TAKING THE CAPITAL CITY BY STORM
A LOFT REPORT ON BRIAN DAVIES OF ELY, CARDIFF
WINNER OF 26 x 1sts IN TWO SEASONS.
The above title is somewhat misleading as there are actually two active partners – Brian Davies and his “silent” partner Phil Sendell.
I have known both Brian and Phil for more than 30 years and in fact I wrote a report on Brian’s successes for the Racing Pigeon Gazette some 25 years ago. Phil Sendell on the other hand, has been an active fancier for more than 50 years and is a past National winner with the WGNFC and multiple club and Fed winner during his time in the sport.
Brian and Phil teamed up just two years ago when Phil retired from his post as manager of the local Home Guard Social Club in Ely. At the same time Brian had suffered a period of ill health in the form of two heart attacks and was seriously considering leaving the sport.
During the past two seasons, racing on both the north route and south east routes, the partners have really “gone to town” so to speak winning 26 x 1sts;25 x 2nds;17 x 3rds and 20 x 4ths at club level. Add to these 3 x 1sts in Open races with the New North Road Fed and many more Fed prizes and the reader can appreciate why I badgered the two into allowing me to write a report on their loft and pigeons.
So it was that I made my way down to the metropolis on a cold and bright November morning to see and handle the Davies team of sprint/ middle distance racers.
THE LOFT.
This is an impressive L shaped structure measuring in total 48 ft x 8ft. It has 4 internal sections. One section for the 60 strong young bird team, one for the 20 pairs of stock birds and two sections for the 24 widowhood cocks. There is also a separate loft for the widowhood hens. The main body of the loft that houses the widowhood cocks faces due south with the young bird and stock sections at right angles to this facing east.
All sections are cleaned twice each day 365 days of the year, with a burner used at least once each week to give the loft floors and boxes an extra dose of hygiene!
MANAGEMENT.
The birds are all mated at the same time in late January and Phil and Brian like to take two rounds of youngsters from the main stock pairs. Once their domestic duties are completed, the widowhood cocks are separated and their daily exercise routing begins. During these periods of home exercise, the cocks are allowed to do as they please and are certainly never forced to fly, nor are they locked out of the loft. When the partners believe that they are ready for training the widowers then get no more than three training tosses out to 25 miles and that sees the end of their basket training for the remainder of the season.
On return from the trainers the cocks are always greeted by their hens and remain together for a short while before being separated.
Young birds are raced on the darkness system and receive a thorough education prior to being entered in their first race. They are also trained at regular intervals throughout the young bird programme. Phil undertakes the training of the birds and he always ensures that the babies are released in small batches a basket at a time. He never releases the young birds all together.
FEEDING.
The widowhood cocks are fed individually in their boxes on Gerry Plus for most of the week. As race day approaches, they are also given a certain amount of widowhood mixture plus other mixtures depending on the race distance and the sort of race that they are likely to encounter.
Belgasol is always in the birds’ water when they return and a top of the range probiotic is added to the drinking water on the day of basketting and that’s about it.
Young birds are fed Gerry Plus after their morning exercise and Gem Cowood’s Mixture after evening exercise.
MEDICATION.
All birds undergo a treatment against parathyphoid in November. They also receive a 7 day treatment against canker before mating in late January plus a treatment against worms. During racing the race birds also have a treatment against any infections they may have picked up in the race baskets. This takes the form of a one day “blast” with a wide spectrum antibiotic on the day after return from the race.
THE BIRDS.
These are a mixture of Graham Warren Braspennings and birds obtained from Andrew McFenton of Swansea.
During my visit I handled winner after winner and all were in excellent condition. Most handled just on medium size with top quality feathering and excellent eyesign. I was surprised to learn that many of the partners’ multiple first prize winners were hens that had only been raced as young birds and were then consigned to a life as a widowhood hen. The reason for this is the fact that Brian’s wife is seriously ill and he acts as her carer, so time with the birds is at a premium and the system has to be kept as simple and least time consuming as possible.
That then is a brief pen portrait on a partnership that has excelled in the short time since its formation. Not surprising really when you consider that the individuals involved have a total of more than 100 years experience in the sport. Keep up the good work Brian and Phil!
