Lanarkshire News

Andrew McBurnie of Kilsyth-North section Young Bird Average winner 2023

I travelled over to the North side of the federation to undertake a loft report on this year’s North Section Young Bird Average winner Andrew McBurnie of Kilsyth.

Kilsyth is situated about half way between Glasgow and Stirling around 200ft above sea level.

Kilsyth on Map 

We arranged to meet up for the first part of the interview in the 'Coach house' restaurant for breakfast ,I must say it was an excellent start to the day!

I asked Andrew about his time in the sport before we went up to see his lofts and the pigeons. 

Andrew is a young lad who has been gaining some top results in the federation and finished 2nd overall Young bird average in federation 2023 and 3rd overall Combine Averages 2022. Excellent form!

Andrew in front of loft

Andrew works 9-5 Monday to Friday so his pigeon management has to be worked around this.

If needed his good friend pigeon fancier Paul Conroy, who stays in the next street will oversee the pigeons for him. Andrew very much appreciates his friendship.

Although Andrews partner has helped in the daily routine of the birds, Andrew is generally flying solo when it comes to daily routine and up keep of his pigeons. 

View of Campsie hills from Andrews lofts

How did you get into sport-

He joined his Grandfather in the sport around 2006, remembering himself sitting in the loft watching the pigeons. In Andrews words his Grandfather at that time was a dog lover when he was racing on his own, he just liked to send them. Although still enjoyed what he got out of the pigeons, spending his time watching every last bird home. No real system just the traditional natural way.

He was a laid back person who wasn't fussed if he was winning. 

He has fond memories of his Grandfather timing out of Reims 2006 at 07 10am second day to be 12th sect ,71st Open with a C/P/C, that was quite a buzz.

But as Andrew got more into them and with new pigeons and system the birds started to perform he himself got the winning feeling.

Like most he has tried pigeons from many lofts with the view that you need different types to compete in different conditions.

Names such as Billy Van Nuil, Gordon Grant ,Stuart Davenport, Barrowcliff & Holmes, John Hadfield have all been blended over the years.

Recently four late breds from John Bosworth from his distance lines to try and get a strong team to tackle the federation Guernsey race and hopefully some SNFC channel races.

He likes to purchase YBs for racing from different lofts each season to test against his present team.

Between himself and friend Scott Russell both have stock birds between them to breed from. Andrew making reference to it being better on pocket if both are contributing to cost of purchasing new stock and building for the future.

Results in YB programme

Club 4 x1st from 6 YB races

Young Bird Results in federation

Wooler1- 26 sect ,84th Open 2,349 birds

Wooler 2 -1st,13th,14th,15th sect,8th,36th,37th,40th,77th Open 2,322 birds

Wooler 3-17th,18th,22nd,23rd,24th,25th,26th,28th29th,32nd,33rd,34th,35th,Sect 58th,59th,64th,66th,67th,69th.70th,73rd,77th,78th Open    2,881 birds

Alnwick 1 -4th,8th,9th15th Sect, 7th,14th,15th40th,42nd,Open   2,703 birds.

Alnwick 2 -7th ,20th,21st,27th,30th,33rd,34th,36th,38th,40th,46th,50th,Sec

7th 27th,28th,39th,48th,51st,52nd,54th,64th,71st,78th,88th,90th,Open    2,523 birds

Thirsk -12th sect,30thOpen 24th sect,59thOpen, 35th sect ,80th Open ,1,609 birds

Racing System

28 pairs of racers and some spare hens.

Around 60-70 youngsters

Main racing loft 20 x 6

YB is 16 x5 

Overspill loft is 10ft x 5 

Overspill loft

Old birds are managed on the traditional roundabout system, with both sexes getting time in the main breeding box section. Hens out first with cocks pushed through into hens section and then return to box nest section after exercise.

            

Old Bird Racing Loft                                              Racing box section                                              Racing hen section

Hygiene lofts cleaned out daily and drinkers every second day during season and once per week non racing season.

System was provided by Jock Wishart of Kirkcaldy, Fife, this was of great benefit to Andrew and his Grandfather.  

The birds are trained Tuesday, Wednesday from around 14 miles into a head wind, if no head wind they go to 20miles. Birds are never trained in cold east winds. The birds don't even leave the loft in such days.

Other days they are out first light and again when he returns from work for one hour.  Both sexes separate flight.

