Control I
(Internet Published) Oct 2000
Before we can start to use any working animals or working pigeons, we must
be able to control them. They must be trained and disciplined before they
are actually put to work. All to often men put their pigeons to work before
they are properly trained, in the hopes that they will train as they work.
This makes about as much sense as taking a learner driver into heavy traffic
in the city during his first three lessons and turning him loose to drive on
his own, or to throw a child into the river to teach him how to swim.
I am here to write about Tipplers and they are probably the most difficult
of livestock to train. At an early age and even in their first attempt at
flying around the loft area they are notoriously liable to go completely out
of control - Totally ignoring the Droppers and their frustrated and very
worried owners. From a very early age, contest intended Tipplers should be
closely involved with the Droppers and should spend a lot of time with them
on the loft top and just flapping about the general yard area with careful
supervision and protection from their owner. During the early stages the
Tipplers and the Droppers are one unit, all of them to be very familiar with
each other. It is a fact, that young pigeons are intensely gregarious, so we
must exploit their gregariousness from a very early age. As they grow a
little older, they gradually loose their intense gregariousness and become
more individualistic. At first they are like sheep that will follow each
other even into the slaughterhouse. Young Tipplers will loose each other
because not one of them has yet the ability to make a decisive and confident
move towards home, or the Droppers.
This initial training from a very early age (About 24 days) will ensure that
these trainees are fully imprinted on the Droppers and the loft area. It is
no use throwing Droppers at Tipplers that are not fully imprinted upon such
Droppers. You might just as well throw your hat at them because they will
not respond.
However, it all takes time, a lot of dedication and an awful lot of
patience. But these early training ordeals are soon over and then we can
relax and keep a more casual watch with more confidence.
I think that all good Tipplermen will be able to tell you of their
experiences when young trainees have bolted into the distance during their
first attempt to fly around. In absolute despair, such men have declared
such trainees to be certainly lost and yet such men have almost been reduced
to tears of relief when such "certainly lost ones" have returned to prove
that the work has been a success.
These first lessons should not involve dark flying as I think that would be
asking too much.