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 wanted chickens. My city does not allow them. I would be working from home and wanted some sort of pet that would keep me company, not be too loud and would be interesting to watch.
I discovered that pigeons can’t be disallowed. I discovered that they were ungovernable, they were relatively quiet and more interesting than I thought. I got two and they have been just the best pets ever, entire family is in love with them and I want more. Maybe racing, but probably just having my own pigeon races as I live in a pretty rural area. We don’t even have any feral pigeons in town. I am now the crazy pigeon lady and I am just fine with that.
When I was young I had the habit of sucking my thumb. At some point i was getting too old for that and my dad promised me a pet if I stopped
I wanted a bird, so we went to GrandCentral to see about a parakeet. But I wanted a bird that would fly and come back to me.
My dad had a buddy from college in a neighboring town that had Racing Pigeons. We visited him, he let the birds out and they flew around and came back in when he called. I was hooked
My dad built me a loft and we got some books from library to learn how to care for them. My dad made the loft, nest boxes traps and feeder. I sat in front of that loft all summer watching as they mated built a nest laid eggs and reared their young.
……All she wrote
I rescued a rock dove that got hit by a streetcar. He was standing in a puddle of blood, and I went over to investigate, and he looked me in the eye, and gave me “that look”. I took off my cap and scarf and wrapped him up, brought him home. I had already been hanging out with a pigeon man in the neighborhood. I got some grit, feed and meds for him. Had old Ku boy for 11 years, and in those years became quite a fan of pigeons. I aquired more, and its been 17 years of learning the hard way how to build a proper loft, learn about faking out eggs to not allow them to reproduce, and I have a bunch of gorgeous mixed birds of whom I know the lineages. This year I commited to learning about racing, to get a more formal foundation in the sport. I joined a local combine, and the next 17 years will be more structured. I love pigeons, I am in this for life. till death do us part. Alanna P
Wow, Alana, what a beautiful and inspiring story! Thanks for sharing it with us!!
I was about 7 when I caught my first feral pigeons. I then found the pigeon journal at about age 9 and was amazed at a bird called a Birmingham roller. I had never seen nor heard of such a bird. My dad was a carpenter and worked away from home a lot. One day he came home with a box full of rollers( I later learned they were Pensom’s–good ones). I was permanently hooked on the roll. A very similar thing happened a year later except it was high grade racing pigeons from a gentleman that brought them from Germany. I did not have the opportunity too race birds until recently but the first year was certainly exciting. I expect I will always have my rollers and race some homers. Except for a 3 year break (do to health issues) I have have had pigeons for 50 years!!
I was about 6 years old when my big brother went to Barbados with his friend and they brought back a pair of Bajan racers. He got the first pair of youngsters and put them in a 2 by 4 coop with lock and key. They were to old and flew away. The next pair given was a red and silver which grew up nicely. My brother put in a cute 8 by 8 box. Instead of making babies they kept fighting so my brother went to his expert friend to diagnose he problem. Insure enough they were two cocks. He went to the biggest club in the island and bought a white splash and blue check hens. He pulled their flights and put them in. When they flights grew back the blue check flew away. The sliver was an ace flyer and fighter so we got rid of him. The children of the next pair were great flyers. When my brother started looking after a different type of bird I got more control over the birds. My friend helped me build a bigger coop. My brother was so impressed that he gave me full control of the birds. At 21 I went away to study and my younger brother got rid of all the birds. When I came back home all my friends wanted me to start back rearing birds. No No. However in 1985 I started back until now. Getting family interested is a nightmare but I am working on my daughter. However she indicated that if I give up control over the birds then its murious for them.
Keep’em flying
I was 10 years old and the family had moved to a new nighborhood. I was bored and asked my dad what he did as a kid. From the kitchen window I heard my mom say “oh shit”. A week later I had two yellows and a white. A year after that was my first young bird season. My dad and I flew the birds together for 6 years. We almost always had a great time together. Lol
I was probably about 8 or 9 when I went to my uncles house and my grand father was working in this little house that has small room inside then they put the pigeons inside that was it I was 10 when I started back home then when I came America I can’t find the racing pigeons but now that I’m older I finally got back to it I enjoy training and see them fly in formation always have the fashion for it
1967. My brother brought home 2 pigeons from a “friend”. He had already brought home guinea pigs, blue tongue lizards and chooks, but just something about the pigeons got me. Sorry I can not tell the chemistry reason, just that I had my own chair in the loft and just sat there and watched them. At least mum new where I was…..
Life moved on, young man’s thoughts/goals etc change, but I always new I would have them again,
Older man now with time to watch and admire them now. Hmmm, young people lost that? I did.
So glad to have them back in my life.