[Grasshopper Lofts]

I have 7 pairs to race the old bird program with this year. They were paired up in November and are about to go down again can i let them rear another round or will this effect me racing them this year. I don't have many birds but wanted to breed a good few young birds this year to see what i had in my shed.

any advice would be great.

Thanks

[steff30]

Breeding another round of younsters from these pairs won't cause any problems.

[JohnQuinn]

Grasshopper Lofts, on 15 January 2012 - 21:15 PM, said:

I have 7 pairs to race the old bird program with this year. They were paired up in November and are about to go down again can i let them rear another round or will this effect me racing them this year. I don't have many birds but wanted to breed a good few young birds this year to see what i had in my shed.

any advice would be great.

Thanks

In your position i wouldn't concern myself with how many races i could enter this year, i would tend to the breeding side and would have better numbers next season to go through the program with. You should always think long term, its the only way to build a good team of birds. JMO

[pheonix]

a second nest will start the moult so if your going to race them then its a no no

[Tony C]

JohnQuinn, on 15 January 2012 - 22:29 PM, said:

In your position i wouldn't concern myself with how many races i could enter this year, i would tend to the breeding side and would have better numbers next season to go through the program with. You should always think long term, its the only way to build a good team of birds. JMO

I'd go along these lines, future first.

If they've not cast any flights up to yet you'll be able to do a good part of your programme. Once they've cast their 5th stop them then.

[IB]

I don't think you can mix breeding & racing, just dropping a couple of birds from different matings in racing will upset everything in the loft, with 'spare' birds following oppo sexes into their own box, breaking eggs / trampling youngsters in nest etc. So for me it's either one or the other.

It'll be hard to sit out OB season so 'the middle road' is to select a few pairs and breed your second round youngsters only from them. 20 youngsters is a comfortable number to race.

Good luck to you regardless of which way you decide to go.

[Owen]

I agree with IB in that I do not think breeding and racing go all that well together but I have to admit I do not understand natural systems at all. You could be asking too much of your birds already and you may find that they are not able to win races. If that is the case there is no point in sending them so you may be better off breeding the youngsters you need and skipping the racing for this year.