Thank God it is Friday, I am sure all of you need a break as bad as we do here at the Apple Cup!
Like I mentioned in the last update, messed up my ankle on I think it was Monday and on Monday and Tuesday are the days we put chips on. Olga basically forced me to not go outside Tuesday and I still had about half of the birds left to put chips on. Wednesday came around and I got out here early and finished up putting chips on last week's birds, then started in on 60 boxes of pigeons. By time I was done for the day it was way too late to start adding them in to Wincompanion, which we have always done the day they arrive for 8 years without fail. Thursday, which was yesterday was also a long day with lots of new birds arriving, then we got in a few laggers this morning. Finally got all caught up on entering the birds that arrived this week, 355 pigeons in all which takes our numbers up to 2355. Looks like if we get 2 more weeks of bringing in 350-400 birds a week we will more than reach our goal of 3,000 pigeons. We contemplated extending at least in to the first week of May to try to reach 3,500 but with health being as good as it has been this year we do not want to push our luck!
Again, my appologies for not getting your birds entered the same day they arrived, in 8 years of doing this race we have never fallen behind. Olga keeps reminding me I am in my mid 50s now, so when she says take a day off I listen.
MOST OF YOU ARE FOLLOWING OUR INSTRUCTIONS ON SHIPPING!
PLEASE, DO THE FOLLOWING, IT MAKES THINGS RUN JUST SO MUCH SMOOTHER ON OUR END.
Register First
Put Loft Name on the shipping label
Mail ONLY on Monday or Tuesdays
Why is it so important to register first you might ask.....well let me tell you a little story.
Last year a breeder sent pigeons without registering first, I did a Wincompanion search which us OLR Managers have the ability to do. We can search by first name, last name, phone number, you get the idea. Since the breeder did not register before sending, I searched for him on Wincompanion by phone number when it came time to send birds back, and this goes for sending out checks as well. When it came time to ship his birds back I went to Wincompanion and used the Loft Name I had selected for him, which was the one he wanted, but the address was his old address in another state. When his pigeons arrived he had to drive several hundred miles to retrieve his birds.
It is absolutely imperitive that you register first to preclude this from happening to you!
There are only 2 more weeks we are accepting birds, if we get any birds past the deadline then the post office has instructions to ship the birds back. This is also why it is imperitive that you read Wincompanion updates, we put out all of our pertinent information right here.
LAST DAYS TO SHIP
17/18 April
24/25 April
Health is outstanding, other than a few wing injuries nothing to report. We have had a lot of visitors dropping off birds, they can attest to what is going on over here and what is going on here is nothing less a miracle! Temps are starting to rise and it is starting to get sunny, real easy to keep these birds healthy and happy when it is sunny and dry.
Thank you everyone for your incredible support this year!
Rick & Olga
Hey folks, very long day here at the Apple Cup, typing this at 12:30 PM on 4/13/23. I injured my ankle a few days ago so was not able to complete putting chips on the birds from last week that were in the quarantine cages which is always completed on Tuesday which was yesterday. Finally able to hobble around a bit so finally got the last birds chips on late this morning then started in on the new arrivals. I am going to head in to get a few hours of sleep before getting up early to input these 195 birds that we got today in to Wincompanion before the new batch arrives tomorrow morning. Please forgive the lateness, in 8 years of doing this race this is the first time we have not had the birds added on the day they arrived.
If you follow USPS.COM and your birds showed picked up in Moxee, WA then that means we have them.
We are currently sitting at right under 2,200 birds, we will probably get another 200 tomorrow.
Good night everyone, or should I say good early morning.
Happy Easter weekend everyone!
Remember, we are only accepting birds March and April this year, do not send birds in May.
Please only ship on Mondays, Tuesday at the latest, available shipping dates are listed below.
April 10/11
April 17/18
April 24-25
Register first and put your loft name on the shipping label when you mail out your birds to us, again ship on Monday or a Tuesday.
Apple Cup
PO Box 313
Moxee, WA 98936
254-247-9504
There are currently 2,000 birds in the loft, we will reach 3,000 this year.
DO NOT MISS OUT ON ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONE LOFT RACES IN THE USA in 2023!
Today's inventory is of weeks 1-3 outside the loft, week 4 trap training. Week 5 is looking out the aiviary which was last week's arrivals.
