The High Flying Syndrome
(Internet Published) Nov 2001
I get quite a lot of letters basically saying "Jack, how do I get my pigeons
to fly high?" I suspect that these men believe that there is some kind of
seed or tonic, which will cause pigeons to fly high. Certain strains are
inclined to fly very high when managed correctly. Others will never fly high
even if we out gun power into their diet.
Certain strains of Tipplers, Rollers, Tumblers, Asian, British and European
strains will fly very high if and only if they are managed correctly.
The trick is to fly them regularly to a strict routine and to maintain a
high standard of loft hygiene and to exclude mice, lice, mites and parasitic
worms.
After each exercise get them inside of the loft quickly. On one ounce of
wheat per day per pigeon they should fly high on days when the weather
allows. Never fly pigeons with grain in their crops.
In England I would say about 50% of the days are not conducive to any kind
of high flying. Acting on this basic advice, I would say that if your
pigeons do not respond you had better get rid of them and look elsewhere for
better stock. By high flying I reckon that altitudes of 1,000 feet plus will
do.
My own pigeons sometimes fly far higher than that, sometimes one mile high,
and for flying they get Wheat only. However, it is the weather that causes
these extremes but it only effects the strains that are prone to the
syndrome of high flying. With other strains no kind of feeding, management
or cursing will cause them to fly high.
I have owned Tipplers that flew all day seldom exceeding 400 feet high and
often just clearing the tree tops. They were flying machines and that is
all, and frankly I don't like machines. I own a car but I don't like it and
I believe that sometimes it doesn't like me. I prefer the old grey mule that
my Grandfather used to have. He never kicked me, but he sometimes kicked the
place where I had just been!