How to Raise and Train Racing Pigeons? Practical Techniques and Methods
The racing pigeon is a type of pigeon, also known as the carrier pigeon or racing pigeon. Through domestication, it can both carry messages for humans and take part in racing competitions, enriching human life and cultivating people's character. It is widely raised around the world. Small and compact, it is not only good at flying but also quick to react. The racing pigeon is a pigeon that people, over the long ages, developed from the unique traits of the original wild pigeon through artificial feeding, domestication and crossbreeding, evolving into a domestic pigeon used for communication and competition. The racing pigeon is the general term for racing pigeons, competition pigeons and carrier pigeons. The world's recorded history of artificially raising racing pigeons can be traced back more than 5000 years. According to the Pigeon Classic written by Zhang Wanchuan in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, pigeon domestication in China began about 2500 years ago. It is clear that China's racing pigeon breeding also has a long history and a distant source. Below, let us talk about the raising and training of racing pigeons.
Racing Pigeon Raising Methods
Racing pigeons mainly feed on grains, and all five grains and miscellaneous cereals (corn, sorghum, wheat, peas, buckwheat, millet, hemp seeds, peanuts) can be eaten. None of the above need fine processing; they can be fed to the pigeons directly as taken from those plants.
Racing pigeons should be fed on time and in fixed amounts; you cannot feed them whenever you happen to think of it. Give them a fixed trough position so that the racing pigeons form the habit of returning to the loft on time and eating at fixed points. Here is a little method: in order to make the racing pigeons return to the loft after being released, you can release them on an empty stomach and feed them more food after they return, to lure the racing pigeons back to the loft. This is because it can prevent the racing pigeons from flying out after eating their fill and, because they are not hungry, not returning to the loft, which delays the time of return. Using this method to make the pigeons form a conditioned reflex, thereafter every time they are released or come back from a competition, they can quickly return to the loft.
Racing Pigeon Training Methods
Training of racing pigeons should begin with enlightenment training. For young pigeons that are already familiar with the environment inside and outside the loft and can enter and leave the loft freely, after they can fly home normally with the flock, they should be taken alone to 2 to 5 km from the loft for enlightenment release training.
For young pigeons around three months old, you can use weekends and other free time to let them do progressive stepped-up training. Start from 10 km and gradually extend toward a training target of about 100 km. Continue to persist in the form of single-bird releases .
When the training distance has reached about 100 km, while considering the choice of release sites, you should pay attention to the landmark features of the terrain and landforms, and persist in repeated release drills at fixed or unfixed points. At this time you should also make accurate records of the release time and return time.
Points to Note in Racing Pigeon Raising
From the perspective of breeding, this depends to a great extent on the selection of young pigeons. The young pigeons produced should be selected. If all are kept regardless of quality, it not only wastes energy and materials but also leads to a decline in the overall loft's racing performance. Conversely, carefully selecting high-quality young pigeons is very beneficial for both breeding and racing. Therefore, the pigeon fancier must attach importance to the selection of young pigeons.
How to Select Racing Pigeons
1. Look at the wings. The wings are the main source of power for a racing pigeon's flight. In pigeons with fast flight speed, the quills of the first three primary feathers in the middle of the wing are mostly curved inward, like the shape of three fingers spread apart; such primary feathers are mostly very powerful. The middle feathers are neatly arranged, and at the secondary feathers they are slightly shorter by half a cun; when the wing is opened, the secondary feathers can cover the back.
2. Look at the eyes. The breeding pigeons' eyes of famous experts all look dry and old, like racing pigeon eyes; the surface grit of a racing pigeon's eye should not be too thick, the base grit should be thin and bright, the eye sign should be wide at the front and narrow at the back, and the pupil should contract and expand freely with the strength of the light.
3. Look at the keel. In an excellent racing pigeon, the front top of the keel is slightly drawn upward, and from the middle to the rear it shows a smooth transitional trend, rather than being drawn upward too quickly.
Requirements to Note in Racing Pigeon Raising
1. Requirements for the loft.
The loft environment must be quiet. You see, only such an environment is suitable for the breeding and living of racing pigeons. If the environment is too noisy, the disturbed racing pigeons will be unwilling to return to the loft; they would rather perch under the eaves. The loft should be ventilated and face the sun, warm in winter and cool in summer.
2. Provide sufficient and reasonable nutrition. Food is the main material basis for the survival of racing pigeons. To maintain the robust physique and good racing performance of racing pigeons, you must feed complete feed with energy, protein and other nutrients according to the needs of racing pigeons at different growth stages.
3. Feed at fixed times, fixed points and fixed amounts to strengthen the racing pigeon's ability to return quickly. The keeper should feed the racing pigeons at fixed times and in fixed amounts (which can be divided into three times, morning, noon and evening, or into two times), and fix the trough position, so that the racing pigeons form the habit of returning to the loft on time and feeding at fixed points.
4. Training must be persistent; irregular release and conditioning are strictly prohibited. During release training, racing pigeons must be trained twice a day, morning and evening, for 1 to 2 hours, unchanged rain or shine, to enhance endurance; in winter and summer the exercise time must not be shortened, in order to train the racing pigeons' ability to resist cold and rain, adapt to flight in all kinds of harsh weather, and cultivate excellent “all-weather” racing pigeons, so that the racing pigeons can fly back from hundreds of kilometers or even thousands of kilometers away.
5. Human-pigeon “affinity”, to cultivate the obedience of racing pigeons. The trainer must first establish “affinity” with the racing pigeons; only then can the pigeons come when called and leave when waved away during training. “Affinity” starts from the young pigeon stage. The trainer should personally teach the pigeons to drink and eat, and make the pigeons form a conditioned reflex to the training signals; when feeding, give the racing pigeons affectionate calls and stroking, so that the pigeons actively approach people.
6. Pair them in time to prevent loss during flight. After racing pigeons reach sexual maturity, their temperament becomes active, and males and females chase each other. At this time, they should be promptly given selected mates (racing pigeons that lose their mates midway should also be re-paired). Otherwise, racing pigeons without mates during the estrus period are prone to be lost during flight. Generally, pairing can succeed in 2 to 3 days.
7. Let racing pigeons bathe in clean water. Racing pigeons must be released every day; bathing can both keep the feathers clean and prevent external parasites. Bathing time should be chosen at noon on sunny days, 5 to 7 times a week in summer and 1 to 2 times in winter. A small amount of iodine tincture or 0·1% potassium permanganate can be added to the bath water.
8. Frequently check the health of the flock. When releasing the pigeons in the morning, observe the speed at which the pigeons leave the cage, their number and their flying condition; check whether the feathers and droppings in the loft are abnormal; check whether the feathers and droppings in the loft are abnormal; when the racing pigeons enter the loft at night, count their number, observe their appetite and behavior, promptly discover racing pigeons showing signs of illness, and take corresponding measures. In addition, racing pigeons should also be vaccinated with corresponding vaccines according to the situation.
The racing pigeon is an animal that flies in the air, so its body shape must meet the requirements of flight in the air. In addition, the raising and training management of racing pigeons, and the guarantee of their normal reproduction and healthy growth, are all basic work for training excellent racing pigeons.