# Motivating Birds?



## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Have heard some say you have to Motivate your racers when training.How is this accomplished?


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## Pigeonrh (Oct 3, 2001)

When you are racing OBs and even early bred YBs motivation is very important. Systems like windowhood, double widowhood, roundabout ect are all used to motivate birds to come home more quickly... They want to get home as fast as they can to see there mates, eggs, or babies...


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

Josepe said:


> Have heard some say you have to Motivate your racers when training.How is this accomplished?


*You motivate during the race season,you must understand that the bird dose not know he is in a race.He needs a reason to come home faster. and that is why you need to motivate.There is no need to motivate during training but it must be done during the races * GEORGE


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

george simon said:


> *You motivate during the race season,you must understand that the bird dose not know he is in a race.He needs a reason to come home faster. and that is why you need to motivate.There is no need to motivate during training but it must be done during the races * GEORGE


I disagree with that, during training I time the birds at 10 mi a few times then just befor dark I take them 10 mi the next night I take 30 sec off the time, the next night another 30 sec. After a couple weeks of that they dont goof around they go home. I also take them to a different place every time, and always get there 30 min early to let them settle down.
Dave


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## Pigeonrh (Oct 3, 2001)

I was told by John Marles(Sylvan Lofts) here in canada before he moved to Spring Hill FL. that loft flying the ybs before you toss them works to make them head straight home. I've done it for 8 years now and it works. I suppose you could say it motivates the Ybs to head straight home instead of circling then heading home. Also helps stop the birds from loft flying after they get back from a toss. They will want to trap right away which is key.


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## Pigeonrh (Oct 3, 2001)

My 1st round birds after a 40mile toss. Seconds after they were home hitting the board from the air.. Not as good as they should be but this was only in August. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5biM3OQoeHM


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## windyflat (Jul 19, 2007)

How much did it cost to build that loft?


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## JRNY (Nov 17, 2009)

Pigeonrh said:


> I was told by John Marles(Sylvan Lofts) here in canada before he moved to Spring Hill FL. that loft flying the ybs before you toss them works to make them head straight home. I've done it for 8 years now and it works. I suppose you could say it motivates the Ybs to head straight home instead of circling then heading home. Also helps stop the birds from loft flying after they get back from a toss. They will want to trap right away which is key.


Same thing I do. When you loft fly They will do there 1 1/2 or 2 hours of flying. Then when you toss them they come straight home. Because they did there flying already. Also I dont feed them only after the toss.


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## atvracinjason (Mar 4, 2010)

I gather em up have em take a knee and then scream at them like Bobby Knight! NO thats not factual. I utilize what I call the "6th man/bird", when I am loft flying my birds and they come down and are done flying I will realease a bird which was kept in the loft...when he/she comes blowing out of the loft full of energy the others will take back to the sky and fly some more. I rotate the 6th bird so it is always a different bird...give it a try and let me know what you think


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Thanks for the replies.Then widowhood would be what I've heard some say "flying to the nest" I guess.Then food would be a motivator as far as training then?Does anyone Flag their birds when in the air? I heard of it once and tried it,it sure kept the birds up longer.
I'm just a hobby flyer and don't race,though I'd like to try it sometime.Always wanted to send a few birds off to one of those one loft races but never did.I still may try it in sometime in the future.


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

No, flying to the nest is natural system, when the bird is paired up with eggs/babies. Widowhood is widowhood.


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Thanks for the clarification,never done learning.


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## Pigeonrh (Oct 3, 2001)

windyflat said:


> How much did it cost to build that loft?


that loft cost about $300-400..BUT i got the 2x4 for free so that helped a lot.


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