observation has been that pigeons single tossed in their earliest tosses usually dawdle around and don’t learn to break from the release site as well. We usually employ the single or small group tosses later in the training, after the babies have got a “craw” full of confidence. Since we figure pigeons can’t count, once they have their confidence, they don’t care how many birds are flying with them. If they are hungry and fit, they will come home fast. And that will become a habit.

March in the Loft by Ed Minvielle

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YouTuber's submission:
                                                                   from AronaTENERIFE's Channel

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            Glenn West

Pigeon Racing Forum Info Request 2

2010-03-18T17:43:00Z

Hello Pigeon Fanciers!!

Today's blog will be dedicated to all the hard work Chris does at The Pigeon Insider. I will include a copy of a knowledge request so Chris can start to customize the newsletters to it's readers needs. I will leave the links open so you can answer Chris on his forum, or just leave your comments below and I will see he gets them as usual.

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

Hey,

I hope your enjoying the website, as much as I am enjoying making it! src="http://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif"> and I really want to get to know you better, I also really want to get a good feel of your comfort level with pigeons this way we can continue to bring you more informative content that better suits your needs.

So in this weeks discussion of the week I would like to know…

If you had to classify your knowledge of pigeons how would you classify yourself? would you classify yourself as a beginner, intermediate, advanced or expert? and why would you classify yourself as that?

It would also be great if you can add into your comments how long you have been involved with pigeons as well for example 1year, 20years etc.

So go ahead and post your comments by clicking here.

I am really looking forward to hearing from you and getting to know you better!

Yours in the sport,
-Chris

Discussion of the week, How Would You Classify Your Knowledge of Pigeons?

Mike Tyson Had Better Know These Secrets When He Starts Pigeon Racing

2010-03-17T22:18:00Z

Hello Race Fans!!

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

Hey Glenn,

How are you? you know I was thinking just imagine you have the perfect racing pigeon, super healthy, super strong, properly trained and conditioned and fast as lightning. On race day he's the first to come home but instead of going straight into the loft he decides to walk around the landing board or land on the roof instead......ahhhhhhhhhhh. I posted a new article to the blog called "Trapping".
Trapping is a big part of the race. If the bird comes home, but does not go in, the race is not over. To win races you have to have birds that will trap on command.
It's a great article and SUPER important so check it out and after you do be sure to post your comments especially if you have any trapping secrets of your own that you would like to share.

Look forward to reading your comments

Talk to you tomorrow

Yours in the sport,

-Chris

Trapping

Trapping is a big part of the race. If the bird comes home, but does not go in, the race is not over. To win races you have to have birds that will trap on command. This takes conditioning. You have to train over and over when the birds are young, so that it becomes a natural habit for the birds. They don’t even think about it, they just do it.

I start this training soon after the birds are weaned. I put them on the landing board with the front closed. I let them look around for a while, then I begin pushing them into the loft. I use a push stick that I made. It is just a long pole with a square piece of plywood attached. The corners are rounded and I made it smooth so it wouldn't’ hurt the birds. I use this push stick to maneuver the birds to the trap. They soon learn to go through easily.

I will push them inside, then put them back out on the landing board again and repeat the procedure. I do it several times the first day and repeat it several times each day for a week or two. I want the birds to know what is expected and I want the birds to get accustomed to me pushing them in, so that they don’t fly off the landing board on a race day.

All the time I am pushing them in, I whistle and talk to the birds. I use the same command words, “Inside. Come on, inside.” The birds learn to associate these words and the whistling with the behavior of going inside the loft. They are rewarded when they get there because their food is waiting for them. Soon the birds know that if I whistle they are going to get fed. They rush to the trap and enter the coop. Then they get to eat.

When I let the birds out for the first time and every time I train them, the birds are hungry. I only feed once a day and I do all my training before I feed. Because they are hungry, the birds are anxious to trap and get inside the coop. The birds that don’t trap on command, find that the food is all gone when they finally do go inside. Next time I let them out, these birds will be the first into the loft because they are really hungry. They will learn the lesson that to eat they have to trap when I give the command.

On race days, I rarely have a problem with birds that won’t trap. About the only time my birds don’t rush into the loft is when another flyer’s bird comes to the loft. The strange bird is not used to the routine and it will sometimes throw my birds off and confuse them. This happens only once or twice a season, and isn’t a great problem.

Another thing that I feel helps me, is that the only place for my birds to land is on the landing boards. I don’t have any power lines for the birds to land on. On top of my lofts, I have run pickets with string back and forth to prevent the birds from landing on top of the lofts. I never allow them to stay there if they do it as young birds. After conditioning them for this, they are good to land and trap immediately on race day making it a breeze for me. I don’t lose the race because the birds wouldn’t trap.

Trapping By Craig Goode
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YouTuber's submission: from Australia, sahpa1's Channel

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Glenn West

Pigeon Racing Folks From YouTube

2010-03-16T22:09:00Z

Hello Pigeon Fans!!

I'll add three YouTuber's latest submissions today. One channel from the UK, one from the Philippines and one from Romania. Enjoy these wonderful videos, if you like them be sure to rate them up or subscribe to their channels on YouTube. The Pigeon Insider newsletter from Chris is on Loft ventilation and atmosphere. Our Pigeon Pals subscribers can view the daily results video in the player below.

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

Hey Glenn,

What's up? I wanted to drop you an email and tell you that I posted a new article to the blog called "Space Age Ventilation - Loft Atmosphere" This is a really cool article that I think your gonna enjoy.

It goes over a really cool ventilation system that champion fancier Van Ravenstein has installed in his loft. This article also explains relative humidity, purpose of ventilation, ventilation mechanics, wind pressure and more.

Looking forward to reading your comments

Talk to you soon

Yours in the sport,

-Chris

Don't forget to leave your comments for Chris and any suggestions or stories of your own.

Space Age Ventilation – Loft Atmosphere

On a visit ten years ago the Hungary to the city of Kaposyar, I met the well known German pigeon photographer Gerhard Schlepphorst. Several times we talked at length about which fanciers in Germany or Holland came up with the finest performances. During on of these exchanges the name of Van Ravenstein surfaced. Gerhard mentioned this fancier, week after week, he punished the competition by minutes with several pigeons on top.

Then he added that the loft in which these pigeons are housed with its so called electronic “environmental control” was the best he had ever seen. It was impossible for him to explain exactly what the term “environmental control” meant so he advised me to go and see it with my own eyes.

Promptly I made an appointment and it was on a beautiful day in January that I had the satisfaction of meeting Van Ravenstein in person. This man accomplished an extraordinary collection of victories. The race program put together for the old bird racers embraces 13 races. He had come in 1st no less than seven of these races in 1979, for example , and every one of them had sizable numbers of birds participating, while the distances varied from 150 to 400 miles.

Five times he captured the first six prizes, while in two races he managed to win all of the top ten positions. In my opinion these are remarkable accomplishments and they were won by offspring from super pigeons coming from the ranks of Belgian champion fanciers, mainly Jules Rijcaert and Gust Hofkens.

