Are the cost affecting the sport?

[Murray]

Your estimate at £800 Dave is only just £2.19/day, or £15.34/week. I would think mine if including club membership, racing fees, food, rings, ETS rings, etc for my loft of 40 old birds, including stock birds, plus 25/30 youngsters would be around £25/week allowing for 22 weeks of racing. So probably around £1300/yr. Again not allowing for fuel. Still think it’s a reasonable price to pay for what we get out of it and still cheaper than a lot of other things.

I quite agree, Andy.
I suppose by the time you add the cost of fuel, and I drive a big car, life rings, nest felts, straw and other bits and pieces, it adds up. It's still an fairly affordable hobby in my view.

[Andy]

Your estimate at £800 Dave is only just £2.19/day, or £15.34/week. I would think mine if including club membership, racing fees, food, rings, ETS rings, etc for my loft of 40 old birds, including stock birds, plus 25/30 youngsters would be around £25/week allowing for 22 weeks of racing. So probably around £1300/yr. Again not allowing for fuel. Still think it’s a reasonable price to pay for what we get out of it and still cheaper than a lot of other things.

I quite agree, Andy.
I suppose by the time you add the cost of fuel, and I drive a big car, life rings, nest felts, straw and other bits and pieces, it adds up. It's still an fairly affordable hobby in my view.

Owning a pet shop I know that many spend more than £25/week on their dogs, food, treats and toys, especially if you then include any routine treatments. That’s without even considering the cost if they have to see a vet. Some of our older customers will even spend that on feeding the wild birds, hedgehogs and other wildlife.

[Murray]

And then there's the elephant in the room. Drugs. Medications.
Many 'experts' and even vets say you should not be routinely tipping antibiotics into them, but the same people are making a fortune selling medications.
It's how they make their living.
I don't even own any medications, but I would treat them if something needed it. I couldn't afford hundreds of dollars worth of drugs to be sticking into them routinely, "just because I can".
Many do, and it must add a lot to the cost of the sport.

[Trev]

I have to confess that I've not read all the posts on this topic so must apologise if I repeat anything already said.
I do think that the rising cost of keeping and in particular racing our birds is having an impact on the sport, but as you have said, when compared to other hobbies it is still affordable to many. Again it's a sport that you can easily over complicate and can make as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be, again as you've said, we can easily get brainwashed into spending a lot more money than we need to.
As with everything I think the red tape involved now is having an affect, especially now Deffra are involved. Also I think the gradual decline of Club/Fed racing is making it harder for new starters to get into the sport, but I think one of the bigger issues over hear is lack of space. Many councils are against having livestock on allotments now, which of course is where many fanciers, especially up North, used to have their lofts. Many councils won't allow lofts in council owned properties anymore, and all the new housing developments, if youngsters are lucky enough to be able to afford one, just don't have big enough gardens for pigeon lofts or are so on top of each other that it just wouldn't be practical.
I don't know what the answers are but somehow we need to attract more youngsters into the sport, we have a fairly good club in Littlehampton with around 15 members, 12 of whom race most weeks. However at nearly 59, I'm the youngest member, if the two guys who run the club decide they are packing it in, there is nobody there who could/would take over so our club would fold.

[Murray]

Also, I assume it's the same over there, everyone seems to be getting bigger and bigger lofts and bigger teams. When I first came to Oz many people bred about 100 youngsters every year to withstand the losses and finish the season.
Now 300 is nothing surprising. Can you imagine the feed bill!

[Diamond Dave]

I have to confess that I've not read all the posts on this topic so must apologise if I repeat anything already said.
I do think that the rising cost of keeping and in particular racing our birds is having an impact on the sport, but as you have said, when compared to other hobbies it is still affordable to many. Again it's a sport that you can easily over complicate and can make as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be, again as you've said, we can easily get brainwashed into spending a lot more money than we need to.
As with everything I think the red tape involved now is having an affect, especially now Deffra are involved. Also I think the gradual decline of Club/Fed racing is making it harder for new starters to get into the sport, but I think one of the bigger issues over hear is lack of space. Many councils are against having livestock on allotments now, which of course is where many fanciers, especially up North, used to have their lofts. Many councils won't allow lofts in council owned properties anymore, and all the new housing developments, if youngsters are lucky enough to be able to afford one, just don't have big enough gardens for pigeon lofts or are so on top of each other that it just wouldn't be practical.
I don't know what the answers are but somehow we need to attract more youngsters into the sport, we have a fairly good club in Littlehampton with around 15 members, 12 of whom race most weeks. However at nearly 59, I'm the youngest member, if the two guys who run the club decide they are packing it in, there is nobody there who could/would take over so our club would fold.

