10 Mistakes of Non-Champions

10 MISTAKES OF THE NON-CHAMPIONS by Ad Schaerlaeckens
Many champions share the same ideas and fanciers that will never be champions are also of a type. The reason why they will never be champions is not the fact that they make mistakes, (everybody does) but the fact that they are not aware of that and keep on making them.

MISTAKE ONE
It cannot be emphasized enough that it is a big mistake to value name, strain and pedigree too much. It has led to many disappointments already.

MISTAKE TWO
Non-champions take action at the wrong time. They take refuge to medicine too early or too late. When pigeons race poorly they think medicine may help but not being in good shape does not mean being sick. Medicate against diseases that do not exist will result in weaker birds, on the other hand you are too late when you take action when the birds are on the point of dying.

MISTAKE THREE
Non-champions have no confidence. They change their methods again and again. There are several good systems and several bad ones. The worst is to change again and again.

MISTAKE FOUR
Especially in young bird racing it is important to have a good relationship with the pigeons. When a not successful fancier enters his loft his birds will want to get out as they do not trust him. When a champion is among his birds they feel at ease, but he has them under control still. He is the general, the birds are his soldiers, and good soldiers are disciplined. Champions play with their birds whereas birds of the non-champion play with the fancier.

MISTAKE FIVE
Non-champions want to find the best stuff to cure their birds from diseases. The champions try to prevent their birds from becoming sick. They pay special attention to the environment, the loft In the drinkers of the champions is clear water most of the time, the water in the drinkers of non-champions is often coloured. Non-champions are too soft hearted with birds that are not healthy. Champions get rid of such; they have iron hands in silk gloves.

MISTAKE SIX
Especially in young bird racing it is wrong to feed ‘too heavy’. That means too much protein, too many peas for example. Peas are good for babies in the nests that have to mature, for babies that are being raced it is poison.

MISTAKE SEVEN
Most non-champions are naïve. When mating birds they do not realise how important good luck is. They think that if they mate a Super cock with a Super hen or its sister they will breed Super birds automatically. But it is not that simple.

MISTAKE EIGHT
Non-champions are brainwashed by the press and the propaganda of ‘brokers in illusions’. Champions are more realistic.

MISTAKE NINE
In the stock loft of non-champions you will find breeders that are some years old that never gave good birds. I wonder what such birds are doing there.

MISTAKE TEN
Modern racing pigeons are getting smaller. Some think bigger birds are stronger birds. They are wrong. It is often those small pigeons that can handle the hardest weather conditions and the greater distances.

10 Mistakes of Non-Champions by: Ad Schaerlaeckens

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27 thoughts on “10 Mistakes of Non-Champions

  1. I have all the books from you and they are all ok as a guide to racing pigeons there are many many spelling errors and not the indepth help that was promised in the adverts ,shame really the idea of learning something new was great,the practice was different .if there is anything more that will be published i would be interested in an honest appraisal before i buy

  2. Well said! My advice to any struggling fancier is to swallow your pride, approach a champion and ask if he would mentor you, if you get the green light, then stick with him, and learn all his winning ways. Build up a good relationship holding any secrets, secret, and be teachable.
    Do as he does, and soon you will become a champion too.

  3. Hi There very good article but i do know fanciers who work and don’t spend a lot of time with there
    youngsters but feed right and train well and win they have to love home.Any fancier in another
    country wishing to e-mail back and forth here is my e-mail address [email protected]
    Brad.

  4. What those who never wins also not see is they have to many racing pigeons in one small loft. Too hard headed to listen to good advice and their will is to strong to let good advice sink in. They are also too blind to see their own faults. This hurt me allot when I meat such a fancier. It feels to me the good solid advice you given them, they wipe it off their asses. I say so because I tried to help 3 of above mentioned fanciers in Cape Town, South Africa when I went to go and see my new natural racing pigeon loft on my brother’s warehouse roof top. All 3 said to me the same thing: ” The more racers I have, the better chance I have to win racers.” Believe me, they still try to win racers. Never did. The last combine race in 2011 all three was in the last 10 places out of 950 racing pigeons flown against. That race I came 2nd, 3rd and 4th place with only 3 birds send. I’ve bought that first placed winner off that fancier on that day plus given him my 3rd and 4th placed birds for free. He couldn’t refuse the offer. Now if a fancier as the 3 I tried to help does not see that the first 5 placed pigeons from different lofts has only maximum 20 to 25 racing pigeons in lofts big enough for 250 to 350 racing pigeons of which all has tried to help them, then I don’t know anything further at all in how to help these 3 struggling fanciers. As we all say in the club I now race in to them: ” You don’t want to learn from us then keep on wasting your money, your time and your energy to succeed in failure.”

  5. This is my first year that I will be racing my pigeons . I need help from 1person who can guide me to the end I have a total of 20 birds but only 8 youngsters that I can race I have. Trained then till about 30 miles and lost only 1 bird I need help on some very important topics like
    How many miles do I train them till ?
    What do I feed before the race ?
    What do I feed before a training toss?
    Should the waterer always be in the loft ?
    Should I mix vitamins in the water?
    And allot more..!!!!! I would really appreciate it if one of you could give me your e-mail I’d and help me as I am getting confused and the compatators give very limited advice.