My host was a little dumbfounded when he realized the stimulus for my visit wasn’t because of these racing results or to examine his pigeons. I told him the purpose and together we went upstairs to his loft and the installed “environmental control”. The integrated installation consists of a collection of popes on top of the loft. A ventilation fan at the loft end constantly sucks air away. The upstairs area has been completely closed off to prevent unwanted drafts and is also well insulated for a more even temperature. The outside air enters the loft by way of fresh air pipes located on both sides of the roof.

To ensure that the same kind of air is present in most areas of the loft, the distance to the “climatic air control duct” has been made as long as possible. There is a heating system in the loft and the temperature all year round never drops below 60 F. As long as the temperature remains the same, the relative humidity will drop, but never below 55%. With respect to the living quarters of his pigeons, Van Ravenstein elects to keep all conditions constant, year round.

Relative Humidity

The relative humidity (RH) of the air is a number which indicates , in percentages, how much of the maximum quantity of water the air is absorbing, at a fixed temperature. Although this may look complicated, it is very easy to read the number off a hygrometer. There are afew things that every fancier should recognize about the RH factor. In the first place, the most favorable RH for pigeons is found between 60 and 65%. It is very important to have an unchanging RH if you want to keep your pigeons in form because when it gets too low ( below 40%), or too high (above (90%) for a period of time, the affect can be harmful to the general health of the birds.

It is crucial to know that the RH is closely related to the temperature. Temperature fluctuations alter the RH. For that reason we should try to keep the temperature in our lofts under control as much as possible. It is a well known fact that there is a linkage of top performances by our pigeons and the ideal temperature. When everything is right they eat less and lose body weight, in other words, they acquire fitness!

Every day the environment in our lofts is influenced by the following factors: the air temperature, the different gaseous ingredients of the air, the percent humidity, and the lighting of the loft.

Next, we should examine which factors help establish a constant temperature in our lofts: The insulation and building materials in the loft construction, the amount of ventilation, the number of pigeons that are living in the loft, the heat their bodies are producing, and the availability of any supplementary heating.

Not everyone is able to bring into their lofts an extra source of heat, but, we can always allow the sun to help us. This will generate a beneficial difference and it will not harm the pigeons. Many of you probably aren’t a great deal interested in the laws of Nature, but, whenever you decide to get to the bottom of something you may as well understand the principles from the start. The purpose of this article and the more technical details to follow later on is to provide you with an in depth study.

Purpose of Ventilation

The purpose of ventilation is to: Make fresh oxygen available to the respiratory system. Remove the exhaled gases and the gases produced by the droppings. Rid the loft of excess moisture so the RH will stay within the permissible levels. Help maintain the temperature at the proper level.

You may have to ventilate year round when you want to provide the loft with new oxygen and at the same time remove the accumulated harmful gases. Especially in the summer, when the temperature outside is high, ventilation is essential to remove the heat the pigeons produce. As the temperature rises the level of oxygen in the air goes down. For this reason we must ventilate more. During the winter, though we ventilate as little as possible by reason of the fact that we want to keep the loss of heat to a minimum. This minimum amount depends on the number of pigeons in the loft and the odor they produce.

Mechanics of Ventilation

A body of air which is trapped inside a closed area will put pressure on all sides whenever the temperature in that area is higher than the outside temperature. Heat is produced by the pigeons, the sun’s rays that penetrate the loft, and when available, other sources of heat. Within the loft the air will layer itself and the warmest layer will rise to the ceiling, while the coolest air is found near the floor. Whenever warm air meets the outside air and exchange will take place. Because of the built up pressure the warmer air will move out from the top of the loft while the colder air comes back in at the bottom, thus replacing the warmer and lighter air inside the loft. This, in brief, is the is the principle of natural ventilation.

Natural ventilation is the result of the temperature differences or a difference in weight between the air inside the loft and the outside air. If the difference is extensive the exchange happens quicker and as a result you have more natural ventilation.

The amount of natural ventilation can also be increased by the so called “chimney effect”. This effect is based on the idea that air pressure differences also depend on the difference in height between the air outlet and air intake. This difference can be increase by way of ducts.

Pressure Caused by Wind

There is more pressure placed on the side of the loft on which the wind is blowing and less pressure on the opposite side. When the ventilation openings are not properly covered, or in some way protected, they will help bring about unwanted side ventilation, because of the wind pressure. Another word for this type of ventilation is drafts. Nobody needs this! The best thing to do is locate the loft in relation to the prevailing winds so that this problem is kept to a minimum.

Ventilation System Requirements

Proper ventilation should: Be able to maintain the correct quality of air. Provide good quality air to all corners of the loft. Never cause drafts. Be both efficient and easy to regulate.

Taking the above points one by one and checking them against the ventilation system of Van Ravenstein, we can see that he scores high on all counts. The incoming air is heated, resulting in a loss of moisture, resulting in a more constant RH. The distance between the place where the air enters and the exhaust pipe opening is of considerable length. The air enters at the lowest possible point, the floor. The amount of air which is sucked away through the pipe openings is the same throughout the loft. It doesn’t matter if a hurricane is blowing, resulting in great pressure, this will not influence the ventilation causing it to suck away great amounts of air. The amount of air to be removed can be regulated exactly with a variable dial connected to the ventilator.

When I was with Van Ravenstein in the loft I experienced first hand the favorable quality of air. By looking at the pigeons it appeared that they were very comfortable in their home. Before the installation of the “climate control”, Van Ravenstein , as many of us, had ventilation problems, or to use the correct term, did not have the right climate in his loft. After the installation of the ” climate control system” the following remarkable changes took place: No matter how many pigeons were in the loft, all signs of respiratory disease of any kind disappeared. Year after year the pigeons had a terrific moult and the loss of down feathers was super all year long. The color of the pigeons’ wattles were much whiter, compared with other years. The speed of recovery after a race improved as well.

Why do birds bounce back so much faster? A racing pigeon uses a lot of oxygen in relation to its body size. In the summer when the outside temperature is usually the same as the inside temperature, not much ventilation takes place. It is a well known fact, a pigeon that is racing, needs a good quantity of oxygen. The lofts interior climate is often decided by the fancier’s person al preference. This isn’t that strange, because when humans don’t feel that comfortable in a certain environment, then the same holds true for the birds.

One has to set the climate control almost daily. Every time the outside temperature rises, the percentage of oxygen in the air goes down, more moisture evaporates, and more ammonia type gases escape from the droppings. I installed in my lofts the same type of ventilation system. I’ve been working with it for over ten years now and the above conclusions were seen in my lofts.

In a loft of less than 126 square feet I have housed 130 young birds. They were healthier than they had ever been before, eager to fly and not the slightest indication of a wet nose or a watery eye. During the ten years after the installation of the climate control system the racing results of my youngsters were really amazing.