Gareth Watkins
A LOFT REPORT ON BRIAN DAVIES OF ELY, CARDIFF
WINNER OF 26 x 1sts IN TWO SEASONS.
The above title is somewhat misleading as there are actually two active partners – Brian Davies and his “silent” partner Phil Sendell.
I have known both Brian and Phil for more than 30 years and in fact I wrote a report on Brian’s successes for the Racing Pigeon Gazette some 25 years ago. Phil Sendell on the other hand, has been an active fancier for more than 50 years and is a past National winner with the WGNFC and multiple club and Fed winner during his time in the sport.
Brian and Phil teamed up just two years ago when Phil retired from his post as manager of the local Home Guard Social Club in Ely. At the same time Brian had suffered a period of ill health in the form of two heart attacks and was seriously considering leaving the sport.
During the past two seasons, racing on both the north route and south east routes, the partners have really “gone to town” so to speak winning 26 x 1sts;25 x 2nds;17 x 3rds and 20 x 4ths at club level. Add to these 3 x 1sts in Open races with the New North Road Fed and many more Fed prizes and the reader can appreciate why I badgered the two into allowing me to write a report on their loft and pigeons.
So it was that I made my way down to the metropolis on a cold and bright November morning to see and handle the Davies team of sprint/ middle distance racers.
THE LOFT.
This is an impressive L shaped structure measuring in total 48 ft x 8ft. It has 4 internal sections. One section for the 60 strong young bird team, one for the 20 pairs of stock birds and two sections for the 24 widowhood cocks. There is also a separate loft for the widowhood hens. The main body of the loft that houses the widowhood cocks faces due south with the young bird and stock sections at right angles to this facing east.
All sections are cleaned twice each day 365 days of the year, with a burner used at least once each week to give the loft floors and boxes an extra dose of hygiene!
MANAGEMENT.
The birds are all mated at the same time in late January and Phil and Brian like to take two rounds of youngsters from the main stock pairs. Once their domestic duties are completed, the widowhood cocks are separated and their daily exercise routing begins. During these periods of home exercise, the cocks are allowed to do as they please and are certainly never forced to fly, nor are they locked out of the loft. When the partners believe that they are ready for training the widowers then get no more than three training tosses out to 25 miles and that sees the end of their basket training for the remainder of the season.
On return from the trainers the cocks are always greeted by their hens and remain together for a short while before being separated.
Young birds are raced on the darkness system and receive a thorough education prior to being entered in their first race. They are also trained at regular intervals throughout the young bird programme. Phil undertakes the training of the birds and he always ensures that the babies are released in small batches a basket at a time. He never releases the young birds all together.
FEEDING.
The widowhood cocks are fed individually in their boxes on Gerry Plus for most of the week. As race day approaches, they are also given a certain amount of widowhood mixture plus other mixtures depending on the race distance and the sort of race that they are likely to encounter.
Belgasol is always in the birds’ water when they return and a top of the range probiotic is added to the drinking water on the day of basketting and that’s about it.
Young birds are fed Gerry Plus after their morning exercise and Gem Cowood’s Mixture after evening exercise.
MEDICATION.
All birds undergo a treatment against parathyphoid in November. They also receive a 7 day treatment against canker before mating in late January plus a treatment against worms. During racing the race birds also have a treatment against any infections they may have picked up in the race baskets. This takes the form of a one day “blast” with a wide spectrum antibiotic on the day after return from the race.
THE BIRDS.
These are a mixture of Graham Warren Braspennings and birds obtained from Andrew McFenton of Swansea.
During my visit I handled winner after winner and all were in excellent condition. Most handled just on medium size with top quality feathering and excellent eyesign. I was surprised to learn that many of the partners’ multiple first prize winners were hens that had only been raced as young birds and were then consigned to a life as a widowhood hen. The reason for this is the fact that Brian’s wife is seriously ill and he acts as her carer, so time with the birds is at a premium and the system has to be kept as simple and least time consuming as possible.
That then is a brief pen portrait on a partnership that has excelled in the short time since its formation. Not surprising really when you consider that the individuals involved have a total of more than 100 years experience in the sport. Keep up the good work Brian and Phil!
Gareth Watkins