Keith Mott

The Champions of Yester Year (Part 37)

 FRED BIRCH OF UXBRIDGE

A drive over the River Thames into Middlesex led to a visit to the Combine winning loft of Fred Birch. Fred was a real nice change, because he was the first loft that I visited that was 100% on the Roundabout System.

Fred only keeps a small team of racers, but enjoys outstanding success from the long distance races. His best performance in recent years was 1st. S.M.T. Combine Bergerac (463 miles), winning the S.M.T. Combine Continental Average and RPRA London Region Award, at the time the loft only housed 14 birds. In 1995 Fred sent six birds to Bergerac, clocking two on the day, winning 1st Club, 1st Berkshire Federation, 2nd Open UBI Combine and the other four candidates were on the loft early next morning. Fred only raced two Channel races in 1994 and recorded 8th Sect, 24th Open Pau NFC and 6th, 13th open UBI Combine Bergerac, again with only very samll teams being sent.

Fred races the Roundabout System and said it’s a very easy method for a small team fancier. He races the cocks and hens, but the racer must always come home and find their mate in the nest box. Fred trains his birds well along the south coast and uses inland races as fitness tosses. The birds are never over raced and Fred likes the big jump method, with some birds being sent to 400 and 500 miles for their first Channel race, and they win. His Roundabout loft is 20ft, two sections with Sputnik trapping and houses 14 pairs of racers.

The first bird we looked at on my visit was Fred's 'Combine Hen'. a very nice blue chequer bred by Wyn Cole of Middlesbrough from Dutch bloodlines. This game hen won five cards as a year1ing including 1st. Cub Nantes and then went on to win 1st Club, 1st Berkshire Federation, 2nd Open UBI Combine Bergerac in 1995. On her build-up to the Bergerac win she had several tosses from the coast, two inland races and was lifted straight into the 463 mile race. She has never been overworked and had no races as a young bird, which is Fred's method of getting the best out of his birds in the long distance events.

Fred has a second loft which houses his stock birds and youngsters. His five pairs of stock birds are paired up on January 1st. and he only keeps about ten youngsters each season. Fred's best stock cock is a Peter Tumuss / Fear Brothers red chequer cock bred by Ken Hine of nearby Hayes. This ace flew the Channel 14 times for the Birch loft, scoring several times from Bergerac and winning 130th Open Pau NFC and 48th. section Dax International. Since the red cock has been retired to the stock loft he has bred many distance winners including Fred's good red chequer cock, winner of 8th Sect, 24th Open Pau NFC. All the lofts have a thick bed of straw on the floors and Fred hopper feeds a heavy mixture, with peanuts added when the long distance races come around. The racers get lots of 50 mile training tosses, as they get very little racing, and Fred likes to double them up from the south coast.

Fred has had pigeons for 50 years, starting up at the age of 12 years old and his first loft was only 4ft with a wire front. His first birds were from London's famous street market Petticoat Lane and raced in Uxbridge South Road club. The main families raced today are Peter Titmuss and Fear Bros and the only pedigree that Fred is interested in is the basket. His wife, Sylvia, was very interested in the pigeons clocking long distace racers and Fred was President of the club, Lambert FC, Fred has always looked up to the outstanding performances of Eric & Pat Cannon and said the former Godalming partnership was the best in the south of England. Fred line breeds his birds and only breeds late breds if friends want them for stock. He thinks the moult is very important and calls for special feeds and lots of rest. He uses a thick carpet of oat straw on the loft floors, as a vet told him red mite will no live on oat straw and said his birds looked very unhappy when he took it out of the loft once.

One of the very best in Middlesex this week! My phone number is: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.