Most fanciers make their final decisions on which birds they will keep over the winter by the end of November. Usually driven by a certain number, it's always a huge relief to be completed this balancing task. However, is your final selection complete? Last weekend a new comer commented on how some of his birds were getting fat, while others were maintaining their weight, and a few were actually losing weight. Flyer's located in Canada have an extra HEALTH BAROMETER available to them when temperatures are a constant -10 degrees Celsius. This is the healthiest time of the year for "the Canadian loft". Why do we want to keep birds that are looking poorly or losing weight. If all the birds are being fed the same and your health program includes de-worming, then they should all look robust and ready for the race pannier! Don't feed sick birds all winter, and then lose them in the first couple of races, or worse, breed more of them. Keep your eyes open in January and February, and don't hesitate removing these unhealthy birds! If you want to maintain SUPER HEALTH within the loft, this is not a difficult decision. Don't balance the sexes by keeping unfit pigeons.
TCC Loft - Racing Pigeons - Mike Taylor