A Must-read for Racing Pigeons Aficionado – Knowing your Voyageurs

 Training of Racing Pigeons  No Responses »
Apr 262012
 


Racing pigeons is both a hobby and a sport. A lot of people are realizing how rewarding the activity is that is why countless folks are seriously getting into it. For the ones who are already seasoned in pigeon racing, the practices involved in it are unending endeavors. It is a continuous process of regular improvements and adjustments that require a lot of patience and dedication.  It takes skill and appropriate knowledge in order to enjoy longevity in this field. Anything less than what is necessary is detrimental to the likelihood of reaping the activity’s fruits.

Racing pigeons is rich in history, being a time-honored game. The amount of discipline that goes into it cannot be discounted and the people who are captivated by it are always ready to take on the challenge. If you are planning to start your pursuit to be a good pigeon racer, then it will do you good to take time and learn a few important things that can allow you to decide whether you are prepared for the sport. Right off the bat, you have to realize that it is not as simple as it may seem but the perks make all the efforts worth it.

Failsafe Racing Pigeons Advice

Racing Pigeon

The first thing you need to do to jumpstart your pursuit in being one of the best in racing pigeons is to prepare for the equipment and the birds. Nowadays, there are several resources that will allow you to purchase the things you need. In the internet alone, you can find countless companies that supply the things needed for the sport and even pigeons can be bought online. Since it is easy to be too excited once you start, it will be beneficial for you to keep these tips handy:

Feeding Nutrients – racing pigeons are a lot like athletes that require proper diet in order for them to be good at what they do. Make sure you give your birds the right kind of food to make them fit for racing.

  • Start your birds with corn for starters
  • Coming into the sixth week, replace the corn with two separate daily meals. Use light rations during the day and make sure you give them a nice helping of corn during evening meals. This is crucial in making sure that they build up muscles the right way.
  • Stick to the feeding routine especially during off seasons of racing.

Training Schedule – timing is everything when it comes to training your voyageurs. The best time to teach them how to race is during mornings. Also, always be critical of the weather condition on training days. Make sure that clear skies and no gusty winds are always part of your consideration in picking a day to train.

Do Not Rush the Birds – remember that there are no short-cuts in pigeon racing. Give your birds the chance to mature and never subject them to too much training and exercise. Like all athletes, they too can be burnt out and have their ability decreased to deliver in actual game times.

Fist Course is Paramount – the primary lesson the birds ought to know about is trapping. Observe your birds and make sure they know how to come back to their loft. On the first day of training, watch out for those birds that made it back last and teach them to be the faster on the next day.

Racing Pigeons – The Secret Formula for Winning

Homing PigeonRacing pigeons is a very competitive sport and an exhilarating one at that. Experts in this activity have their own ways of producing champions and more often than not, it has something to do with the birds’ breed. Yet, there are fool-proof ways to make your chances of winning races a whole lot better:

Less is Really More – it will do you good if you choose to maintain a small group of pigeons. This way, you get to have better distribution of your time in training and feeding your family of birds. A huge flock would almost certainly guarantee that some birds may be neglected.

Give Importance to Health- this makes a lot sense because a bird that is not fit cannot be expected to win races. Remember, they are not just regular pigeons – they are athletes. They need the proper nutrition in order to be champions.

Racing Preparation – during race season, make sure your racers are hydrated with a lot of electrolytes. They use up a lot of fluids whenever they fly and you have the responsibility to replenish it.

Hygiene is Key – cleanliness of the pigeons and their loft along with the things they use for feeding is imperative. Obviously, a sloppy cage and feeders will trigger bacteria build-up that can put the birds’ health in jeopardy. Always make it a habit to get rid of droppings and clean their feeders.

These tips may come as a surprise for most people because of their simplicity. Yet, there are many racers out there who are overly focused in winning and neglect these very important parts of the bargain. The point is if you want to win, you must not be reluctant to get your hands dirty.

Maintenance is a huge part of pigeon racing and it is impossible to do without it.

Simple Training Tips for Racing Pigeons

Racing Pigeons

Training racing pigeons can be a pill. Here are some quick guides to avoid frustration during the birds’ training:

Loft Placement – choose a place where you will put the birds’ loft. You want it in a spot where the end of the race would likely be situated.

Reward System – during training for trapping, put treats on the trap so the birds will be enticed to go there until they get used to the idea. You can also use this technique to teach them to get in a release basket.

