Widowhood
Racing -Part One
By
John Marles, Sylvan Lofts
I have been asked by
the editor of the "Canadian Racer" to explain how to set-up the double widowhood
system to either a newcomer to the sport or someone looking for a change. I
would like to first of all talk about some of the benefits of the widowhood
system, then the choice of birds, the loft and fittings and finally feed and
care.
I have raced the
double widowhood system for almost twenty years. Before this I raced my birds on
the natural system for about fifteen. The widowhood system (like the new
darkening system for youngsters) seems to carry some mystique and therefore
inhibits many potential candidates. I myself was almost discouraged by a fellow
club mate back in the 70's. He was very negative and made it sound like two or
three times the work. Nothing could be further from the truth and I am very glad
that I was not swayed by his comments.
The overwhelming most
important benefit of the widowhood system as I see it, is the amount of oxygen
that is available for the pigeons. Never underestimate the importance of this
statement. In a typical natural loft you will have at any given time four times
the occupants of a widowhood loft, especially when you add the babies in the
nest with the parents. Again, this year in young birds, the point about the need
for space and oxygen was reinforced to all of the fanciers in my area. Two of
the hottest lofts in young birds this year lost a good portion of their young
birds early in training and then with the remaining birds annihilated the
competition. These remaining birds were able to reach super form because the
extra loft space resulted in more oxygen for each individual bird. I have two
articles coming up on the theme of space and oxygen which I feel is paramount if
you are going to fly competitively. The second vital benefit is the absence of
stress in the widowhood loft. On those days when I am able to come home for
lunch I always make a point of looking in on the widowers. Almost always they
are lying down on one wing in their nest box catching some sun through the
plexi-glass. The hens' section is generally a mirror image as they too are
resting in the sunlight. Unfortunately, the natural birds are always moving
about with either someone driving, chasing, fighting, laying etc. All of this
produces stress and does not allow the birds to rest. There are many more
benefits to the widowhood system, but these are two highlights.
Now, let's talk about
the birds. First of all let me say if your birds have not been competitive on
the natural system then they will not be competitive on the widowhood system. It
is a fallacy that the quality of a pigeon will be enhanced on this system. The
health will most certainly be improved, but not the quality of the individual
bird. My advice for those who have not been competitive on the natural system is
to try the widowhood system and in the first year quickly cull all of those
individuals who do not secure two or more good prizes. It may mean for some that
they need to almost start over, but my feeling is that in the long run, you will
become more competitive. Personally I would rather race competitively with five
pairs of widowers than to be a slave to twenty-five pair of natural birds. If you have a number of birds that have
scored one or two prizes on the natural system then I would think that under the
widowhood system they would at least double their winnings.
Next, let’s discuss
the loft and the fittings that you will find in the loft. Virtually any natural
nesting box can be used for the widowhood system without any alterations. It is
best if you have a separated section for the hens, but this can be achieved with
a little ingenuity. Personally I like a nesting box to have two distinct
sections, one where the cock resides and the other for the hen to inhabit. The
one section would remain closed for most of the season except for rearing
youngsters and on race days. My preference is for the cock to have a block of
wood to stand on and for this block to be secured to a one by one inch mesh.
This will allow for all of the droppings to stay clear of the bird and makes it
easier for cleaning. If you have perches in your natural side I would take them
out. I want that cock bird to stay in his nest and defend it with his life. We
have not even begun to tap the area called motivation, but have merely scratched
the surface. I will expand on the topic of motivation in a later article. Count
how many nest boxes you have in your loft and if you have more than ten for an
area of fifty square feet then think about leaving one or two empty. I realise
our mind set is that more is better than less , but on the widowhood system I
believe you will learn that you can do better with less. Just a small tip, once you have chosen
one cock for each nest box add one extra cock and let him stay on the floor.
John Cooper and I saw this while on a trip to New Jersey at Dr. Kazmierczak's
loft. Whenever he loses a cock during the year he then replaces him with the one
from the floor. This cock now has a territory to defend which gives him extra
incentive. I tried this technique this year and was extremely pleased with the
excellent results that this particular pigeon achieved.
A common drawback I
hear from fanciers who are contemplating the widowhood system is that they have
nowhere for their hens. Sometimes this can be a problem, but most times it can
be worked out using a little ingenuity. Perhaps an example will clarify the
point. A good friend of mine who always kept about twelve pair of natural racers
would lament the fact that working shift work and having no place for the hens
prevented him from widowhood racing. We discussed it many times, but he seemed
reluctant to change systems. He was down at my place one day and was surprised
that mid-way through the year I was culling a widowhood hen. He asked what I
would do with its mate. I told him that it really did not matter to this
particular bird and that I still had last years mate if he became obstinate.
Almost always a cock will take any hen presented, but I make a point to stay
around to make sure. My friend then felt that by placing his hens in with the
young birds and perhaps cutting down on the numbers bred that he might be able
to try it. Well he did and the rest is history. I do not think he will ever go
back to the natural system. Each week he has twenty-four potential candidates
from which to choose instead of about eight to twelve on the natural system (due
to various nest conditions). Immediately he noticed an increase in form and
health. Also even though he was on shift work he made the birds conform to his
schedule and not vice versa with excellent results. As he says it's a pleasure
to watch them exercising freely knowing that I do not have to drive them down
the road for yet another toss.
We have very briefly
discussed benefits, the birds and the loft. Next I would like to explain what I
do in the fall in order to prepare the birds for next
year.
During the fall the
most important factor is that the birds finish their moult. You must also make
sure that the yearlings know and will defend their boxes. To put a beautiful
finish on the moulting birds you must include those seeds which promote
excellent feathering. These oily seeds include rape, red/white millet, hemp,
peanuts, safflower, niger, sunflower hearts, flax etc. Each and every day they
should receive a small portion of this mixture. I do not measure in ounces the
amount of feed that I give to the birds, whether it be their main meal during
the winter or one of their two meals during racing. The amount and types of
grain will change throughout the year depending on the work that is being
demanded of the birds. I never over feed the birds because I do not feel that
they benefit from this practice. I tend to observe them closely and monitor the
amount and the make-up of the grains according to the time of the year.
In the fall baths are
indispensable. On those days when I can make it home for lunch I quickly fill
the bath pans for all of the birds before lunch and quickly empty them just
before I go back to teaching. I have in the past tried to add to the bath just
about every concoction on the market known to man. In the final analysis I can
not say that one is superior to the other. I personally do not have any
preference in this area, but I am always willing to try any new ideas that make
sense. Observations during bath
time are most revealing. I look for the bird that after splashing around etc.
comes out and appears perfectly dry. Any birds that show signs of wetness on
their flights, breast feathers, tail etc. are obviously not in good health.
Generally speaking, I am very suspicious of birds who do not take a bath.
Personally, I have found that observations during bath time can indicate what
kind of success you might have that year. I like to see the bath water chalk
white after the birds bathe. If not then the birds do not have any bloom. This
lack of bloom can predict a poor racing year.
For me widowhood is a
challenging, fulfilling racing method. I find it less time consuming and
definitely more stimulating. Each member of the team reaches a higher level of
performance and maintains this level for longer periods of time. Give it a try!
Good luck racing in '95.
Sylvan Lofts
John Marles