There is likely a perfect ratio as to how many pigeons you can keep in a loft before the numbers and conditions become counter productive, and it’s a very good idea to know what those are for the various lofts. If your running your own you can use trial and error- as things start to decline you know it’s likely you need a second loft if you plan to keep more than your loft will comfortably and optimally hold.
When going to other lofts to purchase the pigeons, you can talk to the owner, but chances are they may not give you the full story- many like to push as many in there as possible thinking it’s a numbers game- but the reality is pigeons themselves are more powerful if you give them the right conditions and you may be surprised how many pigeons that were crammed into a crowded loft could have been great had it only been given the right conditions to thrive in! Some of them that seem to be good in one area may have the potential to be good in many more areas if given the optimal conditions to express itself in.
Some factors to consider are: Circumstances; The loft situation (partnership or sole proprietorship- potentially a partnership could lead to complications due to lack of communication that could be detrimental to the pigeons); and the very conditions of the loft itself, the health of the birds (do they feed them correctly? Do they over feed them? Etc…).
I have noticed time and time again that the bulk pigeon senders, although they win more than their share, do not produce outstanding reliable pigeons pro rata with their numbers; a counter-intuitive conclusion to be sure. Again they think it’s a numbers game but in reality it’s more of a game of how you do things, how you take care of the birds, giving them room to breath and move around and feel comfortable- or crammed into a loft with a hundred other pigeons.
The way to success here is in focusing on a small number of pigeons and seeing how much you can get out of each one. You can have two lofts as well, one where you put the bulk of them (still not overcrowded), then as you find the ones that perform, move them into the other loft or area so they can thrive with others in the same category. Keep it small and keep conditions optimal and you’ll see powerful results.
Also like I did, do your homework, learn all about what you need to know to thrive. It’s all worth the effort- especially when you see the results of your ratios being more in the stratosphere than more bad than good! Show the pigeon hoarders that there is a better way to do this, one that is also more humane than cattle-ing them and hoping one or two will do what you want!
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I find this article of particular interest. I have a small loft 4’x8′ – 7′ high and the formula I’ve used for population limit is 2 sq. ft. of floor space per bird. The fact that this formula is not mentioned in this article raises the question in my mind as to whether there might be a significant flaw in that formula. I’m currently building a 2nd. loft of the same size for young birds. The first is the breeder loft. Additional info; I’m not racing. I’m working toward an event-release business and for that reason I may be out of place here.
I chose not to mention a specific formula because there are many factors to consider, space being just one of them (albeit important). That said, 2 square feet per bird seems reasonable to me.
The most important thing is that you keep your pigeons healthy and happy.
Oh, and though the site focuses much on pigeon racing, all pigeon lovers are welcome here, Paul. Thanks for reading the blog!
Food for thought!
I agree 100%, my racing team for both young and old birds are usually around 30 for the most.
Yes this is bang on
In the city that I come from normally people compete with 60, two years ago one person competed with 25 and won the race. Perfect example ( Matanzas, Cuba)
If you stop and concider just how many productive racers you have each year,breeders as well,you will fly fewer birds.Think of the cost you can save,and the emproved health.Seems like a no brainer.I would rather dd well with a few than so so with many,and have to cull a bunch after the season.I don’t raise them to kill them.
I DO AGREE THAT QUALITY IS BETTER THAN QUANITY I HAVE ALWAYS FLOWN A SMALL TEAM AND HAVE WON MORE THAN MY SHARE OF RACES. IT STILL AMAZES ME THAT SOME FLYERS HAVE NOT SEEN THE BENIFITS TO FLYING A SMALL TEAM OVERCROWDING CREATES ALL KINDS OF HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT CAN KILL A RACING SEASON AND THEY NEVER FIND OUT WITCH BIRDS ARE THERE WORTH KEEPING AS RACERS OR AS BREEDERS
The article “a numbers game” makes perfect sense, in fact it’s common sense. Keeping only your best in a spacious loft with optimun conditions should give you good results. -Nick..
Yes I believe that you get the best results from your racers keeping your loft to a small amount. I have seen many lofts in Lanzarote in which I would consider over crowded. I have 8 lofts and in each one I have 30 pigeons. The lofts all have plenty of ventilation. This is very important to your birds when you live in a very hot climate.