Dedicated to mostly the Racing Fanciers, this is the time of year for the racing enthusiast since the money is on the line! If all is equal like your competitors such as training & health, then the key to beating them is by motivating the birds to arrive quicker. If you're not already flying a separated system, then you must change or you won’t win on a regular basis. Show old birds to your young bird section on the day of shipping about an hour before crating, to arouse both hens & cocks or take some flat boards and lean them against a corners of the section with a nest bowl inside. Make up some small boxes and set in the loft to get there sexual excitement going. Some will take to it and then observe who is the most excited.
Training should be done in smaller groups of 3-5 birds separated. One day let the cocks out first then the hens. If possible, train them late or early evening only about 20 miles to get the speed up; you’ll find they fly about 60 mph or faster. They understand the sun is going down so they bust butt to get home. Separate the sexes if possible with a solid divided partition and play a radio in the loft to muffle the sounds of calling there mates. They have super hearing and you verify this by listing to them in the middle of the night calling one another. That’s a bad sign, so steps need to be taken, such as the radio playing and darkening the loft at night. Street light with it glaring in to the loft can be upsetting also, so an easy fix is lay a sheet or something over the front of the window until sunrise. Change can be good but don’t change the regular routine of feeding that must remain the same.
Weather changes getting cooler at this time of year and raw Spanish peanuts or hulled sunflower seed should be given to help them with the longer distance races. Higher fat content at this time of year is beneficial. Both best kept in the fridge to help prevent toxins.
Ivomec drops are given to the birds two weeks before a special race to stimulate the entire system. I would stagger my treatment, because I’ve found out the first week after the drops the results were average, but the second week tremendous. Just keep a record of the one’s given the drops.
Gem product called Flight Fuel or Vydex Carbosol is very beneficial at this time. This gives them the added reserve needed to compete.
My training regimen for the big race, I’ve found by experience that two weeks before the special race longer tosses are given and then the last week many short tosses give the best results. A delayed response for some reason is why this method works. The body of the birds just round out with nice supple buoyant muscle.
I would use many Fabry Ideal pills leading up to the shipping day. These pills always gave me an edge with the use of an Iodine stimulant such as Gem Impact on the day before shipping.
Day of shipping always feed them before showing the opposite sex to them, by this there mind is on there stomach not sex. Many of the longer races are shipped for a two day hold over. In some cases I’ve force fed peanuts by just dropping about 8 down the throat.
The birds not sent to the race should be given a 100 mile toss to simulate a race for the following week, so then you're ready for next weeks race. These 100 mile birds are treated the same as the returning race birds with the reward of sex and your special feed supplements. I call this the 7 day cycle. The birds know at the end of the 7th day at least a 100 mile toss or the race so the bird gets mentally prepared.
We all race in the big leagues with no division such as minor league as in other sports, so new flyers please understand you're flying against professionals with their twenty- something year’s experience and you with 20 months. Don’t despair these guys can be had. Our wonderful sport has a way to humble many flyers. I assure you your day will come!
Management of your birds: Keep a chart on your race team to indicate training and races entered along with notes such as late, hurt, poor recovery, placements on races, molting status, and such. This will help in your selections each week and you may need to miss a race one week with one and enter the next to give that particular bird a better chance for success.
Forecasting weather can help you with your feeding and also if shipping the trainers on a truck the night before you must be concerned about the next days forecast. If in doubt, don’t ship. That’s my rule. Think about how much time you’ve devoted to these birds and to have one bad toss ruin the season...it’s not worth it. Race selection is the same if you feel the race will be bad then reduce the numbers of birds your shipping to the race.
A loft in harmony, you can hear the sounds when walking up to the loft, like the birds are singing to you. Happiness abounds with cooing and actions all about. All lofts in top conditions will show this.
Good luck.
Yours in the sport,
Greg McKnight