Conclusion

Installing such an electrical system and having it set properly is not that simple and better left to the experienced. I would discourage a ” too eager” do-it-yourself approach.

Constructive Guidelines

The total air content of the loft should be replaced 25 to 30 times per hour. This is the highest dial setting when, in the summer, it is very hot outside and you have the maximum number of pigeons in your loft. The ventilator should have a maximum capacity of 25 to 30 times the total loft air content. The regulator or dial, should be step free, sometimes referred to as infinitely variable. The loft has to be completely air tight, except for some air inlets needed to allow fresh air to enter, and these outlets should be located at the lowest possible level, as far away from the pigeons as possible. The ventilator exhaust vent should have a diameter of at least 10 inches. A smaller diameter would create too much resistance and have a negative effect on the ventilator’s capacity. The area of the cross section of the exhaust duct should be equal to the sum of the areas of all the ducts exhausting the air out through the ventilator. The first opening( the opening furthest away from the ventilator) in the duct should be 12 square inches. A smaller opening than this would be inefficient. The larger openings increase in size by a constant feature. Assume that the area cross section of the duct measures 400 square inches. The sum of the areas of all the duct openings should not exceed that number (to make more openings would not have any effect at all). We know the size of the first opening, which should be 12 square inches or approximately 3 inches by 4 inches. Then the following openings should be 4″X4″, 4″x5″, 4″x6″, 4″x7″ etc., until you reach to total amount of 400 square inches. By using this principle you can figure out how many openings you need in the duct and then divide them evenly along the length of the duct. As long as the ratio is correct the system will work.

Space Age Ventilation – Loft Atmosphere By Steven van Breemen

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YouTuber's submissions:

from carltrouble's Channel UK

from speedyjay2002's Channel Philippines

frpm romanianrp1's Channel Romania

Thanks for tuning in!!
Glenn West

The Fourth Part To "Double Widowhood" A Must Read For Any Pige

2010-03-15T23:29:00Z

Happy Monday Race Fans!!

Have a look at the fourth and final part to "Double Widowhood" pigeon racing from Chris at the Pigeon Insider. The "YouTuber's submissions" will contain a few new videos from two of our earliest friends on YouTube. As always our subscribers can enjoy the daily catalogued race results in the player below.

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

Double Widowhood Part 4

As stated before, my first priority is to separate the hens as quickly as possible and wean the youngsters to their own compartment. Once this is achieved then I can start to cut back on the quantity of feed given and the type of grain that I feed. For those unweaned young birds they will still receive legumes ( peas) in their boxes in cups. In this way, I can control the feed given to the other widowers which do not have any youngsters. Good quality malting barley is a favourite way to get the droppings looking just right ( small round marbles) and to start the process of taking off any unwanted weight from the team. Also you will notice that as you concentrate on the carbohydrates and steer away from the proteins that the flesh will pinken a little faster. In the last four decades that I have been in this sport let me say that there is not any magic ELIXIR on the market that will place pink flesh on the breast of your pigeons. Other than physically painting it on them, the only method that I know of is to reduce the number of inmates (thereby increasing the oxygen for each bird), reduce the protein content ( cut down on the peas and increase the carbohydrates), increase the wing time ( make sure that they are properly trained prior to the race they are undertaking), eliminate respiratory problems immediately ( medicating when necessary especially for trichomoniasis), provide plenty of motivation and last but not least let the widowers have complete rest during the day. Since the birds will be fed twice daily, they will receive only barley ( top grade malting barley) in the morning. In the evening I will give them a carefully monitored amount of barley ( 20-30% ) and a mixture ( 70-80%). My racing mixture will change throughout the racing season depending on availability and the quality of good grains. At the beginning of the racing year my mixture will contain; 40% corn ( of which 30% will be of the red/yellow seed quality corn variety and 10% yellow/white kaffir (milo) not the reddish kaffir which contains tannic acid), 30% peas/ lentils ( consisting of a variety of brown maples, yellow peas, trapper/century peas, vetch or tares, French or Eston lentils etc.try for a variety ) 20% wheat ( hard western , Goose etc.) 5 % safflower and 5% brown rice. Once we start racing I drastically reduce the protein content to a point where they will not receive any legumes ( peas, lentils etc.) at all. Of course, as the distance races increase so must the carbohydrates and fats up until they make up the entire meal.

At this time, I will begin to choose those candidates that I will exclude from certain meals. These are the birds from certain lines that inevitably put on too much weight. I have a line of Janssen pigeons that tend to become overweight very quickly. Just last winter, I finished reading P. DeWeerdt’s latest book and I found it interesting that he feels that one of the most redeeming qualities of the Janssen line of pigeons is their ability to put on weight even when given very little food. For me, I see this as more of a detriment than anything else. I have a few birds which require that their rations be strictly defined in order for them to reach optimum race conditioning. Here I am referring to that buoyancy almost weightlessness that widowers who are in top form seem to achieve. Once you have handled a group of widowers who are in top form you will get an understanding of this weightless feeling. Just recently this point of buoyancy was reaffirmed to me. Due to steady rain for three days my widowers were neither trained nor exercised. As I was placing them in the basket for a toss I noticed how heavy feeling they had become in the span of three days. They certainly did not have that weightless feeling to them. When widowers are in form you can release them from your hands in the loft and they will almost float and clap their wings to their box. They don’t have that huge encumbrance called extra weight holding them back. During this three days of inactivity I had been feeding them the same as if they were active instead of changing their diet to suit the workload. I feel that this is extremely important. Remember, most of what happens during the year, both the successes and the failures can always be traced back to the manager, coach, or trainer( namely you).

After a week of controlled feeding the widowers should be flying well either in the morning or evening( depending on whether you train your pigeons in the morning or the afternoon ). Please keep in mind that once the first race is over training becomes optional. From years of experimenting, I have found that my results are not enhanced by road training after the first race. However, having said that, I know of many top widowhood fliers that train throughout the entire race programme with tremendous success. The key here is to decide what fits your particular situation taking into consideration time allotment, family and business commitments. The widowhood cocks and hens that do not go to the race will receive an 80-100 mile ( 130-200 km) race or toss each week-end. In our area we are extremely fortunate to have a gentleman that transports our birds for a sprint race each weekend. This is ideal, as it gives the birds about a two hour fly and eliminates the need for taking them out on Sunday, thus leaving this as a day of rest for you, your birds and most importantly your family.

