MULLIGAN'S PLACE LOFT:

An Interview to Dispel Myths in Breeding, Training and Racing Techniques

Q:Your success over the last 10 years has been remarkable.

What special system do you use for young birds, Darkening

or Light System?

A:Neither, we fly strictly a natural system for young birds.

They fly to the perch and we separate them as they get

older.

Q:Your old bird system, is it Widowhood or Double Widowhood?

A:Our old bird system is pretty simple.  We fly natural and

keep the birds separated until the shipping night of the

first race.

Q:To be so competitive in 2 or 3 clubs and combines that you

fly in, which many consider to be the toughest competition

in the U.S.A., you must have a large young and old bird

team?

A:Not really, we feel large numbers of birds are a

disadvantage rather than an advantage.  Both teams are

relatively small.  We carry about 30-40 old birds, and we

start with about 75 young birds.  Each year we seem to start

with less birds than the year before.  We believe in

quality, not quantity on our race team.  We definitely do

not overcrowd our loft.

Q:Your young bird team must be early hatches - January or

February - to compete with the lofts that fly the Dark or

Light System?

A:No, our young bird team is usually late April or early May

young, sometimes later, because we take our old bird race

season seriously.  We really cannot do much until after the

old bird season.

Q:Well, if you do not use any special systems and just fly

naturally, then how can you be so competitive every year

against all the special lofts that apply new modern

techniques and systems to old and young bird racing?

A:We stay so competitive because we have a 365 day program

based on a system of sound management and healthy birds.

Their motivation is love of the loft and handler,

conditioning, health and proper feed.

Q:When you say health is important, you must have special

medications, some of the newest products from Belgium or

Holland and many of the European secrets used and endorsed

by their top flyers?

A:Not really, we vaccinate for PMV and Pox around July 1st.

Then, we treat regularly for canker, coccidiosis,

respiratory and E-Coli.  We have found the following

products helpful:

Canker - Emtryl, Ridzol

Coccidiosis - Amprol, Sulmit, Cocci-cide

Respiratory - Gallimycin, Aureomycin, Terramycin, Tylan

E-Coli - Vetisulid, Amoxicillin

Wormers - Ivomec

We have tried other products, and people even ask us to

endorse some, but we always seem to come back to the

products mentioned above for the best results.  Remember,

health is a 365 day responsibility, not just a race season

consideration.

Q:You indicated proper feed.  Do you have your own special

mix?

A:No, we use Brown's feed from its "American Series Brands,"

Bucket O'Gold Treat and Fresh Grit.  We do use vitamins and

electrolytes, garlic, lemon, honey, picking stones, lettuce

(Breeders), Pellets (21% Protein Breeders) and Raw Spanish

Peanuts #1 Grade.

Q:You have no special feeding secrets, no special training

system nor no special medications.  Then you must have a

modern loft with all the new features of the 90's:  floor

warming pads, temperature controls, ventilation systems to

purify the air, a special light system, grated floors or

maybe a new loft imported from Europe?

A:Sorry, our racing loft has been the same for 10 years: wood

floors, box perches, a few windows, a small screened aviary,

electricity for light and the ventilation is natural air

flow.  It is cleaned daily, bleached weekly and sprayed for

lice etc.  It is never overcrowded with birds!

Q:Let's talk about your bloodlines.  Do you travel Europe and

acquire racing stock from some of the world's most

successful European lofts?  What famous import blood do you

have, any record or National Ace Pigeons?

A:We fly Janssen, HVR and Imbrecht bloodlines.  We do not have

an import in the loft, and we cannot even remember the last

one we had.  No new families.  The same bloodlines that won

in 1986 still work in 1996.

Q:You mean you do not have any of the "Hot Strains" that are

taking over the sport, the pigeons of the 90's:  Houbens,

Van Hees, Meulemans, Van Loons, etc.?

A:No, not that we know.  However, they may have some of our

bloodlines, because we have sent birds all around the U.S.A.

and internationally with excellent success.  We really do

not believe that we would be where we are today if we jumped

around with new pigeons every year.  We realize fanciers

want to take themselves to the next level of success, but we

did that by strict culling and following one simple rule:

"PERFORMANCE PIGEONS FROM PERFORMANCE BLOODLINES

COMPETING IN THE TOUGHEST COMPETITION IN THE

U.S.A."

Q:How would you rate your birds for eye sign quality, a 9-10

breeding or racing eye?

A:Between the 3 of us you can put in one word what we know

about eye sign, "Nothing."  The birds only need to see to

come home.

Q:Then how do you select your racing stock?  What physical

characteristics are important; deep keel, round body, length

of flights, strong back?  What faults do you look for to

cull your racers?

A:The only physical characteristic we consider is health.  The

bird must be healthy to hold up under light training and

hard racing.  As for length of flights, keel, back and all

the other physical traits that fanciers call faults, we do

not consider them in our selection of birds for racing or

breeding.  We have used one selection grading system since

we started, and it never fails us:  "The Basket."  We let

the basket select the birds, we observe their health and

habits, and then we cull.

Q:You stated light training and hard racing.  What do you

mean?

A:We seldom go over 30 miles.  However we do loft fly

everyday, sometimes twice a day weather permitting.  We like

short tosses of 10-20 miles.  We start about 3 weeks before

the season starts and try to get in 15 tosses (plus loft

flying).  With that training, they should be ready for the

first race.  If the bird is healthy, it will go every week.

We do not believe in losing the race in the middle of the

week with long training tosses.  We ask the birds to race

hard on weekends.  They can rest during the week with short

tosses and light flying.

Q:What qualities do you look for in a breeder?

A:We give a bird two years at the most, sometimes a lot less

to prove itself.  If it does not reproduce the quality we

expect, "WE CULL IT, NOT SELL IT."

Q:How do you select your matings each year?

A:It is real easy for us.  The 3 families of birds we

presently have all blend well together.  They have been

selected to score from 100-600 miles.  We select from

previous matings to achieve race results.  We never select

for pedigree, resale or paper matings.  We follow a simple

rule:  If a bird does not succeed within 2 years, it goes in

the ground, regardless of race record, ancestry, etc.

Q:Even with the strict cull rules you follow, you have had

success for 4 generations with the original key birds.  Why?

A:We have had excellent success with both cocks and hens on

the natural system.  When it is time to select breeders, we

can select both proven cocks and hens.  Also, we prove our

birds in old bird season, especially at the longer

distances, and they make excellent breeding stock.

Q:What changes have you made to improve over the years?

A:We constantly try to improve because our competition always

improves.  We never make the same mistakes twice.  No matter

what our success, we still consider quality time with the

birds a priority.  We modernized our record keeping with the

Pigeon Management System.  It makes everything (pedigrees,

etc.) much easier.  Also, we limit our intake of out of area

birds, because of the potential health problems.  Also, we

have begun to compete in the major out of area races.

Q:The past few years, you have been very successful in the out

of area futurities.  What is your secret?

A:Good Pigeons, Excellent Handlers and a "Lot of Luck!"

Q:In closing, what major changes do you believe would improve

the sport?

A:We would like to see it continue to grow and prosper.

However, that will not happen unless we all realize that we

need each other.  Jealousy and petty arguments, and not

sharing experiences, knowledge and techniques with new

fanciers tear the sport apart.  We would like to see each

and every fancier be an ambassador for the sport.

PAGE 1

PAGE 6