Been ill past few days we have the Mexican flu going round. thus not been able to respond to anyone. God willing will be better soon.

ma salams

Maj

Hi I have just created a new Pigeon Forum message boards to help discuss any pigeon topics or to keep others upfdated about your pigeons or to basically show off your knowledge and pigeons

Please do join Pigeon Forum

A Racing Homer is a breed of pigeon that has been selectively bred for more speed, and enhanced homing instinct for the sport of Pigeon racing. A popular domestic pigeon breed, the Racing Homer is also one of the newest. Contents Development Levi in his book The Pigeon refers to racing pigeons first being developed in Belgium and England during the Nineteenth Century.[1] He further says that they came about from the crossbreeding of a number of other breeds, primarily the Smerle, French Cumulet, English Carrier, Dragoon, and the Horseman (now lost). From the high-flying Cumulet, the Homer received its endurance, the ability to fly for hours on end without tiring. From the Carrier, it inherited the ability to find its way home from great distances.[1] History Pigeons have been used to carry messages for centuries. However, during the Nineteenth Century, the communication value of the bird–especially for carrying messages during war–became appreciated. Breeders competed to develop ever faster birds. Competitions soon developed, with pigeon racing growing into a popular sport throughout Western Europe and, beginning in the early Twentieth Century, in the United States. Large purses were offered for race winners. All participants in World War I made use of the Racing Homer’s ability to carry messages, with the British alone employing approximately 9,500 birds. The Second World War once more saw the major powers make use of the Homing Pigeon. Other uses Apart from the sport of racing against each other, fanciers also exhibit racing pigeons at organised shows and have a judge decide who has the better bird. British Homing World holds a show each year where all profits from the event are donated to both national and local charities, including Help the Aged and the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.[2] Over the years, the racing pigeon has led to a number of other breeds, such as the American Show Racer, the Giant Homer (bred for utility meat purposes), among others. In the news In February 2008 a pigeon fancier paid a South African record R800,000 for a racing pigeon at auction. The auction, where he bought several other birds, was held after the Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race.[3] A pigeon was in the headlines in 1998 when its owner gave her to a friend in Algeciras, southern Spain, after retiring from breeding racing pigeons. The bird named Boomerang promptly flew the 1,200 miles back home. The bird was given away again but kept returning home. Recently after ten years away the bird returned once again.[4] References 1. ^ a b Levi, Wendell (1977). The Pigeon. Sumter, S.C.: Levi Publishing Co, Inc. ISBN 0853900132. 2. ^ Bennett, Julia. “Fanciers flock to pigeon paradise” (Web article). The Blackpool Gazette. http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Fanciers-flock-to-pigeon-paradise.3686542.jp. Retrieved on 2008-02-13. 3. ^ “R800 000… for a bird?” (Web article). News24.com. http://www.webcitation.org/5XC6Ga7kI. Retrieved on 2008-02-13. 4. ^ David, Wilkes. “Boomerang the racing pigeon returns to the owner who gave her away TEN years ago” (Online news). Daily Mail Online. http://www.webcitation.org/5YhhfeypI. Retrieved on 2008-06-20.

Some of you who may have been following my older posts know that I have a little pigeon hobby. You might have seen the pictures of the little baby chicks posted some time ago. Well here is a pigeon of them flying and if you look carefully you can see them “tumbling). (( back ward rolls whilst flying))

a short video of my young Iranian High Flyers flying and tumbling.

I managed to get an hour of flying from my chicks yesterday. I liberated them at 11 am and they came down at 12 pm. In the afternoon  I had to go out shopping when I came back I thought I had lost the chicks to cats; they were  no where to be seen; either in the sky or around the roof tops. After 30 minutes of searching I became resigned to the fact that they had become the lunch of the neighbours cats and just when I was about go back in and sit down subhanallah they arrived from somewhere, happy and tumbling.

Anyways I have started to keep a diary of the feeds I am giving them, the times the amounts and the type of feed. additionally I am keeping a diary of the time I fly them and how long they fly. Hopefully this record will give me an indication of the feeding times and types  to keep with.