Hello Trev. I dont disagree with what you say but gotta say that I dont think you have much chance of attracting youngsters into the sport.
IMO the best ppl to 'target' are the recently retired. Most would have the savvy to operate new tech, most would be fit enough to help out at club level, most would be looking for something to do with their spare time, most would have spare cash to be able to afford it.
Its the perfect target audience.

[Bowbroom]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion (unless it disagrees with some) mine is that we will NEVER attract enough to even go near replacing those lost through natural wastage, for the kids it’s too much like hard work the same applies to the newly retired.
The drop in membership is affecting all the unions in the British Isles and friends abroad assure me it’s the same in Belgium and Holland.
We must face up to the fact that ours is a dying game and enjoy it while we can, if it gives people pleasure to delude themselves otherwise than I wish them all the best.

[Diamond Dave]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion (unless it disagrees with some) mine is that we will NEVER attract enough to even go near replacing those lost through natural wastage, for the kids it’s too much like hard work the same applies to the newly retired.
The drop in membership is affecting all the unions in the British Isles and friends abroad assure me it’s the same in Belgium and Holland.
We must face up to the fact that ours is a dying game and enjoy it while we can, if it gives people pleasure to delude themselves otherwise than I wish them all the best.

Your opinion BB and one that typically reflects the attitude of a current or former official of the RPRA.
I'm guessing that it was under your inclusion that the "the future of the sport" committee was set up. I wonder if you can remind me what that achieved, apart from mis-using members funds.
I dont consider myself to be "deluded" because I have a more positive attitude than you.
Can you show me any evidence of newly retired ppl being targeted as potential members or can you show me any evidence of any one being targeted in any sort of campagn to seek new members by the ageing hierachy of the RPRA.? ( refrained from using the D word)
I myself have several ideas of how new members could be targeted and I dont consider myself to be deluded because I have a positive attitude.
There are hundreds of other ppl out there that are likely to have other ideas as well but with your attitude and that of the RPRA, it can only go one way.
Whats really interesting about your post is that you have actively stated that if we dont agree with you - "we are deluded" - To reflect on previous posts of yours, Id say thats a classic case of pot and kettle!!
Nothing personal intended mate.

[king]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion (unless it disagrees with some) mine is that we will NEVER attract enough to even go near replacing those lost through natural wastage, for the kids it’s too much like hard work the same applies to the newly retired.
The drop in membership is affecting all the unions in the British Isles and friends abroad assure me it’s the same in Belgium and Holland.
We must face up to the fact that ours is a dying game and enjoy it while we can, if it gives people pleasure to delude themselves otherwise than I wish them all the best.

Not often that we agree, but you are right. Whilst some clubs are attracting new members, how many are actually poached from other clubs? Some areas in the UK will fare better than others, but for every 'NEW' member the sport gains, I'll bet it will lose TEN. And more worrying this will increase due to the age of the majority of fanciers.

[Winfort Lofts]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion (unless it disagrees with some) mine is that we will NEVER attract enough to even go near replacing those lost through natural wastage, for the kids it’s too much like hard work the same applies to the newly retired.
The drop in membership is affecting all the unions in the British Isles and friends abroad assure me it’s the same in Belgium and Holland.
We must face up to the fact that ours is a dying game and enjoy it while we can, if it gives people pleasure to delude themselves otherwise than I wish them all the best.

Your opinion BB and one that typically reflects the attitude of a current or former official of the RPRA.
I'm guessing that it was under your inclusion that the "the future of the sport" committee was set up. I wonder if you can remind me what that achieved, apart from mis-using members funds.
I dont consider myself to be "deluded" because I have a more positive attitude than you.
Can you show me any evidence of newly retired ppl being targeted as potential members or can you show me any evidence of any one being targeted in any sort of campagn to seek new members by the ageing hierachy of the RPRA.? ( refrained from using the D word)
I myself have several ideas of how new members could be targeted and I dont consider myself to be deluded because I have a positive attitude.
There are hundreds of other ppl out there that are likely to have other ideas as well but with your attitude and that of the RPRA, it can only go one way.
Whats really interesting about your post is that you have actively stated that if we dont agree with you - "we are deluded" - To reflect on previous posts of yours, Id say thats a classic case of pot and kettle!!
Nothing personal intended mate.

I personally think to target the people we need, the emphasis needs to come a large from individual members/clubs, rather than the governing body per se.

This is something that I think people are a lot less will to get behind when they realise they are the ones that need to go out and make an effort.

How hard would it be to ask to put up flyers in the local notice board, local grain seller, local library, or even on the local events board in the local pub?

All of which individually are not gonna cause hoards of people to suddenly take an interest. But if done across the nation, then maybe a handful of people, that way inclined may take a look!

I recently saw a post on Facebook from a local page where someone had found a stray, noticed the rings, and pointed out that they didn't realise pigeon racing was still a thing!