We tried a few new training and feeding techniques this year which resulted in some significant changes in our returns. During the summer, I single-tossed every bird out to 30 miles before they were ever group tossed. No bird was lost. We also changed our feed regiment which I believe gave our birds much more fuel on race day.
The returns on race day were fantastic. In the first 5 races, we didn’t lose a single bird. Better yet, we had 95% -100% of our team on the drops in each race. Almost all of our birds stuck together in the race and they came home ahead of the other birds with a couple of exceptions (congrats Fred!).
Unfortunately our season ended when most of our club lost most of our birds in a smash race at 200 miles from Columbia, Tn. We had birds coming in for days and weeks but we are still missing some fine, fine birds. Perhaps they are safe and sound in another loft.
Our Kannibaal family continued to perform well for us and also for others in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida. We are starting to see great results now from our new M&D Evans Gabys not only in our loft but also in lofts in Ohio, Atlanta and the Gulf Coast Homing Club. We had multiple diplomas at home and away and many equal 1sts, top 2%, 5%, and 10% finished in competition with 500-1100 birds. Don Campbell raced some of our Gabys and earned one of them an AU ACE distinction.
At the club level, Kastle Loft earned:
Top 12 Champion Birds
1st Average Speed
4 firsts
5 seconds
4 thirds
6 fourths
Some highlights of our birds’ performances in other lofts includes:
Flown by Don Campbell:
Earned Ace Pigeon status with 13 GNEO 2662: 35th vs. 443b. 100 miles (8%) | 20th vs. 543b. 170 miles (4%) | 49th vs. 443b. 170 miles (11%) | 22nd (eq.1) vs. 338b. 200 miles (7%) | 66th vs. 442b. 200 miles (15%)
Also earned: 11th vs. 443b. 100 miles (3%) | 8th vs. 545b. 100 miles (2%) | 33rd vs. 357b 175 miles (9%) | 30th vs. 275b 100 miles (11%) | 7th (eq.1) vs. 338b. 200 miles (2%)
Flown by Jim Combs, GHC:
Kastle 1321: 159th vs. 1321b. (12%) 120 miles GHC | 77th place vs. 928 b (8%) 150 mile Option Race (2nd to loft). 46 seconds to win | 96th vs 933b (10%) 200 miles ghc option race.
Others:
3rd place Pigeon Talk Classic flown by Damon Sylve of the North Atlanta RPC (M & D Evans family)
Multiple diplomas over ten races flown by Gene Miller of Ohio (Kannibaal family)
3rd place Combine for Larry Brock of Cincinnati.
Top 10% finishes in the North Florida Combine and 2nd place Band Race down from our Kannibaal family for Angel Copote.
I am heading to Florida for the AU convention in November and plan to add another hen to our arsenal of M & D Evans Gabys from the John Marles / Mark Evans partner loft in Spring Hill. Breeding season is just around the corner and brings another year of opportunity and growth with it.