In going along with the pigeon racing promotion theme in this weeks discussion of the week we would like to know,
How did you get involved in pigeon racing or pigeon keeping in general?
You see, if we could figure out what got you interested in pigeon racing or pigeons in general for that matter we might be able to duplicate that to get more people interested in the sport and hobby. What worked for you should work for others right?. You already know my story you can read it here (About Me), I didn’t know anything about pigeons but when I realized how interesting and amazing they were I was hooked.
So go ahead and post your comments I’m looking forward to reading them! and see what we can do to help promote this great hobby of ours.
Discussion of the week, How did you get involved with pigeons?
The Leading Online Pigeon Racing and Racing Pigeons Magazine – The Pigeon Insider
I was 9 when I got my first pair of pigeons.I join the cub @ 11, on a big club with big numbers of pigeons.On the 2nd year I was 2x1st with a super grizzle cock, wich was my 1st pigeon home for about two years, after 10 years I sold the pigeons and move to USA. For about 3 year I leve on apartment and can’t have pigeons, then in 2004, I bought a house and PIGEONS !!!!
Chris
my father got me into it to keep me out of trouble and for something for us to do together without fighting and now I cant get away from it to much fun competing
I was a military brat, so we didn’t stay in any one place to long until my dad retired. when he did, i was working on a farm in 68 an a friedn asked me to watch his birds on the farm for him.After that i was hooked. my folks let me move them to our back yard, and i flew there for a couple of years, then i noticed girls lol.after HS graduation i went in the marines for 7ys, rode motorcycles a while and noticed a gent in pa with birds……….BAM they struck again.20 yrs from my 1st date with pigeons and now theie back to stay.
terry
As a kid I always had some animal, bird, or reptile as a pet. Couldn’t have a lizard, my Mother was afraid of them, but had snakes, turtles, alligators,coons, rabbits,dogs, cats,various wild birds and common pigeons. My Dad liked pigeons and we would catch them off the street or anywhere we could. Most kids had pigeons in those days. I believe raising pigeons was the all time biggest hobby back then. My friends and I would take the birds a mile or so on our bikes, race home and call one another when our birds got home.It wasn’t until one of my sisters boyfriends got a pair of race birds from someone he knew and gave them to me that I started raising racing homers. Well I was proud as a peacock,I actually had a pigeon with a band on its leg.I was the envy of my neigborhood. My Dad built me a loft, made a bob trap w/ coathangers and I was in business. We had a weekly Market Bulletin that had a pigeons for sale column. I would find the ones with racing homers and on the week end my Dad and I would go around buying them. You could get them for $.50 to a dollar or two. The local feed store would sell grain by the pound. I started noticeing pigeons exerciseing and would watch where they would land and started visiting lofs in my area. There were about 8 or 10 close enough to get to by bike and I would visit as often as I could. They were always willing to let a kid scrape the loft or do various chores around the loft. The whole time I would be asking questions. Every now and then I’d be given a youngster or and old bird. I would read anything I could pertaining to homers. The only thing that kept me from flying was the clock. A new one cost about $100 and I didn’t have it and my Dad didn’t either. By the time a local club member gave me his old timer I was discovering girls. Sort of loss interest in the birds for a while then joined the Marine Corps. Came back home got married and moved around to various rental houses.Like most who had pigeons in their blood I finally was able to get the birds again.The thrill of seeing the birds return from a race is undiscribeable. Even with the new electronic clocks I’m still outside waiting for the thrill of seeing the birds return. Get a young kid interested in the birds and it will keep him out of trouble,teach him life lessons for caring for and raising living things and eventually he’ll come back to the birds later in life.
I got interested in pigeons and a variety of small animals since High School until my later years in College. Now I am working that spending my time to the hobby I like is so hectic that I have to stop and concentrate more on work. Spending your free time with live animals is so relaxing that I wish that I could relive that time of my life. Maybe in the next few years I will start again to care for these creatures.
