UkPigeonRacing

I have to say the truth about the sport, everything is man made by the members themselfs. Your views of this that and the other, but come on. What part do we play in it, ? I have posted many times over preparation, because I do think this is a big part of the sport. If you dont have the time, dont do it. Because you are not doing the birds justice. Oh so easy to blame the birds, isnt it?

Devo1956 wrote: Sat Oct 03, 2026 1:32 am I have to say the truth about the sport, everything is man made by the members themselfs. Your views of this that and the other, but come on. What part do we play in it, ? I have posted many times over preparation, because I do think this is a big part of the sport. If you dont have the time, dont do it. Because you are not doing the birds justice. Oh so easy to blame the birds, isnt it?

I must totally agree with you, Devo. The rewards tend to equal the effort. The fliers with the very best results year after seem to be the ones who have a plan, and put in as much effort as is required to make sure their preparation follows the plan.
There are many ways of doing it and some are possibly better than others. But a modest bloke who is putting the yards into the birds all the time will, in my opinion have more success in the long run than another with a pigeon palace and 'designer pigeons', which get as much effort as he can fit into his lifestyle.

Devo1956 wrote: Sat Oct 03, 2026 1:32 am I have to say the truth about the sport, everything is man made by the members themselfs. Your views of this that and the other, but come on. What part do we play in it, ? I have posted many times over preparation, because I do think this is a big part of the sport. If you dont have the time, dont do it. Because you are not doing the birds justice. Oh so easy to blame the birds, isnt it?

I agree the fancier is more to blame than his birds. But there's an argument to be made that many fanciers spent too much time and try to over do things. When I met my wife to be, and moved in with her, my birds got pushed down the list, I saw them just once a day for a short time, and often never had time to let them out. That year I had one of my best channel seasons ever winning the 500 mile race and other cards. Also I've seen many fanciers who did very well when they worked, but once retired there performances dropped off dramatically.
Pigeons DON'T like change. Find a routine that works and stick with it

I had a week away and since I have been home I have noticed a change in the birds, their ok going out flying for a couple of hours but some are a bit sheepish on coming in now any ideas of the best way round this to get them all in to my whistle and corn shaking as of before I went away

How were they fed while you were away Tony.....?

Tony-P- wrote: Sat Oct 03, 2026 8:52 pm I had a week away and since I have been home I have noticed a change in the birds, their ok going out flying for a couple of hours but some are a bit sheepish on coming in now any ideas of the best way round this to get them all in to my whistle and corn shaking as of before I went away

Tony they will come around to your routine soon, just keep doing what you was doing. Before you went away, one voice mate. They will be back to normal.

Devo1956 wrote: Sat Oct 03, 2026 9:33 pm

Tony-P- wrote: Sat Oct 03, 2026 8:52 pm I had a week away and since I have been home I have noticed a change in the birds, their ok going out flying for a couple of hours but some are a bit sheepish on coming in now any ideas of the best way round this to get them all in to my whistle and corn shaking as of before I went away

Tony they will come around to your routine soon, just keep doing what you was doing. Before you went away, one voice mate. They will be back to normal.

Thanks Devo, I hope so mate

The sport depends on you. and other members of the club. And it goes on and on: more small clubs making up the numbers. But are there enough birds being sent? these questions are what we are dealing with. In some areas. After this years reports, things are not looking too well do you think?

To be honest, i am at the point where. You are in the sport, and you really meet some nice people. But you move on through the sport, and you realize you got it all wrong. So you just wipe yourself down and move on, and leave others to think why?

Devo1956 wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2026 1:01 am The sport depends on you. and other members of the club. And it goes on and on: more small clubs making up the numbers. But are there enough birds being sent? these questions are what we are dealing with. In some areas. After this years reports, things are not looking too well do you think?

I'm of the opinion that there are two main reasons for the losses encountered these days.

1/ I don't think a lot of the pigeons are good enough. Back 40 or 50 years ago people had families of pigeons which they had bred and selected for a lifetime. The first selection requirement was homing instinct. They had to get home from any distance, in any weather and do it for years.
That type of pigeon has been replaced by paper pigeons to a large degree.
I've had some conversations about why my pigeons are winning so much. My reply is they are bred off very good pigeons. There are very few in my shed that are not winners, parents of winners or siblings of winners.
Yes they have good pedigrees, but not much out there is more than one generation from winners.

2/ Why do some people get wiped out and others don't?
My mate Terry Brauer out in Horsham started this year with about 86. He has flown 17 races and still has about 65 left. Others are struggling to find pigeons to send.
I think it's because he puts the effort into them. And the money. He told me what he's feeding these things, I went Wow!
And the petrol. He trains them all the time. Another bloke who had pigeons bred the same way as Terry can't get a top 3 place. I told him to have a chat with Terry.
He did.He got back to me and said he's had a major wake up.
I said that not tossing them is not being kind, it's just sending them 90% fit and they are the first ones lost.

That's only my thoughts, which I admit have been subject to modification over the last few years.