Скачать или смотреть The Belly Fat Test 5 Seconds to Know If Your Bird is Too Fat to Win

Your bird looks healthy. Eats well. Flies strong. Perfect feathers.
But it's carrying 25-30 grams of belly fat.
That's like YOU running a marathon carrying a 10kg weight vest.
The 5-Second Belly Fat Test:
Hold bird. Feel keel (breastbone) with thumb and finger.
RACE-FIT BIRD (winner):
✅ Keel feels like SHARP BLADE (prominent, defined edges)
✅ Muscle on both sides of keel, NO fat layer
✅ When you press gently, you feel BONE immediately
✅ Skin moves freely over muscle (not puffy/padded)
✅ Keel end (near vent) is HARD/DEFINED (not soft/rounded)
OVERWEIGHT BIRD (loser):
❌ Keel feels ROUNDED/BLUNT (fat covering edges)
❌ Soft padding between skin and muscle
❌ When you press, you feel CUSHION before hitting bone
❌ Skin feels puffy/thick (fat layer underneath)
❌ Keel end is SOFT/UNDEFINED (fat deposit)
What 20-30g Excess Fat Does:
Energy Cost:

Every gram of fat = wasted energy carrying it
25g excess fat = 7-8% extra body weight
Bird must work 7-8% HARDER for same speed
Over 300km = 15-25 minutes SLOWER

Aerodynamics:

Fat creates bulky profile (increased drag)
Rounded belly = less streamlined
More air resistance = more energy wasted

Thermoregulation:

Fat insulates (good in cold, BAD in racing)
Racing generates heat
Fat prevents heat dissipation
Bird overheats faster, slows down