Depending on the duration of the race I will either bath the birds on race day which is Saturday or I will wait until the next day. If the race has been very easy and all the birds are back before noon I will place a very warm bath out for both sexes in their own separate compartments. However, if the weather is cold or damp I will wait for Sunday. I have in the past given them a forced bath , but only if the race was extremely hard on them. Usually they will take a warm bath very quickly. On return from the race they generally only receive a mixture of small seeds for the first few hours. The small seeds are a mixture of rape, millet, niger etc. Later in the day, they will be given malting barley, rice, safflower, white kaffir and wheat. I like to keep them a little on the hungry side for the first day or two. It is also very important to replenish salts and minerals which have been lost due to the race. I try to accomplish this in two different ways. First, I will prepare a concoction of water, honey, lemon,pinch of salt and a little Gatorade. This is out for them when they first return. After they have been home for a few hours they will receive plain cold water in the drinking fountain. The second way that I try to replenish their lost salts and minerals is by placing fresh pick stone, vitaminerals, granite and oyster shell out for them. Generally, if it has been a challenging race they will definitely partake of the pick stone because of the 25% salt content.

Double Widowhood Part 4 by John Marles

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YouTuber's submissions:

from zerocooltom's Channel

                                                                                                        from heathlofts's Channel

                      Thanks for tuning in!!
                             Glenn West

The Sunday Evening I Can't Believe They Sucked Out On Me In The $1000 Weekly Poker Tourney and Pigeon Racing Blog

2010-03-15T00:04:00Z

Howdy Folks!!

     As you can tell by the title things didn't go so well in tonights PIGEON POKER ROOM tournament. I had Ace Queen of hearts on the button, with the blinds at 30/60, a full table had limped to me with one guy all in for less than the big blind, when it got to me I pushed for 1105, big stack with 3230 in first position called with queen ten of clubs and the guy behind me also called with queen seven of diamonds. I thought I was loving it when the flop came queen seven eight with two hearts but I was behind, the turn was a nine no heart and the river a six again no heart. The donk behind me flopped two pair and the chip leader catches way up with the strait on the river.....couldn't believe it!!.....then again yes I could.... Thanks for letting me vent!   You can now enjoy the days normal blog activities. Part three of Chris's story on Double Widowhood Pigeon Racing. The YouTuber's submissions and our subscribers can see the daily results videos in the players below.

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

YouTuber's submissions:

                                              from St Paul, MN. PigeonClubAPC's Channel

                                                from Essex UK pigeon557's Channel

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

Double Widowhood Part 3

The last point I discussed was just prior to training the old birds for racing. It is imperative that the young birds be weaned as soon as possible. Only then will we see the dramatic boost in health that we are looking for. I will have all of my young birds out of the loft three weeks prior to the first race. The old birds will have been exercising for at least three to four weeks before I actually begin to train them. For me this training for the first Old Bird race takes place at a minimum of three weeks prior to the first race. Normally, I will take just the Cock birds because the hens have either just been separated or are ready to be separated that week. My practice is to go only about 16 or 20 miles on a very nice day. At this time of the year you certainly do not want to hurt the pigeons by over extending their muscles. Also, if the weather is too cold I will consider taking them out later or wait until the next day. This caution comes from experience. I well remember jumping the gun one year due to my excitement at playing widowhood and getting the widowers out for a club toss on a rather dubious day. The weather turned for the worse, I felt that the trucker being an experienced pigeon flyer would bring them back. Needless to say, the day turned out disastrous and even my earliest arrivals were cold and wet. All form was lost in the loft and it took a long time before it started to return. Armed with this vivid memory of twenty years ago, I now proceed slowly and carefully with a little more thought to the oncoming race season.

After the separated hens have been on their own for a week to recuperate, I will include them on all tosses. Each time they return, they are allowed to go back to their nest and then I carefully return them to their own section. In the three week training period, I will try to toss both sexes at least thirteen to fifteen times. The emphasis is not on distance, but rather repetitions. Most of the tosses will be from 30 to 40 miles with only a few further than this. Of course I will continue with the exercise around the loft and adjust the training according to my observations. For instance, if the flying exercise time around the loft drops off dramatically then I will discontinue training and exercising until I find out what is wrong. Sometimes it’s just a couple of days rest that they need and they are back to their normal exercise time. They should be constantly moving in the sky, darting here and there, landing momentarily and then off again. Thirty minutes at this time of the year is more than enough. I try to keep the birds to a routine so as not to upset their internal clock. Therefore, if I toss in the morning, then I will exercise them at their normal time in the evening.

Since I do not have a partner, training is a little more difficult. After crating both the hens and cocks in separate baskets, I then make sure that the only trap open is where the nest boxes are kept. On occasions I will allow the hens into this section first by letting them go a shorter distance. I don’t feel that it is critical. If I am fortunate enough to be at home when they arrive, then I will allow them in the open doors. It is a sight to see them pitch from the air and swish into their box. Over the last 20 years that I have flown widowhood, I have seldom been home when they arrived, but I can assure you that it has not adversely affected my results. Usually, by the time I return home the cocks and hens are in their respective nest boxes and are crouched over the bowl. At this time, I carefully remove the hen to her own section which is right next door . There is a solid partition between the sections and the hens loft is fitted with perches only while on the cock side there are only nest boxes. Once the hen is removed I turn the bowl over and close off the half section which contains the bowl. I like the birds to calm down and rest for it is the resting phase which is one of the most important factors in racing double widowhood. Some fanciers spoil this particular time by returning to the loft too many times or keeping the hens beside the cocks without a slid partition or allowing the sexes together too often for too long. Try at all costs to avoid these situations. If it is a particularly nice day then set a warm bath inside for both of the sexes as this tends to help calm them down and rest. After the birds have been trained for their targeted thirteen or fifteen tosses then they should be race ready.

Our fist race is about 130 miles which is anywhere from a two and a half hour flight to three hours. If your first race is longer, then I would definitely increase the number of tosses because you want to make sure that they handle the time on the wing without hurting themselves for the rest of the year.

We will all readily agree that medicating is often a double edged sword. How much are you giving up in the way of natural resistance and good healthy bacteria in order to achieve the desired effect on unwanted bacteria? Over the years I have had the opportunity to experiment using different amounts of medication varying from using nothing to a fixed weekly programme. From experience my worst year ever was when I decided to treat the birds very naturally. ( homeopathically). Likewise the other extreme does not work either and those lofts who are heavy medicators soon succumb to the stress of over medicating. Where does this leave us?- in the middle. ” All things in moderation.”

During the first week of training, I generally treat against trichomoniasis for five days with either Emtryl or Ridzol. Make sure that they receive the right amount – one teaspoon per gallon for the entire five day period. Thanks to the training of Dr.G. Chalmers, I am now able to check faecal samples for either worms or coccidiosis. Neither have been a problem in the past as I watch very carefully for any changes in the loft. If the droppings on your birds were off then I would strongly suggest seeking a reputable Pigeon vet to give you advice.