Birds are fed Beyers Galaxy sport light mixture as much as they wish watching when they start leaving certain grains. They receive a stronger mixture like VL Champions as the races go out.

The birds receive a fat mix from Matador "Boarding mixture" depending on the weather forecast. It is a very expensive mixture so it’s given sparingly. This mixture contains a lot of polished rice which is indispensable in hot weather

Birds are never fed by the spoon, they are expected to compete the difficult race programme. 

Andrew said he has tried all feeds and products over the years to try and get those extra yards out of them. Nothing has really stood out as better than the other but he keeps trying.

What does he look for in a pigeon.  He likes a pigeon to have silky feathering nothing more than that. The basket will have its say, if it's a good shape, good wing, good eye, etc. When you go to club and other members complement them then that's good.

His weekly water management system is Vitality rebuild on return from race, 
Sunday Gerdon I, 
Monday, Tuesday, just water, 
Wednesday, Thursday Multi Vitamins from PJ lofts.
Friday just water.

Andrew commented there isn't enough days in the week for all the products he has purchased over the years.

The partnership really started to give it more of a go around 2016 around at the age of 20 he didn't just want to compete.

He purchased birds that were advertised for sale by Bill Perrie of Annan. He went down to see them and he said they were early bred YBs that looked like Old Birds, they were well matured and shinning like new pennies. They were for sale at £10 each he bought 10 and brought them back up and broke them, Andrew laughed saying we topped the federation in the first race with one of these. "A young bird feeding a YB"   

      

Young bird racing loft                                         Nest boxes in YB loft that are being used for early breeding.

He said there was a Gold ring race that YB season so he just trained 4 of them for it, they hadn't been raced. They topped the federation and all home when others struggled to time.

In 2018, ill health hit his young bird team with a good percentage of his birds not surviving, Nigel Cowood advised on their treatment and what was left were put back on road in the month of June.

In the first race he took the first 8 in federation. Andrew said to think they couldn’t even stand up a couple of months before that.

But the following year they didn't last he said, possible something had been taken out them as youngsters when sick.

He gets YB sickness every year but hasn't missed a race as the symptoms appear early and the pigeons  are over it before the racing starts.

Andrew races two separate team of youngsters which helps with different form throughout season around 60-70 are raced between both.

Youngsters are flown on Darkness system, their section is lightened around 07 30 am and allowed access to wire cage in front of loft all day, let out early evening for fly.

They are all vaccinated with Nobilis Paramyxo before racing.

The management system. 

Pigeon Vitality & Kevin Winters are the two names that are in his Natural treatment programme for Andrew.

He likes the natural approach with a rotation of treatments for canker and respiratory preventatives from these ranges used throughout season.

Pigeon Vitality products include Broncho Plus, Rebuild,  Antifungal, Tricoli Stop,Wondermix C

Kevin Winters products include Tricon Green

Gerdon 1 is used once per week.

When training they receive a number of short flights releasing them together and thereafter they go in groups of 15. He is not a fan of transporter flock training, preferring smaller batch training. He thinks it builds up speed and makes them more individual.

Young birds fed same as old birds when racing. On Thursday fed, small amounts till they start being picky in what they eat. 

Andrew likes to compete in all races stating if there was a race at the bottom of the street I would probably go.

He likes the competition the Lanarkshire federation gives him and also is a member of the Lanarkshire Social Circle.

He doesn't really set goals but if he did he would like to win the Lanarkshire Combine Averages.

He has competed in One loft racing but thinks he will give it a miss and concentrate on his own management.

I asked Andrew about the change of route for Lanarkshire federation this season coming, he is optimistic that the birds will find their racing route. Time will tell!

What if at the start of the season we are hit with cold east winds, then a small number of the older birds would be sent to keep him in the averages. 

He is presently Secretary of his club Chryston, helping out as best he can. The work can be tricky at times fitting in that and time with his family.

I feel he has a drive within himself to keep moving forward and is always looking for better pigeons.

He said he has had some good performance like winning the section in the SNRPC.

Taking the first 8 in the Glasgow federation, topping the federation 4 times in 2018

Enjoyed this most as I got to enjoy these wins with my Grandfather who got me into the sport!

Andrew is making excellent progress within the sport and I feel it will not be long before he achieve his goal!.

Thanks to Andrew for his time and insight into life as a young fancier in today’s sport.

Andrews winners.

Andrews winners.

Tom Corrie jnr

Lanarkshire Press Officer

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