[Airbaby]

Me and my Dad were thinking of letting our racers all raise a baby or 2 before the race season starts in the middle of April. This is our first season of old birds so all of our birds are 2008's, we will be racing 5 pair and a few extra hens. I was wondering what some of you would recommend as to when to put the racing cocks and hens togather to do this. I want to let them all raise a baby before the season to hopefully strengthen there love for home and also so they do not have to try to raise a baby during the season since it would take away from there energy levels to race. Should we let them raise a baby right away and then let them rest before racing starts? Any of your thoughts and recommendations would be greatly appreciated as always.

 

[conditionfreak]

A very very short answer to your questions are this.

Under what is called the "Widowhood System", if one of the parent birds is sent to a race when they have been sitting on eggs for 10 to 14 days, they will have a stronger homing instinct, because they have to get back to sit on the eggs at certain times of the day, and their health will be at the optimum for birds with eggs or babies. Any earlier or later and the health is not optimum. Because laying the eggs has taken a toll on the hen and "driving" the hen to lay, has taken a toll on the cock bird. There is more to it than this, but you can Google "widowhood system" for racing pigeons and get some answers.

This requires great planning ahead, to have them on ten to fourteen day old eggs at race time.

Just because a bird had babies two months ago, it does not strengthen their love for home. If they are not sitting on eggs nor have babies they are feeding, then their love for home is "normal" (like it is for those birds that have never bred) in your loft.

 

[Airbaby]

Me and my Dad were thinking of letting our racers all raise a baby or 2 before the race season starts in the middle of April. This is our first season of old birds so all of our birds are 2008's, we will be racing 5 pair and a few extra hens. I was wondering what some of you would recommend as to when to put the racing cocks and hens togather to do this. I want to let them all raise a baby before the season to hopefully strengthen there love for home and also so they do not have to try to raise a baby during the season since it would take away from there energy levels to race. Should we let them raise a baby right away and then let them rest before racing starts? Any of your thoughts and recommendations would be greatly appreciated as always.

Thanks CF for your feedback, what you said makes alot of sense. I will have to play with this in my brain for while and see what we are going to do. Thanks again.

 

[conditionfreak]

I added some to the above posting, to clarify why the health may not be optimum before or after 10-14 days.

 

[Lovebirds]

I fly double widowhood and the for the past two years I've let my race team raise babies before the season started. I'm not doing that this year. Call me silly, or whatever, but I don't believe in flying birds that are sitting on babies. Too much chance of something happening to one or both of the parents. I don't kill birds, so therefore, I would have to raise the babies and I'm not up for that either. SO.......bottom line is, you have to put your race team together EARLY so that they can raise the babies and still get in shape to fly the races. We never know when our OB season is going to start until the end of Jan, which is too late and consequently, my birds are not prepared (or AS prepared) to start racing as they should be. It usually takes about 2 or 3 weeks for my OB's to start "racing" as opposed to just coming home.
What I've done this year, is put my race team together, let them lay eggs and replaced them with plastic. I then gave them open loft for about 6 weeks. I've separated them now, and will keep them separate until I find out what's going on for OB's this year. Lots of stuff is up in the air. I'm CONSIDERING flying natural this year, but haven't made up my mind yet.
Don't know if I even answered your question. IMO, it's best to wait until AFTER the OB season is over and let them raise a round. That's what my plans are right now. I just want to see if there's in difference in race results by not letting them wear themselves out pumping babies prior to race season.

 

[Airbaby]

Good stuff, both of you mentioned things i have not thought about. I guess the only way to know for sure is to make a decision and give it an honest shot. Thank you both for the feedback.