Distance Adjustment – gradually increase the distance between the place of release and the loft. This will slowly make the bird capable of flying long distances.

The Thrill of Racing Pigeons

Since you will begin the sport by actually overseeing every detail of the activity, the bonuses you get can be priceless. From breeding, growing and training the birds, all of these aspects boil down to that prideful moment when the birds start becoming racing pigeons.

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 Posted by joann at 11:21 am  Tagged with:

Racing Pigeons – What Owners Should Know?

 Training of Racing Pigeons  No Responses »
Mar 052012
 

Acquiring and maintaining racing pigeons is neither simple nor easy process.  One must not be plain excited because excitement is a sudden feeling which may be lost along the way when everything’s not happening the way we want it to be.  Newbie in raising pigeons must be really an enthusiast and shows great passion to birds specifically on breeding racing pigeons.

6 Steps to Breed Racing Pigeons Successfully

Racing Pigeons

Racing Pigeon

Racing is an exact example of a challenge. And one must have his own secrets to win or be humiliated if lost. Check on the following steps which would help you breed the best among the best of champions.

1.       Choose the breed that wins.

Since you want to join in racing, your obvious purpose is to win.  Your pigeon must know how to come home after the race, it must be capable of coming back home and must have interest of getting back home.

2.       Choose the racing breed.

An apple won’t produce a strawberry. What does it mean? It means if you do not have any pigeons with racing gene, you would never produce it whatever kind of breeding you do. So you better get it for a chance of winning the race.

3.       Test your pigeons patiently.

Don’t rely with one result but when you see it on the third time, then you’ve got to pay attention to it. So if you didn’t see valuable results after placing at least 10 of their babies in tests, you’ve got to cull your breeders.

4.       Choose the best.

If you started to breed for 200, then focus to the top 2.  That’s really choosing the best or to give allowance, you may consider until 10.  Culling for more than this ratio will not get you successful.

5.       Strengthening of genetic contribution.

Inbreeding increases the genetic contribution of your chosen breeders.  It provides more predictability because you narrow the gene pool.  It also lessens variability on their babies.

6.       Outcrossing.

With this process, you introduce a new bloodline into your flock which would enhance their qualities.

Those steps are very challenging and involve a lot of patience and perseverance.  After all, that’s all that’s necessary when you want to achieve the best of racing pigeons.

Top 8 Champion Breeds of Racing Pigeons

It’s all in their blood!  Check on the following list of champion breeds that have proved their winning records from their parents down to their offsprings.

1.       Fabry

Undoubtedly, this breed comes from the family of 1st place race winner.  Winning is definitely on its blood.

2.       Black Diamonds

When it comes to short and middle distance racing, Black Diamonds are people’s choice.

3.       Bastin

This breed comes from a great bloodline with its notable characteristics in terms of feathers and muscles.

4.       Flor Engels

This breed has champion origins which surely run through their successor along the line.

5.       Jan Aarden

This pigeon breed has proven to produce top racers for long distance category.

6.       Janssen

Ancestors of this pigeon breed have shown great records of winning.

7.       Van der Maelen

Being the champion is first on its vocabulary.  From its ancestors to different successors, Van der Maelen’s winning characteristic has been consistent and can be seen clearly.

8.       Sion

When you look on its pedigree, you’ll know this pigeon breed is definitely created to win the race.

There you have them, the leaders of race themselves! Although there are a lot more numbers of racing pigeons available these days, we only mentioned the few that have been acknowledge for their superb winning records.

Tips on Taking Care of Racing Pigeons

The word ‘race’ can be equated to ‘exhaustion’, which does not only apply to humans but to pigeons as well.  Take note of the following caring tips that you should apply to your birds after the race.

·       

racing pigeons

Pigeon Racing

  After the race, wash your pigeon’s feet with warm water as well as their feathers. By washing or cleaning them, you’ll be able to wipe out the germs they could have acquired from the other pigeons that joined the race.

·         If the race was a long one, your birds would definitely need to feed, particularly in the morning as they arrived and then main feed should follow in the evening.

·         Do not forget that pigeons need to rest after the race.  Have them relax for at least 1 ½ days (36 hours) once the race is done.  This way their muscles recover and gain full potency which are essential for the next training and race schedule.

Racing pigeons have their own distinctive muscle strengths in order to endure the challenge of the race so their owners must always remember how to take care of them properly.

