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Widowhood Explained

 

Widowhood racing has been around for nearly 90 years or more. When traveling in Belgium a few years ago I watched a film made in the 1930’s for the World’s Fair.  Racing widowhood was featured and identical to how we race now right down to the nest fronts.  The misconception was widowhood was a big secret until the 1950’s.


Racing straight widowhood (only cocks) is an easy and efficient way to race pigeons.  Only racing hens celibate is easy and even be better.  Every other system favors the hens.  Widowhood favors the cocks.  To race old birds you must race a system.  That’s right every system is more favorable than the natural system.  Since 2010 we have raced celibate hens.  The Celibate hens have flown better than the widow cocks.  We now do both and I actually favor the hens.


Many fanciers claim that their hens excel for them so they do not want to change to widowhood.  The natural system favors the hens, celibacy favors the hens, and double widowhood favors the hens.  Get my point.  If you race a system that favors the hens your hens are going to be your better performers.  Straight widowhood favors the cocks.  For many years I have said I could put everything needed to know about widowhood on one page.   The following article does just that.


The number one question and dilemma is should I mate the cocks, raise babies, just eggs, one baby etc.  Here is the answer.  It really does not matter.  This is what I do.  My cocks see the hens for the first time shipping night of the first race.  I keep it very simple.  My reasoning is with no hens I can train and fly the cocks whenever.  I use stock hens and extra unbroken hens for the cocks.  With no mating and rearing young I can keep the cocks very lean to escape the hawks.  My cocks do not waste energy rearing youngsters or driving hens.  As for the molt my cocks have usually dropped one maybe two flights by the last race so feather is not a problem.  Now the system made simple.  I have moved to racing widower cocks celibate with no hens and I can explain in another article. 


 #1.  The cocks should spend 30 minutes with hens the first few races before crating for the race.  They are left with the hens for two hours after a short race up to overnight on a long race. This is not real important.    Remove the cocks that are not racing before the hens are brought in on race day.  Toss the cocks that did not race to the hens in the morning or place the cocks that did not race back in the loft once the hens have been removed for the day.  After week three I just take the cocks off the perch and ship.  No stimulation before going to the race. 


#2.  For short distance racing the cocks eat 75% barley 25% grain mix each day including day of shipping. 


#3. Water is always fresh with nothing added day of shipping.


#4. Give a warm bath on day of shipping about one hour after 1:00 pm feeding.  The bath relaxes them and helps them stay calm all night on the truck, plus it brings on form.  Skip bath if rain is predicted.


 

#5.  Short distance races feed on return feed all they want of rich seeds and fat seeds for this day only.


#6.  Day of return one gallon of water must contain 1 tablespoon raw honey, ¼ teaspoon vitamins and electrolytes (any brand made for chickens will do), 1/8 teaspoon iodized salt along with a good friendly gut bacteria.  Nubiotic Oregano and cinnamon is also in the water for the gut.      

                                                                                                                                

#7.  For long distance races 400 miles and above, feed the 75% barley mix Sunday to Wednesday morning..Feed once a day. Wednesday evening and Thursday with Thursday being day of shipping feed 50% European mix and 50%  Safflower, Hemp, rape and flax mix.  Feed birds all they want then pull extra feed out.  


Red Cell Horse Vitamin one teaspoon to the gallon on Wednesday with fresh clear water on Thursday.  


Tuesdays all season for one feeding mix one ½ to one tablespoon flaxseed oil or Kurol on grain and add brewers yeast, and Winmix.


Grit should be in front of pigeons at all times. Plus one little pot of Belgium Pink Minerals. One little pot of brown mineral block.  One little pot of oyster shells and one pot of mixed Belgian grit.  We give All in One Minerals or Jovarti Tuesday and day of return.


#8.  Mid season if performance is falls off. Let the cocks come home and spend over night with the hens.  The following week, bring in the hens 24 hours before shipping.  Put in nest bowls and nesting material.  Ship cocks and let them spend over night with the hens when they return.  Now go back to regular widowhood.  They will be in great form and mentally be ready again.


#9.  We have stopped any kind of motivation before shipping to the races.


#10.  Keep hens on wire and do not let mate. Feed rich European mix the day the hens will see the cocks.  You do not want them to think about eating when the cocks come home.


Feed widow hens barley 6 days per week.  Not real heavy, keep them a little hungry.


No hen or sharing of a hen is better than a mated hen.  Use stock hens that have been separated to add spark.  Use yearling hens, they mate less.  If hens mate up, do not use them for when the cocks return.


#11.  Ship cocks every other week from 300 miles on.  Ship each week up through 300 miles


Use your judgment on how they act.  If they are in form they will show you.


#12.  Training:  Let cocks out to free exercise for an 90 minutes four mornings per week.  You can give a toss to cocks that did not race on the day of the race if needed. Toss one long toss (70 miles) mid-week for the first month of the race season.  If they have raced 300 miles or above they can go two weeks without being raced or tossed with just loft flying Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday.  They will get what they need around the loft.  Do not have the hens waiting when they return from a mid week toss.  Seeing the hens too much causes a loss of form.  Less they see the hens the better


#13.  Keep calm.  Do not go in loft while birds are resting.  You must do all loft chores while they are out exercising.  Widowers just eat, exercise and rest.  This is the name of the game.  Loft should be comfortable and warm. Keep moisture out and dryness in by closing loft down on cold or rainy days.  If you have a flight pen on the widowhood loft you can use this and let them go out and lay in the sun.


 

#14.  I do not medicate before or during the season.  Been only using Natural Products for many years.  On Sunday and Monday they get Apple Cider Vinegar. Tuesday, Wednesday and day of return a Nubiotic Oregano product in the water.  Use Pigeon5% for my discount.  If they are not looking great, give them more rest.  


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