Secret #2: Quality over Quantity
DO NOT OVER CROWD YOUR LOFT (Racing or Breeding). Quantity offers only cost and wasted time. Quality is profitable and rewarding. Once you learn the advantage of quality above quantity, put it into practice.
People are creatures of habit. The easiest thing to do is repeat the same past mistakes. Those fanciers who raise and train 100-200 squeakers every year with the hope of getting one or two good pigeons in their lofts take the longest and most costly road to success. Many times there is quality in an overcrowded loft, but because the birds are overcrowded, their health and performance is poor. What qualities do we look for in a good pigeon?
Secret #3: Quality Over Quantity By Bob Prisco
The Leading Online Pigeon Racing and Racing Pigeons Magazine – The Pigeon Insider
How to tell if you have to many birds?
Well… if your loft gets aloft you may wish to give away a few birds… 😀 (Just kidding.)
It depends on how many pigeons you can keep healthy and happy, Ed. The limiting factor can be space, time, or money.
A bigger loft means more space, where you can comfortably fit more birds; but more birds also means more food and medication, and more time to take care of them.
If your pigeons are happy and you think your loft has enough room for more, i suggest you increase their number little by little and keep an eye out for signs of stress, disease, or malnutrition. You’ll know you’ve reached your maximum when either you or your birds start getting unhappy.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Ed!
Very good advice Brad.
My loft was getting way over crowed. So I’v ben just flying and not breading.
Brad i’m with you and Bob. I don’t have any better words in saying this is the best news in racing pigeon sport. I have only 20 short to middle distance racers and 20 long distance racers. For both distances i have 1 breeding loft for each of which is most or all year no breeding pigeons in it. 100% empty. Even though it is empty it also get twice a week cleaned out thoroughly with the racing lofts. This is done by boiling water with mixed in Dettol jet washed after scrapping. All clay nest bowels lay in while boiling Dettol water with nest fronts, nest floors and v-perches, all feeding and drinking nest and racing pigeon feeders and drinkers all in this stainless steel bath While this is boiling furiously the lofts get jet washed, scrapped and all get afterwards with plumbers torch burned. To me that should kill all germs and all nasty bugs off as Dettol also has a 99% anti all germs reputation. I use the fire to kill off the other 1%. This is my racing pigeon lofts cleaning regime and I don’t waver off it for nothing nor anything what humans is concerned. My brother is getting his drivers and our friend all involved in cleaning my racing pigeon lofts and this is twice in a 7 day week. Outside get cleaned too plus the roof top garden get also spruced up. I don’t think my belated uncle had it so good as what me and my brother is getting. All above get done in 1 day by my brother, his son, 30 drivers and 45 friends in males and females, all involved and it is free help!!!
Oh how i agree with this. It took me some time to understand that and a lot of heart break. It was not until about twenty years ago when i began to see my mistakes. i was in a job which allowed me to travel to a lot of different areas in the northwestern united states. On these trips i would work by day and seek out pigeon flyers in the evenings. I started to see a pattern in front of my eyes that most of the great pigeon racers that i meet had small teams of super pigeons. and most of them told me that they were glad that the the others in there club had not caught on to there success. they enjoyed watching there rivals trying medications and new stock over and over to win since i have reduced the numbers in my loft i have been able to win more often and i am able to race the birds week after week without any problems because they are able to rest properly and not be chased around the coop. Pus when you overcrowd your loft you can never get to know your birds. it is far less work on you too as far as cleaning cost of feed and medications and less time to spend with your families record keeping. i always take great pleasure in beating those pigeon flyers who think that numbers are the way to go . the look on there faces says it all. the what just happened how could he beat me when i sent such a large team. I just smile and walk away knowing that i did a great job with just a few good quality birds