# Age for YB races



## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

What is the youngest a bird could be for a YB race and be strong enough to be competive?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

ohiogsp said:


> What is the youngest a bird could be for a YB race and be strong enough to be competive?


I really don't KNOW the answer, only what I've been told. We raise early youngsters so by the time we start racing our birds are 8 or 9 months old, BUT, we're raising two pair of youngsters for a new flyer and our friends say that you can race a baby hatched in May. Bare in mind that we start YB races in Sept. Some places start in July, so abviously a May hatch wouldn't work. LOL. The younger they are, the harder you have to work to get them ready. That means they must grow up really fast.


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## Barn Pigeon (Feb 11, 2005)

Lovebirds are right. Anything after May would be a late hatch. If you start racing in Sept. You can still try and race them if your club has a short race like 100-150 later on in the race season. But you still need to train them. So they will be ready when old birds come around in the spring . Good luck.


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

Hit everybody,

the youngest I've ever heard of anyone successfully racing youngsters is approx. 5 months. the youngest I've ever flown a group of birds, they were all at least 6 months old, two of them went on to take 17th and 13 overall in combine competition.

Lawman


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

and that last post should read "HI EVERYBODY" ...........


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## WhiteWingsCa (Mar 1, 2002)

Our YB season starts mid-August. Most of the flyes in our old club wouldn't raise babies much before March... some in April. We never raised anything after April 30th that we expected to have trained out and ready to go to the first or second trainer race....

so... some of the birds racing here are 4 months of age -- and at the most, 7 months.


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## 1pigeon (Apr 5, 2006)

WhiteWingsCa said:


> Our YB season starts mid-August. Most of the flyes in our old club wouldn't raise babies much before March... some in April. We never raised anything after April 30th that we expected to have trained out and ready to go to the first or second trainer race....
> 
> so... some of the birds racing here are 4 months of age -- and at the most, 7 months.


glad to hear that,My breeders coming in this friday and my club race october so i think i still have times.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

If one wants to race top birds. They would not race young birds at all. They would let them mature and fly them lightly as yearlings then full out as 2 year old birds. BUT not many do that. As a rule over time youngbirds born in the high stress months of winter will be the oldest. But often not the best. The second round birds seem to do better for many. Then as late hatches go I have raised over the years better birds when the weather is full right for breeding. temps consant above 70to80 degrees. But thats my 2 cents.


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Thanks for the help.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

re lee said:


> If one wants to race top birds. They would not race young birds at all. They would let them mature and fly them lightly as yearlings then full out as 2 year old birds. BUT not many do that.[/B] As a rule over time youngbirds born in the high stress months of winter will be the oldest. But often not the best. The second round birds seem to do better for many. Then as late hatches go I have raised over the years better birds when the weather is full right for breeding. temps consant above 70to80 degrees. But thats my 2 cents. [/B]


That is really interesting Robert, I gather then that a baby born in ideal setting might just have an edge, as it reaches its full potential both physically and mentally.


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

Hi All, 

All the experts of old, to include "old Hand" from England and many others all claimed that if you flew youngsters to far (more than 100mi in most cases) you would burn them out and they would be no good as old birds.

I'm my experience thats pure hog wash, Its good health that wins races wether its an old bird of two or more years or a yearling or that years late hatch, (less than a year old).

Now its also my experience that youngbirds and/or late hatches are the easiest to set up. they fly from the pure enjoyment of it and they come home to the perch only. There is no need to try and fly them under any other system, be that widowhood, modified widowhood (flying both cocks and hens), or any other system. 

And anyone that says they cant win big is wrong, not only can they win club level competitions, they most likely will take top combine spots as well. I've seen my own late hatches in the past do just that. 

*Again, its health that wins races not "age"* 

Lawman


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

lawman said:


> *Again, its health that wins races not "age"*[/U]
> Lawman


Yep, optimum health, and excellent training, of course.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

lawman said:


> Hi All,
> 
> All the experts of old, to include "old Hand" from England and many others all claimed that if you flew youngsters to far (more than 100mi in most cases) you would burn them out and they would be no good as old birds.
> 
> ...


 There is a to young age to race birds, That would be less then 3 months Im sure. . Yes young birds win. They are flying aginst other young birds So tthey compete on that level. Late hatch flown as old birds can win. BUT is the bird being raced out while it is still growing. YES it is As many people past and prestent know over work a growing bird it falls back later. Some that race young birds will not even breed from those birds that were stressed out . Some family lines of birds perform best as 3 year olds. Why they are then full mature birds. So aline that mature younger can go on and do better. And the real truth comes out in the old bird races. How often does a young bird perform as well in the old bird races. Sometimes it happens and then you see birds that did ok in young bird then do much better as old birds. Remember Morris Gordan. He flew young birds Did very well. He said he would not use any of his birds he raised and raced as young birds for breeder stock because he felt it weakened the family. And a lot of top flyers breed a few late round birds to train out and fly later in old bird races. They do that to build a stronger family line. The U S A is a place that races young birds probably more then many countries do. So its looked at as Ok And old bird races are loft races because birds are settled there. So they are smaller in money races. Look how the raceing pigeon is getting smaller And flies great in the short young bird races. And falters in the old bird. There is pros and cons on both aspects. Most pedigrees that people breed back with are from birds that did not have to compete as young birds. And that says somethinng. Plus a good loft does not have to breed as many young birds if they would just fly old bird. And so many young birds would not be lost. Now IF the moult would be considered and fly young only after your area birds have comlpeted the first full moult . Those birds would perform so much better and less birds would be lost. Even in show birds Unless the bird just shows right out it can never come close to aqualty bird You wait until the first moult is over to go through the birds picking out the best . Why because after the first moult birds look so much better and kind of come into how the look as adult birds. Which brings out a little more refinement. Because the baby feathers are now turning into adult feather . I will not change peoples mind I am not trying to. But If you watch performance Its better most often not to push out birds to fast that you want to build a quality loft around.


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

Now re lee, 

You forget that with the proper application of light or lack therof, yes I'm talking about the lighting and darkening systems, you can have a 5 to 6 month old youngster fully molted out. 

So if you think about it a youngster of 5-6 months is the perfect age. 

And if you really think about it how much stronger is your bloodlines going to be if you breed from the very stock you fly as well. Anyone who doesnt bring in the best of their flying stock is realy limiting themselves.

Lawman


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