I am enjoying the up and down and watching them flitting about. They have come on strong and I will maybe start training these shortly, maybe. I have not decided whether or not I will train the youngsters or not this year yet just because I want to see how they come on without it. I have never done it this way before. If I do decide it will be light training only and in honesty I think the will just be sent a good distance of about 50 miles. Whatever comes home comes. I’m not sure what I will do.
Some of the first youngsters weaned. Now about 7 weeks old and flying strong
Some of the second birds to be weaned, again I am very happy with how these have turned out
The next 15 birds to be weaned will be put with these and hopefully these will not be lost off the loft but on the open hole system will stay around. I don’t think there will be any problems but you never know what will turn up in the future. I am I must say hopeful and optimistic about what will come about. My next steps in breeding will be exciting. I have been lucky enough to be given, on loan, a cock that has flown Tarbes as a yearling into Taunton. A distance of just over 557miles I think. This bird has been given to me by Nic Harvey, himself having clocked the mother of this cock from the Barcelona International twice. I say lucky because as luck would have it this cock has been injured around the loft and my never race again for Nic. Even more lucky for me I was talking to Nic a couple of weeks after it happened and the arrangements were made for him to come to my loft for some R&R (the second R is relaxing, I’ll leave what the first R is to you all). As he is on loan I intend to bull him to all my stock hens for a round or 2. Whether this will produce the exceptional Barcelona International bird into Ireland or not, I don’t know. Firstly this cock will be bulled to 4 hens at a time. This is simply because of my available time being limited. It is possible to do up to 12 hens at a time however. I will focus on the Emerton hens from booth Nic Harvey and Chris Booth with him first and later he will go with the Padfield hens. The Padfield hens are being bulled with the Invincible Spirit line that is also on loan from a friend of mine Pat McGloughlin. I will keep you all posted as to how the bulling goes in the next article and a little update on the current team of approx. 23 babies that should be training or flying extremely well at that time. Fingers crossed there is a champion in the mix somewhere, only time will tell!!!
Until next time,
Michael
[email protected] 0035387 7187535
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