1/22/2006
It has been a busy past couple of weeks. Many Gold Bands have been mailed out and I anticipate a very high turn out race. My phone has been ringing constantly. Hopefully all of you that should be getting Gold Bands have received them and they were not crushed or damaged in any way. I had some problems with my first few mailings. Things like crushed bands, returned due to insufficient postage and bands tearing through the envelopes. Mostly rookie mailing mistakes.
I have a web site now with all of the pertinent information on this year’s Gold Band race. Nothing from my loft is there, other than a single picture. I plan on doing something similar or next years Midwest Convention race too. Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2007 Midwest Convention Race. It will be a good one!!!
In order to save money, (and avoid banner ads) I just put a main index page on the free hosting site, and link away to my own personal web site where I have the race information. Not rocket science, but it saves a bit of money on monthly charges for the club.
My early squeakers have now hit the floor. Many birds are on their second round, with some hatching due this weekend. The weather has been relatively nice, but the loft is heated to at least 50 degrees.
I am going to wean youngsters this weekend, with these early ones going right into a lighting system. My plan, (at least for today), is similar to last year, but with a slight modification.
The early youngsters will stay on 20 hours of light until the middle of May. The later ones received after March 20th or so, will go directly to the darkening.
At the middle of May, my light system birds will be reduced to 16 hours of light. I will hold that 16 hours until the races are over. In mid-July, my darkened team and light system teams will meet up and both will be on 16 hours of light. That way I do not have to darken my earlier youngsters, and they do not get a shorter day just before the season. If I had all of the birds early, I would just keep then all on 20 hours from receipt of the birds until the end of the season.
I have to make a slight modification to my loft, but it should be an easy one. The early youngsters will have more access to an aviary and better air than if they were darkened, although I do have a ventilation fan that works very well.
I am also gearing up for the 2006 Old Bird Season. The birds are healthy and ready to win the Yearling Gold Band race.
1/03/2006
I just banded a few birds today. They are looking good, but my success rate on this first round was less than I anticipated. I think the location of my loft heater wasn’t good, and the lower nest box eggs did not hatch. I have since moved the heater.
The breeders are now on 14 hours of light. When I wean the youngsters, they will be on 20 hours of light and hopefully begin their wing molt. I plan on staying on 20 hours through the entire race season, with late arrivals going through a darkening phase around the end of April. This is John Sampson’s lighting system method.
I also had some infertile eggs, and three pairs only laid one egg. Factor in a chick that got trampled and I feel a bit behind schedule.
The Gold Bands have been mailed to lofts that have indicated that they are going to participate in the race. I look forward to a good racing season.
It’s still a bit cold here, but not as bad as it could be. Mid 30’s during the heat of the day. If it stays like this, it will be an easy winter.
The 2007 Midwest race will be here soon too. I plan on focusing on that race when the times comes. I may not even breed any youngsters that year, instead focusing on the convention race.