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Crazy Al Goes to Texas -- Yee-Haw

By Gerald Schoelzel

On February 3, 2007 Crazy Al presented a Seminar to the New Braunfels Racing Pigeon Club and their guests. He brought his wife Joanie, who is the current president of the AU Ladies Auxiliary, and friends from Colorado, Carlton Kroese and his wife, Jane. Luckily it was Carlton's birthday, so again -- Happy Birthday, Carlton!

Robert Tomlinson, the new vice president of the AU and his wife, Barbara, invited Crazy Al to Texas. Our NBC president, Harry Rauch and his wife, Laura, helped coordinate the whole event. Friday night before the seminar, the NBC club was invited out with Crazy Al's party to the Friesen Haus for German food, music, and dancing.

The Seminar was great. Everyone loved it. The Seminar was followed by an excellent Barbeque Dinner cooked by Junie Brown, assisted by Joe Schaefer and Stan Pape. Everyone brought side dishes, especially Bill Miller. Our after-lunch raffle was organized by our treasurer, Anita Schaefer. Boy was everyone fighting over those bags of feed and grit! Thanks Anita.

Joanie sold all the AU Ladies Auxiliary cookbooks she brought, with proceeds going to the scholarship fund. Later, during the auction, a pair of Al's youngsters was auctioned with all proceeds going to the Lady's Auxiliary scholarship fund. The scholarship fund had a great day.

The last event of the day was an auction of 22 fantastic Crazy Al birds. Telephone bids were accepted, and pedigrees were published in the Digest. Special thanks to Norman Glenwinkel of Morningside Lofts for polishing those 22 birds like diamonds after their trip to Texas. Finally, thanks to Butch Woods for his super work as auctioneer. Everyone who bought birds left with part of the nicest collection seen around here in a long time. Thank you Al, they were a super fine collection. If any of you want a great seminar or fundraiser auction for your club, I seriously recommend inviting AL. This was a fantastic event.

THE ESSENTIALS OF CRAZY AL'S SEMINAR:

Introduction: Crazy Al uses the light system for young birds, because it helps overcome the molt. For old birds, he flies only the widowhood method.

Al repeated the three most important things in racing (1) health, (2) conditioning, and (3) motivation. He said there are no secrets to motivation. Just use your common sense to get the birds motivated to come home.

The most important time to pay close attention to bird development is during the first 30 days of its life. When birds come out of the nest they should already look like good birds.

Health and Vitamins: Because farmer's fields do not use a flood system any longer people are discovering that the soils are being depleted of their nutrient and mineral contents.

By giving your pigeons straight feed and water with no supplement you are less likely to win anything and it is like you are only flying half of a pigeon. Two types of supplements that work well are kelated and colloidal minerals. Kelated minerals come in a powder; whereas colloidal come in liquid form. These work as building blocks of amino acids.

Al uses a standard Canadian feed called "Boss Mix" which he gets from Heritage Feed. He will give them some of the Boss mixed with some Boost and some pellets. He also likes to add in some paddy rice which he believes comes from Louisiana and thinks is a very good food. Occasionally he will add in some Safflower for the regular birds but does not add this to his breeder's food.

Two types of vitamins are often used; a fat-soluble and a water soluble. An example of fat soluble would be vitamins A, D and K. Water soluble vitamins contain the rest of the B vitamin spectrum. Water soluble vitamins should be given once a week, whereas fat soluble should only be given about once a month and the birds will draw off of them throughout the month. It is possible for the birds to overdose on the fat soluble (A, D & K) vitamins if given too often, and then the birds become toxic.

Grits and Minerals: When it comes to minerals Al says, "If you don't supplement with minerals, you are flying half a pigeon." Give plenty of varieties of grit, pick stones, and minerals. Al likes to use Spirulina by Source (horse supplement) or mineral supplements by Accel. Spirulina is blue - green algae you can put on the feed. Kelp also makes a good addition to their feed.

Grits and Magnesium blocks will also help to make a difference. Do not over use the Spirulina supplements or your birds will never stop circling. It oxygenates the blood, and it also makes breeders more fertile.

Medications and Probiotics: Every three weeks treat for Coccidiosis and Canker using Altinale.

When Al uses antibiotics, he likes Doxycycline for 21-24 days straight. He does not pull the grit and does not know if he should. It works for him. Augmentin is a good new antibiotic also available.

