Last weeks discussion of the week we asked what you thought the current state of pigeon racing was? alarmingly the general consensus seemed to be that the sport of pigeon racing was dying and the main reason fanciers felt this way seemed to be cost. The Pigeon Insider has fanciers from all over the globe so it was pretty interesing to see some of our friends from other parts of the world say that the sport was growing. Maybe we can learn from each other and get the pigeon racing sport to grow universally all around the world by learning what each one of us are doing.
So in this weeks discussion of the week we would like to know?
What do you think fanciers can do to help the pigeon racing sport grow?
Post your comments on what you think each one of us can do to help promote the sport, also let us know if you have any ideas on how to lower costs etc. If your in an area where the sport is on the rise post your comments and let other fanciers know what has worked in your area.
We will be forwarding all of your comments to pigeon racing organizations around the world, Hopefully; together we can help the sport grow universally around the world.
In this day of internet communication there is a huge lack of information and networking. Gone are the old days of folks getting together to mentor and train in sports like this. Now any hobby that wants to continue and advance needs to find an internet outlet to spread information, training and mentoring capabilities. Most of what is available on the internet are non- educated people seeking a niche to fill for purposes of making a quick profit. Take a picture of someones pigeon loft, post it with an offer to connect newbies with professionals and people throw money online in a desperate attempt to better themself and be a part of the continuation of this awesome sport. In reality they will only learn the basics that the website maker got from Google and they still won’t know where to find local humans to connect with to actually learn and train and socialize. Anyone who finally does start a site to connect new with old will really be onto something.
with out dought it needs advertising when was the last time you saw anything in the press or TV about pigeons.Preferably a TV program not presented by acloth hatted person but a younger couple who are already in the sport. I can’t even say I think that the hobby is to expensive when you look at telephone costs.
One thing is lower the cost of everything which can’t be done there’s too many greedy businessman making a fortune for pigeons we raised them for the love of me they sell them for the money we all love our birds and treat them with a lot of respect and dignity as we raised him we made them we medicate them we probably take better care of the Pigeons that we do our own family because we grew up with Pigeons and we love him
The only way to help the pegion sport grow is for us the current pigeon fanciers to allow a beginner in your current loft, let him fly pigeons at least 5 pigeons out of your loft yearly for at least two years. He or she must get the felling how to work, train and fly pigeons. That way their is no cost involve and think about it, if you have 100 members and only 50 members gets a beginner involve in their loft, you win 50 new potensial pigeon fanciers. That way, their is no loft cost, pigeon to be subply by mentor, no medication and feeding cost. By year 3 the beginner will try to start its own loft, with fun raising projects, like selling pigeon for beginners to optain funds for beginners to to able to fly pigeon. Also the Club members can donate pigeons for beginners to start. Go to the school,s in your area, tell the kids more about pigeon, how it works and how big the sport is. One loft racing etc. That way you will get kids to start, keep the kids of the street and invilve in pigeon sport.
Cost is the number one thing facing the regular club flyer as well as getting new people to join.
Electronic clocks are now becoming/are the only way to time in the birds now as well as the most convenient.
One thing would help is for club organizations to come up with good ways to help those that need help acquiring the ETS system they need to fly. Our club has a way of doing this on a rental basis as well as a discount if wanting to buy the rental you are using. These are good steps. the ETS I need to buy as a returning fancier is 820.00 plus antennae and 75 for any additional antennae.
This is pretty steep for most backyard club flyers.
We need a business that sells used ETS systems like the old Coombs Timer Shop.. If there is one already I’m not aware of it.
If I had the money I would have a magnet or a racing pigeon and club on My truck for advertisement with phone number if anyone has any questions just little things like that would help,its amazing how so many people don’t even know people have races for pigeons
I love pigeons. I worry that in competitions the owners soon forget the bird and go crazy over
the greed to win. It became a horror story in Greyhound dog racing in FL. The animals become
merchandise instead of being treated humanely, respecting the marvelous amazing critters they are.
I have started to hear stories about abused racing pigeons who get sick and die due to their win-crazy
owners. I’d like to see the sport do more to promote concern and respect for the lives of pigeons. Racing pigeons should be great fun, not madness! But when money enters the race, I don’t think all owners will be humane.
Hey good day everyone who’s reading this message. According to the pigeon sport we have all heard about or saw on television or on websites the sport are growing but the older guys they have to hand it bring the juniors also into the sport an learn them about what the pigeons health an abilities are about. Elder fanciers they advertise pigeons that’s way to much of money which juniors won’t be able to afford an they don’t want to share there knowledge with younger up coming fanciers which is a shame. Example….The Elder fanciers would rather die with his knowledge an the experience he gained in the sport an not hand it over to the younger generations just imagine someone who was a pro in racing pigeons an handed his knowledge to a younger generation what would it mean to the junior. Pigeon racing sport it can be better an less money if some fanciers would teach the younger generation what the sport is about an how to keep your pigeons healthy an on top conditions at all time or evens go to local pigeon fanciers home an look at there pigeons an give them some advice which will help them I’m the long run an not to make money out of them.
Unfortunately I don’t think the ordinary man in the street (the ordinary pigeon man or woman) can do anything to improve the situation in the pigeon racing world.
The only places where racing pigeons is growing as a sport is in parts of the world where people GAMBLE or bet on races. Even in Europe where One Loft Racing is growing, people only send their birds to win BIG amounts of money! The prices that people charge to send a bird or kit of birds to a One Loft race is ridiculous. Not many pigeon men/women can afford to spend that kind of money to send birds to O-L-Races. That is why you get so many syndicates. Not only that but now it is thought that unless you are specialising in the kind of bird you need to win or do well at a One Loft race, you are wasting your time.
Even the prices of a bag of pigeon feed or a drinker or feeder is getting out of hand.
In England where the RPRA (Royal Pigeon Racing Association) organise the majority of races, we hear they are thinking about putting their membership fees up for 2022. This is to offset the losses made by the people who run the RPRA. Like wise with some of the larger Federations or Combines – they have also lost money in 2021 because of mismanagement, but instead of the organisers standing that loss themselves, they are going to put that loss on to the fanciers, the members. How ridiculous is that.
In my opinion, the only way to go forward is for the organising bodies for pigeon races and racing to listen more to their members and try and give them more of what they want as a group. Get several organisations, combines, federations, national pigeon organisations, to race together using minimum transportation. That would do two things – 1. make racing cheaper and 2. make races more competitive, and therefore more prestigious to win or do well. People need to start selling their birds for SENSIBLE prices. There is no way on this planet that a pigeon is worth over a quarter of a million, or an untried squeaker straight out of the nest worth 500 whatevers, pounds, dollars.
Thanks for the insightful and detailed comment, Chico!
There are a number of issues that need to be addressed. The old timers need to share more readily there knowledge and time. In my area most racers are retired. Training is a very expensive time consuming process. Perhaps those that are doing it already can team up with newer flyers and share the training time/expense. I have also noticed that the experienced racers get a little too focused on the competition and forget to have fun! Giving a newbie quality bird(s) knowing they will not get the most out of them can be very rewarding. As a newbie it really felt good when the advanced racers “gave” you a pair of breeders with proven performance(I might just stand a chance). I will always race for fun not $$ . One of my favorite tricks is to give the newbie a nest mate to birds I am racing–making them feel like they are in the game without breaking the bank. With 40 years of raising pigeons what other legacy are we going leave if we can’t pass it on to the next generation of flyers?