Top 3 Nutrients Racing Pigeons Need

Since it involves energy in order to fly, pigeons must be regularly checked and monitored if they are getting the right nutrient at the right amount in order to soar smoothly.

·        Carbohydrates

For the first few minutes of their flying, race pigeons would not last unless they’ve got sufficient carbohydrates.  They mostly need feed with loads of carbohydrates if they are to race for short distances.

·         Fats

Fats store energy while it’s not in use.  When it comes to racing, carbohydrates would be consumed immediately so fats are necessary so that for the next few distances, your pigeons still have energy to use.  When it’s a long distance race, include feeds with fat contents.

·         Protein

We all know that protein does a lot of wonders when it comes to maintaining and repairing muscles but it does not stop there.  It also improves fertility and hatchability which are very helpful in breeding.  The known ideal mix of protein in feeds is 18% at most.  Going beyond this mixture does not show any drastic development, although there’s no negative implications have been seen as well.

Responsibility is one major concern when it comes to maintaining racing pigeons that’s why it must be taken seriously, with full attention and great passion.

Are we able to input a lot of knowledge with this article?  Share what you’ve learned about racing pigeons to your friends and tell us what else you know by filling in the comments section.

 Posted by admin2 at 9:31 am  Tagged with: , ,

The 1-2-3 of Raising Homing Pigeons

 Training of Racing Pigeons  No Responses »
Feb 192012
 


Raising Homing Pigeons isn’t entirely difficult, nor could it be considered as a piece of cake. A few key notes must be considered before venturing into breeding this exquisite bird. Homing Pigeons is a breed of rock pigeon that is basically trained to return to its own home.  According to researchers, the reason why they are able to return to their homes is because they follow certain navigation cues.  These include the earth’s magnetic field, the topography or landmarks of a certain area, the position of the sun, and the ultraviolet light patterns found in the sky. These birds have been used in the olden days as messengers by carrying letter to and fro. However, at present, they are messengers no more. They are already considered as one of the many most requested pets.

Raising Homing Pigeons

Raising Homing Pigeon

In raising homing pigeons, there are many considerations before choosing which one to have. One consideration would be the ease in raising the pet. Of course, it would be very beneficial to the owner if the animal to be raised requires no complexities in their day to day activities. Fortunately, raising homing pigeons is just as easy as one, two, and three.

Upon purchasing the pigeon, one must technically buy at least a pair of pigeons. Paired pigeons are necessary to generate offspring and to have them multiply. If no paired pigeon is available, then acquire at least an equal number of male and female pigeon. Thus, raising homing pigeons should be kept or housed in the same room for them to be able to mate.

When you notice one pigeon to be sick, or does not seem to be in good condition, it is best to isolate that pigeon. This will prevent any spread of disease, if really does exists. As an owner you must also keep a record of the number of days in between each egg laying and hatching period. Apart from this, another record of the chicks’ weight, the number of chicks born alive, and also the number of deaths must also be maintained. This will enable you to identify which pigeon is productive or not, and which is sickly and poor in health or performance.

Raising Homing Pigeons – What are the YES’ and NO’s in feeding them?

In raising homing pigeon, it usually have grains for food, whole grains, that is. As stated, the grains to be fed must be whole. It should neither be broken into smaller pieces nor should it be in powder form. It should be prepared and fed as it originally is. Some form of grains that are suitable for these pigeons include the following: corn, sorghum, soybean, rice, and legume seeds.

Pigeons are considered as hungry eaters. They eat at almost any time of the day, whenever they feel like it. Having stated this, their food must be placed in an area where it is accessible to them. This area must have no barriers for them to be able to eat freely as they please.

In raising homing pigeons, how should their house be like?

A pigeon’s house must be spacious, but not necessarily too large. It must be big enough for air to freely come and go. Most of the times, when many raising homing pigeons are contained in a single area, they tend to become mischievous in moving from here and there.  An airy and spacious place for them would be advantageous to the owner.

On the flooring of a pigeon’s house, there must be clean dry sand. This will serve as a play area for them. Here, they can roll and pick up stones or pebbles with their beaks. This applies for young pigeons.

However, for adult pigeons, an elevated loft must be prepared. The adult ones are those who are capable of laying eggs already. They will be in need of a higher area to keep their eggs in safety as both parents take turns in warming the eggs. You must secure that before egg laying period, leaves must be scattered in the coop of the pigeons.