Today I am giving them a rest after the long fly yesterday. As their just young they probably need it.

Maj

786

Like most animals the three essentials to successful pigeon keeping and breeding is

1. Keep them Clean
2. keep them Fed
3. Keep them watered.

Any bird or animal in the care of humans have these basic three essential rights. Failure to completely discharge these duties will render distress t them, leading to illness, disease and death.

Happy animals will give you more pleasure.

Being a Muslim myself I shall paste an article for the readers of this blog to understand the importance of care of animals:

Islam not only has laid down the rights for humans regardless of race, color, language and riches, but has also laid down the rights for animals. Animals, like humans are one of the creations of Allah(swt). Prophet Muhammad(saw) was not only sent as a mercy to Mankind but as a blessing to all creatures as the Quran testifies:

We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures. – [Quran 21:107]

It is encouraged for Muslim to let Animals eat of the plants that they have planted. Prophet Muhammad(saw) is reported to have said:

Narated By Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said, “If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity.” – [Bukhari Vol. 8, Book 73, #41] Even if an animal eats from a plant which has been planted by man, the person will receive rewards for it. Moreover, another hadith is as follows:

Narated By Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “While a man was walking on a road. he became very thirsty. Then he came across a well, got down into it, drank (of its water) and then came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. The man said to himself “This dog is suffering from the same state of thirst as I did.” So he went down the well (again) and filled his shoe (with water) and held it in his mouth and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him.” The people asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?” He said, “(Yes) There is a reward for serving any animate (living being).” – [Bukhari Vol. 8, Book 73, #38] & [Muslim Book 26, Chapter 39, # 5577]

Prophet Muhammad(saw) taught people to be kind to animals. Allah(swt) rewarded the act of the person who quenched the thirst of a thirsty dog. While men were accustomed to be cruel to the animals, Prophet Muhammad(saw) by the command of Allah(swt) taught Mankind to be merciful and kind to all living things. Not only were humans given their rights, the animals too were given theirs. Islam is a religion which teaches man to be merciful towards all living things. Thus there is reward for a human even if he feeds an animal.

Animals have many purposes and are used for such by humans. This does not mean that men have the right to treat animals the way that they want to. While people would hit their animals on the face, Islam forbids such an act. Every creation is very sensitive as far as the face is concerned. If I were to lightly tap a person on the shoulder or on the back, they would not feel offended but if I were to do the same on the face then everyone would find that offensive. Allah(swt) realizes this and thus through Prophet Muhammad(saw) such an act was strictly forbidden as seen by the hadith below:

Narated By Salim: That Ibn ‘Umar disliked the branding of animals on the face. Ibn ‘Umar said, “The Prophet forbade beating (animals) on the face.” – [Bukhari Vol.7, Book 67, #449] & [Muslim Book 24, Chapter 21, #5281]

During the times of ignorance (Ja’hillah) people would cut the limbs of animals while they were alive. This was a disgusting act and Islam was the religion that brought an end to this practice. Not only this but shooting at an animal who is tied was also forbidden by Prophet Muhammad(saw).

Narated By Ibn ‘Umar: The Prophet cursed the one who did Muthla to an animal (i e., cut its limbs or some other part of its body while it is still alive). – [Bukhari Vol. 7, Book 67, #424]

Narated By Hisham bin Zaid: Anas and I went to Al-Hakam bin Aiyub. Anas saw some boys shooting at a tied hen. Anas said, “The Prophet has forbidden the shooting of tied or confined animals.” – [Bukhari Vol. 7, Book 67, #421; #422]

While the animal rights were being laid down by Allah(swt) through Prophet Muhammad(saw), the Prophet(saw) also narrated an incident regarding a woman who imprisoned a cat and made it starve to death.

