We Need to Move with the Times

How many fellow fanciers have noticed as I have that in recent times that you very rarely see birds out exercising in the winter months right up until April and even then it is now normal to hear moans and groans that birds have been injured or killed and eaten by Mrs Sparrow Hawk as she builds herself up prior to going to nest. Sadly, this is now the way of the world for all of the Western European pigeon fanciers.

With all of these facts in mind why do the people who control pigeon racing continue in the same manner as in the past? I think that John Halstead must have been reading my mind when he wrote his recent excellent article in the fancy press called ‘April Raptor Problems’. In this piece he begged the question why don’t we start our racing season at least a couple of weeks later when the dangers posed by the Sparrow hawk have abated somewhat? I will tell you why John, though I think that you already know the answer. It’s because this is the way that we have always done it! If we step back and think about it rationally the later start would in fact be of benefit to us all. First of all, the birds would have the extra time to be prepared better for the races because no one can tell me you can properly muscle up pigeons in a mere week or so without the necessity of forcing our birds to go out earlier and ‘run the gauntlet’ with the hawks. If racing was to commence no earlier than the beginning of May then the weather is normally warmer and the cold Easterly winds which the birds often have to put up with earlier in the year can be largely avoided. If the cross channel organisations were to follow suit and not start their programmes before the beginning of June I’m convinced returns would be improved as the pigeons would be fitter and so more able to cope with a flight of 200-350 miles especially if the wind is ‘on the nose’. I know that the organisers would more than likely counter this with the obvious fact that it would necessitate the old bird programme going into early August. That said it doesn’t prevent the other Western European countries from competing in International races until this time and the best race of the season in many of the competitor’s opinion from Perpignan which to most lofts is around 600 miles doesn’t take place until well into August.

I also concur completely with John Halstead in his belief that the RPRA instead of supporting our idea of postponing the race programme actually are making things worse with their actions of issuing rings on the 1st of December. This is absolutely ludicrous because surely the babies should have been born and rung with a ring bearing the year that the bird was actually hatched because when all is said and done they are in reality latebreds from the previous year. Additionally, birds born in November and early December need to be out and having a good look around their home shortly after the New Year in January which then makes them ‘hawk bait’. That said to keep the young birds locked up until late March will lead to very high losses due to them being too strong on the wing. Surely to avoid all of the stress and heartache that is attached it would be far better if the babies were to be hatched and reared in February and early March after all with the darkening system now in vogue there is absolutely nothing to be gained from early winter bred young birds in the UK other than a larger corn bill!

I also read with great interest, concern and great sadness what Bert Braspenning wrote in regard to the rapidly decreasing number of fanciers in the Netherlands which looks to be as bad or even worse that it is here in the UK. If we were to make the changes that both John and I advocate it won’t I suppose increase our membership numbers but I’m pretty sure our existing members would enjoy pigeon racing an awful lot more.

Mike Lakin