Feeding for a race.

[ohiogsp]

How many people feed on friday before a race? What feed changes do you make once the races get past 200? If you don't feed friday what do you feed wen. and thurs.?

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by ohiogsp

How many people feed on friday before a race? What feed changes do you make once the races get past 200? If you don't feed friday what do you feed wen. and thurs.?

I feed on Friday before the race. I tried NOT feeding, because some people do that and it didn't make a difference. I feed the same time on Friday and every other day. In the morning. The longest race station for me is 330 miles. I don't usually send birds. I did last year and one other year. The one before that is 278 miles, and that's good enough for me. As long as it's not looking like a tough race, I don't feed anything special or different. If it looks to be tough, I'll add extra Safflower seeds and sometimes peanuts.
I figure that IF a or some birds don't make it home on Sat. then they're already two days without food if they aren't fed on Friday. Then come Sunday,, they're going into the third day without food. IMO, that doesn't make any sense. Even though they make it home, three days without food and flying God knows how far, they're pretty much cooked for the next week and maybe even 2 week ends.
Again, IMO, if you feed normal on Friday morning, then by the time they leave the race station on Sat morning, they're hungry and by the time they fly 200 miles and get home in the afternoon, they're REALLY hungry.
Just don't see the point in NOT feeding them.

[re lee]

Birds should be fed before the race.. Some clbs even feed and water the birds before the release.. Hungry birds and thirsty birds are more apt to do a stop during the race. Invrease the carbs on the shiping day to give that extra boost on the race. Could even hydrate them with pedialite before boxing them to go to the race.

[ohiogsp]

Cool, thanks. I have not been doing it but after this week we will be moving out further and thought I better. I think I will try feeding on friday in the short ones next year.