This weeks discussion of the week is…
What do you think the current state of pigeon racing is?
For example do you think pigeon racing is growing or dying and why, express your views and share with others your opinions on the current state of pigeon racing by placing your vote in the poll below then posting a comment in the comment section below this post.
Loading ...Click here to post your thoughts on the current state of pigeon racing.
I am from India and in my state it growing I dont know about other but we used to have more race than previous year.
The pigeon racing sport is dying because the old racers refuse to help the younger racers who want to get into the sport. From my experience them seem like your going to steal done thing from them. I don’t get it.
Pigeon racing and pigeon keeping are two diffrent classes,any one can give up or can quit any time from keeping the pigeon but racing the pigeon(keeping for racing) is very powerfull virus once some one infected
by this can not quit or give up (lol)
Its a lovely sopport and very intresting hobby for young and specialy for retired persons but expansive- pigeon racing increasing day by day. My special Message for
those who feel lonely keep pigeon and see the +ve change in your life.
Hi, good day to all, im from Manila Philippines, just for a thought, pigeon racing here in the Philippines are still growing, and to think of it, most of kids loves pigeon racing or breeding here.
What the fanciers can do is to coach those newly in the field, assist them and train them for better better towards to racing.
I just started again to breed , and join a club for the next game.
Ilove pigeons so much, most of the time that i dont have work were spending it with my birds.
It was a really great past time.
with todays technology, computers etc. there is just a lot of things for young people to get involved in (not including other sports) i feel this is one reason we have a hard time getting new and younger flyers. too many kids i feel are micro waved to the video games and television.
that is for sure that is the reason the kids only get 2 hrs. of tv a day and 3 hrs of games per week each . yes im very different from most people but that’s the way they learn to read and entrain them selves in other ways
My Experience is that yes the pigeon game is shrinking but I contribute this to the high costs envolved. I dont think it is more expensive than for instance golf but the pigeon fanciers and the golfers used to be from a different class of people now the pigeon sport due to high costs is moving into the same class of person hence the shrinking but I think it will level out at some point and when it becomes the same symbol status as for instance golf it will start growing again. With top birds selling at 250,000.00 Euro it seems to excel even horseracing. However the sport and the result must become instant results on the internet so as to attract punters and gamblers from outside the sport Then it will start growing again. We are in the process of developing a GPRS Timer that will do just that named the Konic GPRS timer check it on our website http://www.windycorner.co.za click on Konic
what you got to be kidding me with this higher class b.s. Iv golfed my entire life and I golfed with doctors and lawyers and sales men and no one and i mean no one is better than another just the choices they make in life . its snobs like you that is giving the pigeon game a bad name and also the game of gulf and yes i still gulf
I also think that in some countries, including Australia where i live, the program seems to lean very much toward long distance racing. With the modern lifestyle leaving so little free time, I think the old thing of a fancier waiting patiently for hours for a brave pigeon to finally battle it’s way home is history.
I think sprint racing, with the need for smaller teams of birds, less training, and freeing up more family time at weekends is the way of the future. Agreed, those of us who are not so young can use our time as we wish, but if the sport is to recruit younger people in enough numbers to ensure the sport survives, it must become less demanding of time, more economical and more family friendly.
Im a beginner i race 1 yrabout 10 yr back had to quit for lung problem now i have bone camcer. but trying to start again so i have somrthing to get me out of the house. at present i have7 pair just enongh to start over with.need a hole lot of help
First i think that the public should be educated about the Racing, the Showing of the Various Breeds and the Performing of Rollers and Tumblers and a very good avenue to educating and informing would be for the IF, AU and the other organizations getting together and get with Animal Planet to start a series all about pigeons. There would be so many people and especially the younger generation to see there is more to just playing Video Games and they could learn Responsability and what its like to Compete.I would still have my Racers if it wasn’t for my health. To all of you fanciers out there have a good Breeding, Racing and Showing season this 2012 year, Good Luck to all!!
here is my thoughts i must agree with JIMMY DAVIS post im trying my best to get into the sport and feel intimidated by all these big guns so to speak (someone who has a lot of money and birds) i only have a few birds and on a fixed income i cant get any info on the local club ( reading pa. pigeon club ) and when i do find some one to ask questions i get Verge answers so there for im all ready thinking about getting out of the sport before i can really start so that’s the long and short of it IF ME AND MY GRAND KIDS DONT START HAVING FUN WITH THIS SPORT SOON I WILL GIVE IT UP AND THATS HOW ALOT OF BEGINERS FEEL
It would be nice to see you win a race with your limited number of birds. I and my son are in the same situation with only a few breeding pairs and some eggs coming up clear and a pair not wanting to lay. I figure that if I can get the few birds trained correctly to come home, come in quickly and fly with a big desire to come home, stay healthy and have a few left after YB racing – then this YB season (this year) I’ve done enough. I’ll be not only teaching the birds but also teaching myself (with the advice of others). Training myself to do what needs to be done is more important to me as a beginner.