Taking a break while processing new arrivals today, we received 61 boxes which is odd because last week we received 61 boxes on Wed and same Thursday so I guess that is our magic number. We have over 1600 in the loft, should be over 2,000 at the end of this week.
At the rate we are going we will definitely have over 3,000 pigeons this year, maybe even closer to 3,500.
If shipping birds to the Apple Cup this year please follow the instructions below.
Register first at wincompanion.com, click on the Apple Cup icon then click Sign Up on our home page.
Mail only on Monday or Tuesday, never past Tuesday!
Put your Loft Name on the shipping label, very important.
Please text us if you have a question. Mondays through Thursday we will not answer the phone during the day, just too much going on here either processing new arrivals or assigning chips. Please text us your questions and we will text you back in the evening after we are done for the day and in the house.
KNOCK ON WOOD, ONLY 1 PIGEON REMOVED THIS YEAR THUS FAR! I know this is hard to believe, I am still trying to wrap my head around it, but at the same time praying it continues! Seems that the bigger we get the better health we get, you would think it would be the opposite but not complaining!
Back to taking birds out of the boxes and vaccinating, everyone have a great day!
New record for us here at the Apple Cup, 474 birds received this week! These pigeons are in our quarantine section being treated for bacterial and canker, they will be moved in to the loft next Tuesday after having their chips assigned. The quarantine cages will then be cleaned as they are daily and then disenfected before new birds arriving Wednesday will be placed in them.
We currently have 594 breeders registered with 3,451 perch reservations, there are currently 1599 pigeons in the loft and all of these numbers change daily. This is going to be a HUGE race, do not get caught on the sidelines!
KNOCK ON WOOD, health is incredible this year, better than last year and last year was great! Personally I have never seen anything like this, all we can do is keep doing what we have been and hopefully this incredible health continues. Again as mentioned before, really think it was a smart decision taking birds only 2 months this year instead of 4 months like last year. Last year we started training with 2,500 birds and this year it looks like we will have more than that, again with accepting birds in only 2 months instead of 4.
Walking through the loft a few minutes ago, a walk we take it seems at least a dozen times a day, it is apparent that the exhaust fan installation project is really paying off. There is absolutely no dust in the loft, no smell, we are certain this just has to be a big part of why health is holding so well. Droppings look perfect, it is like our dream is finally coming to reality!
We had contemplated taking in birds this first week of May so we could reach our goal of 3,500 pigeons, at the rate we are going that just is not going to be necessary. So if you plan on sending birds this week, whether you have registered or not, send your birds before the end of April because 1 May will be too late.
Incredible feeling when a plan comes together, as long as health stays like it is we are going to have a great race this year with lots of birds, lots of competition, and lots of $$$!
Please do the following before sending pigeons here.
Register on Wincompanion.com for our race
Ship on Mondays and Tuesdays only!
Put loft name on the box!
Everyone have a great weekend!
Busy week, over 450 pigeons this week.
Please mail on Monday, Tuesday at the latest, please do not ship on Wednesdays!
Todays inventory is of weeks 1-2 loft flying, week 3 going through the traps but not out of the loft yet.
For some reason several breeders did not register before sending, this really boggs down our efficiency here. If you do not register then I have to go in to Wincompanion and look for you any way I can, if I find a loft name that looks like it is yours then that is the one you get assigned. Sometimes this is a old loft name, sometimes the address is old, sometimes the email address is incorrect and I think you can see how this creates major issues when it comes time to return birds and mail checks. Last year a breeder sent birds and had not regestered that had flown several times before, we found his loft name but it had his old address. Birds returned were shipped to another state and he had to drive there to get them. I hope you understand how important it is to do the following three things.
Register before sending.
Put Loft Name on the box.
Ship on Monday, Tuesday at the latest ONLY.
Birds look awesome, knock on wood!
From the bottom of our hearts here at the Apple Cup, thank you for your incredible support and interest in this year's race!
THIS IS GOING TO BE A MONSTER OF A RACE!
