RHONDDA VALLEY FED
Reports by Martin Dunn
STREET & HUGHES
DOUBLE FED WINNERS IN 2007
This loft visit is to Roy Street and Les Hughes. These 2 likeable fanciers are members of both the Tonypandy and Cwmparc clubs within the Rhondda Valley Federation, with their loft situated high on the mountainside at Penygraig,
The partnership is a relatively new one together, joining forces for the 2006 season, when Les was thinking about packing the birds in. Les’s loft was directly behind Roy’ and after a chat one day at the end of the 2005 season, it was agreed upon to go into shares for 2006 and they haven’t looked back since.
Both have had pigeons in their blood from a young age. Roy started off flying in the Ton Pentre club many moons ago, with Les first joining the Penygraig club. Both have enjoyed success over the years from the short races through to Lerwick on the North and Dax/Pau on the south road, with Roy being a previous Welsh Grand National winner with Young Birds on the north.
Les (left) and Roy (right), outside the loft
As for the present, they have a mixture of the Janssen based pigeons for the sprint/middle distance, with a few Van Reets and Van Loons crossed in. When they go to the distance races they tend to rely on the tried and tested Jan Aardens. These amount to around 18 pair of stock birds and they are normally paired the first week of January, with the race birds.
The race birds consist of 24 widowhood cocks with 16 pairs of Naturals added to them. Les prefers the widowhood and Roy prefers the Naturals, so a good balance between the two of them. As mentioned previously, all the race team are paired first week of January and allowed to rear both young birds.
When the young birds are weaned across, the widowhood cocks are parted from the hens and then they are let out to start to build their fitness before training starts. When training commences, this is generally in the evenings, as both are working during the day, until the first race. After the first race the widowhoods do not receive any more training but are exercised morning and evening. Monday they are out for half an hour only, with the rest of the week they take 1 hour morning and evening, and when I say morning, it’s crack of dawn. Roy’s an early riser and be found down at the loft first light.
Roy Street and Les Hughes on a bitterly cold February day
The naturals are trained pre-season as and when time allows. These are allowed open hole around the lofts all day, whilst the partners are at work. Les says he can see them exercising when he’s at work; he’s a Traffic Warden in Tonypandy. Should they feel the birds need training, Roy will take them early in the morning with Les getting them in when they arrive home.
As for feeding, the cocks are fed individually in their next boxes after each exercise period. They are fed on Ruby Gold, with the naturals hopper fed on a general mixture. As for supplements, they use the normal vitamins etc and will give depending on the race and what they think they need at the time. The birds are treated regularly for the usual ailments of Cocci, Canker and Worms.
The young number around 80, which are raced on the darkness, and whatever is left after the training will race through the programme. The young birds are left together and the partners don’t mind if they pair up and sit eggs or babies. They like the young birds in this condition as they generally get good performances with young birds sitting.
Collecting their federation wns from Gail Jones W.H.P.U. secretary
The birds are well trained before racing, as many training spins as possible, then when racing starts they are trained every day. If they don’t go in the mornings, they will go in the evenings, but if they cannot go, then they go out for an hour's fly morning and evening.
They are fed on a mixture made up of different brands of young bird mixtures, so they feel they get everything they need, with supplements only given if they think they are needed at the time. They don’t have any problems with them moulting out after the season ends - most are completed by Xmas.
The summary of 2007 included being top prize winners in the very strong Tonypandy club, with 8x 1st, 7 x 2nd and 4 x 3rd. They were runner up in the Cwmpac club, again with a number of top performances. In the Rhondda Valley fed they excelled, 3rd highest prize winners overall. They were runners up Old bird points in the fed and had 2 outright fed wins from Swindon and Newbury. They went and topped the season off when winning the Maerdy Single bird Nomination from Ramsgate young birds and were £2000 better off for it.
Again it was a pleasure to pop across to Penygraig to see the birds. They really were in outstanding condition considering they were feeding young birds at the time. I’m sure they will be competing for top honours again in 2008.
28/2/08