The nest of the adult pigeon is usually made of twigs, leaves, and grasses. This gives them the feeling of being one with nature. The nests must be craftily made, because this will serve as the house of the young for about 25 to 32 days. Homing pigeons are known to be energetic breeder producing 4 to 5 batches of young in a year. Thus, their nest must be well made.

What bathing process must be observed in raising homing pigeons?

Raising Homing Pigeons

Homing Pigeons Raising

Like ordinary pets as dogs and cats, homing pigeons also do take a bath. However, they do not need to be bathed personally by the owners. In fact, they do it themselves. Adult pigeons usually bathe themselves in containers provided by the owners. Homing pigeons love to take a bath.

In preparing a bathing container for your pets, you need to consider its size. The container must be more or less 7.5cm deep. The depth of the container gives them ease in taking a bath. Their likes to take a bath enable them to become healthier and stronger. Just like a human’s perception on a practicing clean hygiene, homing pigeon’s frequent bathing keeps them away from diseases.

For the record, it is best suggested to have the pigeons bathe 2 to 3 times in a week. Aside from bathing, pigeons must also be checked by veterinarians on a regular basis to further enhance their health conditions.

There is really no formula on raising a pet, whatever animal it may be. For all kinds of pet, all there is to do is to fulfill the requirements needed by them. This may include providing them proper food at all times which will in turn give them the minerals they need, water, and clean and safe housing. For homing pigeons, enough nesting materials are also a must. Without these, they would not be able to produce young properly. Fulfilling these requirements will guarantee you a happy place, with homing birds as your pet. Lastly, a personal requirement of becoming a pet owner is responsibility. You must be responsible enough to watch over your pets, and see to it that their needs are well attended. With all these, you are all set in raising homing pigeons.

 Posted by admin2 at 9:00 am  Tagged with:

The perfect idea of postal service from pigeon racing

 Training of Racing Pigeons  No Responses »
Dec 302011
 

Introduction of postal service from pigeon racing

pigeon racing

Racing Pigeon

More perfectly described as the pigeon racing, in some aspects, one of man’s earliest feathered companions.  Away from being lowly servant, racing pigeon was an innovative and special prerogative of the kings, princes, and the nobles of all types. At the time of these ancient times it was a contrary to the law for common people to own various pigeons. The empires of the Carthage, Rome and Egypt made the full application of them in various ways including production of the squabs (a amazing delicacy) and high-graded nitrogen (droppings) for the fields. The above mentioned civilizations are also applied pigeons in the great network of the advanced and modern communication. They also kept emperors in the touch with most and full remote areas of the lands at the time while horse and the riders or the caravans would have also taken some weeks to deliver same information. The Caesar made it formidable application of them at the time of conquest of the Gaul.

Facilities of the pigeon racing

This is now greatly difficult to consider that the feathered companions were in the ultimate communication equipments applied in various communication networks! This is further critical to comprehend that those little warriors of airways created possible for both great empires and great fortunes. Already mentioned about the Persians and Egyptians are trained rock pigeons to carry the messages and for pigeon racing. The pigeons were an exceptionally unique method of the communications hitherto unheard of. The empires mainly spread across and then the known civilized world came to capturing country after discovered the country. These other countries also had trained rock doves. Those countries mainly included Greece, China, Italy and India. Among all these various countries like China had in these aspects organized a great postal system focused upon the application of the messenger pigeons and the pigeon racing. The knowledge is power, as well as at a time the ensured and swiftest process to provide this knowledge was with pigeon racing.

Fans of the pigeon racing

Pigeon Racing

Pigeons Racing

There are several of people who also become a fan of the pigeon racing. If you consider yourself as a bird enthusiast, who loves to finish and also hooked to mechanics of the sport, you required to learn initial on training a young pigeon before coming to an expert fancier. This all also boils to the preparation. As much as you can, you desire to ready your bird in best possible method before pigeon racing competition starts and this should have to be start in the young age. A vital motto that you require to produce is to ensure your pigeons achieve as near as you can to the beginning point of race to support them habituated to return home loft. The capability to return to home loft is first and most priority in initial training rather than stamina and speed of the pigeon as the seasoned trainers may also point out. The cause for this is very simple, even whether you possess fastest bird at the time of the competition, this will be useless whether the pigeon racing cannot find the way to return to home loft.

 Posted by joann at 5:14 am  Tagged with:
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