Currently we have 553 breeders signed up with 3204 perch reservations. There are 1125 pigeons already in the loft and there is no indication, at least not yet, that things are going to slow down insofar as breeders continuing to enter. On our 20 foot trailer we have 4 levels and started with 2500 pigeons in training last year, that meant 625 birds per level and the birds were still comfortable. We are going to add on 2 more levels to the trailer so with about 600 pigeons per level X 6 levels that means we can hold 3,600 birds which is right about our loft capacity. Our goal is to bring in around 3,500-3,600 pigeons, get at least 3,000 activated. Therefore, we are announcing today that we are going to take the first 3,600 pigeons then close the loft. At the current pace we are going that should take us to the end of April as advertised, however if we get 3,600 pigeons in the loft before the end of April we will shut the doors because the last thing we want to do is overcrowd the birds in the loft. This most likely will not change a thing, we will most likely still be taking birds through the end of April to reach our goal of 3,600 birds, just be aware that if we do reach 3,600 before the end of April we will not be accepting any more pigeons for this year's race.
Weeks 1 and 2 were let out for the first time yesterday, looking out the loft office window all have trapped but a few who are still playing around in a cold wintery wind. Experience has shown us that it usually takes about 3 times out of the loft before they truly get it figured out, that their job is to come back in the loft when we whistle to them so they can come in to eat. We will run another inventory this weekend.
Week 3 birds are being trap trained starting yesterday, all but 22 came through the traps yesterday, not bad for over 300 pigeons. Those 22 were allowed to come back in through the windows last night and given a very light feeding so we would have their attention today when it was time to trap after the whistle. Today all but a handful have already went in, those who are stubborn will be let in here in a few hours and again fed lightly. It usually takes a few days before all are trapping on command, once they do a few days in a row we look for a good day to let them out for the first time where they are merged with the other birds already settled.
On Tuesdays we assign chips to the birds in the quarantine section which is today, then they are moved in to the first section of the loft where they get to look out of the aiviary for a week. Next week they get moved in to the section with a trap for trap training for a week, then after they have been here around 21 days they get to go out of the loft.
Simplified, first 7 days quarantine, next 7 days aiviary, next 7 days trap training.
Time to get back to assigning chips and putting last week's arrivals in to the loft. Once all are done the quarantine cages will be sprayed down with Virkon S in preparation for new birds arriving tomorrow and the next day.
KNOCK ON WOOD, health is still excellent!
Please remember to register first, put loft name on the box when you ship, ship on only Mondays and Tuesdays, address in the PO box listed under our Contact Us tab off of the home page.
Everyone have a great week!
We brought in 337 pigeons this week, new record for us. There are nearly 1,100 pigeons already in the loft and knock on wood, health is outstanding thus far and lets pray it stays this way!
Our goal was to hit 3,000 pigeons this year, we figured if we got that number and lost some in training which you will do on this course we would still get 2,500 birds activated which is what our projected payout is based upon. Now we are thinking it is not unreasonable to shoot for 3,500 birds, if we get that number and can get 3,000 birds activated then it just means more prize money for our breeders and more breeders and birds for our participants to fly against.
We will start letting out the birds that arrived the first 2 weeks either this weekend or next Monday or Tuesday depending upon weather and wind. The birds that arrived last week are in the loft looking out the aiviary, those that arrived this week are in the quarantine cages on meds for bacterial and canker before they get to go in the loft next week after assigning chips on Tuesday. We always assign chips on Tuesdays and put the last week's birds in the loft, this gives us a chance to evaluate droppings before birds are allowed in the loft and it frees up the cages for incomming birds that arrive on Wednesday and Thursday each week. The cages are sprayed down with Virkon S before new birds are placed in them to include soaking the catch trays overnight.
We really look forward to getting these babies out and flying, and moreso getting all of the birds settled that arrive this year and routing. That is the fun part, seeing a few thousand pigeons loft flying, a little piece of heaven right over our house.
This is the cheapest race in the USA with no up front costs, $250 a bird due only after activation. Very little risk to you the breeder, no lost perch fees from lost or sick birds before the races even begin.
We will be one of the biggest races in 2023!
Even though we are the cheapest, we will have one of the largest payouts based upon three different categories, BRONZE which is mandatory for all birds, then the SILVER and GOLD optional races. Collectively, we may reach $1,000,000 in prizes!
Since we are only taking birds through April this year we will be able to pull the 9th and 10th flights a month earlier than in past years. This means we will start training earlier and hopefully be able to offer a 400 mile optional race at the end of the series, but only if we can accomplish same and still be able to get all of the birds mailed back before Christmas.
