# Pulling flights before the race???



## de Vera Loft (Mar 11, 2009)

Does anyone have an idea of pulling flights months before the race? Because I heard some confusing stuffs that some fanciers pull flights to be sure that the bird will not drop any primary flights during the race.. I was confused because a fancier also told me that the bird for the race might get off even if you train them before pulling their flights because they will be inside the loft most of the time and can't even fly well.. Any information??? THANKS!!!


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## Glyn (Jun 29, 2009)

Ive only heared of pulling flights when settleing birds , i wouldnt think you pulled them a month before the race as pigeons malt once a year (i Think )


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## trinity (May 18, 2007)

hai there we do that evey year. but we fly tumblers what birds do you have if you have race homers even they follow this method. and not only to avoid falling of primaries but also to see to that the new feather will not have any air gaps due to ,mites and ticks. 
we stop flying tumbler for the whole year and fly them only during june july & august months so we cut the feather half way and keep them safe inside the loft

when the rcing season comes we pull feathers say about 1.5 months prior and give them good diet so that they grow strong and neat feathers. later we slowly start training them as they would have lost their ability to fly and tuble becoz of the long rest. but by two weeks they would be ready!! with more than 5-6 hours of flight with a beautiful mixture of their tumbles.


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## Lovelace (Jan 10, 2008)

Only the 9 & 10 flight is pulled, June 1 you cut the 9 & 10 flight were it meets the top 
feathers. you let them dry out one week then you pull them, about 42 days later there
new flights will be full grown. They will have these two flights all through the races,
some will still drop flights one at a time up to the 8 flight but not a problem they can
still race. if the 9 or the 10 was missing they will not win.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Young Birds Only*

*Its only done with young birds about 6 to 8 weeks before the young bird races. Its done so that the young bird will have a full wing for the races.The 9th and 10th flights are pulled. Like Lovelace said are cut,and pulled a week later.You must understand that these birds can not be loft flown or trained until those feathers are at least grown back half way. I was never a big fan of young bird races I looked at yb races as training for old birds so when the bird got out to the 7 or 8 flight I would stop those birds until the old bird races, but here again thats what I did but others that enjoyed the yb races did things different.* GEORGE


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

*Great Topic !!*



de Vera Loft said:


> Does anyone have an idea of pulling flights months before the race? Because I heard some confusing stuffs that some fanciers pull flights to be sure that the bird will not drop any primary flights during the race.. I was confused because a fancier also told me that the bird for the race might get off even if you train them before pulling their flights because they will be inside the loft most of the time and can't even fly well.. Any information??? THANKS!!!


Boy oh boy, is that a great question or what !? 

IMHO, and it is just that, an opinion. I am no better qualified then your typical flier. I have been attempting to slowly research this very topic for the last three years. Within the SFL complex, my loft manager manages a 40 or so YB team on the traditional and successful "Darkening System". Like any "system" there are pro's and con's. I on the other hand have moved a seperate team of from 30 to 40 birds from a natural to a darkening, to a modified darkening, to a semi-light, to a now full blown "lighting" system. During this progression, I have experimented with various numbers of birds in flight cutting and pulling, over different time periods. 

Right, wrong, or indifferent....95% of my 2009 33 bird YB team committed to a "Light System Trial" had their flights cut and pulled, starting on June 15th, with all flights pulled by July 1st...a couple were missed and pulled July 4th. Three birdswere left natural as control subjects.

I already have reservations. My first club race is August 29th. And I can see by today's flight growth progress, they will not be ready for that race....it will really be pushing the envelope. I sat on the fence too long, I should have started the process two weeks earlier. 1st Combine Race is Sept 5th...My birds have been in 100% lock down since June 29th ? My darkening birds have been going down the road for 20+ mile training tosses. At this moment in time, my birds on darkening are in far better physical condition. All with a brand new coat of down feathers, fully molted except for the flights. I'm thinking the darkened team will outperform the first couple of early races. I don't have any idea how my team with pulled flights, will do in the races if they miss one of the first couple of 133 mile events, and instead go right for the 185 mile or 220 mile events.

What this "Lighting" team misses in the first two or so events, I am hoping that in the longer and more important races, getting into the last week of August and the month of September, when the darkened team often begins to drop flights anyway...that the "Light and Pulled" team will out preform.