If the widowers are exercising freely and are training well then this is the extent of the medication I administer before the first race. However, if the birds are not willingly exercising prior to the first race then you have problems. A sure sign of a respiratory problem is if during training, as soon as the birds are released, they circle and circle and circle. Also, if you are lucky enough to be present as the trainers are landing then observe very closely and look for the following tell tale signs. Upon arrival do they open their beaks wide.. almost as if they are yawning? Do they rub their nostrils ( beak ) on their wings? If the weather is cool, do they land with their beaks open and panting? If you answered yes to any of these then you may certainly have a respiratory problem. What should you do? For the next ten days I would rest the birds and place them on a medication programme consisting of an anti-tricho drug, Emtryl or Flagyl or Ridzol etc. plus an anti-respiratory drug combination( Tylosin and Doxycycline). Make sure you use an anti-tricho drug that you have not used yet this year. Trichomoniasis is an opportunistic bacteria and quite often waits for a little stress on the birds and then it opens the door for a secondary infection such as respiratory.

Once we start racing we will discuss which medications to use and how. Hopefully, your birds will really look the part and be ready for the competitions ahead. If you have been conscientious with the training, cleaning, keeping smaller numbers and observing the birds daily they should look good.

Handling of the Widowhood Hens

As has been mentioned earlier I like to separate the hens when the young birds are about eighteen to twenty days old. If the hens happen to lay before this let them sit for two to three days then remove the eggs, bowl and the hen. You do not want these birds to start moulting. Our 11 week season is short enough when you consider the length of time that you keep them so make sure they compete with as full a wing as possible.

The widowhood hen section should contain only perches and preferably some kind of mechanism (like a screen door) to enclose the hens once they are on the perches. Why? As I see it the only problem with racing widow hens, is that they love to mate to each other. After four, five or six weeks ( sometimes sooner ) the hens will start to mate. I have heard of or seen many, many, different methods that have been put into practice to stop this. For me, the one that works is to close them in once they are on their perches. My perches are about 12 x 12 and I have a 2 x 1 screened frame which closes over the perches and keeps each bird in its own separate perch. In the morning when my time is very limited, the hens will not be exercised, but they will be let out on the floor for a light, cereal feed ( barley, rice, wheat and white milo ) a drink and then back up onto their perches. At this time I will close the screen door over the birds. Next, I hang a dark curtain over this 2 x 1 frame so that the hens can not see out. Now I can give my widowhood cocks their exercise and I do not have to worry about the sexes seeing each other. The widowers are generally out for about 30 minutes in the beginning of the year. Be careful if the weather is not conducive to good form then keep them in. Some widowhood fliers allow their cocks only out once a day and they compete very well. This exercise could also take place in the afternoon, it really does not matter. Once the widowers are back in the loft then take the curtain away from the hens side. Now, try and leave both sexes alone for the next eight hours. This is the time of the day when I feel that the widowers get an edge on their competition by merely resting and sunning….absolute bliss.

I had hoped to discuss feeding, but I will incorporate that into the next article. I leave you with this thought…Some people try to find ways to eliminate their competition….Why not try eliminating one factor in your own loft that might be keeping you from beating the competition– numbers!! By reducing your numbers the health, form and race results of your loft will improve considerably.

Double Widowhood Part 3 by John Marles

Sunday Morning's Pigeon Poker Room Update

2010-03-14T12:54:00Z

Hey Poker Fans!!

    It looks like I was the Only one to qualify for the $1000 top 2000 point getters tournament this week. I will post the PIGEON POKER ROOM club's leader board as well as an update to a St. Patrick's Day tournament you beer drinking poker players will love. Welcome aboard, again, to "rickythebear" and "fluffybunnie" our newest sign-ups.

      So you can see there is a ton of fun to be had, not to mention all the cash and prizes to flop, turn and river your way towards. Every five minutes another tournament starts up and there are sitngos going off all the time.SIGN-UP TODAY....IT'S FREE!!!

                Thanks for tuning in!!
               See you back later today!
                        Glenn West

Part Two of Pigeon Racing Using Double Widowhood

2010-03-13T19:30:00Z

Welcome Back Pigeon Folks!!

Part two from Chris at the Pigeon Insider newsletter on racing under Double Widowhood. The Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide subscribers enjoyed a real upset in today's scheduled race, not one favorite crossed in the top three. the YouTuber's submission shows two very different sides of the pigeon game, one from the most scientific approach and the other more old world style of breeding. ENJOY!!

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

Double Widowhood Part 2

I now realize that there are very few principles in this sport to which you need to strictly adhere. Be as innovative as you possibly can be and try to find out what works for you. Our first race is generally the first week in May so I like to put them together either the third or fourth week in February. I try to raise only one youngster a nest so that the parents can save as much energy as possible. I have read many, many different articles on whether to raise two, one or no youngsters. As for me I favour rearing only a single young bird in each nest. As soon as the youngsters reach about fifteen days old I start to take the hens away. I do not let them lay their second round. Why? First, because it takes too much out of the hens. Second because doing so will start the moult. For years I was told that in order for a pigeon to come into form he must have moulted his first flight. Over the years I can not tell you how many races I have won with birds that have not moulted their first flight. I have had pigeons score in the third or fourth week of racing that still have not dropped a flight.

While still on the topic of mating up the birds, I would like to mention three small points that I feel may be of benefit for those few who are new to our sport. Number one is that prior to mating up the birds leave the lights on in the loft for about eighteen hours each day. This will artificially activate the birds’ hormones and ensure that they lay quickly. Number two, three weeks prior to mating make sure that you are giving the birds about a 16% protein ration and that the barley content is reduced to 5 or 10%. The last point is to add 15% pellets to their ration for the egg laying period. I feel that the riboflavin contained in pellets greatly enhances the hatching of the chicks.

Next, I would like to discuss how to get the birds physically right for racing. In the late seventies and early eighties I seemed to have more time and ambition; therefore , I exercised the birds throughout the winter months. They were definitely fit the year round. Many people would look at them flying sometimes two to three hours and say that they were in super form. These same people predicted that the super form would not last. Nothing could be further from the truth. They were so fit that they definitely had a huge advantage over the competitors going in to the first few races. In those days I would not think twice about taking them up forty miles for their first toss, then to sixty and once at eighty and their road work would be completed. Three tosses and they were race ready, mind you they were flying almost three hours a day. The other day, I was looking over some old diaries from some thirteen years back and one year they only had two tosses and still topped the Combine in the first few weeks of racing. I no longer freeze outside during the winter months. Once the last race is completed they are locked up until they have been sitting eggs for about eight to ten days. As is my practice I will cut the food once the hens have laid. I attempt to get the unwanted weight off the racers. Next, I choose an excellent day and I try to allow them their first exercise early in the morning just in case I have hawk problems. Last year, I had tremendous hawk problems and therefore had to re-evaluate what I knew about hawks. It seemed that everything I had read about hawks went out the window as these hawks were not conforming to any kind of rules. During the next few weeks I try to get them out as often as possible and as soon as they land I quickly get them in. After three weeks of exercising them they are ready to train. In the next issue I will outline the training schedule I use, the feeding methods, medication and how I handle the hens. Once again, all the best next year.

Double Widowhood Part 2 by John Marles

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YouTuber's submissions:

from harrygeurts9's Channel

               from DENNISWEINREICH's Channel

                        Thanks for tuning in!!
                    Glenn West

SMITH FAMILY LOFT presents: Private Ludo Claessen Collection Becomes Available

2010-03-13T11:44:00Z

Happy Saturday Pigeon Fans!!

