Methods of competition ... | ||
![]() |
Tópics in this page: |
![]() |
Having spoken
previously how to get start with the sport of pigeon
race, now we must think about the different methods to
fly during a racing season. I will give you some basic
guidelines as well as my reasoning behind it, however I
must iterate that this is merely guidelines and not
binding. Obviously that all this information is only for
the new fanciers and not for those who knows almost
everything. There are practically two methods to fly our
pigeons: the natural and the
widowhood. - The natural
one, as the word says is the oldest method and still
practiced by many fanciers, where they used to have mixed
sexes in the same loft and where the pigeons look for a
fast returning home with the objective to see the female,
the eggs or the youngsters. The pigeons in this method
are pure fans in the sport. This is basically the difference
between the two methods. Advantages and inconveniences of
each method? Method of
natural - the way to
handle the pigeons ... Trainings - The trainings should be done in the
morning as early as possible and in the afternoon as
later as possible. The period of flight depends on the
pigeons physical conditions; when we notice that
the pigeons show fatigue we should not force it. Normally
in the beginning of the week the pigeon flies badly; and
it will become better as long as the week advances and
the training period is bigger. I am opposed to forced
flight.
After speaking about crossbreeding, daily trainings and entrance education, it is now time to speak about food and drinks. This does not have secrets; it has only one rule to follow and a method to use. Since we follow the method we have large probabilities to be successful in this sport. I always have three
batches of seeds
that I use during the racing period: The method I followed about
feeding my athletes is the following one: on Sunday after
the pigeons arrival and soon that they have rested a
little bit, I give to each one only 10 grams of the diet
food; as a drink I serve lukewarm water mixed with milk
and honey (l/2 litre of fresh water, 1/2 litre of milk
and 1 soupspoon of honey); in the afternoon I give 15 grs
of the same food and as drunk water with
barlabad salts (1 teaspoon by litre of
water). On Monday morning 15 grs of the Sundays
food and tea Colmaré as a drink and
that I keep all day; in the afternoon I start with the
combat food giving only 15 grs to each
pigeon. From Tuesday to Friday I give in the morning 15
grs and in the afternoon 20 grs to each pigeon. On Friday
afternoon I leave the pigeons to eat till they want to.
As drink I give on Tuesdays all day a complex B in the
water, in the amount of 1 soupspoon for litre of water.
On Wednesdays and Fridays all day I add 3 drops of dye of
iodine for litre of water. On Thursdays I mix honey in
the water, the amount of 1 soupspoon for litre. On
Tuesdays and Fridays after the afternoon meal and before
the pigeons having drunk, I give Vita-Blu to each pigeon.
On Monday night 1 hour after the meal I use the Rinex as
nostrils disinfector (1 drop in each nostril). On Tuesday
and before release the pigeons I give a garlic tooth to
each one. When we fly natural and since the racing season
starts, I do not give bath to the pigeons (I followed
this advice from a great fancier and I evidenced to be
advantageous). When the first egg appears I replace the
true for plastic eggs and keep it till the pigeons
abandon it, I find convenience not having all the couples
in the same position. It prevents the pigeons to travel
with youngsters, and only do it on rare exceptions. All I
tried is to send them in a good " form ". |
Method of the Widowhood What is the widowhood? - For many people
who is aware from the pigeons sport, the word
widowhood could be interpreted as being a method followed
by the fliers where they use a pigeon (male or female)
for the fact to have died the other. But... no! They had
given the widowhood name to the method
because the male or the female lives isolated and the
purpose of this is to lead the pigeon to a fast return
home to find its rank or its spouse. The difficult is to
conduct the
How to prepare a pigeon for the
widowhood? We start for the feed, which I consider the base of treating pigeons; I always have in my loft three kinds of pellets (compound of ration) that I refute indispensable for the feed of the widower. The first one a balance diet that I serve on Sundays all day and on Monday morning and it is composed by wheat, 2 kg; rice w/rind, 2 kg; linhaça, 1 kg; barley w/rind, 0.5 kg; dári, 0.5 kg; colza, 0.250 kg; white maize, 0.250 kg. The second - the normal and combat food that I serve from Mondays afternoon till Friday and it is composed by maize, 8 kg; wheat, 2 kg; small broad been, 2 kg; pea, 1 kg; small peas, 2 kg; cubes, 1 kg; e dári, 1 kg. The third - that I serve as dessert on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (late) and also on Saturday morning and it is composed by hemp, 1 kg; colza, 0.750 kg; dári, 1 kg; white maize, 0.5 kg; bird seeds, 0.5 kg; turnip seed, 0.200 kg. On Sundays after the pigeons arrival from the race I give about 15 grs of balance diet for pigeon; at the night and on the next day morning, the same quantity. On Monday afternoon I give 15 grs of the normal food. Tuesday morning - 15 grams and in the afternoon - 20 grs. On Wednesday morning - 15 grams and in the afternoon 20 grs plus an exciting substance. On Thursday and Friday morning I give 20 grs by pigeon and in the afternoon they can eat as much as they want (in the end, a thimble of exciting substance to each pigeon). On Saturday morning, 15 grs. of exciting substance to each pigeon, and nothing more. Usually I have the grit everyday at disposal (with exception of Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays). As a drink I give on Sundays and on the races arrival lukewarm water, 1 litre; milk, 1/2 litre; honey, 1 soupspoon. In the afternoon I leave them Colmans salts, 1 coffee spoon for litre of water. On Monday I give them all the Colman tea all day. On Tuesday I give the complex B all the day, a soupspoon for litre of water. On Wednesday and Friday I serve dye of iodine in the water, 4 drops for litre of water. Thursday morning only simple water and lately 1soupspoon of honey in the water, and on Saturdays I give the simple water. Banns if the pigeons arrive from the race before 2 p.m., when removing the females I give them a hot bath adding Colman bath salts to the water. If they arrive later then this bath will be given on Monday morning. In the baskets day eve I give them a cold bath adding to the water a lot of sufficient kitchens salt. Daily trainings - I am contrary to flight forced in the widowhood. Usually I do not release the pigeons on Mondays and only the necessary time to clean the loft on Tuesday. Once the pigeon is re-establish from the race, therefore on Wednesday, the pigeon starts to want to fly so I gives more freedom, preventing them to land in the roofs, but never exceeding the 30-40 minutes of flight. I do never release them in the day they will be carried to the race. Light in the loft - although most of the fanciers make the widowhood with the pigeons in a full blackout, I understand that the pigeon was not born to live in the darkness. So, I proceed with the following method to regulate the light for the widower: on Sunday and after removed the females, I put the pigeons in a complete darkness, keeping them in this blackout during Monday all day. I use for this two curtains - a white and a black one. The white I always keep leaned to the glass to prevent that the pigeons see for the outside. From Tuesday until Saturday I go slowly regulating the black curtain in way to increase the light until in the day of I put them in the basket when at that time it has the maximum of clarity in the loft. It is with this system that I handle my pigeons. Evidently that the method is not infallible and the proof is in the result that I get. Sometimes well, other reasonable and many quite badly, but competition is competition and we need to prepare our pigeons on the best possible way. To finish, I hope these statements and my experiences will help the new fanciers to give the first steps and to wish them the biggest happinesss for the future, for good of a better sport. END |
|
Please do not hesitate to correct my English spelling or grammar. E-mail me for questions or sugestions! |
|