11/09/2005

The Gold Band checks have all been mailed for the 2005 race. If for some reason you did not get one, and your bird(s) were in the money, please call me.

It’s starting to cool off a bit up here in the north. All of my breeders have been moved into my young bird loft and are on 20 hours of light. I plan to put them together towards the end of November for early January banding

This year, I will not be racing my breeders. I believe that it was not in my favor to do so last year. I have been studying different widowhood systems and will fly Old Birds using that method. I may also have a small team flying on the natural system. I will be focusing on the Yearling Gold Band race.

All of the 2005 Gold Band birds have been in the loft since the end of the Gold Band race. They are also on 20 hours of light to help the younger birds that were darkened through the wing molt. Most of the earlier birds had already been through a wing molt, but the younger birds were a bit behind. During the Gold Band race, all of them had a full wing.

I am excited that our combine will sponsor the 2007 Midwest Race. Due to that, there will not be a 2007 Gold Band race. That means I will have to make a good showing in the 2006 Gold Band race in order to handle some of the birds that come up here for the Midwest race.

The AU has decided to have their convention here in 2008. I am not exactly sure how that will go, as the smaller competing combine will be hosting it. I can only assume that the convention will be a good time, where I can meet many of you in person. As far as the race goes, I do not think all of the details have been thought through yet. Judging by many of the flyers here I have spoken to, it will be an interesting race.

My new prisoner loft is almost complete. When it is finished, I will have a double-door system that will be escape-proof. After losing two of my breeders last year, I had to build a better system. This will also get any birds that are not racing out of the race loft and allow me to concentrate on the race team.