YOUNG BIRD LOSSES

An interview with B & G. Mainwaring

by Les Parkinson

Many years ago there was an article penned under the title of 'Overcoming Young Bird Losses' : a logical and proven method of Barry & George Mainwaring interviewed by Les Parkinson". I believe many fanciers have lost their way in racing through the darkness system so here is an article that many should think about in the best interest of the future of their loft. The first thing with young birds is to decide which line to follow, the number you can house in comfort and the number you can manage.

It's nice to experiment with new breeds but one certain way to lose young birds is to overcrowd. If at the end of the young bird season you wish to breed a few late bred's for the future breeding purposes this is alright. These can help for pairings in future years as long as they are being bred from selected stock. To race late-breds the following year is a difficult path to tread but can be done with care and attention to detail. I make the point of selecting pairings because, when studying breeding patterns, many times the youngsters left are from good sensible birds. Pairings breeding young birds that are constantly being lost should be changed.

The fanciers who struggle to keep young birds in training year after year never appear to change, when the top fanciers with old birds generally manage to hold on to the majority of their young birds. Taking the next step in young bird losses would be to pay attention to when you move the young birds, I feel that to move YB's between 21 & 28 days is unwise. No doubt countless people will say "They can do it in Belgium and warmer climates" But with our summer the average temperature being around 60 F (18 C) I believe it is most crucial to observe the youngsters with their parents. For instance some birds are slow learners and need more care. A certain fact of life is that Y.B's being ill treated or poorly fed will never make the grade. Birds that are nursed and shown kindness stay close and develop well. In my case the birds are rarely moved from their parents before 5 weeks, the norm is 6 weeks contrary to most fanciers who like to have squeaker's outside the loft and looking around as soon as they are moved from their parents.

Having decided to move the young bird's on an individual basis to the young bird loft one should make sure that it freshly decorated and for no old birds to be with their youngsters. When the birds have settled to their loft, are feeding and watering well and claimed it as their home it is time to let them out. The first three times outside their loft are the most critical, this can be overcome if the birds have a view of their surroundings i.e. wire or dowelled front's. Next is to select only nice evenings and ensure all birds are wing stamped. What a cheap and useful way to protect your stock and to ensure a chance of return. How common, and against RPRA rules to race rung youngsters that are not wing stamped, like children wandering around and not knowing it's name and address, what a crime. It takes nerves of steel opening the doors to the outside world for the young birds, walking out onto the platform, onto the lawn and surroundings. The odd youngsters flies to the top of the loft, still watching and observing their approach to the free world, now the birds look like their parents and their mannerisms start to show. Some are calm, some uneasy, a couple spoilt and shy, approximately half an hour and the first time out is enough for the nerves. Responding to feeding time and you, the birds return to the only home they know, the loft.

Feeding young birds is critical, when exercising be sure to keep them off the rooftops which is where the birds should not be. Fanciers with lofts in built up areas should be sensitive to neighbours and not let the birds hang around or be game for cats.

When the birds have progressed to spinning round the lofts which may and for some birds does take up to one month. I have forced them to take to the sky but never before they have had one month of in and out of the loft daily. The odd bird being more adventurous flying around the sky solo, do not discourage this and never force the pack to follow. With the first race six weeks away, the birds should by now be exercising very well, flying approximately one hour, but still only exercised after 6pm. This point I have discussed with many fanciers and people's attitudes and ideas may well vary a lot, some fanciers feeding their birds before liberation so that they will not go hungry if missing. The time has come to start training the birds, placing the birds in the basket and letting them settle for several hours. Hopefully their time spent in the basket during their racing career will be a long and happy time. Birds exercised around the loft before being trained on the road will help the birds to return with a view of feeding time. Training the birds on the road before being exercised cab lead to the young birds wandering for miles and picking up bad habit's, exercise the birds for one hour before basketing.

The training programme varies a lot from one fancier to another. We start at 1ml, 3mls, 5mls, 10mls, 15mls and so on, not progressing from one step until a healthy response and happy return is shown. Building the birds confidence and letting him or her know that they have the ability to return is of the utmost importance. Many experienced fanciers will still say, 25mls first and if they cannot make it, well it's their own fault. I believe after the breeding, feeding and cost it is worth taking the trouble to train because there is no substitute for education and experience.

This is the last part of the interview view the B & G.Mainwaring partnership on a system to race young birds.

"How many of your best young birds go missing taking into account that it is no fault of theirs if there are sudden climate changes taking place. (By the way, only when the young birds have cast at least two nest flights do they start on the training programme). If at all possible the bird's are liberated in three's before the first race at 40mls. By now you should be confident that the birds have a better than average chance of returning. Once the youngsters are racing do not punish them week after week. those reserves may prove their worth later. When the young birds return from being lost let them get back to normal training. Many fanciers think that because the bird is in good order it should be sent straight back to racing, this can destroy the young birds. in the end it will not bother to return to the loft for that kind of treatment. Be a kind fancier and nurse the bird back to good health because most young birds are only exhausted and run down. Patience and returning to regular training will pay dividends.

Many fanciers will sacrifice a loft for a first prize that may never come. There can only be one first each week and the bird at the top needs all the others or it will not be able to get to the top at all.

The main points that I have tried to illustrate are. Breed sound young birds and only keep a manageable number and with feeding do not have overweight birds. Just like people they will struggle. Wing stamp and protect your birds, checking wing stamps when preparing for the races, regular exercise and training, pick good weather or the birds will deteriorate. A rest will sometimes do them the world of good, this is shown many times on the longer channel races when birds basketed for days put up good performances. Encourage your birds and build up their confidence, do not push them and most of all pay attention to individuals and detail. I write from many years of flying and training young birds and believe our losses are below average and our performance's in young bird racing are above average. The young birds of today must be our future therefore one must protect them and our sport will be strong".