HOMING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 35

HOMING NOTES.

Br Mausta Mealy

The Dunedin Club abandoned its Hicks Bay race owing to the difficulty of getting its birds to Hicks Bay. They would have to wait for a small steamer from Napier, and then the hampers are taken ashore in a surf boat. It, was considered ! the risk was too groat. I think the com- j mittee acted wisely in giving up the race. The club intends having a few more races later on from Timaru and Ashburton to assist the treasurer, as expenses have been very heavy this season. i The North Otago Pigeon Flying Club flew off its Ghristchurch interval race re- 1 ! oently. There was a fairly strong wind ' in the birds' favour, though there was rain near home. This is the first north J race that the birds have had a wind Behind j them. The winner's velocity of 1578 yards I per minute for the 14-1 miles airline is, j therefore, ihe fastest yet recorded in the , club, and wins the gold-centrod medal nre- I sented by Mr D. Herron for the race. The club desires to thank Mr Hunt for liberating, and the timekeeper (Mr Chilcott). Results : — Mr C. Eccles's Starshoot, 1578 yds per minute .... .... 1 Mr F. Cooper's Fleetwmg, 1337 yds per I minute 2 Mr J. Robertson's La Patiie, 1258 yds per I minute 3 Messrs B. Valpy's Little Model (1201 jds), W Gray's Starlight (1197 yds). W Gordon's Fritz (1184 yds), J. James's Silkhne (1171 yds), T. Cooney's Baltimore (1130 yds), R. Brooker's , Dai=y Bell (1108 yds). j Sltar^hoot was bred by Mr Wilce. of Wai- | mate ; while both second and third birds ■ came from Mr J. Robertson's loft. The North Otago Pigeon Flying Club held a fly-off for second and third points and prize moneys in connection with the Gore interval race, flown on January 23, | when Mr B. Wilpv's Granelda was the only arrival on the day of liberation. Thpre was a strong head wind, consequently the velocity for the 120 miles airline was 6low. Results: — Messis J. and E Baker's Te Apiti, 820 yds per minute . . .... 1 Mr J Robertson's Federation, 818 yds per minute . . . . 2 ' Messr= YV Gray's bird (809yd--), * Cooney's I Blackwing (730 yds). F Couper's All Black (601 yds). Messrs J. Meikle. A Manton. C. Eccles. and J James did not time in In the case of many lofts racing is finished. In the case of othei\, there are still one or two races to be flown. In the case of any-age bird races, of i from 100 to 120 mileV at the end of the i season, many fanciers swear by young birds as being fastest, and best. This has not | ' be«n my experience, for providing I have ; had ono or two old birds holding their j feathers well and keeping fairly fit — of course, birds that have been over the ground duiing the year— l have invariably found that they would beat youngsters. Therefore, if I take part in the any-age bird races I prefer to enter an old bird or two if fit. Thcv get away better, break from the flock better, and trau more quickly when homo than youngsters. I am assuming! of course, the birds in questions are quite fit and well. My 664was always a bird I could depend upon to got me a prize in the late races as well as in the early races in the spring. His number is wiped out now, so I shall have to look round for another to take his place, but I have found generally that old birds , that raced well at. the back end of the year were also useful birds in the early spring races I don't Know if this is due to the extra experience they got. < Youngsters to be out o\ er the ground for the second time, I have an idea, are , ( better for a toss cr two along the line, i instead of a too long rest, and a lift into the 6ame race-point again. ' Supposing they have had a fortnight's • rC6t, I should' give them tosses at, say, 10 . and 25 miles on the Monday and Tuesday ' prior to the Saturday's race, iust to refresh > their memories of the last lap. ] In young bird racing many a good game ' youngster is lost at itd own door. They '• "start with a batch en the line far. home and

