# Racing/Nest positions



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Someone had asked about the nest position of our hen that won 4 races this past OB season. I didn't forget. Just haven't been on the computer much in the past few days.
I'm always interested in how people get their birds to perform. Sometimes I wonder if we just "think" we are motivating them, when in reality, they just want to come home as fast as they can. Maybe sometimes and other times not.
Anyway, here's our story of "Skydancer" as she is now called. She flew ok as a YB and not much better as a yearling. Part of the problems we had flying in OB's our first year was our fault and then we had some bad releases so I guess it was 50/50. We flew natural our first year. Don't think we'll be doing that again. 
This past OB season we flew double widowhood. I guess we flew our own version. I did some reading on the subject and just sort of made stuff up as I went. Our first race was 166 miles. We cleaned out our loft, all the birds went. Skydancer was mated to a cock bird we call Beanie Baby. (He had a little round gray spot on his head when he feathered out as a youngster and looked like he had a beany cap on, thus the name..........) Anyway, that first race, Skydancer won. But Beanie Baby didn't come home for 2 more days. That's not the first time he's done this. Of course by the time he got home I had separated the cocks and hens, so Skydancer never saw Beanie Baby until the next week end before being shipped to the race. I didn't send Beanie Baby. That second race, Skydancer was our 5th bird home. Needless to say, she didn't win.  But when she came home, Beanie Baby was there to greet her. She was happy!  The next week end, 3rd race, I shipped Skydancer again, but not Beanie Baby. She won the race again. 276 miles. So to make a long story shorter............Beanie Baby did not race any more. He was always there to greet Skydancer when she came home and she won the races after that. I figured if it took her mate waiting on her to come home and win races, he was doing his job in the loft. It worked the whole season. Why, I don't know but she loves her Beanie Baby.


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## birdy (Mar 18, 2004)

Hi Lovebirds,

That is a great story. Your Skydancer (I really like that name) is an amazing racer. After she returned from a race to meet Beanie Baby how long were they allowed to be together? What was your weekly routine with them? Did she ever lay eggs during the season and if so how did you position her for the race?

In my opinion, each of our racers are unique. This is where pigeon racing really comes to play when you can recognize certain behaviors that will stimulate them to return home. Thanks for the information!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thanks for sharing this information.

Skydancer just needed to be with her loving mate, and for her to know he would be there waiting for her was all the initiative it took to get her home at record speed! 

Pigeon psychology is fascinating, isn't it?


Treesa


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## birdy (Mar 18, 2004)

Hi Treesa,

I know you and your Sky know all about pigeon psychology. Now if you could just get him to tell you what makes them tick and want to get back quick from a 500 mile race, you'd have something.

There's something in Skydancer's heart and soul that gives her the will to fly to victory 4 times. I'm sure you're right, just to be with her loving mate, was the driving force. However, there are things to do like separating them the day before race day and showing Beanie Baby to her for a few minutes before shipping that will drive her passion to its greatest depth - maybe that's what Lovebird did for I'm just guessing. There's a lot that goes into a winner like physical prowess but the truly great athletes have something that they pull out from their gut. I think my man, Lance Armstrong, has it in spades.

birdy


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Isn't Skydancer a great name? It actually came from a pack of cigarettes by that name. My husband and I plan to fly two teams for YB's so he's going to fly under "Skydancer Loft".
Anyway, the birds................If we shipped on Friday for a Saturday release, I would let the birds go together a couple of hours before we basketed them. I would give the cocks their nest bowl, wait about 30 minutes, then turn the hens loose in the cocks section. They would spend about 2 hours together. By that time, every one is in their box, cuddled in the bowl and it makes for really easy "pigeon catching"  Then when they returned from the race, up to 300 miles, they could stay together the rest of Saturday upon returning home and I would separate them Sunday morning. On the longer races, 350 and up, they could stay together until Monday morning. On the longer races that were shipped on Thursday for a Saturday release, I would put them together early in the morning and let them stay together until time to basket them. That was probably about 6 or 7 hours. As far as eggs and babies.....we let each pair raise one baby before the race season started. Skydancer was not interested in laying eggs or having children.  She laid her first egg when I was ready to wean off all the youngsters, so she never did raise any young. Speaking of that, after the race season, we put her with her father to raise one round for stock. The babies are 10 days old today. Sadly, I walked out to the loft this morning, not for any particular reason, and found one baby thrashing about in the nest. Well I freaked out and didn't know what to do. I could tell it was gasping for air, but before I could get it to the house and call my husband to come help, it died. After it died, my husband found a pea lodged in it's throat and that's what killed it. It choked to death. It was the most awful thing to see and to have it die in my hands was horrible. I would never make a nurse or vet. Things like this just freak me out and I loose control and can't think of what I should do. My husband tried to breath into it and get it breathing again but it was too late. So now we have one lonely baby which I'm sure I'll spoil to no end.......


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I love the name Skydancer, as my pet pigeon is named "Skye".LOL

Great name for the loft too!

Your routine of seperating and putting the hens back with the males seems to be working out well. You give them enough time to satisfy their needs and 
so they race well for you, and there are no psychological effects! LOL

I'm so sorry to hear about the little one dying. I never even thought "choking" would be the issue. I'm not good in emergencies either. My heart goes out to the little one. Maybe he would find company with a stuffed toy? I put a stuffed toy bird in with a 2 week old baby racing pigeon (rescue) when I got him. He was two weeks old and too young to be with the older birds, and he lived in the house. Kind of silly huh? But it really kept him company and he picked and played with it! He made the adjustment to coop life pretty well! 

Treesa


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