Please read our other updates, it answers a lot of questions you may have especially about shipping.
Register before sending on Wincompanion.com.
Put your Loft Name on the box, this really is a HUGE help to us!
Mail on Mondays, Tuesdays at the very latest.
Mail birds to:
Please text if you have questions.
Good afternoon everyone!
Birds keep pouring in weekly, already up to 759 birds in the loft as of today. The birds that arrived this week are in our quarantine section and will have their chips assigned next Tuesday, then moved from the quarantine station in to the loft. The birds that arrived last week were put in the loft this week after having chips assigned on Tuesday and have access to the aiviary. Those who arrived the first week are being trapped trained and will be let out for the first time next weekend.
Our intake system is pretty simple. Day of arrival they get vaccinated and treated for external parasites, then moved in to our quarantine cages where their droppings are evaluated every day and they are started on meds for canker and bacterial diseases. On Tuesdays we assign chips and the birds are moved from the cages in to the loft where they have access to the aiviary and can get a look around for a good solid week. Their third week here they are trap trained and around their 21st day here they are finally let out for the first time and we sit out there with them until they all come in. On Tuesdays after all chips have been assigned and the birds are moved from the cages to inside the loft all of the trays that sit below each level of cages are soaked in Virkon S over night and the cages are sprayed down with Virkon S to be ready to put new birds that arrive starting on Wednesdays.
We currently have 464 breeders signed up with 2658 perch reservations, we expect over 600 breeders and around 3,600 pigeons this year.
Health is awesome, knock on wood! Only one pigeon has had to be pulled from this race thus far and that was after it had just arrived, other than that just perfect all around and lets all pray it stays this way!
Lots of interest in the optional Silver and Gold, looks like there will be huge payouts for those categories. As mentioned before, all birds must be entered in the Bronze race for $250, the Silver and Gold are purely optional and just a opportunity to go for more $$$ on the final race. The Bronze covers a little on the 250 and 300 mile races, AVG Speed, and the rest goes to the top 10% shipped to the 350 mile race. The Silver and Gold will pay out the top 10% of the pigeons on the final race only that are entered in those categories. Every indication shows us that there will be $300,000 to $400,000 in each category, collectively we should pay out around $1,000,000 in prizes this year providing we have good training tosses and can get the predominance of the pigeons sent activated.
Shipping Instructions:
Register first
Mail on Monday, Tuesday at the latest
Put your registered loft name on top of the box on the shipping label or somewhere on top of the box near the shipping label. Do not be afraid to write big and clearly, we burn all boxes at the end of the day so do not be afraid to write all over your boxes when sending here.
Send birds to:
Thanks everyone for your continued support, birds look outstanding so far and we appreciate all of your positive comments lately!
Before I get going on this update, if you have any questions on shipping then please scroll down and read previous updates concerning many items other than just shipping relating to this year's race.
Just wanted to say that the birds that arrived last week were taken out of quarantine today, assigned chips then placed in a section of their own. They will now have access to the aviary and be trapped trained, we usually have your birds out flying about 3 weeks from their arrival.
Health is holding well, no issues to report thus far.
No need to call or text letting us know you are shipping to us. We only ask that you do a few simple things before sending which makes things run much more smoothly here when birds are arriving.
Mail only on Monday or Tuesday
Accepting birds March and the entire month of April.
Put your loft name on the box.
We are so glad we decided this year to shrink our intake window to just March and April whereas last year we took birds Feb through May. Feb was miserable this year here, very long winter. May can get hot here, so we figure by only taking birds March and April it should translate to better health for these young racing pigeons.
We keep getting questions on the Bronze, Silver, and Gold races. Let me try to explain this one more time.
Bronze race is mandatory, all birds must be entered. It is $250 per bird, we will take our $100 perch fee per bird from the Bronze race. We will pay out a little on the 250 and the 300, as well as AVG speed prizes from the Bronze. Top 10% of the birds shipped to the final win the prizes in the Bronze.
Silver and Gold are optional races, they are $250 as well and prizes are only paid on the final race to the top 10% of the birds entered in those categories.
We will only collect fees once for all categories after the activation race. Enter the Bronze for $250, then add on the Silver or Gold for another $250 wich would be $500, or all tree categories for $750.
Weater is finally starting to turn for the better and we look forward to getting the first arrivals settled and flying.
