NEWS FROM DOWN UNDER
by Doug McClary
October 2014
Spring time
Spring is supposed to be here but our weather has been very changeable with a couple of warm days followed by some like today bitterly cold thanks to cold fronts blowing up from the south. It has been a poor time health-wise for me since our return from Britain. I have just been released from hospital after a prostate operation and this followed another bout of surgery to remove an impacted wisdom tooth. I had gone to the dentist to have it removed but he could not manage it, merely breaking the tooth up rendering surgery necessary. That had followed an ear procedure which went wrong and had to be done again so I have had pain now for quite a while. This is partly why this article is a little behind. The BHW carrying my last article did not reach me here in Mount Eliza and I always use my last article as a reminder to crack on with another. I knew that the notes had appeared because I heard from David Brown. Then with the impending hospital admission and having to get lots of chores done, writing has taken a secondary consideration. So, I am hoping that my troubles are now behind me and that the better weather will arrive and some warmth and sunshine will help me along. I suppose it is all a matter of getting older but this also applies to Ann who is having to do many extra functions such as walking our Border collie dog and driving me to my various appointments. I am not allowed to drive for a couple of weeks. It is really fortunate that she keeps so well.
Dr Colin Walker
Colin invited Geoff Nelson out to his new spread at Pearcedale about half an hour away. His new property ranges over forty acres of flat pasture. His new stock lofts have been built and are, to say the least, most impressive. He also has an impressive parrot and native bird breeding compound which I found fascinating. The design of both buildings is ‘state of the art’ with excellent ventilation and everything done to reduce work. His new house is being built and will have a range of racing lofts on the first floor which will provide a wonderful drop-in for the returning birds and they will be seen for several miles across open countryside. We spent an enjoyable time going through the show racers and helping him put a few pairs together. He already had four pairs together but I was allowed to select some of my choices to pair for him. It will be most interesting later on in the season to return to examine the results. In the paddock in front of the stock lofts Colin carries a flock of Persian sheep. These are most interesting in that they come in a variety of colours and require no shearing. He imported them as embryos in 2005 and has built an impressive stud of these black-headed sheep which are extremely tame and respond to his calls and presence. They are enjoying superb pasture which has been rejuvenated thanks to proper agricultural care. Unfortunately I didn’t take my camera with me to show the lofts but the sheep can be seen by googling ‘Persian Sheep’ for the Coolibah Stud. It proved to be an enjoyable afternoon for Geoff and I and I am sure that Geoff went home with some new ideas and thoughts on loft design.
The breeding
My breeding is not going well and I have little to show for all the work put into the lofts and birds. I have been throwing out clear eggs by the dozen and have experienced ‘dead-in-shell’ situations which is most disappointing after the birds have sat so well. It is probably one of the worst seasons I have experienced in pigeons and while some of the problem is down to the number of old timers I have about the place, it does not account for the scale of the problems so far encountered. Fred Frendo up in New South Wales tells me that he is turning young birds out in considerable numbers and here I sit with so little to show. On top of that I have found a couple of good hens dead on the floor including the mealy hen which won her class under Roland Thresher at the Adelaide National last year. I need to breed some good powder blue hens this year so the various set-backs are not encouraging at all.
HELP!!
As is known I tend to keep good breeding pairs together as long as they produce good and reliable stock. I have a problem in my loft which involves one pair of pigeons in one nest box in one compartment of the loft. The pair consists of a white-fronted mealy cock and my top powder blue hen, bred in 2007, both pictured below.
For three years running they have, in this nest box, bred one pigeon each year which has been badly fretted. In fact, I wrote about one of these in a past article. The pigeon looked adful in the nest and might have been culled by many. This year, the same has happened and looking back through my breeding notes, this is the third year in a row that this has happened. The obvious cause seems to be the presence of red mite because all the signs were of that curse the baby getting off the nest, the parents also appearing to be restless and so on. Yet I have checked and checked again but have seen no presence of mites. I have used drops on the neck of the parents and the baby and have also used a cream to combat any fungus growths. The baby in each year has bled from the wing primary ends as though either the bird itself or the parents have been pecking at it. I have now treated the box by removing everything in it, heat-treating it, sprayed it with insecticides and also with Jeyes Fluid. I am hoping that this will do the trick for this year but would very much appreciate hearing from anyone with suggestions on how to overcome this situation. Remember, it is one pair, in the same nest box only, and in each of the last three years one youngster has been bred with such badly fretted feathers and flights. Can someone help me in this matter?
