MY BIO

Oleo Loft

Bill Barbary

Western Pennsylvania, USA about 40 miles north of Pittsburgh

I Fly with 2 clubs here in this area, which both belong too the Penn-Ohio Combine.

Both Clubs belong too the AU, TAR which is located in Tarentum and HAR from the Harmony Area.

I was a Pipefitter for 37 years, married for 44 years with 3 children and 4 grand children.

have had and raised birds for more than 30 years and only started racing them 13 years ago. Most of the birds that I use for racing came from local flyers with a few bought at Auction. May base birds are HVR and Janssen. I do have a few other strains, which I keep trying too find a good cross.

There are 6 Clubs in our Combine with a total of 60 flyers, each of the clubs I fly with have 12 too 16 flyers depending on the season. The OB season has less flyers maybe 10 per club, but the YB season has up too 16 per club. Our release Locations go from 100 too 550 miles for OB’s and 100 too 300 for YB’s. I fly on the long end of the Combine, so my birds get the full distance when racing, for example on the 100 I fly 123 and the 300 I fly 335,the 500 is 557. This means I need a tough bird too keep the pace with the others.

We fly from the southwest over rolling hills and valleys. One of the biggest problems we have is the never-ending Hawk attacks. The spring and late fall it really get bad.

I have four lofts for my Birds, Stock loft 12x14 with 2 sections, a Breeder loft 6x12with 14 individual Pens 30”x24”x20”high with wire bottoms and fronts. The Young bird loft is 8x20 with 2 sections that have a total of 160 perches, also I have 2 Wedding bird lofts 6x12 with 80 plus all white birds.

I fly both OB’s and YB’s. My OB team has around 40 birds, which I fly on the natural system. Due too work I have chose this type of flying. Try too get them set up too be flying too 10 day eggs for the hens and 10 day old babies for the Cocks. I feed a multi grain feed and the amount depends on the distance and temperature, adding a bit of hemp and safflower before shipping. I’m a firm believer in the Clorox in the waterers, too keep things in balance. I use few Medications, only when I see a problem. I do PMV and worm the OB’s once a year.

My YB team is made-up of 40 too 60 birds, most that are off my Breeders and a few from auction races. I move the Yb’s too the loft around 25 too 27 days of age and put them on the Light System. I will give them 18 too 20 hours of light a day. As soon as the last of them are in the loft and are about 90 days old I will PMV and Pox the whole team. At this age I feel they have built some natural immunities of their own and can take the shots and meds into their system better. I have a large fly pen I let the Ybs go in and out of that also is the landing board they will be using for racing. I use feed too get them trap trained and responding too my calling them in. As soon as they respond too the trap training I let them out on the boards for loft flying, when they are flocking and ranging for 45 too 60 min. I basket them and release in the yard a couple times before I take them for there firsts toss away from the loft. I will take them between 5 and 10 miles for their first toss and release them in 10 too 15 bird groups. Never in a large group the first couple times. Helps keep from having a major disaster. I will continue too train them out too 100 miles and thru this they will be released in 3 too 4 bird groups. I feel this makes them think and learn more before putting them with large groups of birds; they pick their own line of flight. In this area we do have a problem with the hawks, but I guess we all do. I fly the birds the entire season if they are in shape for the task, from 100 too 300 miles. There are 9 regular races and most likely 2-300 mile Specials. Once the racing starts, I loft fly every day and give 2 too 3 35 too 50 mile tosses a week. I train them with 3 other lofts in the area after they have been out 100 miles on their own. This helps with the cost of fuel and time. This year I will be using E-Clocking with my Benzing Express. This will help me keep a better inventory of the birds during training.

My Breeders are made-up of birds from local flyers and a few from Auctions. When starting too get into the racing end of the Sport I had two people, R. Demharter and B. Valchar give and help me with birds and knowledge. They were my Mentors and still add a few bits of information too me. I breed early, starting in mid December. I feel this gives the young time too go thru the light system and be ready too fly. I have all individual breeding pens too make sure of the pairings. I do heat the breeding loft in December so the eggs and water do not freeze. I have a couple strains I try too keep straight, but the rest are paired too how there young have preformed. Some of my best birds have been gifts from people and I have tried too return the favor by giving some of my birds too others also. I like too see how they do in other areas of the country.

I also have a loft for my Wedding birds; there are about 50 too 80 all white birds on this team. I don’t go all out for this but get a lot of requests just from past releases. I live in a housing plan and the neighbors seem too like the whites flying around. Have too keep them happy.

I have been involved with hosting 10 One Loft races. In 1998 I hosted the AOL one loft race, which 18 lofts entered birds. This was a real treat for me too handle birds sent in. Also in 2001 I hosted the Internet Chat One loft race.I had birds from 50 different lofts from all over the world. The Out of country flyers are having birds donated by lofts in the United States too keep the cost of shipping down. Each loft will send 3 birds for this race. Some of the Countries are Australia,Belgium,Kuwait,New Zeland,UK, and USA. 2002,I hosted a All White Race with 18 Flyers from across the USA entering birds and the birds were flown in 3 Races up too 186 miles and a Final prize for the Best Avg Speed of a bird that flew all 3 races.

I hope the Sport continues too grow all over the world. We try too get the Young flyers interested here in our area. There interest is the future of the Sport.

May I end in saying: “ Have a Great Day and get a good Bird right after mine “

This will be a real treat in 2009 hosting a All Color bird race so everyone can test the Color birds .

Bill Barbary