Narated By ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar : Allah’s Apostle said, “A lady was punished because of a cat which she had imprisoned till it died. She entered the (Hell) Fire because of it, for she neither gave it food nor water as she had imprisoned it, nor set it free to eat from the vermin of the earth.” – [Bukhari Vol.4, Book 56, #689]

This hadith clearly suggests that being brutal towards animals is a grave sin and Allah(swt) will punish him who treats the animals without kindness. It is obligatory for the owner of the animal to feed it. Many rights have been given to animals and Muslims are required to obey these guidelines for transgression would make them sinful. While oppressing humans is wrong, Islam also teaches that oppression towards animals is wrong.

Islam gave animals rights at a time when animal rights were not recognized. Today the world is bringing awareness towards the rights of animals whereas Islam gave them their rights more than 1400 years ago. The most famous story about being kind to animals is seen when a cat came and slept on the robe of Prophet Muhammad(saw) while he was reading the Quran to the listeners. When it was time for the Prophet(saw) to get up, instead of disturbing the cat, he cut that piece of the robe and stood up. Today who would cut of a piece of their cloth so that the cat’s sleep would be undisturbed?

Prophet Muhammad(saw) encouraged people to be good towards the animals and forbade acts which are cruel. Oppression is an evil whether the one being oppressed is human or an animal. In Tirmidhi as well as Abu Dawood it is mentioned that Prophet Muhammad(saw) prohibited the act of inciting animals against each other. This act is practiced today as well where cocks and dogs are caused to fight with each other and people place their bets. Not only does this become a sin for it falls under the category of gambling but also because two animals are caused to fight against each other.

There are people who claim that Prophet Muhammad(saw) ordered the killing of all dogs. If one were to read the references they give it is indeed true that such an order was given. However these people will never quote the hadith which explains why such an order was given.

Ibn Mughaffal reported: Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) ordered the killing of dogs and then said: what is the trouble with them (the people of Medina)? How dogs are nuisance to them (the citizens of Medina)? He then permitted keeping of dogs for hunting and (the protection of) herds. In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Yahya, he (the Holy Prophet) permitted the keeping of dogs for (the protection of) herds, for hunting and (the protection of) cultivated land. – [Muslim Book 10, Chapter 31, #3814]

When one reads this hadith one gets to learn about the context of the order. The people of Medina complained that the dogs were being a nuisance to them. This is just like today where many countries have problems with street dogs. There have been many cases where these street dogs have bitten people and transmitted diseases like Rabies. Many have even died from this disease. Due to the complains by the people regarding these stray dogs, Prophet Muhammad(saw) ordered that such dogs who are hazardous to the people should be killed. Back in those days there were not any animal shelter facilities and thus this was the only way to safeguard the people. The hadith further on explains that all dogs were not to be killed and the permission to keep dogs was also given.

Moreover, Prophet Muhammad(saw) also instructed men not to overburden their domestic animals. Burdening a donkey with more load than that which he can easily carry is again a wrongful practice which was forbidden by Allah(swt). Even while sacrificing the animals, it is told that we are to use sharp knives and not blunt ones for the latter would cause pain and discomfort to the animals. Some people have suggested that the Islamic method of slaughtering the animal is cruel and should be stopped. This however was proven to be untrue as the animal dies a painless death. A study was carried out at the School of Veterinary Medicine by Professor Wilhelm Schulze and Dr. Hazim to detect the pain an animal feels when he is slaughtered by the Islamic way. The EEG recorded showed that with the Islamic way, the animal felt no pain and it was observed that most of the blood was thrown out of the body thus making the meat more hygienic as opposed to the captive bolt pistol stunning method. The conventional method was also observed to be painful to the animal.

The earth has been made for all the creatures that inhabit it and thus they are given their due rights by Islam.

And the earth hath He appointed for (His) creatures. – [Quran 55:10]

Islam takes great care when laying down its rules and regulation and has made sure that men do not behave with cruelty towards them. Even in a state of war, the Muslims are prohibited from killing the animals in the lands of the enemies and are also prohibited to burning or cutting down trees for no reason. Indeed Islam is a mercy for everyone. It is not only a religion but a complete way of life which even secures the rights of animals.

