Today I have a really great “discussion” that I would like to open up for everyone.
This is a discussion that I feel will help both new and veteran fanciers alike.
The question I have for you today is…
Pretend you were mentoring a brand-new fancier in the sport, what would be the first 3 things that you would teach or tell them to get them going in the sport on the right foot?
Basically, what 3 things do you feel are the most important things a fancier should know when racing pigeons.
Post your answer below in the comments section, I can’t wait to read them!
Never To Overcrowd Loft.
Giving birds chance to rest,Never hurry.
Be active in the game.Train and exersise your birds.
A good diet to birds,no over feeding.Less medicine.
A dry loft and cleaning.
1- Patience
2- Observation
3- feeding and training
Yep and last but not least “the loft setup” to the east and free of any wind inside the loft.
deep litter”” feeding at least 8 different seeds multivitamns
Healthy birds
Healthy feeding
Healthy race
Good loft with ventilation
Birds with performance
Healthy birds
1) Figure out what type of racing pigeons you need to buy. What distance would you want to fly, short, middle or long distance and buy birds for that particular distance.
2)Locate flyers in your area that are flying birds that suit your needs,if they are selling birds make sure that they fly winners and are at the top of the food chain in their club or combine. Do research online and see who else has success at your chosen distance.
3) Research loft designs, this is a very important part of being a successful flyer, build your loft with room to expand. Flooring is very important, you have concrete, wood and wire flooring, I like wire because there is less dust flying around your loft, talk to other breeders in your area and then decide. Good Luck
1) Best pigeons you can afford
2) well ventilated loft with clean feed
3) Listen and learn to what ever you can, take what you need and leave the rest
No one is right or wrong, what works for one, might not work for other, find what works for you and stick to it, avoid flip flopping throughout the season
1. Start with good stock
2. Have good health program
3. Good loft
1/ good dry and clean loft
2/ buy the best food you can afford to feed
3/ let the basket do your selections for you, and only keep those that respond to your management
Health good breeding and right food
1- The love of the pigeon 2-Health- Learning what makes the pigeon look so beautiful.3- caring for the pigeon.
Quality Breeders
Top Health
Remember NO body likes a winner
1/Hou jou drinkwater skoon
2/Bly weg van botteltjies (meds)hulle kan nie vlieg nie,
3/Lees,Lees,Lees alles oor duiwe.
1. Breed good pedigree racing pigeons only.
2. Race their children.
3. Check the results, take actions. PDCA
(1) Adequate housing & houskeeping
(2) Feed formulas
(3) Health programme
1. Get the best birds you can afford from a top fancier in your area.
2. Help design a loft
3. Teach him how to observe the pigeons for form and sickeness
(1)Every day when you go into the loft, try to get one pigeon that is sick or not 100% , you will train your eye (2)select pigeons that fits your stile of tossing and feeding (3 be a good master , give them the best home and love them , they fly for you ,
Health,feeding,training
In my opinion for new fancier is to buy the best, breed the best and race the best
1.- High quality beeeders
2.- Health
3.- keep things easy
(1) Clean water, feed & loft. The best pigeon in the world can’t win a race if it is sick
(2) Don’t medicate unless you know what the bird needs
(3) Training tosses as often as you can
1. Loft management – cleanliness, feeding ( grain free from mold)and clean drinking water.
2. Proper training, flushing and vaccination.
3. Good genetics and quality selection of birds.
1. Loft management – cleanliness, feeding ( grain free from mold)and clean drinking water.
2. Proper training, flushing and vaccination.
3. Let the basket do the selection of the pigeons and this in terms of results and thus also of genes.
All other methods of selection are so difficult and pedigrees are so tempting. Worthless pigeons often have a beautiful appearance and a beautiful pedigree.
International top pigeons often have a more normal appearance.
However, they do not have fundamental errors in physical construction.
Which does not mean that they can be selected according to a number of standard criteria such as, back, wing muscles, locks and feathers.
So let the basket do the selection.
In my opinion the 3 most important things that I would tell a fanciers are…
1. Keep great records of everything you do.
There’s a saying that goes “If you can’t measure it, you can’t change it” and that couldn’t be more true in my opinion then pigeon racing. If you keep great records of everything you do then you will have a much better time fine tuning your birds and loft.
2. Trust the basket, not yourself.
This goes hand in hand with number one, you may have your favorites in your loft, you may have birds who you think “look” amazing but in the end results speak louder than words. Training tosses will always show you who your best birds are. Again, this is why it is also important to keep good records.
3. Successful flying requires a 365 day per year commitment.
This is self-explanatory but just because the race season is over doesn’t mean your commitment to your birds should be. In fact that should be the time to really audit and reformulate your loft and birds (according to your previous year’s records) and put together a plan of attack and plant the seeds for the next season.