I am adding this extra blog entry to let you all in on a once in a lifetime opportunity. The following story was posted to PIGEON TALK
by Warren Smith of Smith Family Loft, a sale of racing pigeons, of this caliber, may never come around again. As one of the most formidable lofts in the U.S.A. you can rest assured that these are top quality breeding stock and Warren has included and will supply all the historical data from years of winning race records. This is a serious chance for someone to break into our sport at a very competitive level.

SMITH FAMILY LOFT

Private Ludo Claessen Collection Becomes Available

It is not every day that you hear of a Ludo Claessen aficionado and collector has put his entire private collection up for sale. It is actually a very rare event, typically one has to die or retire from the pigeon racing sport. As such, it did not seem appropriate that such an event be strictly regulated to the "For Sale" section of Pigeon Talk. After all, Ludo Claessen himself has seen and read some of the threads on this site, and to have some of the offspring down from his birds to be simply listed in these for sale sections does not seem to do either the man or his birds justice. And then of course, Dan Detweiler aka. "learning" has contributed much to these pages, and I think under these circumstances, the racing section is a fitting place to recognize these pigeons.

Dan's announcement can be found at : . See: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f8/get...-go-43246.html

I'm not trying to act as Dan's agent, only attempting to share with you, that if you seriously want to own some bloodlines which have done very well for me, then I suggest that you contact Dan and I would not beat around the bush. Let me suggest, I seriously doubt, that Dan will have the time to PM or email every interested party on this site, with all the particulars regarding 30 pairs of breeders. I alone received something like 19 emails from people on Face Book wanting me to email them various particulars. I did of course supply Dan with many of these pigeons. Some are 1st generation from originals, in other words the parents were bred by the Master, Ludo Claessen himself. These are the most rare, and the most expensive, a couple of GFL 1st generation may still be available. Dan also has a number of 2nd generation Ludo Claessen based pigeons in his inventory.

In addition, there are any number of SFL USA banded birds which are descended from what I call my "Duke of Earl" line. Duke of Earl for those who would like to know, is my ultimate foundation sire, grand sire, great grand sire, etc. for my Smith family line. Duke is the sire which produced my various Flamingo cash winners, my American Ace, and numerous club and combine winners. Ken Munson on this site as well as some others, have experienced some of the offspring from this line. "Duke of Earl" was produced from the lines of Theo Ijskout from Belgium combined with Piet Verbree and Geb De Wit lines. It was the Verbree sire which produced some very notable Gold Metal Winners. Duke's uncle is "Orlando" which was purchased by Mike Ganus and renamed "Super Champion". see : http://ganusfamilyloft.com/superchampion2.htm

It was this line, for which I acquired birds direct from the most famous middle distance Champion of all of Holland...the Master's Master... Ludo Claessen, in which to cross and then build one of America's premiere racing families. Dan shared this dream of building something very different and special. He spared no expense in trying to put together a loft and family of pigeons to make this happen.

I am putting this out there, because under the circumstances, I don't see Dan sitting down and sending out emails to every Tom, Dick and Harry who says send me an email and tell me what all you have. I am hoping he does not mind, but I will share his email address, but I am asking for his sake, that you contact Dan if you have some means and are serious in acquiring some of this stock. He's not real happy with having to give up this dream because of circumstances beyond his control, so don't add insult to injury by asking for freebies. Dan's email : dandet@windstream.net

I thought I would share this also. I don't want to embarass Dan, but just so you know, Dan did make me a very generous offer, which I will be forever greatful. Some members of the 9 Point Colony will be returning home to the Mother Loft in York, Pa.

Unfortunately, I lack the space and resources to acquire the remaining members of this breeding colony. My hope and desire, is that these pigeons will go to strong hands, and to those who can appreciate the heritage and legacy of these family lines. For those fanciers who acquire some of these SFL USA banded birds, and who wish additional backgrounds or information not available on the original SFL pedigrees, I will do my best to assist the new owner. Any individual fancier who invests more then $5000 into some of Dan's stock, I will be happy to provide, free of charge, a direct offspring from one of my Ludo Originals. Or, at investors option, some other pigeon which might best compliment the particular birds acquired from Dan.

I will be sharing this page with my friends on Face Book and the fans of Smith Family Loft.com on Face Book as well.

__________________
Warren & Karen Smith

As of 4/3/2009 all of my previously posted photo's were deleted by mistake, so if you read a post referring to a photo and it's not there, this is why

http://smithfamilyloft.com/

       I hope this sale lends itself to help grow our sport and I'm sure we will hear of these birds and their young in years to come.
         Thanks for tuning in!!
             Glenn West

Pigeon Racing Using Double Widowhood

2010-03-12T22:38:00Z

Hello Fanciers!!

Part one of a four part article on Racing Under Widowhood, The daily results video and a couple of cool videos from Argentina on our "YouTuber's" submissions.

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

Hey Glenn,

I posted a four part article on the blog that talks about the double widowhood system. There is a ton of information in this article series so take your time reading it. Some of what's covered includes double widowhood loft, fixtures and fittings, choice of birds, feed, care and a ton more info.

I think your gonna enjoy it, after you read the articles don't forget to post your comments and let me know what you think especially if you have experience racing with the double widowhood system.

I can't wait to read your comments

Talk to you soon

Yours in the sport,

-Chris Don't forget to post your comments so I can pass them along to Chris!!!

Double Widowhood Part 1

I would like to first of all talk about some of the benefits of the widowhood system, then the choice of birds, the loft and fittings and finally feed and care.

I have raced the double widowhood system for almost twenty years. Before this I raced my birds on the natural system for about fifteen. The widowhood system ( like the new darkening system for youngsters) seems to carry some mystique and therefore inhibits many potential candidates. I myself was almost discouraged by a fellow club mate back in the 70’s. He was very negative and made it sound like two or three times the work. Nothing could be further from the truth and I am very glad that I was not swayed by his comments.

The overwhelming most important benefit of the widowhood system as I see it, is the amount of oxygen that is available for the pigeons. Never underestimate the importance of this statement. In a typical natural loft you will have at any given time four times the occupants of a widowhood loft, especially when you add the babies in the nest with the parents. Again, this year in young birds, the point about the need for space and oxygen was reinforced to all of the fanciers in my area. Two of the hottest lofts in young birds this year lost a good portion of their young birds early in training and then with the remaining birds annihilated the competition. These remaining birds were able to reach super form because the extra loft space resulted in more oxygen for each individual bird. I have two articles coming up on the theme of space and oxygen which I feel is paramount if you are going to fly competitively. The second vital benefit is the absence of stress in the widowhood loft. On those days when I am able to come home for lunch I always make a point of looking in on the widowers. Almost always they are lying down on one wing in their nest box catching some sun through the plexi-glass. The hens’ section is generally a mirror image as they too are resting in the sunlight. Unfortunately, the natural birds are always moving about with either someone driving, chasing, fighting, laying etc. All of this produces stress and does not allow the birds to rest. There are many more benefits to the widowhood system, but these are two highlights.