An Extra pair of pigeons
I have mentioned I the past the presence of a Common Bronzewing pigeon which comes to visit us every day for food on the balcony. He has this year been joined by his mate and both have taken up residence. The hen in particular was extremely timid in the early days but has now become used to us in that we can walk around her. They are obviously sitting at the moment for the cock feeds in the morning prior to duty. The hen then appears to preen herself on the balcony and to be fed. Later in the day the cock will reappear and seek food. It is rather like having an extra pair of pet pigeons and we are so fortunate to have them as our guests. Both have pink undersides to their wings but it is in their flight coverings which are most striking. Both have iridescent chequering with the cocks being the most striking, ranging from metallic green, purple and red. These are able to catch the best of the sun’s rays. He also carries a yellow area or patch behind the wattles. The hen’s colouring is mainly green metallic and both have yellow stripes near the eyes. We call the cock ‘adnought’ because he is very much top of the pecking order except for the parrots. Apparently in the early days of settlers in Australian these birds were very common and were used as a source of food. Another occasional visitor is the Plumed pigeon, another most attractive bird.
Mike Horner’s notes
Has kindly sent me a show result of the latest show of the Midlands Columbarian Society held at Towcester on Sunday 5th October. The judge was Ray Adams who distributed the awards as follows: Adult cocks 1, 2 & 4 Mike Horner (Dark chequer) 2. Colin Reynolds Adult hens 1. Colin Reynolds, (Mealy) 2&4. Mike Horner 3.Les Petty 2014 Cocks 1 Colin Reynolds, (Mealy) 2&3 Mike Horner 4.Les Patty 2014 Hens 1 B.Watts, (Opal Mosaic) 2&4 Mike Horner, 3 P.Bristow Colin Reynolds of Gillingham in Kent was happy to win best in show with his young mealy cock.
Showing in the North East
The North East Counties SRS continues to function well and as well as four shows a year, members are organising two open shows as follows, both at the Railway Institute, Shildon, Co.Durham: The first is on Sunday the 2nd November when the judges will be Geoff Bannister, J.Smith, Lisa Smith and P. Spence so exhibitors will be in safe hands! The second event is the British Show Racer Federation (North Region) Classic show on the 23rd November. On this occasion the judges will be coming across the sea from the Irish SRS. It is good to see this sort of inter-Society cooperation and I am sure that the event will be a good one as a result. The very capable secretary of the NECSRS is a young man called Dennis Hull who can be contacted on 01388607299. Good on you young Dennis! The four show dates for the Society’s shows are as follows: 26th October, 30th November, 7th December and 4th January 2015. Again, Dennis will be pleased to supply further information. My information source was a message from Colin and Ingrid Farndale, always good supporters of the shows and fanciers who have been around for a very long time.
Devon and Cornwall SRS
I gleaned from the notes of Owen Vaggers that shows are being held at St Michael’s Community Hall, Barnhay, Bampton on the 18th October, 8th November, 6th December (an open show also for racers) and on the 29th December. Further details and schedules can be obtained from Brian and Caroline Seward on 01398 332044. I also note from Celtic Lass that Gordon Linley of Hull has been unwell so my thoughts will be with Gordon and Christine with hope that things soon get better.
George Greenshields
I received a message from Jack Wooldridge of California about George Greenshields who is featured in my latest book ‘A History of the Show Racer in British Pigeon Showing’. George Greenshields is still revered in the United States despite dying half a century ago, yet is hardly ever mentioned in British showing circles. This was one of the reasons who I wrote my book to record detail of the early days of the show racer and it development from the racing pigeon.
In Conclusion
I am sorry to be later this month but circumstances have been a little difficult. It has been good to get some news from the UK and hope that others will let me have details of shows and showing indeed anything, to help me keep the Focus going. It is bitterly cold outside and raining, so at least I have been able to use the time with some purpose and will feel better to get the column off to Welshpool. I am still at 3 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza, Victoria 3930 and on email at
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