- Ebrahim Saifuddin

Flying Tips from Gurbir.

1. An ounce of feed per day
2. do not over feed the pigeons need to be light
3. Feed the pigeons approximately 6 hours before liberating
4. Ideally fly pigeons in the morning.
5. There will be a need for droppers
6. Work out a feeding and flying schedule.
7. No need to fly pigeons everyday
8. Give time to young pigeons to develop.

Somone gave me the above tips when it comes to High Flying Tumblers

1. When the youngsters are five weeks old, they should be removed from their parents and placed in a loft by themselves.

2. For the first two days or so, food and water will be left for them at will. This ensures that they can feed for themselves.

3. Then they should be fed by hand and the water trough withdrawn and only offered after feeding.

4. It would now be an advantage to introduce the dropper. This should be a White Cross-bred Fantail, either a hen or a youngster. This bird should remain in the loft with the young Tipplers at this stage. 5. The object is to impress on the young Tippler that the Fantail is part of home. When the youngsters are about six weeks old, they should be fed once a day only (I will deal with the food later) and encouraged to chase about after their food. The dropper will soon take the lead for they are usually greedy. Now we can remove the dropper from the youngsters’ loft, and only introduce it during times of feeding.

6. So up to now the mind of the Tippler is that the Fantail is always associated with food. The Fantail is a White bird used as a decoy. Almost any White bird would do.

7. That completes stage one.

8. The youngsters shoud now have the opportunity of seeing the outside surroundings of the loft and to do this the loft should have an open wire netting enclosure, either at the side, or preferably, on the loft top. They should spend some time, say afternoon, outside so that when evening falls they can be called in, introducing the dropper, and fed and watered.

9. Now you will be wondering when should the birds have their liberty. Well, always remember, a good Tippler youngster is stronger on the wing than in the head. Bearing this in mind, I find that the best time to let them out is when the eye colour has changed. This is an indication of better reasoning powers of the bird. They might now be eight weeks old. So, with the dropper out on the loft top, chasing about after grains of food, open the wire enclosure door and allow the young Tipplers to follow the Fantail chasing after the grain. By throwing grain first outside and then inside the pen, the young bird will soon learn its way in and out of the loft. After a short lesson, cail them in and feed and water, carrying on this procedure each evening until the young birds start to take to,flight. It is a good plan to have more droppers available now and they should be kept on the move while the young Tipplers are airborne.

10. Assuming that the Tipplers have been up and down for a few evenings. The next stage is to liberate the kit, without the dropper. When the birds have been flying for 10 or 15 minutes, liberate the dropper. The young Tipplers will now see the dropper, and associating dropper with food and home they will come down. They should be then called in and fed.

11. This procedure is carried out henceforth, each time allowing the kit to fly longer before putting out the dropper. (By longer I do not mean many hours, only two or three).

12. Up to now we have been drilling the young Tippler to do what is required of him – fly until he is summoned to alight. This, of course, is simply mental drill, and the next stage is to equip for physical endurance. This I find the most fascinating part, for it depends on my judgement whether it succeeds or not.

13. Now to refer to analogy. Suppose I had a motor car whose petro) capacity would allow me to drive non-stop for 300 miles. At the commencement of the journey, the car would be at its greatest weight because of the full tank. Another point, the car would have to be in good condition, so as to be trouble-free throughout the journey. So we must have our Tippler with his tanks full and he must be thoroughly fit on the selected day when he is put to test for long-time flying. We can follow the analogy. When first he is liberated his weight may be 10 oz. and at the end of the day will have used up his fuel and would weight six to seven oz. Now suppose I wished to use the same motor car to make a journey of only 10 miles, surely I would not want the tank filled up for this short journey.