fly a bit wide and go bang past. Cunning old birds are not so likely to do this. 1 have had many good youngsters reported to mo that have entered loft 6, proving they have flown 100 miles or more beyond l the distance they wore called upon t<t fly on tho day of tho race. When the^ have awakened to tho fact of their mistake it has been too lat<» +o rccfifv it. Of course the l.irds we want ore thos# Ihat do rot make mistakes. Still, as \ have ssid before, if I have one or twd voupfsters that make a mistake thus early in life spend a. nieht out. work back tho next day rec<v*er themselves, and fly w^ll and mcul+ well afterwards, T am incline J to put more faith in such birds as triers than in those that Kive never had the same expei icnoe. A fancier «hoald begin to take stock TiOM-, and not lea re it until tho racing is quite finished. 1 Tl:.: qt'rstion he lrust ask himself is how many birds he can winter and breed frora comfortr bly. As to the former question, as accidents sometimes take pliee durin>t ■ the winter months, it is generally as well to allow a small rrargin. Having decided unor the "umber fo bo 'kepi the next question is: How shaU the number be made up How many old birds he.ye been lost during the year? How many ought to bo si'Dpressed? This decided, _ then take stock of the youngsters, ' and pick out thp best from amonccst them to make up the loft to its proper strength. Having done this, you can continue in race the "scrans" or "overweights" for aIF thpv an» worth. Agaiii, I repeat some of the best birds 1 ev^r owned only flew 60 or 80 miles at younpsiers. ?o that it is not ab«olulol> necessary that youngsters should have i( lot o? work in order to make good old on»>s, still I don't contend that you »ye oerfa'n to kill a orord pigeon by sondinnr it 17(J or 180 milp-5 as a yourgster. Providing it stand* tho or-loal all right. n«<l has a good rroult. it will in all probability maki you a useful racer. The fancier who hns too many birds ancT dons no 1 care to set his surnlus o« one side for salr as surplus stock, will find an easy method r*t thinning tiipm down is to spndl them a lift of 80 c- 100 milps beyond the final race point. He rray lose the lot : on thj other hand, ono or twr> may work | back, and on the priucin'o of tho survival of thp fittest. tViov should bp tho best. Nothing should now bo 'lon<» to interfere w-iih the moi'"t c( the birds; ip fact, everything should bo donp to holo it forward. The bath onoo o>- twiVe a wpok is essential. A lump of rnok silt in the lofl should not be omitted. Some waferoressf or a lettuce should ho oee-Tsion-Mlv hnn^ up for tho birds to ne->k af Good nourish) ing fool should also be tho nrder of th< day. Fenthor i« whet tbe birds want to arrow, gocd. « ell-knit. henWliv feather. no( starved 1 , *vep\'lv. thin w-ebbing or narrow, iirmovorished flights.--j _ If you ha\o 'et jour old birds hatch and j roar a voupqsloi- now racing is over, gpl 1 rhesp out of lr>nd as soon a~ you can. On no account coiiHnuo breeding from old and coo'J racers after tin's m""th is out. Gei them on not enara. heln the moult all yo\ can. and »» t>'at nothing takes place tn interfere with it. j In the case of good o!d cocks that you exneol a Q-reat <le,il of next yon-, it is often, advisable to shut the liens off «rom them! an<l lot them moult free from e\ery care and anxiotOf rourao, if you sennvate them from. their hens, you must see thai there are no other hens in the loft or tliaf they cannoft make love fo 'he youngsters and star! breeding with tliem j Don't e-ive olrl birds n lot of flying:' an open loft, a little pentle pxerciee, tranquility. with the master's eve keeping them under careful review, is all that is necessary. Don't leave e^es ihat aiP laid in the pans : change them at onre. or yon msv overlook them, and have voun"-sters batchiiiQ out that will injure thp old birds. Lime-wish the loft, dnst nlentv of inspct powder under the shoulders and well into the rVumasfo. Don't lenve moulted feathers kickiner about the loft, and don** on any aeeonnt bea-in to neglect your bird* in any detail. If you do don't write to me next year wonderina- »hv -yon are not haiin-i- a good season. — " SViuilk," in Kacing Pigeon.