RACING PIGEON NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21891, 30 November 1934, Page 2

RACING PIGEON NOTES

[By Homkk.]

Items of interest to fanciers . are invited for insertion in this column, and should reach "Homer," care of thi» office, not later than Tuesday of each week. All correspondence must bear the writer’s name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith, BREEDING LATE BIRDS. If possible, latebreds should have a loft to themselves. Failing this, let them remain with the old birds, not with the young birds. You will be feeding the old birds during the moult with extra foods and dainties; these are required for the late-breds— such as new wheat, small seeds, rape, canary, linseed, hemp, rice, and millet. Let there be always an unlimited supply of staple foods for tbem to cat—beans, peas, tares, and lentils. Give every moraine a small supply for old birds and latc-brecls some maize, is best given in the forenoon; it encourages the birds to eat early. Never give maize after noon in the day. By these methods of feeding we advance and hasten the development of the latebred and start the moult early. Do not worry about exercise or training. Let these young birds go out, as they like and when they like, with the

old birds—they are not meant to be racers but as. stock birds—-and so remain in the old-bird loft. They will fly with the old birds—a very little—whereas if let out with the young birds they will be flown away very often. If these precautions are taken it will be found that by the end of April the latebred is looking quite respectable. It may only moult two or three flight feathers and no secondaries, but the body will be clean and handsome. As these birds are required and kept solely for -stock —are of the best parentage—give them every chance. Jf you can afford it, mate them not before the end of September to your old birds —racers. Many a late-bred is spoiled by too early mating, and when two immature birds are mated together often the off-spring are not up to the best standards. By mating to an old bird racer this inequality is balanced, besides which you have a stay-at-home mate for your racers. They are excellent feeders, generally lay well and regularly, and fertilise all the eggs. During the summer that follows their birth you will discover that they often moult in an irregular manner. Some continue the moulting of flights and tail feathers, then start nu a secondary feather. Later they recommence the flight feathers, which were shed the year of their, birth, but they rarely throw the same feather twice iu one year. If such a bird is raced, all this may be altered and retarded—not to the benefit of the bird—and it is quito evident such a late-bred is handicapped in comparison with its earlier brothers and sisters. By early April you should have a perfectly moulted late-bred of the year before, and one which can take its place with success in the show pen, before the older birds are ready. Finally, what late-birds should we select and which should we reject ? (1) Late-brecls bred from 500-600-mile racers before they have been to these races are among the best. (2) Late-breds bred from hens which have engaged in those races are very suspect. (3) Late-breds bred from cocks or hens which have not raced that season are excellent. (4) Late-breds bred from hens which have not raced—such as stock birds and pensioners—when mated to a cock which has raced, are good after a reasonable interval has elapsed. (5) But late-breds reared from two birds which have both been in a disastrous long race are, in a large majority of cases, weakly and not sound constitutionally, and should not be kept at any price.

STRAY FEATHERS. A popular idea, but a mistaken one, is that grit is eaten by the birds, and churns the egg-shell the other end. Nothing of the kind takes place. The shell of the egg is the product of the blood of the bird just the same as the ova. The purpose that grit serves is to assist in mastication, in the same way as the teeth. From certain ingredients used in grits, phosphates are extracted that prove of use, but the common idea that solt-shelled eggs are through want of grit is a mistaken one. Some fanciers contend that if you give your birds plenty of single-up tosses, and they come home alone, it gets them over the nerve trouble. It has been found, however, that singleup toSse.s help birds very much, and if you desire to win early races, single-up tosses, instead of making birds fast, are inclined to moke them slow. Birds tossed in batches race. Birds tossed singly have no pacemakers, and I do not think race home as fast as those in batches. In preference to single-up tosses, two at a time arc preferable. It is useless to trust to merely taking pigeons in hand and opening their wings and looking at their heads to judge their fitness. By careful observation you can judge more quickly if a bird has quite recovered from its past week’s race and is ready for this week, of would be better for more rest. A period that makes all the difference to a bird is at the moment of throwing a flight. Observe your birds carefully at this stage, and you will note that they remain quiet and a bit dull. But directly the flight is thrown and the next flight just through, notice the complete change from dullness to vivacity.