Buying Pigeons? Do Your Homework First (Part 1)

Buying Pigeons? Do Your Homework First

DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK BEFORE SEEKING ANY PURCHASE OF NEW BIRDS!  THIS IS A MUST.  THE KEY IS YOUR OWN RESEARCH.  DO NOT TAKE SOMEONE ELSE’S WORD.  IF POSSIBLE, YOU SHOULD RESEARCH THE RACE RESULTS FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS OF YOUNG BIRDS AND OLD BIRDS FOR THE CLUB, COMBINE AND THE RACE COURSES WHERE YOU WILL COMPETE.

YOUR RACING SECRETARY SHOULD BE A BIG HELP TO YOU, AS WELL AS THOSE CLUB AND COMBINE FLYERS WHO KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS.  ALSO, MANY CLUBS AND COMBINES PRINT YEARBOOKS WITH ALL OF THE RACE RESULTS THAT YOU WILL NEED.

THE LAST 30 YBS. RACES AND 30 OBS. RACES WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION ON THE TYPE OF BIRDS YOU NEED TO BE COMPETITIVE, OR TO IMPROVE YOUR RACE RESULTS IN YOUR AREA.

LOOK AT THE WINNING SPEEDS OF EACH RACE SERIES FOR YBS. AND OBS.  FROM THIS INFORMATION, YOU SHOULD SEE A DEFINITE PATTERN IN THE SPEEDS OF THE WINNING BIRDS.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU FOUND THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE SPEEDS OF THE 30 YOUNG BIRD RACES IN THE LAST 3 YEARS RANGE FROM 1500 – 1900 SPEED, THEN THIS PATTERN INDICATES THAT THE COURSE YOU FLY IS FAST, AND YOU NEED SPEED BIRDS TO HANDLE THIS STYLE OF RACING YBS.  THE YOUNG BIRD RACES WILL RANGE FROM 100-350 MILES AS A RULE.  YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ALL DISTANCES THAT YOUR CLUB FLIES TO DETERMINE A PATTERN.

HOWEVER, IF YOU SEE A PATTERN OF SPEEDS IN THE 1100 – 1300 RANGE, THEN YOU SHOULD SEEK A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BIRD TO HANDLE THE TOUGHER COURSE IN YOUR AREA.  THE SPEED BIRDS WILL NOT HANDLE THE TOUGHER WEATHER OR LAND CONDITIONS FOR THIS TYPE OF COURSE.

YOU SHOULD CONDUCT THE SAME RESEARCH FOR OLD BIRDS RACES.  TAKE THE LAST 30 RACES, OR AS MANY AS YOU CAN FIND FROM DISTANCES OF 100-500 MILES OVER THE SAME COURSE.

REMEMBER, THE COURSE OR DIRECTION YOU RACE MUST BE THE SAME TO GET A TRUE EVALUATION.  YOU SHOULD GROUP ALL RACES FROM WEST TO EAST, OR NORTH TO SOUTH TOGETHER.  SOME CLUBS FLY VARIOUS COURSES IN A SERIES.  YOU MUST GROUP ALL RACES IN SAME DIRECTION TOGETHER.

THEREFORE, STEP #1 IS TO DETERMINE FOR YOURSELF THE TYPE OF BIRDS NECESSARY TO BE COMPETITIVE IN AT LEAST 75% OF THE RACES IN YOUR AREA FOR YBS. AND OBS., FOR THE DIRECTIONS YOU WILL FLY.

NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE TYPE OF BIRD NEEDED TO BE COMPETITIVE IN ABOUT 75% OF ALL THE RACES IN YOUR AREA, YOU NEED TO SELECT SOME POSSIBLE SOURCES WHERE YOU CAN ACQUIRE THESE BIRDS.

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT STRAINS, FAMOUS NAMES, OR A CERTAIN FAMILY OF BIRDS AT THIS TIME.  YOU ARE SEEKING BIRDS THAT WILL HANDLE YOUR STYLE AND RACING CONDITIONS.

FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT, YOU ARE GOING TO SEEK OUT A “PERFORMANCE LOFT”.  THIS TYPE OF LOFT WILL SHOW YOU RACE RESULTS.  STAY AWAY FROM THE SO CALLED “PEDIGREE LOFT”.  IT HAS NO RACE RESULTS TO SHOW YOU, JUST FANCY PAPER, LOTS OF PROMISES AND BIG DISAPPOINTMENTS.

