# Long Distance Prep



## Airbaby (Aug 9, 2008)

I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share there training schedule of an Old Bird they would be prepping for a 500-600 mile race. Now i know the types of grains and stuff most feed to help build the bird up, but what i have never seen is what the training/race/rest schedule is like for a bird getting ready to fly to the distance. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


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## Lickfork (Feb 1, 2010)

There will be many different opinions on this and I'm by no means a master. I've never flown a 600 but I have flown several 500's.
A lot of it has to do with how your birds respond to training and exercise. Some excell under streneous training and others will deteriorate. I always train carfully out to 100 miles before the race season. Once the races start I try to race all my birds every weekend providing they are physically able. In this way I let the races condition my birds instead of wearing out my truck. I let them rest on sunday and monday then make shorter training tosses tuesday through friday. 15 to 20 miles a day some times twice a day. I normally won't fly a bird on two 500's or even a 400 and a 500 on back to back weekends. I prefer to fly a bird 300 or less but at least a 100 miles the weekend before a 500. Even if that means making a 100 mile training toss instead of racing.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I never train my birds less than 25 mi. if they come home from 400 or 500 on the day they get Sunday and Monday off. Well they still have to loft fly Tuesday loft fly in the morning and then a 40 mi toss still in the morning and that happens every other day for 2 weeks then they go to the 600. On the day of basketing I spray corn oil on the feed this stores fet in the liver for the race. They need that, never use canolla oil that is poison on their systom. Stay away from maple peas that takes away from some of the protien of the other peas. Tie a rag to a long pole use a tennis ball what ever make them fly 1 1/2 hrs a day plus training to get them ready for the 600. Do not race them for 2 weeks.
Dave


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Airbaby said:


> I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share there training schedule of an Old Bird they would be prepping for a 500-600 mile race. Now i know the types of grains and stuff most feed to help build the bird up, but what i have never seen is what the training/race/rest schedule is like for a bird getting ready to fly to the distance. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


 I don't race OB's, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But, just as a point of reference, we have an older member in our combine in very poor health, that does no road training at all, and he very consistantly places in the top 20%. 

If you can get your birds to fly around the loft for several hours a day, then I think it is quite possible, that very little if any road work, is needed. I know that back in the good ole days of the 1960's, my mentor and I trained maybe 4 or 5 times out to about 7 miles. Which now days, really sounds kind of funny. My mentor was a WWII pigeon corps guy, and never really valued road work all that much, and he won quite a few of the 500 and 600 mile events, so go figure. 

I'm thinking that all those decades of only retaining birds which won those 500 and 600 mile events, without road training, may have created a family which did not require constant road training. I also think, that if generation after generation, you work with birds which need a lot of constant road work, you might be building a family up which requires such things. Just wanted to share a perspective you won't generally hear.


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## Airbaby (Aug 9, 2008)

Thank you everybody for the feedback, you all had the types of responses I was looking for.

Thanks again,
Roy


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## irishsyndicate (Sep 19, 2008)

One old pioneer told me, if your birds have been racing all season or every other race weekend - then the week of the 500 (usually the 500 is basketed on a Thursday for a Saturday release) - just dump a sack of feed in the loft that week and for the most part leave the birds alone......


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## fresnobirdman (Dec 27, 2008)

irishsyndicate said:


> One old pioneer told me, if your birds have been racing all season or every other race weekend - then the week of the 500 (usually the 500 is basketed on a Thursday for a Saturday release) - just dump a sack of feed in the loft that week and for the most part leave the birds alone......


i like your response dude.ahha


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## Airbaby (Aug 9, 2008)

irishsyndicate said:


> One old pioneer told me, if your birds have been racing all season or every other race weekend - then the week of the 500 (usually the 500 is basketed on a Thursday for a Saturday release) - just dump a sack of feed in the loft that week and for the most part leave the birds alone......


I suppose it would be worth a shot, however i also have birds i prep for shorter races too, i have read a few times where a fancier will have a loft striclty for Long Distance birds and a seperate loft for the shorter races so he or she could feed accordingly....


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Dump a sack of feed on the floor, no road training just loft flying it all sounds good if your happy with the top 20%. i took 1st club 4th combine 600 mi I want top 1 or 2 %. But I prefer to win.
Dave


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