Anybody going to Louisville??

[Hayseedboy]

Taken the kids to Louisville, KY for the National Young Bird Show. Anyone else going???

We are excited about seeing all the birds, breeders and pigeon stuff being displayed by the vendors!

Let me know if any of you are going and we can get together for a chat!

LR

[Lin Hansen]

Sounds like fun....wish I could go! I don't think they do anything like that close to where I am. Have fun and hope you get to meet up w/ some members.

Linda

[Hayseedboy]

LOL I wish it was close to us too! According to Mapquest it is almost 500 miles... but, we are looking at it as a mini vacation for the Family too.

LR

[re lee]

So how was the young bird show

[Hayseedboy]

It was pretty kewl!!!! Saw breeds I had never seen in person before. One in particular that I thought was a beautiful bird was the Saxon Monk. Did get to see a couple of Ice Pigeons in the Rare area ... pretty birds.

I was a little disappointed in the Vendors or the lack thereof. Foys was there and a few feed companies, Purebred Pigeon magazine (a new one), Pigeon Debut magazine, a couple that had bird cages not really anything for pigeons but, very nice indoor small bird cages. Other than that there wasn't much.

I would have liked to have seen some entreprenuers with carriers, breed pens, box etc. Foys had nice stuff but, is pretty pricey.

The swap area was a zoo Lots of pigeons and doves being traded though we really din't spend to much time there as I was concerned that if we bought birds there we could come home with something to make our birds sickly.

The Juniors was a hoot! Got to visit with several kids and my boys saw other children envolved with their birds. There were several adults that contributed items to a raffle to raise money for NPA's Junior program. We din't join there but, plan to send in our app asap.

This is one area that I would love to see grow! The kids are our future of the pigeon fancy. Numbers are on an obvious decline in the show birds. The kids that were there obviously were having fun AND learning a lot about caring for someone other than xbox and tv as well as some responcibility.

Lots to see though... I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Larry


Pure Bred Pigeon Magazine

[Birdmom4ever]

I agree that kids are our future. There are so many "instant gratification" type pursuits to capture their attention these days, one wonders if the hobby will continue. But there is hope. I'm into raising pigeons because I had an animal-loving mom. (Her passion is horses, but she encouraged my love for birds and we had many of both when I was growing up.)

All my kids like the pigeons a lot, but it wasn't until we went to our first show last month that my youngest (age 12) was really bitten by the bug. He fell in love with some nun pigeons being sold at the show. The breeder was kind enough to sell him a pair at a greatly reduced rate. He's been taking very good care of them and now we're contemplating building a small loft just for him. I don't know where we'll put it, as our yard is practically wall-to-wall bird enclosures, but I think it's important for him to have a place to breed his own pigeons. I should have known. When he started talking his first word was "bird."

[Just_fledged]

Daniel gets his own loft??!! Jealous!! *pout, pout*

If my brothers and I (Birdmom's chicks ) are any indication, the hobby will most certainly continue.

[Birdmom4ever]

Yes you will, as soon as you have your own place. You will get pigeons as a house warming present.

[TerriB]

That is so cool!!!

[Nasal_Tufts]

It's too bad I didn't join earlier, I could have met you there. I was mostly in the rare breeds section and the archangles. I did have stuff in the for sale section but my father hired the kids next to us to sell the birds for us because we were too busey with the birds in the show. We paid them and gave them a few pair of birds. The show was really good but they could have had a few more vendors. Also the junior program is new with the NPA. I personally don't see it going very far. I'm still a junior till march but I never show with them I always show with the adults. The adults are always saying they need to get young people in the hobby and get showing ect. But when a kid beats them they get all hot. I was at a show my first year into pigeons and I was showing birds and I beat this guy and he got soo hot and mad he got out of showing birds and the birds went ones I bought I never show something I buy I always breed the birds I show.

[Motherlodelofts]

Mike if he got out of showing birds due to that then he never really into them. I think that you will see that in all area's of competions where you better know how to loose as well as win. Personally I enjoy getting beat by some of the newer guys around here once in a while, they work for it and it's deserved on thier end. I don't raise show birds but I was at Louisville a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

[AZWhitefeather]

I was at a show my first year into pigeons and I was showing birds and I beat this guy and he got soo hot and mad he got out of showing birds
How sad is that?
Often times 'older' folks have much to learn from the 'younger' ones.

Cindy

[re lee]

Some people are that way. Poor loosers. But most when the birds are judged can see which bird carried the most points that day. And they will except the loss and go on. Young people are the future. As they will carry forward . Good luck at the national show.