Racing Pigeon Discussion

[TAWhatley]

The Breed Of The Week article for Racing Pigeons is now open for discussion. Our members Becky and Matt have done an excellent job of providing us with interesting and helpful information about racing pigeons!

You can read the article here: Racing Pigeons - Part 1

and Racing Pigeons - Part 2

Terry

[risingstarfans]

Excellent articles, Becky and Matt.

Most informative and well written, you are both to be commended. I never knew much about racers, since the last one I owned was more than 50 years ago. As a young bird, I took him on a short (10 mile) training flight, expecting him to be home hours before I was.

He walked in two weeks later....and I think he walked all the way! Last racer I ever owned....

[Lin Hansen]

Becky and Matt....thank you for providing such informative posts.


There is so much to know and so much involved in racing pigeons....I give a lot of credit to our members who engage in this sport. I'm sure it can be very rewarding, but I am also sure there is also a lot of "blood, sweat and tears" involved.

Linda

[Pigeon lower]

Its so incredable how they get home. Me and my dad use to race i raced the cocks and he raced the hens. He won 5000$ once. Pretty good. Racing pigeons will always be a awsome entertainment.

Thanks for all this neat information

[MaryOfExeter]

Originally Posted by Pigeon lower

Its so incredable how they get home.

I agree. Most people think it's a joke when I first tell them I race pigeons. Then once they finally get around to asking how it works and how they get home, then they start to think its really cool and take it more seriously. I don't think we'll ever really know for sure just how they get home.

[Becca199212]

Thanks for the piece Matt and Becky! I never realised the racing pigeon was a combo of other breeds, I just assumed they bred some ferals together and trained them I wonder which qualities they got form each of the breeds, I would have never thought we started racing that far back.

[risingstarfans]

Originally Posted by Becca199212

I just assumed they bred some ferals together and trained them : .

Technically, that is exactly what racers are. In fact, all breeds are just two generations away from being "rock doves" or feral pigeons. Charles Darwin proved this over 150 years ago, when he evenly mixed four purebred pigeons of widely different breeds and colors together. Result: mostly blue feral pigeons.

[j_birds]

Thank you Matt and Becky for the time you spent on these very interesting dicussions. I don't race myself but I do have a lot of people ask me about them. I did really enjoy reading them as I do all of them. Jim

[TerriB]

What an elegant breed! Interesting information regarding show racers. That answers the question I had while walking the aisles of the show last year!

[Pigeon lower]

Originally Posted by MaryOfExeter

I agree. Most people think it's a joke when I first tell them I race pigeons. Then once they finally get around to asking how it works and how they get home, then they start to think its really cool and take it more seriously. I don't think we'll ever really know for sure just how they get home.

I use to tell all my friend get rid of your dogs and get pigeons.They all reply pigeons are stupid dogs are better. Well can your dog find its way home from 100m or more..? They reply no lol. Thats what i thought

No-offence. Just using dogs as an example but i ask it with all pets lol

[MaryOfExeter]

Funny, that's what I've always told all my friends. They'd ask why pigeons are so great. And I'd reply that my pigeons are no less special than their pets, after all, can they let their dogs go miles away and it beat them home? What most people don't understand is, pigeon fanciers aren't any different from people who love horses, or dogs, or cats, or any other animal. And yet people think I'm crazy when I tell them I've had nearly 100 pigeons at once before. And they think it's a bit weird they have magazines about pigeons too. I was letting some of my friends look at one of my RPD mags last week, and they laughed. But I told them more about pigeons, and they started to realize they're just as good of pets as anything else.

if I was you all I would say is can your pets fly lol top that oh and the colors

[MaryOfExeter]

Haha, yeah They may not talk like parrots, but you can let them go and watch them fly, without the worry that they'll fly away and never be seen again. I also agree about the colors. It's neat how many varieties there are. To most of my friends, they all look the same, but if you're around them enough you'll find no two pigeons look the same. Even in all my bars and checks, there's still those small differences in the color or personality that lets ya know who's who.

amen ...theres nothing like a pigeon to get you thru the day hehe whats that saying a pigeon a day keeps the doctor away lol

[Pegasus]

Originally Posted by TAWhatley

The Breed Of The Week article for Racing Pigeons is now open for discussion. Our members Becky and Matt have done an excellent job of providing us with interesting and helpful information about racing pigeons!

You can read the article here: Racing Pigeons - Part 1

and Racing Pigeons - Part 2

Terry

My big applause to Becky and Matt...Good job guys...Stay with us and there's more people that will need your knowledge...Glad to be talking to both of you...