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
It was a 104 degree day in July and my 3-yr old daughter and I were downtown when I spotted a pigeon lying on the sidewalk. As we walked closer it didn’t fly away and I said to Saralisa, “I think something’s wrong with that bird.” I reached down to pick it up and it weakly flapped across the street. We followed and picked it up and immediately took it to the vet. While we were waiting to see the vet we got him a Dixie cup full of water and he stuck his head in the cup and sucked the water all up! The vet said he had nerve damage and couldn’t use one leg and one wing, probably from being hit by a car. He said the nerves would regenerate but that the bird was so starved and dehydrated he didn’t give him much of a chance. So we took him home and fixed him up in a cage with food and water. He survived and eventually regained the use of his wing and leg. Since he was a wild bird we didn’t name him so we wouldn’t get attached to him, since we were planning on setting him free once he recovered. Once recovered we took him outside and tossed him into the air and said, “You’re free! Fly free, Pigeon!” He just flew back onto my head and shoulders and finally he flew back to the front door and beat his wings against the front door and front windows of the house. So we decided he wanted to stay with us and he’s been our beloved pet ever since; for 18 years now!
Where I lived there were five houses in a row only one of which didn’t have pigeons, ours. There was alsp a fancier over the road. When I was 16 he decided to build a new loft and asked me if I wanted the old one. I got that along with some pretty ordinary pigeons.
My mother’s old boss turned out to ge a top flyer. One day I was visiting him and he picked up an egg off the floor of his stock loft and said “here take this home and put it under your mongrels. That egg hatched into my Champion Armageddon (google it). I won the first race I flew and the rest is history.
So for me the answer is that we established flyers need to do everything we can to encourage the novices and help them taste success. They will continue if succesful.
A friend of mine got me started back in 2000. He had homing pigeons since he was a child. I don’t really race them much because there is virtually no one around me who keeps pigeons. From my experience it gets in you “blood” and I keep them around and really enjoy them. Perry in Ky..
I am not a racer only a rookie keeper, female 55 years old. I have always thought the most beautiful bird to be the white homers, which I have always called doves.
A few months before I began to keep pigeons a white homer visited my back porch about 5 PM accompanied with a rainbow in my back yard, I was so delighted even getting pictures. Later that night I got news that my great grandmother passed away at that same time 5 PM.
In my heart it was a sign that there really is life after death. The little dove came back every day for three days with the absent of the rainbow of course and then just vanished. The spiritual symbolism made me do more research and there it was I was hooked and will keep pigeons for life.
Had I known just how loving and loyal the birds can become and how easy it is to keep them happy; I would have started this much earlier in life. At date I still have a double door loft that I can only reach into, but have plans to build a much larger unit that I can walk into.
As I develop with more knowledge and confidence I might find a racing team here in Texas someday, but right now I am content to teach my children and neighbor children the joy of keeping pigeons by example. I think that is where your growth comes from; the older person with a love for the birds that instills curiosity in others.
My oldest child is a teacher, I hope someday to send homers to school with her for release, then Skype the return back to the class room.
Yours truly in the love for the bird,
Becky Marie
i got envolver with pigeons when my mom brought me a baby feral pigeon i felt i had to help him and thats what i did a ter that i made a research on the internet and i found racing pigeons i got interested and my father had a friend that bred them and when i as twelve i had my first racer and then i just wanted more and until nos i cant stop to love them
Hey everyone. I got interested in pigeons through the internet, and TV. I am 18 Years old. I have spent many hours on youtube and i would randomly end up watching videos about racing pigeons. i became very very very interested and here i am. i have 30 breeding pairs. all are quality birds. i have spent a lot of money on them but it was worth it. in the beginning it was tough but since i loved the birds so much i never quit. mastering the art of pigeon keeping can take up to 3 good years without outside help.
I got interested on pigeon racing and raising as a kid, and up to now that I am already 54 y/o I am still fascinated with the sport. In fact, it started as a hobby then but eventually in grew into passion for me.
I was always fascinated with pigeons from a young man as my uncles had pigeons but they never raced. I started mining pigeons until I went off to secondary school had no time nor money to up keep them. last year one of my cousin came to visit and said he started back mining and was racing so I said hey I could do that too I am working and should be able to take care of them and buy the necessary gears to start racing. I started with a few birds from my cousin and friends and had my first race from 32 miles and got my tail trashed. I visited one of the most prominent fanciers in the country and got some advice and purchase some well bred smeulders from Canada and reconstructed my loft and started giving them he right feed and vitamins and training. The race season will start back in April old birds and then in July young birds where I could test these birds and see if I could apply all that I have learnt from my friends and the pigeon insider in this short time to use I cant wait for the season to start back.
A man named Mr Thompson got me interested in Pigeon when I was 11 years old. He showed us how to build a loft and ho w to fly and he gives us our first racing pigeons.now I’m 54 and I still race pigeons and his son still races pigeons.wouldn’t have Game Boys PS 3’s to play we played outside and watched his pigeons fly.
tMr Thompson now has passed but thank you Mr Thompson for showing me pigeons I still love to watch them fly guys kids not interested in business anymore we have to go after the 20 to 40 year olds if we still want pigeons Racing to be alive
yeah guys I still love to watch my birds fly my loft name is the flying hillbilliesand I’m out of Oklahoma
Hi I had tumblers at the age of 9 but my neighbor had racing pigeons and on race days my rollers where for ever in the sky flying and of course he had the worst traps from the races. he approached me to come and see his race birds and he swapped me 10 rollers for one race bird but I think he never new how many rollers Ihad so eventualy it changed to 1 for 1 and very soon i did not have any rollers left. I approached my dad who work at a flour mill and from there I got my dad interested in the sport, but he never got involved except for supplying the food. Then in 1957 I started racing and now after 58 years of racing I am as keen as i was in 1957. In 2013 I bought a whole round of young birds that raced in Germany for Willi von Beers that is the original home of “BIRDIE” the best bird ever at the million dollar pigeon race in SouthAfrica and got some of her sons and daughters and immediately I had the ACE bird At SAPIR on bird loft and also the winner of the final rACE WAS BRED FROM MY PIGEONS. I have 100 pigeons from that lofts and this year I will have some old birds and a lot of young birds from them to race.
Regards, Thinus Botha.