A reminder that the race is CLOSED for 2023. We are not accepting anymore birds for this season. We have been busy since last week with getting the last few weeks of birds settled, and learning the traps. We still have 1 more group of birds to put chip rings on and then we should be able to do a final import with Benzing to get all of the birds registered into the system and have all of them to be able to clock. We are going to aim to get chip rings put on tomorrow and have an import done by Thursday and hopefully be able to run all the birds through the system on Thursday.Thank you everyone for your patience during the last 2 weeks. We have had a lot of birds come in during this time and putting chip rings on should be the final step for these arrivals. Our weather looks to be good through next week which will allow us to get the birds out daily in different groups. The older birds enjoy flying around the loft and are very confident in their surroundings. The younger groups definitely enjoy getting out as well, and we monitor those younger groups closely while they are out. If you need corrections, loft name changes, anything like that please send an email today or tomorrow so it can be done before we update with Benzing. We will not change loft names during the season. No Exceptions!
This will be the last week of accepting birds for the 2023 season. This will include new entries and replacements. We have done an inventory today of all birds except birds that arrived between May 6th - 14th. The birds that arrived during this time have only been here a week and are still learning the traps. Please check your loft lists and see if you have any birds that need to be replaced. We would only suggest shipping birds on Monday - Tuesday. We were notified that someone tried to ship on a Friday and the post office made them come back and get them on Saturday. Shipping on a Thursday also does not allow enough time for the post office to deliver in a timely manner. The older birds have been out quite a bit over the last week. The weather has been very good for the most part, with no high winds and barely any rain. These are ideal conditions for the birds to be settled and allowed to loft fly. Hopefully the weather stays like this.We will do a final import with Benzing next week. IF you need to move a bird to another team, change your loft name, etc., it needs to be done before we do a final import. We will not make loft name changes once this is done. Please be 100% sure that the loft name you are flying under is what you will want to finish the season with. We will not change names mid season, NO EXCEPTIONS. Also, if you have birds here that you have not paid for, they must be paid for by the end of the week. Next week once we do an import, any birds not paid for will be marked ineligible. This will also prevent them from showing up on any clocking results. We want to have all payments settled and changes made so our time can be spent focused on the birds. If you would like to participate but are unable to get birds here by the weekend, there are over 150 birds currently available on the For Sale List. These birds are available to be added to any team. Perch Fees and Activation are paid for by the "Buyer." Any and all prize/auction monies are split between the "Breeder" & "Buyer" with a 50/50 split. Bird(s) belong to the "Buyer" at the end of the season, IF the bird does not go to the auction. All breeders names are listed for each bird. Finally, thank you to everyone who has sent birds and supported the Hoosier Classic Race this year. We are looking forward to an exciting season and big winners this year. If you need help checking on your loft lists, please feel free to call the office and we can help you check to see if anything needs to be replaced.
Birds were out flying today. While in the process of letting the birds into the loft, a cooper hawk came and spooked the birds. There was 1 casualty from the visit, and the owner of that bird has been notified. While we are sure that the birds rushed into the loft and possibly jumped the antennas, we also see birds sitting on other buildings on the property. We do see a difference in numbers between yesterdays clocking results and today's clocking results. We are not going to push the birds out into cages to have them trap again because they are very stressed out after the hawk attack. We will let the birds out again hopefully tomorrow depending on the wind.
There are just 3 weeks left to get your birds in for the 2023 season! We currently have over 3150 birds in the loft. This week has been quite busy with over 20 boxes arriving on Tuesday afternoon, another 30+ arriving Wednesday, and close to 30 on Thursday. We also have breeders dropping birds off almost daily as well. We have been battling some major fluctuations in weather with daily changes including high winds, rain, or drastic temperature changes from 30's all the way up to the 80's. It has definitely been a roller coaster of weather the past few weeks. There are several birds that have arrived in the last few weeks with no payments. As we have said before, birds sent without payment will not be entered under your loft name. Any birds received without payment will be entered under an unassigned loft name and will not be viewable. Once payment is made, the bird(s) will be transferred to the correct team name. If you have sent birds with no payment you will need to contact the office in order to see them under your loft name. We cannot stress enough how important it is to provide information in or on your box as to the loft name for which the birds belong. There have been several occasions this year where birds have arrived with no name on the box, only an address, no paperwork, or payments. Our time is much better spent taking care of the birds, instead of tracking down payments or owners of birds. With so many boxes coming in daily, it is very helpful if you provide information. We would like to Thank everyone who has sent birds for the 2023 season so far. The quality is outstanding in the birds that have arrived, and breeders are definitely sending their best! There are also currently over 100 birds listed on the "For Sale" list from various fanciers. The breeder's name is listed under the "Bird Name" so you will know who's bird you will be purchasing. As a reminder, birds from the For Sale list will have any "prize and/or auction money" split between the buyer and breeder. Buyer is responsible for all fees. While we will put together "kits" of birds once all of the For Sale birds have arrived, you can certainly put together your own kit of birds by choosing 6 birds from the For Sale list for $1000. Please see official rules page on the website for more information regarding For Sale birds. We would also like to thank everyone for their patience over the past few weeks while we dealt with a pressing family issue. While our communication during this time was minimal, please be aware that we continued to make the birds health and well-being a priority. We are beginning to get back into a normal daily routine and will get back on track with updates, pictures, and videos. We hope everyone enjoys their weekend. As always if you have questions, please feel free to reach out to the office during business hours 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. at 219-733-0011
There is currently around 560 birds that have arrived for the 2023 season of the Hoosier Classic. There are currently over 20 birds that have been sent with no payment and those birds have not been entered into the system. Wincompanion shows there are 539 birds currently entered and in the loft. As a reminder, perch fees are due when the birds arrive.The 2 groups of birds currently in the loft are doing great, and have all adjusted nicely. They have learned to go out into the aviary and definitely know when its dinner time. The quality of birds so far has been great. Fanciers are sending their BEST to compete for $1,200,000 in prizes. For the most part the post office is moving the birds pretty quick. We have had only about 3-4 boxes delayed over the last 2 weeks. Many boxes are being delivered the next day which is great for the birds. We have seen our weather fluctuate the past 2 weeks with temperatures ranging from almost 60 degrees all the way down to the low 30's. We have had snow several times, however it usually melts within a few hrs to a day. Over the course of the next week, our weather looks to be holding steady in the mid 30's to low 40's, which is about the normal temperatures this time of year. We should start to see a change in temperature hopefully after next week where we will begin to warm up a little. We will be accepting birds through May 15th for the 2023 season. Mail birds to:Hoosier Classic10258 S 1150 WWanatah, IN 46390219-733-0011Perch Fees are $200 per bird / Pay for 5 and Get 1 Free!!