Now, let’s talk about the birds. First of all let me say if your birds have not been competitive on the natural system then they will not be competitive on the widowhood system. It is a fallacy that the quality of a pigeon will be enhanced on this system. The health will most certainly be improved, but not the quality of the individual bird. My advice for those who have not been competitive on the natural system is to try the widowhood system and in the first year quickly cull all of those individuals who do not secure two or more good prizes. It may mean for some that they need to almost start over, but my feeling is that in the long run, you will become more competitive. Personally I would rather race competitively with five pairs of widowers than to be a slave to twenty-five pair of natural birds. If you have a number of birds that have scored one or two prizes on the natural system then I would think that under the widowhood system they would at least double their winnings.

Next a brief discussion of the loft and the fittings. Virtually any natural nesting box can be used for the widowhood system without any alterations. It is best if you have a separated section for the hens, but this can be achieved with a little ingenuity. Personally I like a nesting box to have two distinct sections , one where the cock resides and the other for the hen to inhabit. The one section would remain closed for most of the season except for rearing youngsters and on race days. My preference is for the cock to have a block of wood to stand on and for this block to be secured to a one by one inch mesh. This will allow for all of the droppings to stay clear of the bird and makes it easier for cleaning. If you have perches in your natural side I would take them out. I want that cock bird to stay in his nest and defend it with his life. We have not even begun to tap the area called motivation, but have merely scratched the surface. More on this in a later article. Count how many nest boxes you have in your loft and if you have more than ten for an area of fifty square feet then think about leaving one or two empty. I realize our mind set is that more is better than less , but on the widowhood system I believe you will learn that you can do better with less. Just a small tip, once you have chosen one cock for each nest box add one extra cock and let him stay on the floor. John Cooper and I saw this while on a trip to New Jersey at Dr. Kazmierczak’s loft. Whenever he loses a cock during the year he then replaces him with the one from the floor. This cock now has a territory to defend which gives him extra incentive. I tried this technique this year and was extremely pleased with the excellent results that this particular pigeon achieved.

A common drawback I hear from fanciers who are contemplating the widowhood system is that they have nowhere for their hens. Sometimes this can be a problem , but most times it can be worked out using a little ingenuity. Perhaps an example will clarify the point. A good friend of mine who always kept about twelve pair of natural racers would lament the fact that working shift work and having no place for the hens prevented him from widowhood racing. We discussed it many times , but he seemed reluctant to change systems. He was down at my place one day and was surprised that mid-way through the year I was culling a widowhood hen. He asked what I would do with its mate. I told him that it really did not matter to this particular bird and that I still had last years mate if he became obstinate. Almost always a cock will take any hen presented, but I make a point to stay around to make sure. My friend then felt that by placing his hens in with the young birds and perhaps cutting down on the numbers bred that he might be able to try it. Well he did and the rest is history. I do not think he will ever go back to the natural system. Each week he has twenty-four potential candidates from which to choose instead of about eight to twelve on the natural system (due to various nest conditions). Immediately he noticed an increase in form and health. Also even though he was on shift work he made the birds conform to his schedule and not vice versa with excellent results. As he says it’s a pleasure to watch them exercising freely knowing that I do not have to drive them down the road for yet another toss.

We have very briefly discussed benefits, the birds and the loft. Next I would like to explain what I do in the fall in order to prepare the birds for next year.

During the fall the most important factor is that the birds finish their moult. You must also make sure that the yearlings know and will defend their boxes. To put a beautiful finish on the moulting birds you must include those seeds which promote excellent feathering. These oily seeds include rape, red/white millet, hemp, peanuts, safflower, niger, sunflower hearts, flax etc. Each and every day they should receive a small portion of this mixture. I do not measure in ounces the amount of feed that I give to the birds, whether it be their main meal during the winter or one of their two meals during racing. The amount and types of grain will change throughout the year depending on the work that is being demanded of the birds. I never overfeed the birds because I do not feel that they benefit from this practice. I tend to observe them closely and monitor the amount and the make-up of the grains according to the time of the year.

In the fall baths are indispensable. On those days when I can make it home for lunch I quickly fill the bath pans for all of the birds before lunch and quickly empty them just before I go back to teaching. I have in the past tried to add to the bath just about every concoction on the market known to man. In the final analysis I can not say that one is superior to the other. I personally do not have any preference in this area, but I am always willing to try any new ideas that make sense. Observations during bath time are most revealing. I look for the bird that after splashing around etc. comes out and appears perfectly dry. Any birds who show signs of wetness on their flights, breast feathers, tail etc. are obviously not in good health. Generally speaking, I am very suspicious of birds who do not take a bath. Personally, I have found that observations during bath time can indicate what kind of success you might have that year. I like to see the bath water chalk white after the birds bathe. If not then the birds do not have any bloom. This lack of bloom can predict a poor racing year.

For me widowhood is a challenging, fulfilling racing method. I find it less time consuming and definitely more stimulating. Each member of the team reaches a higher level of performance and maintains this level for a longer periods of time.

Double Widowhood Part 1 by John Marles

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from PALOMEROARGENTINO1's Channel

                                                    from kssohal's Channel

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                 Glenn West

Pigeon Racing Under The Darkening System concl...

2010-03-11T18:29:00Z

Howdy Race Fans!!

Lots in today's blog, from the subscriber's results video, YouTuber's submission, NLOP Pigeon Poker room video, to the conclusion of Chris's Pigeon Insider Newsletter samples on the "Darkening System". Enjoy!!

Racer's Catalogue and Insider's Guide results video:

Pigeon Pals' Free NLOP Poker Room

YouTuber's submission: from maguianyi's Channel

The Pigeon Insider newsletter sample:

Hey Glenn,

Whats up? over the last few days we have been talking about the darkening system, We talked about the advantages and disadvantages as well as the setup, feeding and training. To conclude I posted a new article that explains what to do both pre and post season when using the darkening system. It goes over adding light and returning your birds to natural day and night after the race season. After you read it dont forget to post your comments I would love to hear what you think especially if you have tried and have experience with the darkening system.

I look forward to reading your comments

Talk to you soon

Yours in the sport,

-Chris Please let Chris know how much we appreciate his hard work.

Darkening System Pre and Post Race Season

Adding Light
Two weeks before the first race, I make another change and put the birds on sixteen hours of light. The birds wake to a natural sunrise, but I turn lights on in the coop with a timer and then shut them off at 10:00 p.m. with the timer. This is the easiest part of the system, since the timer can take care of the lights without any interference from me.

Adding the extra lights, lengthens the day for the birds and tricks them into believing that it is still summer time. Consequently, the birds do not begin to prepare for winter as they do on the natural system. They don’t need to, since they have already gone through the body moult.