Use plenty of Probiotics. Al uses Acidophilus powder most every day. He gives Acidophilus Milk the day after they come home from the race to clean their system. Get a brand with multiple strains. Al recommends First State Vet Supply from Maryland. Peter Brown developed High Roller Probiotics, and it contains all 11 strains of Acidophilus. It is really price effective, because it only takes 1/4 teaspoon/gallon water. Primalac from Star Labs is live culture. Al says this is also a good product.

Comatose (by Comed), made from vegetable matter, forms a gel in the intestines that hydrates, especially young birds, and it cleans the system when the bird evacuates.

Worming: Al worms once a year using Valbrazen because it also takes care of tapeworms. For best results, administer two times, 10 days apart.

Acidifying the system: Apple cider vinegar is now popular for bringing down the birds' pH levels. Use 1-2 tablespoons per gallon of water. Belgian Vets claim using acid in water fights the Circo and Medino viruses. Some flyers are now using food grade phosphoric acid (used in Cola drinks) with good effects. Mix it with extreme precision. It kills bacteria and lowers the pH of water.

Breeding: Al believes in the following combination by generation: Inbreed --Linebreed -- then Outcross. Good birds are good birds. Always breed for performance. "I prefer to fly ugly pigeons because you don't care when you loose them!"

Conditioning: Old birds should be fed fewer carbohydrates as the week progresses toward the race. The Europeans feed lots of hemp and rape seed (or other fat seeds) to achieve this. During a race all carbohydrates are used up after four hours on the wing. After that birds need to use other forms of energy (fat conversion). The ideal is for the muscle of an in-form racer to be marbled like good beef. That way long term energy supplies are available for the later hours on the wing. Fats are better for distance racing -- give them 20 percent rape, 60 percent safflower, 20 percent hemp and then use a byproduct of rape and hemp in their water.

Al gives Comatose and race mix after the race. Wednesdays, he feeds 50/50 (race mix and depurative mix) adding Brewer's Yeast and Amino Acids. Thursday before the race is the most important day. Al uses full race mix with a handful of peanuts. Friday feed rape, hemp, or fat rich foods.

Young birds and old birds are different. Old birds do not eat much on widowhood system, so it is not as hard to keep them trim. Young birds need to be given less feed, more often. On the days they need to eat more before the race, feed small amounts 4-5 times a day. They get excited and think they are hungry all the time. Never starve young birds. If the race is cancelled, put the birds on barley to bring down the bird's fat level.

During the race season give Redcell once per week. Dead chicks in the shell indicate a need for more iodine. Paddy rice with the husk on is a good supplement. Half of the protein is in the husk.

Teas: The liver is the most important organ and can be cleansed with some teas. Best time for teas is the seven days before the season starts and one or two days a week during the season. To prepare: Bring 2 1/2 gallons of water to a boil then add a chopped baseball size onion, 32 garlic cloves, and whatever else you want to add to the brew (leek, carrot tops, Thyme, Rosemary, Alum, etc)., mixed with a Belgian Tea formula as per directions. Simmer for 45 minutes then cool and put into eight mason jars. There will be some evaporation.

Directions: Mix one filled mason jar to one gallon of water. That way you get a jar of the tea for each day of the week you want to administer the tea. If you use city water you can draw and let it set for 24 hours to drive off the chlorine.

Al has used glucose in the water when birds return from the races.

Motivation and Observation: If you look at your birds, they will tell you what they need. For motivation, fly widowhood. Never fly cocks and hens together in young birds. You can split them up on the A and B races.

Young bird training: Young birds should begin training at three months old using a lot of short tosses until reaching 50 miles -- taking your time. Two weeks before the first race he likes to train 50 miles a day almost every day stopping two days prior to the first race. After 250 miles they are no longer road trained. Al does not believe in single tossing. Finally, "Hard work wins!"

Selection of new birds: Al is not too impressed by eyesign. He said, "Performance pigeons produce performance pigeons." Make your selections from winners. "You never know where a click pair will come from." One thing Al stressed was there are no secrets. Good handlers make their airlines good. A lot of common sense goes far when working with pigeons.

The NBC had a great event. Al, thank you so much for a fantastic weekend. Any of you out there wanting a great event, get in touch with Al. He is the best and so are his birds!!