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PROVING YOUR BIRDS.
Simplicity is genius and there is a sure way of doing just this. You send every bird to race points above 500 miles to over 800 miles, and each year. This is a certain way of testing your system and birds in RACE REALITY. Breed from the few remaining birds, and then establish your own strain as a marathon man. The ultimate challenge is The Barcelona International in the UK @ Ireland which has never been won. All our birds must fly this to earn a perch, with Musgrove Persistent doing it for the fifth time. She is worth breeding off me thinks. The irony is that you will breed and fly some sprinters along the way. Good stock birds are the ones that produce distance/marathon birds in their breeding career.
Jim Emerton
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WHAT TO CONCENTRATE ON.
Wise to try and perfect method, system and overall management of the birds and loft. The key to winning is top condition, so analyse every detail in a meticulous manner. Do not fall for the expensive tricks of commercial hype for money, as all birds are of mixed origins. Play your cards close to your chest, as you become competitive, and filter what you hear, whilst absorbing the truth and wisdom of the masters. There is accurate info out there in some of the books of a serious nature, but beware of shallow chit chat. Wise to study all aspects of the game from top to bottom and go your own way.
Jim
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EARLY BREEDING
In winter pests and diseases may have less impact in your breeders and their young. We may dabble in this method this year, as the sport is plagued by bacteria and viruses later. Lots of great food and supplements are the key to healthy stock birds at this time. Let the young birds out when they can flit about. Here comes the crunch-early bred ybs need training in warm May days or they will go down like flies if left too long to mature. Mentally it extends your active season with the birds and maintains enthusiasm for the game. I like Dandy Nests, old plant stems and tobacco stalks for nesting materials. It means that you can rest the stock later in the season.
Jim Emerton.