PERFORMANCE LOFTS ALSO PROVIDE PEDIGREES, FILLED WITH RACE PERFORMANCES, NOT CHILDREN, GRAND CHILDREN, OR GREAT GRAND CHILDREN OF SOME FAMOUS BIRD FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY.  THOSE OFFSPRING CANNOT PROVE THEIR WORTH TO YOU BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RACE RESULTS.  USUALLY, THEY ARE BRED FOR STOCK FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS AND HAVE NEVER BEEN OUT OF THE LOFT.

THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS ARE NECESSARY TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A PERFORMANCE LOFT:

1. AN HONEST FANCIER WITH AN EXCELLENT REPUTATION IN THE SPORT AND GOOD RACE RESULTS FOR AT LEAST 7-10 YEARS;  THESE RACE RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS SHOULD BE CURRENT, NOT 5, 10 OR 20 YEARS OLD.

2. A FANCIER THAT HAS A REPUTATION FOR SELLING GOOD BIRDS, THAT IS, THE BLOODLINES THAT ARE WINNING FOR HIM BOTH TODAY AND IN YEARS PAST; SOMEONE THAT WILL BE HELPFUL TO YOU WITH HIS TRAINING STYLE, FEEDING AND MEDICATION PROGRAMS FOR THE BIRDS YOU WILL BUY

3. A FANCIER THAT HAS A FAMILY OF BIRDS THAT HE HAS BRED FOR YEARS; GENERATION AFTER GENERATION OF WINNERS IS THE KEY.  THESE BIRDS WILL HAVE PRODUCED WELL FOR HIM AND OTHERS.  HE MUST BE WILLING TO SELL YOU THE SAME FAMILY AND BLOODLINES, WITH HIS SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO MATE THEM.

ALL THREE OF THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE GETTING THE NECESSARY QUALITY BIRDS.

HOWEVER, HERE ARE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU WILL ENCOUNTER.

WE ALL KNOW FANCIERS WHO ARE WELL RESPECTED, HONEST AND HAVE EXCELLENT REPUTATIONS FOR MANY YEARS OF OUTSTANDING RACE RESULTS.  HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT SELL BIRDS, DONATE TO AUCTIONS, OR SHARE THEIR METHODS.  THIS IS THEIR POLICY, AND THEY ARE FREE TO PRACTICE IT.  THEY FEEL THAT THEY HAVE SPENT YEARS DEVELOPING THEIR BIRDS AND METHODS AT GREAT TIME AND EXPENSE.  THEY DO NOT WANT TO COMPETE AGAINST THEIR OWN BIRDS OR BLOODLINES.  THEREFORE, THIS PERFORMANCE LOFT WILL BE OF LITTLE OR NO USE TO YOU IN OBTAINING THE QUALITY STOCK OR INFORMATION YOU NEED.

YOU CAN FIND PLENTY OF FANCIERS WILLING TO SELL BIRDS.  THE NATIONAL MAGAZINES ARE FULL OF FANCIERS WHO ADVERTISE.  REMEMBER YOU NEED A FANCIER WHO IS WILLING TO SELL THE SAME BLOODLINES THAT WON FOR HIM OVER LAST THE SEVERAL YEARS.  UNFORTUNATELY, YOU FIND MANY FANCIERS WHO SELL OFFSPRING OF THE NEW BIRDS THEY HAVE RECENTLY ACQUIRED.  THE NEW BIRDS ARE NOT PROVEN, AND THE FANCIERS TRY TO RECOVER SOME OF THEIR MONEY AND INVESTMENT, OR POSSIBLY SELL OFF THE ENTIRE NEW STOCK.

MANY FANCIERS BRING IN NEW BIRDS EVERY YEAR AND MANY ADVERTISE AND SELL THESE BIRDS AS QUALITY BIRDS THAT HAVE WON FOR THEM, WHICH IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.  ALSO, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR HELP ON HOW TO HANDLE THESE BIRDS CORRECTLY.  IF THE SELLER DID NOT HAVE SUCCESS WITH THEM, HOW CAN HE ADVISE YOU?

Buying Pigeons? Do Your Homework First Part 1 By Peter Wellington & Bob Prisco, Mulligan’s Place Loft, S.I., NY

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