14. ~ So I would make it with only a small amount of fuel and, of course, I would be carrying less weight. So if we want our Tippler to fly only for three to four hours we make sure his tank is not full. Now do not take this analogy too much for granted. I do not wish to convey that all we have to do is to fitl up and fatten a Tippler and he will fly all day; far from it, for he has to be trained physically in stages like any other athlete. Now imagine that the Tippler is liberated, say at 4 a.m. and has flown 14 hours. He will have consumed most of his fuel and will be much lighter in weight. This is conspicuous when seen flying, for he will alter his style as the day progresses, for later in the evening he will be seen to be gliding instead of batting his wings like he did when fresh and full tank in the morning.

15. From this we can arrange to train the bird by liberating him in the late afternoon, with only enough in his “tank” to simulate the condition he would have been in if liberated in the morning with a full “tank”.

16. So to get back to our kit of youngsters that have been drilled mentally and are free from vice in so far as making mistakes such as dropping away or alighting before the dropper signal.

17. Suppose we have decided on a target day, say three weeks time. It is our aim to possess for this date at least a kit of three-all to be in the best of condition – for, after all, mistakes are such that at least one of the kit is going to fail first and seeing that we must have a complete kit for competition flying, we cannot allow one to fall out and then see what the others do. So, to commence, it is wise to start with a kit of five, so that on the day the best three can be selected. Having selected five youngsters and to do this at this stage try to get five as near similar as possible. They can be decided on by their blood relationship and their outward appearance. Also try to decide that they bat or fly alike. For as you know, any three men taken at random and made to walk a long distance, should one of them be out of gait or step with the other two, he will surely be the first to tire. The . Tipplers should be placed in a loft to themselves in which there are individual coops. These should be arranged so that the birds cannot see each other (it is not so important with young birds as it is with adults, especially hens). The birds should be fed individually by placing a feeding trough in each coop, (the size of the coop, 14′ x 14″, is ample) and only fed late in the evening. Drink should be withheld for two hours after feeding and then the drink should be given and should contain a purgative. I use Epsom Salt, about one cubic inch capacity to a pint of water.

17. The object of this is to enable me to start them off level, for at first I will treat them all the same. The only way to ensure a balance is to start at the bottom. The next morning the birds will look a little for themselves. But don’t feed them until the evening; just clear out the coops. We use barley, complete with its skin or husk, to feed birds in training. It has the desired effect for it does not provide the birds with much energy and can be analogous to the fact that we don’t fill the birds tank.

18. They keep quite well and satisfied because they can have a reasonable crop-full. This the bird thinks is good to have a full feed and it has a pleasing effect on his bowels. Thus we are assured that his digestive apparatus is not being affected adversely.

19. If you can not obtain barley, then use something similar, something with plenty of roughage, for you will appreciate roughage does no harm to digestion, providing energy is not expected.

20. On the second evening allow the kit out. If they show no desire to fly, do not chase them up for they may be too low in condition and too keen for food. On the other hand, they may take to the air and appear quite brisk. Here is a point of observation, for in the first place, it was desired that the kit should fly rather unwillingly for about one hour and then to put out the droppers and feed. So if they were too frisky, then they are not low enough in condition and if they show no desire to fly then they are, perhaps, too low. Here is your guide for the amount of the next meal. For measurement of feed I shall use the word “crop-full”. To enable you to gauge what amount of crop-full is, take a pocket handkerchief and place an amount of grain in it and then screw it up so that the grain content is bulbous in shape. Compare this amount with a bird that has just been fed and allowed to have its full by feeling, and you should arrive at a bulk measure by either adding or removing grain from the handkerchief until it compares favourably with the feel of the bird’s full crop. Now lace the amount of grain into a suitable measure and this will be your guide for quantity.

21. Now you will appreciate that we can nearly always give a quantity feed, and the quality will decide the amount of the fuel or energy providing feed, so here we have a means of control for the amount of time a Tippler can fly. With the bird trained mentally and the quality of food controlling its staying powers, all that is left is that observation of the owners to be capable of judging when his birds have had enough and when to drop them, for if we fail in this respect, then the bird is more than likely to become a “scrounger”. Sure enough, if left, he will come and alight on his own, and this is because he was allowed to empty his tank. As soon as he has done this, he has broken the habit he has been trained to – that of waiting for the dropper and food.

