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 got started as a kid 8 years old a man on our block had them and when he left the sport I got birds from him .When Iwas older and bought a home I got the bug when visting my wifes sister and husban who happen to train hunting dogs.They had a few racers in their pen and I was back in to pigeons. Racing came after a met a man named Denny Lyons he had caught one of birds when I went to pick it up at his home we talked and he invited me to shipping night that was 20 year ago.I’m still flying.
It started with cats and dogs and the pet canary in a cage.
At the age of 12 I was into breeding chickens and selling the eggs for pocket money.
I always sat on the top of our roof watching the batches of racing pigeons circle.One day a homer hit our telephone wires and had a torn crop.My grandmother rest her soul helped me to sew the crop together with needle and cotton .We kept the bird in a small cage for a few weeks , after letting it out it started to home so I could not wait to get more birds to watch them fly in circles around our home.
I introduced myself to a mr. Cole who was one of the top pigeon fanciers in our area in 1957.He took a liking to me and told me he would let me have six young birds which I had to earn first by cleaning his lofts every Sat.morning at the end of each month I would have earned and owned a bird.I was so pleased that I started feeding his stock birds and later got involved with tossing the birds and was given the opertunity to learn the tricks of the trade of racing pigeons.As a junior I joined the Western Province Pigeon union and did very well .
In 1965 I was draughted for military training for 2 years so I had to get rid of my babies it was a sad day when they were sold at the club.
After the military stint I started a apprenticeship as a electrician Got married in 1981 but moved into a flat for 7 years where i could only keep budgies and canaries.But I still could not wait to get them birds I moved to my own home and started keeping pigeons. Unfortunely my work kept me away from home and I had to get rid of the birds again .
In 1987 I walked into a pet shop and saw diamond doves which caught my fancy , I buoght a pair and started breeding wild doves.Today I have a good collection of wild doves from all over the world from New Zealand to the phillipine Islands, 16 spesies in all total which is my pride and joy.
I have converted lots of guys from booze to birds so keep those birds circling someone will surely come knocking on your door and with a little kindness you could change his life forever at 65 I still think of the good times I had with Uncle Johnny Cole even if it was just talking pigeons.
Kind Regards and thank you for the wonderfull articles.
Gwilym.
My Great Grandfather keep pigeons. Racing Homers (Wegges) mated to Silver Kings for food during WWII. They used the “Homers” to carry messages. My father kept a large Avery of doves, finches and pigeons. I took the racing Homers after the war and bred racing birds to carry messages and finally joined a local club.
I was GIVEN imported SIONS in the 50’s and have kept those birds progeny in line since then. The original birds were imported in the 40’s. I have the original Pedigrees. I have integrated some Heitzman Sions into my line, and fly them today.
Over 60 years ago as a boy growing up in New York City I helped my dad with his racing pigeons. After retirement from teaching math and coaching football and basketball I decided to put up a loft and reclaim the fond memories I had as a boy on the lower Eastside of Manhatten with the birds. With hammer in hand and a good wife we put up the loft. It has been interesting getting back into the birds. With the use of the internet I have meet some great people around the country. You might say that I am back in the classroom as I am always reading to expand my knowledge about the birds. The journey has been great. Hope to stay with the birds for a long as I can.
nobody can make you like pigeons you simply like them or you dont what atracts us to pigeons well thats the big subconse question poido
I had a natural love for birds from a youth age so when I was introduced to racing pigeons I fell in love immediately. I was very curious to learn as much as I could about them and the sport so I became involved in the Jamaica Racing Pigeon Club. The club has been inactive for a while now but I was on the Racing Committee for approx. three years before I started racing my own pigeons.
well that is an interesting question when i was about 14 or 15 years old i always had chikens in my home but pigeons always facsinated me not only did i like but i also hunted them if you can beleive that by the way they taste pretty good any way at that age i bult a huge loft which was nothing more than a square box only 18 feet high and about 15 feet wide i had a good size yard at the time my parents thought that as long as i kept it clean it would be ok pretty soon i had over 60 birds flying around the house i had always heard about the war birds thought it was interesting sometimes i would take a few and toos them see what happened i was afraid to toss more than a mile or two but anyway i cant remember that far back however i think they were just regular birds becuse i remember buying them taking them home clip[ing their wings a month later they would be able to fly they would not leave my house so i guess if they were homers they were not pretty good any way i did that for a whilke i really enjoyed it and there colors were incredible but as you know life goes on we sold the house i got married had no time life runs fast 25 years later 2 wife 5 kids later im back mid 2008 i decided to get some birds which i got at the local pet shop next thing you know i joined arpu they directed me to the local club i joined got some really nice birds i have lost a heel of a lot of them but i still enjoy this as much as i did the very first time because of my losses i will be racing the first time this year young bird i guess when the pigeon bug hits you it hits you anyone that visits my home i have to show them my loft its incredible how many people when you speak to them about thse birds and the distance they go they are always amazed typical reaction (i did not know that )my answer have you not heard of the pigeons that the war use have to transport messagesfrom the front lines to headqurters i guess i dont know what planet some people live in or what rock they are still under here is my other answer (havent you heard of the geese that fly long distatncesevery year from one end to the next always land at same locationwell these birds are like that) then the response is o yeah i know about that they dont know about the war birds incredible nayway i enjoyed this littl rant enjoy your site very much see you at the races mads
my brother and I had racing pigeons when we lived in Habana, Cuba.
We left in 1974
I now live in Colorado, and care for pigeons that fall out of nets at a power plant. I had rescued a few and kept them at my house. they are basically wild, but I have put boxes for them to stay at night. I have a few home grown.
I love pigeons!. I am always defending them at work, at work, theu try to kill them.
My nombre es Wally naci en Marianao Habana Cuba lei tu e-mail y tambiem compito palomas mensajeras espero que no tomes amal que te escriba, Bueno aqui en Miami hay bastante palomeros me alegro que allan cubanos en otras partes de los Estados Unidos que compitan palomas mensajeras P.S. I love pigeons too……..
its five years since in this but i am not yet into serious racing some interest drove me into this exciting sport i had many varieties of pigeon before settling for homers still iam in look out for proper and real help to develop this sport
When I was 10 I needed a job for movie money , there was a man named Woods I beleive, lived on Forest Park in Ft Worth, Texas.He would pay for me to help clean the loft, which was so easy with the wire floor about 50 feet above the canyon. His loft was built out over a LARGE canyon with a wire floor, he had LOTs of homers. One day he asked if I wanted to come by Sat and watch a race come in,so I showed up.There where about 10 guys there and we had a great time betting on time and just being together taking pigeons. I did not add anything but I really enjoyed the the free drinks(cokes) and being accepted by those grown men. He gave me 4 pair and said I had to give him the first round of young birds but after that I could have the birds.