I suggest you precede slowly and with much thought. If you are going to try pulling flights, then maybe if you have the room, like in our case, only commit so many birds to a new method or system until it works for you. 

One of the great facinations of this hobby. Is the "perfect" method or system has yet to be discovered or invented or put into practice. The sky is the only limit.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

According to Joe Zack,out of the Central Jersey Combine,and one of the USA`s top YB flyers,you must cut the 9 & 10 flights,when the YB`s are weaned,and pull the 9th flight when the 2nd flight drops,and pull the 10th when the 9th is moulted out..Then you have ALL your YB`s ready to go for your 1st race...You might have some on the 7th or 8th flight,when the races start,but you will not have to worry about the 9th & 10th flights at all......Some flyers even pull a couple of the outer tail feathers also...Zack never mentioned that he did so in his article in the RPD.....Alamo


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## [MN]eXist^_^ (Feb 13, 2009)

I know of 2 different successful guys who do this, one does it when weaned 9th and 10th together, other guy does it when the year is hottest july4th. Dont pull it but cut it about 1 inch or more depending on the lenth of the quill. Let the blood dry up then cut it after a couple of days. Good Luck.


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## lordschisto (Nov 17, 2008)

hi guys! good day!

george is right, it is done in the young birds getting ready for the race, the 4 primary feathers are cut 4 inch from the tip, they can still fly but not as far as a pigeon having complete flights, after ten days, the 4 primary feathers are dry and hence pulled of, it takes 4-5 weeks to regrow the flights and then they're ready to be trained, till then no primary flights are dropped making your birds race ready for the season..


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

It is only necessary to cut the 9th & 10th flights 1/2 inch...Then you can fly/train the yb`s all you want...If you cut 4 inches off the flights,the HAWKS will LOVE you....And you will lose many YB`s when you don`t have to...The idea of cutting the flights,is so they dry out,and don`t hurt the YB when you pull them.....Alamo


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Alamo said:


> It is only necessary to cut the 9th & 10th flights 1/2 inch...Then you can fly/train the yb`s all you want...If you cut 4 inches off the flights,the HAWKS will LOVE you....And you will lose many YB`s when you don`t have to...The idea of cutting the flights,is so they dry out,and don`t hurt the YB when you pull them.....Alamo



Good advise, I don't want to tell all my secrets, but if you have a important race coming up and a bird is about to drop the 8,9,10th flight you can cut just the tip off (the end of the quill) and the bird won't drop it because it will dry up. When it is dry the birds thinks it is injured and won't drop it until a later date.


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## bullet6543 (Apr 20, 2013)

hey ... can u please tell me wat is the easy way to pull the flight feathers...? so it wont hurt the pigeon ,,, anyone have the video for this ...? thanx


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## Lovelace (Jan 10, 2008)

you cut them first and wait a week and then pull them, the reason for cutting and waiting is the feather dries out so when you pull them it won't hurt them.


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## ace in the hole (Nov 27, 2007)

Cut the flight 1/2 way down and wait 10 days before pulling that flight.


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## GaryWCo (Apr 19, 2011)

Go to the CBS website. Rick Mardis has a video in the archives that shows how to pull flights.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

bullet6543 said:


> hey ... can u please tell me wat is the easy way to pull the flight feathers...? so it wont hurt the pigeon ,,, anyone have the video for this ...? thanx


I see some people have answered you but if you scroll up to the second post and start reading I am pretty sure almost every post states the safe way to do it. Just a tip for next time.


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## ozarkbill (Aug 17, 2008)

*Posting*

Jesus, just think what PETA will do with a post like this. Cutting off feathers till they bleed, then pulling them out just to get new ones to race with.
What would the public think of this! Maybe some posts need to be thought out. Maiming birds to race better, what a headline.


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## Flying LV (Oct 7, 2008)

Here again, some people are MISINFORMED!! The flights are cut, only 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. After 10-12 days the feather has dried out and at that point the feather will come out with no pain to the bird, that is why it is cut ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT, not until it bleeds!!. By doing this you the bird is given a "step up" in it's moult and doesn't have to fly with blood* in *the quill. Flying with a new feather full of blood is like a child teething, it hurts for a bit, but is naturally occuring.

Please read the post answers before commenting, that is what PETA does, they hear what they want!

Sorry...


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