Do you force fly your birds during exercise or are they left to do as they please.
o you feed any differently in the build up to National races.
REAPING THE REWARDS.
1st Welsh SRNFC Nort - sur- Erdre.
4th Open BICC Alencon1 [4,797 birds].
5th Open BICC Tours [2,429 birds].
71st Open NFC Carentan 8,319 birds with Old Birds in 2013.
Tony Coombs, the subject of this loft report, has only recently returned to the sport and has gained a good deal of success in a very short time including winning the Welsh South Road National Flying Club race from Norte-sur-Erdre in 2013. This National win followed on from Tony's earlier successes at club level and with the Gwent Greater Distance Club, BICC and NFC.
Although only recently returned to the sport, Tony has a long history of family involvement with the Fancy in South Wales, stretching back to the early years of the 20th Century. The following is Tony's account of his relationship with the sport of pigeon racing.
1 - When did you start in the sport.
I grew up with pigeons in the family and had my first loft at 6 years of age. I did not race pigeons until I joined partnership with a family member, Harry Woodridge. Due to school, college, career and family commitments, I left the pigeons behind for 34 years and started again 6 years ago. In the meantime I kept canaries, Coloured canaries and Norwich canaries.
Our long distance loft is 9m x 3m and has 20 nest boxes with a hens section and young bird section. The 20 nest boxes will be divided into 5 sections of 4 nest boxes in each for next season. The young birds are raced natural. I also have a 16 foot x 6 foot stock loft with 12 nest boxes.
All lofts are of a wooden construction, warm in the summer cold in the winter, relatively light with plenty of fresh air.
The 2 racing sections are scrapped twice a day when the birds are exercising.
My long distance lofts are open hole from March until September at present. I do have to close the hole the day before basketing as I don’t seem to get there early enough to catch them in. However I intend to fly the cocks on widowhood from next year.
Although we fly them naturally at the long distance loft at present, once we have a full team they too will be raced as widowhood cocks only.
I never force fly any of the birds, old or young.
My first training toss for the young birds is 15 miles up to three times until they learn to come straight home. They rarely come straight home on their first toss but if they come straight home on the second toss they move on to 30 miles etc.
My pigeons at the long distance loft are hopper fed peas and beans and maize is hand fed for a few days before marking. After the moult they are hopper fed 100% barley until breeding commences.
My long distance pigeons are Jan Aarden based and relatively untried at present.
My pigeons at the allotment are Jan Aarden based and at present, their second year, and are all outcrosses.
I also believe the introduction of a mentor system for young starters would be of benefit. I began racing pigeons in such a way. There have been some very successful young fanciers who have had a mentor here in South Wales.
I do not know much about eye sign, but I am told that my best pigeons have good eye sign. I like looking in their eyes as a health indicator.
I also like all my pigeons to have feathers that can withstand some wet weather. I have had pigeons which seem to have feathers which hold water while others have feathers from which water simply glides off.
I like my cocks to look like cocks and my hens to look like hens. I still get caught out though. Above all I like my pigeons to remain healthy at all times with little interference from me.
There you have a fancier with a common sense, no nonsense approach to the sport that has brought him a fair amount of success at all levels in a very short space of time. This approach applied to top quality proven performance pigeons will I'm sure continue to reap great rewards in the years to come. Congratulations Tony on your National win - it might well be the first of many!!
Gareth Watkins
o you feed any differently in the build up to National races.
REAPING THE REWARDS.
1st Welsh SRNFC Nort - sur- Erdre.
4th Open BICC Alencon1 [4,797 birds].
5th Open BICC Tours [2,429 birds].
71st Open NFC Carentan 8,319 birds with Old Birds in 2013.
Tony Coombs, the subject of this loft report, has only recently returned to the sport and has gained a good deal of success in a very short time including winning the Welsh South Road National Flying Club race from Norte-sur-Erdre in 2013. This National win followed on from Tony's earlier successes at club level and with the Gwent Greater Distance Club, BICC and NFC.
Although only recently returned to the sport, Tony has a long history of family involvement with the Fancy in South Wales, stretching back to the early years of the 20th Century. The following is Tony's account of his relationship with the sport of pigeon racing.
