I don`t have all the answers on why racing pigeons don`t home well,or get lost on training tosses...In all the years I have been flying pigeons,I could count on one hand,how many OLD birds I have lost on training tosses....NONE....I don`t have the best racing pigeons in the USA,I don`t even come close to having the best in my area...But I do not lose OB`s on training tosses...There IS a reason why !!..........Here`s some !!!
POOR MANAGEMENT...LACK OF QUALITY PIGEONS.....HEALTH....BAD LOFT DESIGN....and the worst is ....TO MUCH OF (That`s not a bad return since you trained 40 birds) !!
You should not LOSE any OLD birds on traning tosses...Stop making excuses...There is something WRONG,if your losing OB`s on training TOSSES...In races,that`s one thing...
But not on training tosses !!! ......................................................................
If I take 20 birds 50 miles,and they were released together,they better be home ALL together....NONE LATE...NONE MISSING !!! I have 15 nest boxes in my OB section,and it has NEVER been full with 15 pairs...I do my best to hold it to 10 pairs !!! That means,I have the best 10 pairs of OB flyers,that I can breed...I didn`t say they were the best 10 pairs in the IRPC racing pigeon combine,or even my club...It is the best I can have...And I don`t win all the races,or even come close....The very first year I raced in 1984,in my 1st Futurity Race,there were only 28 day birds,I had one,when alot of big time guys didn`t...There was another Futurity that had 58 Day birds,there were 16 Alamo blood birds clocked out of the 58,by 3 different lofts..I had 12,the other 4 by two of my club mates...I think when you are NEW to racing pigeons,you have to buy good homing pigeons,and breed them,and find out which birds give you the best RACING pigeons...You have to get them home first,then decide if they home fast enough to be competitive, against your competition...You can`t be losing them in training toses...You can never get to the winners circle if you lose them in training.....I didn`t write this post to be MEAN or NASTY..I`m stating a FACT OF LIFE,when it comes to racing pigeons.....
You have to CULL your sub standard pigeons off your race team...If you don`t,you will lose them training,and IN the races you fly...And that`s not a whole lot of fun...Alamo