I got started with pigeons as a child I was 7 or 8 years back in Barbados W.I my Dad had a friend who had racing pigeons at that time all I know is that thies birds you could take them any where and let them go he used to send his over to Trinidad they would come back home my dad friend gave me a pair and he thought me how to keep them healthy after I had raise my first four young he gave me 3 more pairs he told me he wanted to see if I was realy instersted in the birds I had to look after the birds before I could go out with my friends and play my DAD would always say they are yours to look after if you do not take care of them I will give them back to my friend.
I would ride my abike about ten miles with the birds in box let them go, my DAD would let me know which came home first.
IT keep me of the streets and thought me how to be a beter person.Ihave made some life long friends with thies birds in Europe (so DAD help your Children get started) it will pay off!
Way back, in 1958, at age 10 I was invited (conned) by a school mate to “help clean his dad’s pigeon loft and train the birds”. I showed a greater interest and facination in the birds and became the “official trainer”(my school mate still had to clean the lofts LOL! I was gifted a pair of birds by this man – the hen was a Federation winner from 640 miles and the cock a two time winner from 580 miles. What a start! Competing as a junior the next year, I took 8 positions in the first 12 including first second and fourth in my very first race. Repeated the win for the next two weeks, took third in the fourth race and the first five in the fifth race – and these results were against senior flyers. Wish I could repeat this now!
I got into pigeons in the late 70’s back in Brooklyn. Neighbor moved in to my building and made a coop. I was so amazed at the pigeons. He taught me alot . Eventually he moved out. Then I built a coop in the same roof. Had tipplits homers flights owls etc. Back then didnt even know my brother use to have pigeons . When I told what I was doing he helped out when he could.We had mixed stocks. Back then there was a flyer almost every block. Had fun crashing our stocks together and try to catch each others birds. I had like 150 birds. Others had 3 to 500 birds. Fun part was going to the petshop.It was JOJO’s. He had about 400 flights on the roof. He sold birds for as low as a $1.50 and a bag of mixed feed was $7 for 50lbs. Then i left pigeons in mid 80’s. Here I am now 25 years later back into pigeons. Into homers this time. Started with 5 homers now I have 38.Breeding right now hope to get some racers and join a club.
I got in to pigeons we I was about 8 or 9 Years old. A man gave me two hens and to cocks. Then the next years he gave me the bands.It was just something to keep.I mever race but on vacation we took the birds to Ar, or Al. 500 milesto 1000 miles .
When I turn 16 my dad got red of all my birds.
when I gor my wif of 20 yesrs now she got me back in to birds that was about 19 years ago all I have now is white raseing homers
Arrie Goodwin @ A&I White Dove release
IN 1968 I WAS 12YRS OLD LIVING IN DUBLIN,IRELAND.MY MOTHER USED TO SEND ME TO A LOCAL VAN SHOP FOR FOOD, A FLOCK OF RACING PIGEONS FLEW AROUND A HOUSE ACROSS FROM THE SHOP EVERY MORNING,I WATCHED THEM SWOOP LOW AND THEN SOAR HIGH IN THE SKY, I WAS WATCHING THEM ONE SUNNY MORNING WHEN AN OLD MAN WITH ONE ARM ASKED ME DID LIKE THE BIRDS I SAID I DID HE GAVE ME A PAIR OF PIGEONS,I MADE A SMALL LOFT AND BEFORE LONG MY FRIENDS HAD BIRDS ASWELL,WE USED TO SEND THEM BY RAIL EVERY SATURDAY TO WEXFORD AND THE STATION MASTER WOULD LIBERATE THEM,FIRST PIGEON HOME THE OWNER HAD TO RUN TO THE TOP OF THE ROAD,FIRST TO THE CORNER WITH PIGEON IN HAND WAS THE WINNER.I AM A MEMBER OF A LOCAL CLUB “DONNYCARNEY RPC”AND HAVE RACED FOR THE LAST 17YRS AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE 2010 RACING SEASON.
COLM.