22. You will have to experiment with the quality of food you can obtain by the result of flying, assuming that you now have the kit fed so that they should fly 3′/2 hours. They have all been fed the same quantity and quality and we find after 2′/2 hours one desires to alight. Then put out the droppers and get them down. Now suppose we were three in the kit and after putting out the dropper, one bird alights immediately, the second follows, and the third takes 10 to 15 minutes to get down, here we have found we have an unbalanced kit. What shall we do? We can either lift the 2′/2 hour bird to three hours or we can starve or lessen the food of the tbird bird that did not readily alight when the droppers were put out.

23. Handte each bird and endeavour to copare each with each and note especially the first bird and the third bird, for we know they are opposites and the second bird was probably in right condition.

24. Having decided to reduce the quantity of the feed for the third and inerease the first, we should then, next evening, have three balanced birds and to get back to my analogy, all three will have the same quality of fuel in their tanks, and it should run out at three hours running.

25. Having three the same and assuming you have mastered and understood each birds necessities by now, we can increase the quality of the feed all round by adding 1/2, wheat to the 1/4, barley to make the crop full. The birds should now be flown alternate evenings and they should fly 4 to 5 hours. Then put out the droppers. This is carried on for l0 days, or so.

26. We have now got the kit nicely teamed up and they are being trained to fly in a condition that they would normally be in if they had been topped up and had flown all day and would be like this is the evening. During this period of training the birds should be introduced to the various seeds and grain that they will receive during latter part of training. Only give u vc rv smal) sample and give on the day they have been out. The seeds wifl be canary, millet and rape (the kinds we give our cage birds); the grain will be maize (small) and maple peas. They can also be given small breadcrumhs. All this is part of the young bird’s education.

27. We have now arrived at 6ve days off the target day. When the birds have been in after their three to four hours fly, they should be fed 1/4, crop mixed seeds, 1/4 crop barley, 1/4 crop maple peas, 1/4 wheat. Because we have made a somewhat sudden change in their diet, we must be sure that the bird will digest it in good time. By this I mean it usua!!y takes 13 to 14 hours for a healthy birds’ crop to empty. Should there be delay in this, there is always a tendency to erop sourness and, of course, we cannot toierate any sickness at this stage. So, to make sure, give the birds a smaller amount of Epsom Salts in their drinking water.

28. Next day rest them, but feed the same and if they have digested the food then no salts are necessary.

29. Next day let them out with 8 hours daylight before them, but do not allow them to fly more than 4′/2 to 5 hours. Reason: Should they be too forward as a result of the better quality, then you will not have an accident and fail to get them at dark, for you have catered for that by allowing 8 hours of daylight. They are dropped after 4′/2 to 5 hours because at this stage we have no desire to empty their “tanks”.

30. When they are down and in their coops, feed on ‘/2 maple,’/2 seeds and water to drink.

31. Next day, ‘/2, maple, ‘/2 wheat, and keep shut up in their coops (water to drink with a little iron tonic helps).

32. Next day, 1/4, maple, 1/4 maize, ‘/2 seeds. Give the maize first, then maples and allow them to eat as much seed as they like. This feed should be about 12 hours before they are to be liberated. Delay the drink at this last feed for about an hour. This ensures a good thirst and the birds will drink plenty. Now close them up in their coops so as to darken the place. This encourages sleep.

33. Next moming early, with at least 16 hours daylight to spare, offer them a drink and then liberate them. Most birds will not take a drink, but don’t worry on that account. They should, if all has been well and they were bred right, fly 12 to 16 hours on this treatment.

34. I hope I have conveyed some idea of the training. It is by no means the only way of feeding, for I find I never feed exactly the same each time, but the principle is the same.

35. You will, no doubt, have to experiment.

36. By the way, always have grit before the birds during training.