Plantation Lofts

Where did it all start. In 1995 a few friends and i had arranged to go to Rasharkin near Ballymena for a hunt with a local man whose knowledge on hunting and living of the land was second to none. Wee had been looking forward to meeting this man for some time as the talk among the hunting fraternity was that he was the best of the best regarding fox hunting. I had been hunting with the terriers and lurchers since i was fifteen years old and lived for it until i was bitten by the bug for racing pigeons. Off we went one Sunday morning away down the country until we reached this big old farm house sat away up a big private lane. We pulled into the farm yard and the back door of the house opened hi yous doing boys he says have been waiting on yous come on in the tea is on the stove he had this big old range burning in the kitchen and the tea was bubbling away on the stove real country man he was. Wee sat chatting for a while over the brew he was a wise man i could have listened to him talking for hours. We decided to head out for the days hunt as we were leaving the house he says young fella you come with me in my car i have to feed the birds before i go. What birds i asked thought he meant chickens or something i keep pigeons he says pigeons yes you edgit come on ill show you. We went down the yard to these big barns and a milking parlour he opened the doors i couldn't believe it there was pigeons every where. Jesus i said what do you do with these eat them no he explained wee race them what you mean i asked then he explained everything about the club the lorry picking them up on marking night Then them all being released on race days. I was like a wee school boy i was amazed after he told me the in s and outs of it that was me this is the game for me i says. Elmer could you give me some of them to take home with me were would you keep them he says ill not be too long getting somewhere to keep them so after the days hunt wee went back to his place for a feed and i asked him again could he give me some to take home with me. He went round the barns and brought a basket back with him with six of the loveliest youngins. God bless you i said come down next Saturday and watch the birds coming home from the race ill give you a ring and let you no what time to come at cheers i says and wee left for home. What are you going to do with those birds the mates were asking i am going to build a shed in the morning first light were you have no room in your garden. My garden was all taken up with the finest of block built dog runs the pens are going i said. Next morning the sledge was out at first light and the pens demolished the whole garden was tidied up and this lovely wee loft was built that day for these wee squeakers. It was great there was a few pigeon men who lived on the estate all old lads so i started calling round there houses and asking them everything i needed to no. I was bitten by the bug big style. Pigeon men from all round the place started coming round the house with all sorts of gift birds next thing you knew the wee shed was full of birds from everywhere so you no what happens next eighteen foot double Decker it was a work of art couldn't stop admiring it. That's some job all the old lads were says wish you all the best so i started about joining the local pigeon club. Which was Ballylesson HPS in the East Down Combine. It was great when i was told that we were members i remember the first young bird race of the season going to the club and sending the young ones getting my clock set i was buzzing all the guys in the club wished us all the best for the race next day birds up at eleven. The excitement was to much heart pounding couldn't eat up half the night it was terrible birds came home it was great seeing them buckle and hit the loft. The buzz was something else went to the club after the race an hour an twenty Min's behind the great JP John Patterson. I was over the moon the fact that i got these pigeons home the time didn't matter at all as there was some of the best fanciers in the country racing in our club and just to compete in those early days was great. I loved it this went on for a few years a hour late every week then the brother Albert got involved he started taking an interest in the birds so wee got a wee transporter and Bert started a wee run collecting peoples birds every day and after a while our birds started racing a wee bit. Things started getting complicated the more we were learning just when you think you are on top of things something else goes wrong. My head was spinning every day there just wasn't enough room in it to hold all the information i was getting from every one. I was trying everything in the early days wee just raced up Ireland the birds we were racing were bits and pieces of everything you name it wee had it. They were raced natural through the open door we picked up the odd card here and there which meant the world to us seven days a week 24 7 it was eat sleep shit pigeons. Wee wouldn't send any birds across the channel as we believed we didn't have the birds to fly it. In 1999 the guys in the club were saying after the inland programme lads yous have sixteen old birds left send them on over the water they wont do it i says nonsense you wont no if you don't try stupid man i was sent. The sixteen to Talbenny never seen a feather talk about gutted devastated we were not a feather what do wee do now where do wee go from here all the guys in the club were very symphatic. It was a great learning curve it made us more determined to pick ourselves up and get back and at this time proper. Dad took me to Portadown on the Sunday morning to this friend he knew Cyril Fletcher. We pulled into the yard Jesus what a sight couldn't believe it it was awesome what a sight. Cyril brought dad and i into his mobile wee sat down and i explained what had happened with our team of pigeons from Talbenny he laughed i was annoyed don't let it get till you young man this is the hardest game in the world. What is it you are looking for he asked wee had three hundred pounds to spend wee would like some birds that are going to breed us winners come on he says and brought us round the breeding station. It was powerful he was handing me these birds they were beautiful Cyril i says i don't no what it is I'm supposed to be looking for in these birds you are showing me but i do no one thing they are pure class. I have never felt anything as nice in my hand proper pigeons they were i was buzzing we went back to the mobile after he showed us round the place and let us handle some world class pigeons. He says can you come back in the morning