I leave the birds together for the first race and then separate them into hens and cocks on the evening after the first race. I continue to train the birds several times a week, but I have to switch to afternoon training tosses. Having the birds in two groups requires that someone be at home who can close the front to the hen loft and open the front to the cock loft so that the birds don’t end up in the same pen.

By this time, school has started so I train as soon as I get home from work and my kids help me out by switching the loft fronts for me. It is difficult, but I can usually work two tosses in each week and still manage to get to several soccer games and practices with my kids.

The Race Season
Once separated, the hens and cocks get let out at separate times to fly around the loft. If I don’t take them on a training toss, I let them out to fly around the loft. Most days they will take off and fly for up to an hour before returning to the loft to eat. I still feed just once a day after they have flown or been trained. I don’t let the birds fly on Friday or do training tosses on that day.

I again get to spend a lot of time with the birds as they eat and drink. I continue to clean the lofts almost every day. For me it is easier to do it regularly and clean up just a little than to let it all build up and have to really work to get it clean. It pays off so much in the better health of the birds.

On Friday afternoon, I let the hens and cocks get together for about an hour before I crate them to go to the club. I make sure the birds eat and drink before I crate them. I adjust the feed depending on what the conditions for the race are supposed to be. If it is going to be a harder race, I feed more heavily. For an easier race, I feed less.

Making sure the birds get the right feed at the right time during the race week is a skill you have to learn. Every race is different. The weather, the temperature, the wind, all make a difference on the condition of the birds when they return to the loft. How I feed the birds, has a big effect on how the birds recover from a race and how they prepare for the next one. Just like an athlete has to be careful with his diet, I have to prepare my flying athletes to be ready to do their best.

Usually I start with light food immediately after a race and then increase the amount of protein on Monday through Wednesday. Peas and corn have a lot of protein in them which helps to build muscle, but it won’t help to feed it on Friday right before a race. By then, it does not have time to digest properly. On Thursday and Friday, I feed less protein and more carbohydrates. This provides the energy the pigeons need for the race.

I try to handle the birds as little as possible on race day. I don’t want to stress them in any way. Since the birds at this age don’t have a permanent mate, I don’t worry so much about which birds stay or go, like I do with the old birds. I try to send those that look and feel the best. If the bird is stressed for any reason or not in good condition, I will leave it home. I always have plenty of birds.

When the birds arrive home from the race, I allow both sexes to mix within the entire loft. They are like teenagers strutting their stuff. They haven’t settled down with a permanent mate. They all seem to play the field and flirt with many different birds. I allow them to stay together for several hours, then separate all of the birds again. Those that arrive home early, get the most benefit from this experience. If they come home late, they miss out.

Using the Darkening System, I get great results on the returns. On many of the races over the past years, I have had ten to twelve birds on the first drop. I rarely get a single bird on the first drop.

After the Season
At the end of the race season, I return the birds to a natural day and night. I keep the birds separated by sex, since I don’t want them to begin mating. This would cause additional stress on the birds and put them at risk of getting sick.

The birds will begin the moult really fast as their day has suddenly gone from a long summer day of sixteen hours to a shorter autumn day of about twelve hours or less. The birds will moult the body feathers again and they will moult the wing flights. A few birds will have already begun the wing moult, but most of mine have not started this yet.

The birds seem to just fall apart at this time, but they get through it rather quickly. Again, I try to keep the loft really clean during this time to prevent the birds from getting sick. There is considerable dust with the huge loss of feathers, so at the very least I sweep the loft every day.

I return the birds to the 22 percent turkey grower pellets for this time while they are moulting. It seems to help them get through the moult easier. They have the extra protein available that they need to grow the new feathers, but in a form that is much easier to digest than peas and corn. I always give the birds plenty of grit as well.

Darkening System Pre and Post Race Season By Craig Goode

I hope you enjoyed the last few emails explaining the darkening system, I just wanted to send you a follow up article on the darkening system. In this article it answers some questions that you may have regarding the darkening system.

The Darkening System

First when we say darkening your loft
You can use anything to cover your loft windows with whatever is convenient and at your disposal: curtain material, wood, or a piece of tin.

I personally cut up a thin sheet of plywood. I run it in a grove so I can slide it in front of my windows inside my loft to darken the room. It also comes in handy later to darken the loft to catch your birds for training, as they are more calm when being caught.

How dark should it be?
Like a night with no moonlight. Try not to have light coming through little peek holes in your loft. I would say just try and keep it as dark as you can.

Ventilation for darkening a loft is very important
Any ventilation is fine as long as daylight does not come through it. You can also use power vents if desired. Power vents may be a better choice in warmer climates.

When do I darken the loft?
I would say to your convenience. Keep in mind your birds can only have eight hours of daylight per day. For example: from 8 AM to 4 PM; maybe 9 AM to 5 PM; or 10 AM to 6 PM. Whatever is convenient for you.

How old should my young birds be for the darkening system?
At the age of thirty five days. However, some people start them on twenty eight days old, while others wait until they are fifty days old. We found they will start to drop their primary flights if you decide to go beyond the 35 days, but as soon as you put them in the dark, they will stop dropping their primary flights.

Dropping body feathers
You will notice body feathers in your loft after two weeks of beginning the darkening system. The birds will go through their body moult which will take about nine to ten weeks. They should not drop their primary flights.

When do I feed birds that are in the dark?
That will be up to you. I always try and feed them a little before I let them out for their morning exercise, and one hour before I darken the loft. It’s amazing how they find their way around in the dark in the loft, even to go for a drink.

How long should they be in the dark?
Twelve weeks, but longer if you like.

Exercise for your birds
Exercise your birds as you like.

Caution in training your young birds that just come out of the dark, or still in the dark – It didn’t seem to make a difference in training. We all found extreme care must be taken here. Where dealing here with young birds that have feathers like old birds, but in their mind they are still young birds. They panic very easily and are capable of flying great distances before realizing they are lost. In our club we found to have fewer loses if we trained in the morning only. Take extreme care, start slowly, don’t push them up the road too fast. They seem to lack confidence. Sometimes later in training I have taken a couple of yearlings along to help build up their self-esteem until they become sure of themselves. I train three times a week right up to the end of the racing season .

The first week in August
The daylight hours are getting shorter, now we start to increase daylight hours in the loft by turning on the electricity which is set on a timer to create fourteen hours of daylight in the loft. This is to delay the body moult .

Now, the lights are turned off halfway through September. Within ten days after shutting off the lights they will start their complete body moult. They sometimes drop their last flights in the winter months but that is not a concern. I have found out that my young birds moult out faster in their own original young bird loft better than trying to move them too soon to a yearling loft.

Feeding after the race season when they have started their moult
It is very important to feed them good quality grains two times a day till they are through their moult. Give them lots of rest, and limit the amount of exercise during this period.

The Darkening System By Roland Paret

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Thanks for tuning in!!
Glenn West