“Feeding with Purpose”
FEEDING PELLETS
I saw the value of layers pellets for pigeons in 1963, we had fed them at Skendleby to poultry in 1956. In 1976 when I started my pigeon racing career at Holtby, York we fed hoppers of layers pellets, ad lib to all birds at all times, along with my unique feeding mixtures. They are cheap, good science and effective nutrition from sprint to marathon racing at over 800 miles Barcelona Int. My racing partner uses G10S, which are very effective as part of the overall feeding concept. I have used many types of pellets and all you need in reality are cheap layers for all ages of birds - save money, be wise and get some - they are as near to perfect as you can get. See my UNIQUE FEEDING SYSTEM BELOW. They are easily digested and absorb water - ideal for returning stressed out birds and before racing - I never starve birds ever! Since the 1970s many people caught on to pellets and peanuts as great food sources for pigeons.
Jim Emerton
FEEDING STOCK HENS
We give them a complete diet of pellets and our own mixture. Liquid feeds are Vydex Supersix and Rohnfried Blitzform. When rearing I like Matrix, some peanuts, yeast, Hormoform, Tovo, seed, hemp and sunflower hearts mixed with oils to moisten the yeast powder. The base mixture is high protein, which we replace with gerry plus and superstar plus for racing with no keeping birds hungry ever. This is fed to young and old all flying out together on open loft. The young will have 3 tosses to 100 miles, yearlings to Saintes NFC, older birds to Barcelona Int. on the same weekend. A very simple system, where effort is made by the birds, not the fancier. The progeny testing produces some good ones and proves your breeding plans and racing prowess under race reality conditions - it is what it is.
Jim Emerton
MY UNIQUE FEEDING SYSTEM
- We give solid and liquid feeds to fuel the birds up for speed/endurance racing to 710 miles Barcelona Int. into Taunton, West Country.
- The birds have hoppers of GEM G1O pellets before them young and old and on the open loft system.
- Our special food mix fed on calling in is the following:
GERRY PLUS/SUPERSTAR PLUS/WILLSBRIDGE No.2 MIX/YEAST/HORMOFORM/CONDITIONSEED/
HEMP/PEANUTS/SUNFLOWER HEARTS/VYDEX MVS 30/COLUMBINE OIL /GEM ENERGY OIL/OGO OIL.
- To this fat/carbohydrate and protein mix we use VYDEX SUPERSIX IN THE WATER ON RETURN FROM THE RACE/AND BUILD UP FOR THE WATER RACES AND BLITZFORM 2 DAYS BEFORE BASKETING.
- At other times we use Aviform Ultimate in the water, and I used to try Bovril.
We find that with hard racing, the condition of the birds by JULY with rest periods is excellent and first class young are bred from the stock-all ages range the skies together for hours. A new partnership we aim to evolve the strain and have had 11 birds from Barcelona Int. so far, yet try to improve over time. The strain is versatile and some will win the sprint/middle distances. The system has flair/intuition and originality in its formulation - it works for us-at the end of the day the intrinsic ability of the birds will win through or not if you send em.
Jim Emerton