young fella and i will pick three pairs out for you great i says and away wee went i was sitting at his mobile the next morning before day light. Sat there an hour and a half before he opened the curtains and looked out the window come on in young man daf he says this young lad has been sitting out there for a hour and a half why did you not waken us he says go out to the van and there is a hamper in the back of it bring it in i brought it into the mobile five pair of the finest pigeons i had ever set eyes on wildemeersch pigeons they are Ian. Cyril i says they are great i am over the moon Ian they will breed you winners son and if they don't you bring them back and i will replace them. I couldn't thank him enough how will i race the young one s i breed of them ill keep you right he says he really took to me he phoned every day some times twice a day it was great. The education i was getting from him was priceless that first year we breed of them stock birds we won our first open a blue bar cock from Darrow what a high first open. Cyril came down that night and we went partying to celebrate the next season he brought us down thirty young birds and wee were starting to get up the prize sheet we were working really hard at the birds. Bert was flat out with the training and things were really looking up i was getting up in the mornings driving to Cyril's collecting his birds in the van then heading to Camlough every morning for months. Six hampers of widowhood cocks he had every day Monday to Thursday Camlough was lovely lined the hampers on the car park dropped each lid one minute gap each hamper. They were like the red arrows coming out of those hampers just gone it was a delight to watch. Cyril was a great teacher will never forget what he taught me sadly he passed away Bert and i were on our own we were left with a dynasty of pigeons from Cyril. RIP FRIEND

These last few years the pigeons have really excelled it has took a few years for us to find out the right way to breed the birds the results over the last few seasons are proving that we aren't to far away. In 2004 Rab Fear started coming to the lofts we have known Rab a long time i rate him as one of the best fanciers in Ireland his record is second to none. He races to a we huckster loft on the back yard wall a small team fancier with an outstanding record from the first race through to France. This man is a walking encyclopedia regarding pigeons a real hard task master and No's exactly what he wants regarding performance pigeons. The lofts at present consist of one 24x12 double Decker four sections downstairs for stock birds with an aviary running the length of it. The up stairs has four six foot sections two for roundabout and two for widowhood hens. Shed 2 is also 24x12 double Decker upstairs consists of three eight foot sections for w hood cocks there is room for twelve cocks in each though the sections are never full. Ventilation is controlled via glass louvers along the the front of the shed which can be opened or closed accordingly. Shed 3 is our latest edition 47 foot young bird loft with which wee are not very happy with at the present as wee were unable to get the birds into top form this year so at present there are a few modifications being made to try and get it right. There are seven sections in it with a store and sink in the middle of it and a three foot corridor running the length of it i think it will be a cracking loft when wee get it right. Shed four is 36x10 wee haven't really tried racing from this loft as yet we have used it for are natural young ones the last few years and a few late breeds. We are going to breed a team of distance young birds and race them till this loft as its at the far end of the compound and away from the main old bird lofts. We can fly more of an open hole to this loft as it wont interfere with the routine of the w hood or round about teams. Loft 5 is Rab's we loft as we would call it its 12x6 he would pair some stock birds in it every year he loves this we shed and for some reason the birds thrive in it and you wouldn't give two pennies for it. If he likes it you can be rest assured there is something right about it. And the last is the nerve centre the summer house this is were all the heads come together she is 16x8
glass fronted this is were everything is discussed. Rab's wee pipe is never out in here him and Bert both love this shed its there second home maybe the gaffer will put a few pics of the nerve centre on the site for all to see there is a good team involved in the every day running of the Plantation lofts. Micheal my good friend and neighbour has been with us since 2002 every morning in life rain hail or snow he is out scrapper going ten till a dozen a great asset he is. Next there is our dad he is out every morning at seven maybe half seven sometimes his watch isn't always correct he to is on his hands and knees every morning scrapper in hand very meticulous he is likes to keep the place spotless and can sometimes be hard to work with. If he thinks people aren't pulling there weight he to is a great asset to the day to day running of the place. Next up is the gaffer Bert like my self was a late starter to the game but don't be fooled by that he watches everything takes a mental note of every trick in the book the work he does is endless sometimes wonder what spurs him on he has definitely got the bit between the teeth. He has turned out to be a real gem always looking on how best to improve the outfit. Next up is the pipe man Mr fear he has been a real inspiration can sit and listen to Rab for days on end he leaves nothing to chance how he fits it all into that head ill never no feeding training breeding racing treatments and his big bag of tricks. He has been a very big influence to the success of Plantation lofts along with his good wife June .June has also done her bit keeping the breeding books in good order and the steady supply of her natural bits and bobs. And last but not least is Ma Bear yes our mum tea coffee and meals every day has kept us well feed and watered over the years great wee woman she is thanks mum. Now to the birds the main stay of the birds housed at Plantation lofts are the Frans Van Wildemeersch from the late Bertie Fletcher and son Cyril of Oak field lofts. These pigeons are world class what we have achieved with these birds in a few short years is powerful and i believe they will continue to produce winners for years to come they are truly a great all round pigeon one just has to look at our results and they tell the whole story and how good these pigeons really are wee have all the old lines of the Van Wildemeersch