UkPigeonRacing

Diamond Dave mentioned that at Doncaster show he found the prices of medications had skyrocketed. He observed that it's not a working man's sport anymore.

Then just now I read this on Ad S's blog,
"Romania is, as far as is known, the only country where more fanciers come annually. In Vallenie de Munte, a 'friend' wrote, there is a club that numbered 60 members about 7 years ago, now has 109 fanciers. That is making good progress. There is no basketing restriction there. The fanciers all seem to be younger than 50-55.
I went there once with the father of Nikolaas and Thomas (Pipa). It was a celebratory evening and it truly was a party. Never seen anything like it. And hardly any grey heads.
However, the aforementioned 'friend' wrote that pigeon racing there might be at a turning point.
Quite a few fanciers are on the verge of quitting due to the rising costs/prices everywhere."

And I think this is what is going to kill it. The costs.
We wonder why people are not entering the sport, but put yourself in the position of someone thinking of starting.
Even a modest loft converted from a shed is not cheap, and a loft from a specialist company is a big investment.
Then there's all the equipment, fittings, ets, there's a lot before you even join a club.
Speaking of which, there is a list of fees and charges, all payable up front before you begin..

Finally you get some pigeons. You can easily spend a lot of money on pigeons whose main attraction is the fancy advertising. And if by sheer luck you do manage to get some decent ones you, an absolute novice, will have to pay to compete against veterans with decades of practice and a loft full of 'secret weapons'. There will be club members who hope you do well. But not TOO well.

Dave is right. The sport is going to price it's self out of existence. I'm fortunate, we own our home, so we are not faced with rent or loan payments every week. We are doing okay. But we live on the pension and if it weren't for the fact that my birds are paying for themselves I'd have to be thinking about it. And I only have 40 pigeons.
There may be solutions to some of the problems but few people seem interested. And it will kill the sport.

All to true Muzza. I am at my financial limit racing just 12 pairs on my pension and have to try to get odd jobs to pay to race my birds the way that I want to.
I try to find everyday products from the supermarket rather than pigeon supplements but not sure if you can get away with doing that for even the most basic forms of medication.

Just like to say tho muzza that none of these large companies give a shite anyway mate. Its not just meds its the whole cost of racing. Theres no point in complaining it aint gonna get any easier - you either pay up or get out.
I am hoping to survive this financial onslaught for just this one more season to be able to achieve my goal but doubt I will be racing after that.

Very true, Dave.
You will notice that a lot of the medications and nutritional additives are made on the Continent. What is happening over there and I suspect in the UK is the mega lofts are taking over. 20 lofts sending 100 or 200 each instead of 100 lofts sending 10 or 20 each. The big lofts have the big name strains and sell lots. So they are making heaps of money and buy heaps of products.
The back garden fancier is of no importance.

As you know I don't use any medications at all, except when I have to. A while ago one of my cock birds got sick. It was like he had something stuck in his throat and after a few days he was going downhill. I couldn't see anything and was getting really worried. Then I saw his tongue sticking out and in the light you could see a very fine thread wrapped around it. I pulled it off as gently as I could but it hurt him. How or what it was I have no idea.
He was pretty sick and his tongue and throat were all swollen.
So I got one on my wife's 25mg Doxycyclene tablets and chopped it in 4. Gave him 1/4 tablet for 4 days and he bounced right back.
I'm pleased about that, he's the father of 153 that won the Ballarat Breeder's plate and paid the feed bill for the year.

So you can get around spending lots on medicines.

Racing may be a different story. I've won races with pigeons that have never seen as much as a Disprin, but the exposure to other pigeons in the transporter means they may come home with infections.
We just have to do the best we can.

Yes Murray of course your right. I've grown up (if I have grown up yet) being the minority in a lot of things I have done - doesnt matter how loud you shout, gesture or moan, no-one gives a shite.
Well done for sorting out 153's dad. Im sure youd have a few more like him if you could.