I feel your pain and understand about the limited budget.
I found several people in the club I joined in January that are very helpful. This club had only a few members last year but now has a few more with this year as another club 30 miles away folded.
The club president for that last 30 years and the race secretary are good honest people willing to help – and a few others also invited me to their lofts and are willing to give me some birds but I don’t have room for them. I’ve asked a few basic questions like – what kind of feed and water schedule do you follow, what type of birds do you have, how long have you done this, how do you know if the bird is healthy, what are you looking at when you pull the wing out, what kind of medications should I give on a regular basis and what others should be given periodically.
They all have wanted to help… as a new flier it is – for me, a matter of putting away my fear of asking questions and being as honest and friendly as possible.
One final thought to help you have fun with the grand kids — maybe racing is too much to do for us… maybe raising Rolling pigeons would be more fun and interesting. I really love watching them tumble through the air on some of the youtube videos I’ve watched. I even seen some that roll across the lawn – very funny and I’m sure fun for young kids too.
that might just be the answer rollers … they come back to the loft as well .so i will look into rollers instead of homers may be that will hold me and the grand kids interest ..but will old birds come back or just fly back to where i get them from ..or do i have to divide my small loft to hold old pair . and the next question is if i cant let the old ones out to fly is that good for them and why wont they come back to there young . see to many questions hopefully i will get some answers and im sure sooner or latter i will
From what I have seen on YouTube.com, rollers do come back to whereever they are released but ask those that know for sure. There are specific ROLLER CLUBS throughout the US that should be able to help. Also, I think I had seen were there are ROLLER COMPITIIONS – judge would come out to your loft and watch your birds fly.
Not having them yet… (but maybe one day because they are so facinating and much less time consuming then what is involved in Racing Pigeons) I am not sure how to ‘settle’ them. I did see a youtube clip where the person was trying to settle older Young Racing Pigeons (that had never been released) that were already VERY Strong on their wings and could easily be spooked and fly off to lands unknown. He did this by dunking and completly soaking the bird (except the head) in a bucket of warm soapy water for about a minute or two to remove all feather dust/oil – it looked like a wet wash rag after he pulled it out. The bird was then set out on the flight deck with those already settled and the hour it took to dry apparently allowed it to become familiar with the loft and area, not spook and less likely to fly off.
I also watched a video clip where a guy had rollers and took them to a park, released them, called them back to him. They landed on his arm and also sat on his car. This seemed to indicate that the birds he had were very tame and could be released anywhere and called back to him.
You may want to spend several weeks watching youtube videos on “Pigeons” or “Rolling Pigeons” or “Bermingham Rollers” as key search words. I learned a lot from YouTube in a very short period of time. If you save the good videos to your Favorites – then you could also show them to your grandkids for their enjoyment too. I wish you the best in this short life. Richard
Jason,
Hello I hope that you dont leave on account of the guys with all the $ and birds I beat them twenty + years ago with good stock that were mostly unknowns the best advice I have is less is more with the birds and you have an advantage on those guys with big numbers. some time : sounds like that is what you and your grand kids need. Remember that most of the time those guys dont know what is right or left ,anyways in other words they make it up as they go and it is mostly luck !
I remember losing my favorite birds on account of listening to the so called big timers (guns), there are just so many ways to do things and no two ways that make anyone more successful than another there are trends but they come and go as well. TRY the IF (international federation)OR AU OR ARPU (american racing pigeon union) on the web. Get a hold of the AU they have a program for new flyers;Birds etc. GOOD LUCK .
thank you i will look up those web sites
i am 15 years and my club secretary wont give me any prizes or cards when i win but when ever the “old boys win” which is everyone in my club, they get money and cards!
So sorry to hear this. Sounds like your club secretary is not too bright of a person to not tell you why you do not receive $ or cards – maybe you should ask for a good explaination for this at a club meeting where every club member will hear your voice. Could the ‘money’ you see transfering possibly be from ‘pools’ that you are not involved with due to your age? The cards… well that doesn’t seem right. Bring this out in a club meeting and see what is said.
I`ll write my thoughts again as someting went wrong with my pc.
I belive that pigeon racing is in the decline because of a number of reasons. Fanciers should stop leaving in the past and realise that if we dont make radical changes sooner than later wewill not have a sport. we should every way possible to make the sport more attractive to young people and non fanciers.
Why dosn`t Combines, Feds, and clubs get together and form some sort of a league, with promotion and relegation. This way the `big guns` will be flying against each other and leagues 2 and 3 look to improve. Get someone at the top level of our sport to promote pigeon racing in schools. There are plenty of old schools about with roof top playgrounds empty.
Get the schools to compete againsed eachother.
Too many of the `old school` wont change, our world is changing fast and our sport must change every way possible to attract new people into our sport.
i feel the same way