    1. Hi there. My name is Vincent. I train my birds on the same route they going to race from. I even go further by releasing them from the liberation spot and this could be up to 750 miles away from their loft. This is achieved via my brother’s long haul trucking business. His drivers do these favors for me and my brother. So not only you need that but excellent relationships with these long haul drivers. I feed my pigeon mostly chopped up nuts certain bush roots and certain leaves all chopped up into corn size pieces. All straight from nature and none supplements, none tonics, none formulas, zero tips from other sources. In between I also feed them very small portion of Natural feeds for racing pigeons. Be also careful in not over feeding your birds. Oops!!! Almost forgot. Honeysuckle little flowers and leaves, mint young leaves and garlic is also added. these are also chopped up in corn size pieces. Honeysuckle little flowers, mint has loads of antibiotics, enzymes, vitamins, etc… in them and it is straight from mother nature. The bush leaves and bush roots comes from my belated uncle of from who I inherited his racing pigeon lofts and pigeons. I have not their their names but I certainly know what and where to look for them and what they look like. My brother does not know the names either.

      Hope this bring a little help to you.
      What is your name?

  6. What you are saying about the good relationship with the birds is highly understandable, but for the working man it is not so easy! your comments are stating if you work and or do not have time to be with your birds you are going to be behind and or have little chance in the sport! Or thats how it comes across! Not a very good way to promote pigeon racing is it! My birds are frightened of me when i go into the loft especially young birds, I have little and or no time to be in the loft talking my pigeons as the wife demands some of my time as do the kids,
    I do not win many races and in fact can not always enter some weeks but I love the sport and enjoy all that goes with it, and I know I can never compete with the big boys but give some thought to us that work and do struggle to participate.
    I have won races and people that cannot cuddle their birds everyday may still be a part of pigeon racing.

    1. I also work and have little time with my birds but every animal is attracted to the person that feeds him try give them seeds and in a couple of days the pigeons will become your friens again.

  7. I ve read lots of articles saying…breed the best to the best,,,,champion to champion,,,,,father to daughter,,,,aunts to uncles,,,,dont cross breed,,,,use this med or that med……use this system or that system….size matters…and dont forget about the eyes signs …dont feed this or dont feed that…..I say dont worry about blood lines or pedigres or even systems as all of those things wont do you any good….if you dont know how to raise pigeons….getting young birds and training them and racing is good but the real challenge if the next season…when you want young birds…..if you dont know how to raise birds then you really dont know anything…..all the best blood lines in the world wont do you any good if you cant reproduce what you have…..those guys that win say oh yea its easy to win just do this or do that…..yep thats easy say….beerd your winners to winners….but getting your birds to that point is the hard part…..you want to learn how to win….you cant race if you can raise…..start with learning how to raise and breed pigeons….you have to learn what makes them tick…..like telling the sex of a bird….if you cant do that, you ll never raise 1 young bird….careing for your birds is an every day thing…I dont mean liking them, every body cares about there birds….I mean feeding, watering, cleaning the loft…..its like haveing to pick up after your kids…..and you how much of a job that can be….if you want to raise pigeons get a breed that wont cost you an arm and a leg….start with rollers…..or even commies…no there not racing pigeons…but they are pigeons….they eat the same , drink the same, and even poop the same and when you open the trap they come out and fly and they even learn to get back inside….and they will be easier on your pocket….just a few pair to start….now heres the hard part….watch them…. yea….just set and watch them…they are like people , they are all different….watch them when they are feed…if you are giveng mixed feed, you ll see that there are grains that wont be eaten…..I dont care what ever you do, if they dont like it, they wont eat it….their little trick is to flick it out of the feeder…..thats why you have feed all over the floor…..just like your kids….look under Mikeys chair…LOL…. so you have to learn to feed just what they clean up in 20 minutes….watch them went they go to roost….note that each one has his or hers favorite perch….and they dont share….sound like mikey dont it…..want to have a good team of young birds….you need to know how often pigeons lay eggs…if you let 1 pair of birds lay eggs and raise young, and nothing else….you may end up with 10 or 12 youngs at the end of the season….and you thought it was going to be hard…..now …. mulitply that by 5 pair…..oops….see I told you didnt know how to raise pigeons……now you have too many…..this is where the word cull comes in…to cull you need to know what you want verses what you need….and getting rid of what you dont want is something else….but this is your first season….there are going to be many more…youve learned a lot….and if you dotted all your”T” and crossed all your “I”….you ve learn how to raise pigeons….all you have to do now is…just do the same thing again next season, minus every thing you did wrong, and you ll be on your way to racing pigeons….if you want to get serious with racing pigeon….then you need to be serious in raiseing pigeons…all the ins and out are funimental with all breeds of pigeons…some breeds are easier to raise than others and you need to have some experience with that before you tackle racing….want to have fun….take 2 different breeds, mate them, and see what you get…then look at the breed you like the best… try to reproduce that breed with the crosses you have….remember cull what you dont like….thats what crossing 2 familys of homers would be like….if you can do this….then go buys them homers…..they are your babies…..have fun with them……

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