Carnival Loft One Loft Race

2 days ago

Carnival Lofts Winter 2024 news. 18 April 2024

We started force flying the team on Monday and today quite a number of kits formed when they were opened to circle. By next week they will be loaded in the trailer and liberated on the neighbouring farm to fly back to the lofts. This will happen for about a week after which the “road” trainings will start. We have two months to get to the activation trainer from Kroonstad (150km) and I am sure we will make it as the weather should not play a role as it does in the summer months.
One thing I have seen that is of concern to me are that generally the farmers harvest end of June and July even August but due to the current drought the harvesting has started already and with this comes the kits and kits of rock doves to feast in the harvested fields as there are spillages of maize etc.
Generally, these kits of rock doves does not bother me at all but this year once we have the pigeons out and circling the lofts they come over and many of the pigeons then join the kits and travel with them towards town and even across the mountain behind the lofts, will this have an effect on losses will be seen once we fit the ets rings but if 6 pigeons join the kit of rock doves we see 4 or 5 return a few minutes later but not all 6 I do see many return later in the day and this could help them homing better perhaps. My other concern and this is something that all fanciers in Gauteng area needs to be on the lookout for is that I see adverts from farmers asking hunters to come and hunt the rock doves. So to the fanciers in and around Gauteng just be on the lookout when training your pigeons close to open harvested fields. The hawks are an ever increasing problem as well that we have to deal with and we have a few injured pigeons already but most of the injuries are of my own race loft at this stage as they get opened first and only 20 minutes or so later we open the big loft in the mornings so most of the hawk strikes are my own kit of racers.
Some fanciers still have not paid the R400 per pigeon perch fees and those pigeons once we fitting ets rings in the next week or so will not be fitted with an ets ring so make sure your account is up to date. All perch fees are now overdue as it should have been paid the day the pigeon was entered at the loft.
Regards
Herman ... See MoreSee Less

Carnival Loft One Loft Race

2 weeks ago

I sit here in my office looking out at the rain falling here on the farm, it has been a dry season and already the leaves are falling from the trees, the grass has turned brown and the pigeons are almost through the moult. 90% of the winter team have been outside for more than two months without the net and many of them once opened in morning actually fly up and circle the skies above the lofts.

The plan of action is to start capturing and fitting the ets rings onto the pigeons from Tuesday next week this will obviously take a few days to get finished and as soon as that is done the basket training will start. The pigeons will be loaded on a daily basis and liberated close to the lofts to get used to the procedure of getting loaded into the baskets and then liberated in small batches to fly back to the lofts. As in the past this will get them flying and circling as well. The new route down the N3 will again be used as it has been successful now for two seasons of racing and training. There will be training flights most days of the week and on weekends we will take a break and not do road trainings.

The vaccinations have been done and some preseason treatments are done already, I am happy with the current health of the pigeons but will take a few to Dr Piet van Zyl soon to have them tested and to follow his advice and recommendations once he assessed the pigeons.

To all the entrants the other fanciers the lovers and the critics I want to wish you all a good and successful season ahead in 2024! To all the other olr’s in South Africa wishing you the best for a good season ahead with good returns on the trainings as well as on the races!

Best of luck
Team Carnival
Herman van Rensburg ... See MoreSee Less

Carnival Loft One Loft Race

2 months ago

Good morning all please be so kind and send me the pedigree/s of your summer entries that completed the final race. I will publish a full list of pigeons back by Monday as well as we are getting back pigeons that did not go to the final as well and we had a few injured pigeons that were kept back also. I have collected some pigeons from the public as well that was reported after the final.
Mail your pedigrees to info@carnivalloft.co.za or flyrite@allflite.co.za

Kind regards Herman Carnival Lofts

Winter intake are close to 950 pigeons already with a few more on the way. Intake closes 1 March 2024 ... See MoreSee Less