helped to provide some of the best stock,
both for themselves and others. These
have provided two, Best Bird Short
Distance in the club and also Best Bird
Short Distance for two other fanciers.
Robert’s father, Lawrence also helps out,
waiting for the pigeons returning on race
day.The pigeons are raced on the Natural
system (eggs only) and are loft trained
for 45 minutes, early each morning and
are flagged, if necessary. The pigeons in
Malta are raced with young and old birds
together, given one training toss from
Malta, followed by some six training
tosses from Gozo (20 miles), then given
as many training tosses from Pozzallo,
Sicily (60 miles/90km), as and when the
Federation arrange them. The racing
season in Malta is from mid November
until mid May and the partners do not
like to start training until the pigeons
have completed their moult. The feeding
is made up of standard depurative (a mix
of Vanrobaeys, Versele Laga and
Teurlings), for Saturday, Sunday, Monday
and Tuesday, with standard racing on
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. During
the breeding and moulting season the
pigeons are given a mix of breeding and
Leigois. Supplements of grit, minerals,
probiotics are also given, plus a heavier
mix and condition seed for the longer
races. As for medication the partners
normally rely on observation and or, if
results are not good then they will have
them tested. Normally they will not treat
routinely for cooci or respiratory, but will
treat for canker on a monthly basis. TheRobert Galea demonstrating the unique method to
trap the pigeons at the loft in his father’s house. View of one of the trapping entrances.