1 - When did you start in the sport.
I grew up with pigeons in the family and had my first loft at 6 years of age. I did not race pigeons until I joined partnership with a family member, Harry Woodridge. Due to school, college, career and family commitments, I left the pigeons behind for 34 years and started again 6 years ago. In the meantime I kept canaries, Coloured canaries and Norwich canaries.
- Who was your first major influence.
- Can you give brief details of your first loft, birds, management etc.
- How long have you raced to your present location.
- Can you give details of your present loft set up i.e. overall dimensions , orientation , number of sections etc.
Our long distance loft is 9m x 3m and has 20 nest boxes with a hens section and young bird section. The 20 nest boxes will be divided into 5 sections of 4 nest boxes in each for next season. The young birds are raced natural. I also have a 16 foot x 6 foot stock loft with 12 nest boxes.
All lofts are of a wooden construction, warm in the summer cold in the winter, relatively light with plenty of fresh air.
- Do you use deep litter ,grids or clean daily/regularly.
The 2 racing sections are scrapped twice a day when the birds are exercising.
- How many birds do you keep:- stock. racers, young birds.
- What system do you use to race the birds e.g. widowhood, round about, natural etc.
My long distance lofts are open hole from March until September at present. I do have to close the hole the day before basketing as I don’t seem to get there early enough to catch them in. However I intend to fly the cocks on widowhood from next year.
- When do you mate your stock birds, racers.
- Do you mate the birds you intend for the longer races at a different time to the other racers.
Although we fly them naturally at the long distance loft at present, once we have a full team they too will be raced as widowhood cocks only.
- What is the preparation of the racers prior to the first old bird race.
I never force fly any of the birds, old or young.
- How often do you exercise the race birds.
- How often do you train the race birds before and during racing.
- How far do you usually train .
My first training toss for the young birds is 15 miles up to three times until they learn to come straight home. They rarely come straight home on their first toss but if they come straight home on the second toss they move on to 30 miles etc.
- Is there any specific preparation for the birds before National races.
- How much racing do your young birds receive and how many training tosses do they have in the year of their birth.
- Do you race your young birds on the Natural system or Darkness/light system
- How do you feed the racers, stock birds, young birds – hopper /by hand. How do you gauge how much they need at each feed.
- What mixtures do you feed.
My pigeons at the long distance loft are hopper fed peas and beans and maize is hand fed for a few days before marking. After the moult they are hopper fed 100% barley until breeding commences.
- Do you feed any differently in the build up to National races.
- What are the main bloodlines that you house now and which lines have proved the most successful.
My long distance pigeons are Jan Aarden based and relatively untried at present.
- Do you line breed, in breed outcross when breeding. Which method has been most successful for you.
My pigeons at the allotment are Jan Aarden based and at present, their second year, and are all outcrosses.
- Is there any fancier who has helped you more than any other.
- Can you give an outline of your many top class performances and those that have given you most pleasure.
- Can you give details of some of the top pigeons that you have raced.
- Do you have any views on how the sport can be improved and how we can attract new members into the sport.
I also believe the introduction of a mentor system for young starters would be of benefit. I began racing pigeons in such a way. There have been some very successful young fanciers who have had a mentor here in South Wales.
- Do you have a specific programme of medication.
- Do you use any supplements such as vitamins etc.
- Do you feed any supplements in the build up to long distance / National races.
- How does your ideal pigeon look/ handle.
I do not know much about eye sign, but I am told that my best pigeons have good eye sign. I like looking in their eyes as a health indicator.
I also like all my pigeons to have feathers that can withstand some wet weather. I have had pigeons which seem to have feathers which hold water while others have feathers from which water simply glides off.
I like my cocks to look like cocks and my hens to look like hens. I still get caught out though. Above all I like my pigeons to remain healthy at all times with little interference from me.
- If you could only use one product / supplement what would it be.
There you have a fancier with a common sense, no nonsense approach to the sport that has brought him a fair amount of success at all levels in a very short space of time. This approach applied to top quality proven performance pigeons will I'm sure continue to reap great rewards in the years to come. Congratulations Tony on your National win - it might well be the first of many!!
Gareth Watkins