How can we cut costs in pigeon racing?
As you may know pigeon racing costs seem to keep rising and according to a poll I did here with Pigeon Insider members rising costs is one of the main reasons for declining memberships, participation and in the future will be a huge factor for the death of the sport and hobby all together. I think with all of our minds combined we can figure out a way to help lower costs and help make pigeon racing and pigeon keeping in general more enjoyable for everyone, and in the long term help this sport and hobby thrive for the next generation.
So my question for you is…
What are your ideas for cutting costs and lowering expenses in our sport?
Click here to post your thoughts, comments and ideas and together I think we can make a difference. Look forward to reading your comments!
I believe the sport of pigeon racing is doomed. No matter if you fly in a club or OLR it does not matter. Costs just keep going up, OLR’s are charging higher perch fees to cover costs and to make a profit. No problem with that, they need something to show for the work, housing etc. The only other solution is clubs, combines etc to join up and share shipping costs. OLR’s charge a lot to cover prize money, only problem here is the 1st place bird get a way out of proportion prize and the other birds get much less. It is a big turnoff to those hoping to get a bird in the money with big competition. You see a $1,000.00 entry fee and if your bird finishes at 300th place against 3,000 birds ( 10% ) and get nothing or maybe $500.00. Its not worth it.
I don’t know the answer to cutting costs. Keep only 20 pigeons I guess.
Maybe we need to stop treating the birds like race horses, and come up with a list of meds and food that the bird can use to be healthy and still be competitive for the clubs
Clear and simple, Put a limit on birds sent to a race. 25 to 35 bird limit per flyer each race. this is what we are doing on Hawaii. You can cut down on your feed bill because you cut down on the amount of breeders due to the limit of birds one can send to the race each week.Here on Hawaii is the most expansive sport in the US
Go back to clocking the old way with countermarks and a timer. Pretty expensive to spend 1000 dollars just to record when bird landed on board.
Stop paying outrageous money for birds.
Get the unions involved in lowering feed costs by buying as a group.
I wish there were more clubs. Ridiculous to drive 80 miles to ship birds.
You are attracting a different type of pigeon person. The new fanciers of today have a desire to win big money. So they hear that there is a lot of money to be won and they either invest large sums of money in hopes of winning money, or because they have a pigeon coup, a truck and crates and some birds they become pigeon people. No new flyers want to study the mechanics of the sport. What is a good pigeon? and how to make it healthy and keep them healthy. They have no desire to learn from old timers who have paid their dues. If they are beaten they quit instead of ringing the doorbell of the winners and say “will you help me”. MR. Bruce Jenner missed the greatest opportunity of his life. Pigeon racing is easy, most fanciers will fly they birds they had last year instead of the ones thy have this year. Then they loose their birds and quit. So who am I? I was that kid who heard about Pete Sparacino winning $50,000.00 in a pigeon race in California. I studied hard any and all theories and moved to California. Then it happened! One bird 7711 won $52,000.00. 529 won $42,000.00. 365 won $26,000.00. 1064 won $17,000.00. My back to back combine winners like 3152, and 371 along with 2764 who won 2 futurities and 1 combine in 2 weeks and least of all 86 who was 2nd, 2nd and 7th in three consecutive weeks in the combine. And 9091 and 9093 and 9097 who won enough money in 4 races to buy me a training truck in California. 9091 beating all of Southern California by 17 minutes at 550 miles. 770 who beat Spring Hill south sections 400 miles 56 members by 56 minutes. With all of this the American Pigeon Union and the GHC has now barred my membership and I was not even offered a hearing. . That my friends is the sport you have today, the leaders in the American Racing Pigeon Union and the GHC do not want to make the sport better, just make it adequate to put money into their pockets.
If you want a better sport then you must be a better sportsman and be like Ed Lorenz who I regard as the best pigeon man I ever completed with because he always congratulated me and showed no envy or malice.
Keep less pigeons, medicate less, train less and hove more fun with the people you compete with. After 60 years my advice is to remember that it is not if you win or loose that counts but are you are having fun. Win or loose we booze was my Hawaiian motto. Aloha. Bob
One of the best comments we have received on the Pigeon Insider! thanks Bob for posting it. I have to agree with everything you mentioned, and is the basis for why the Pigeon Insider was created in the first place. I have seen it time and time again, the organizations have an opportunity to do great things in and for the sport but don’t do much of anything. Maybe we all can change things around for the sport, that will always be the mission of the Pigeon Insider.
I sell the victory timer. Software is upgraded to operate to windows 8.1. Upgrading to windows 10 is in progress. I have refurbished used timers for sale at half the cost of new. Many cost savings with emailing race results, previous race run before shipping next race, Flagging birds at home to save training costs, community training, etc.