Detailed Explanation of Medium-Distance Training Techniques for Racing Pigeons

Pigeon racing is generally divided into three levels (referring to the current domestic racing system): short distance 300-400 km; medium distance 500 km-700 km; long distance 700-1000 km. 

An excellent racing pigeon has requirements regarding its lineage, the pairing of its parents, and the season and time of its birth. 

The "Pigeon Classic" says: "Autumn pigeons have weak strength, summer pigeons have sparse feathers.……" According to my experience, racing pigeons bred in late winter and early spring are the most suitable. Like flying creatures in nature, they all reproduce in this season; when winter comes, they have all grown to maturity and can migrate over long distances, otherwise they cannot survive. 

Breeding young pigeons in this season is not only seasonally appropriate, but also enables the young pigeons to achieve the best quality in feather quality, ability, and other aspects. Under the condition of uniform pigeon age, select the best for training and management. 

1. Training of Young Pigeons 

Young pigeons begin flight training from 60 days of age. At this time, training should focus on scheduled home flying, supplemented by flights within 5-100 km. Pigeons from three months to one year of age are in the juvenile stage, an important stage for normal physical development. Flight training should first be scheduled; second, home flying should be combined with forced flying; third, the quality of feed must be ensured. 

At this stage, pigeons should be allowed to eat their fill as much as possible, to supply sufficient nutrition and ensure their healthy development. Each home flying session should be maintained for more than one hour. If this cannot be achieved, release training can be adopted to force short-distance release training of 20-60 km. After flying for more than half an hour, pigeons will pass through the fatigue period. This can lay a solid physical foundation and directional ability for future races. The training and release strategy should be formulated with a close-distance, multi-directional method. Exercise the young pigeons' field of vision so that they can choose shortcuts to return home on familiar routes. 

This basic training is an indispensable subject, namely the training principle of "short distance in four directions, long distance in a straight direction," providing a strong guarantee for achieving excellent results in racing. 

2. Medium-Distance Racing - Speed Training 

Medium distance means: 300-600 km racing. Speed is the key to winning, while physical strength and positioning are the guarantees. Since physical strength and judgment are the guarantees, two aspects should be studied and solved well: 

1. Make good physical preparations for the pigeons. 

My experience is to increase feed containing protein and high calories before the race, such as peas, corn, hemp seeds, etc. In the drinking water, strengthening agents can be added, such as ferrous sulfate, eleuthero, etc., adding 15 granules per liter of water. After the race, feed rice, rapeseed, wheat, etc. Honey or glucose, etc. can be added to the drinking water. 

2. The increase in distance for training and release must be scientific. 

The so-called training according to breed means understanding which type the breeds in one's own loft belong to, and this point must be clarified. Some pigeon breeds are suitable for training with a large jump of doubled distance. Some pigeon breeds, however, must be trained with small multiples of added distance. Only by understanding this characteristic of racing pigeons can a scientific training method be formulated, and the training and release plan be reasonably arranged. The distance must not be suddenly increased too much, but one must not be too conservative either. In recent years, the quality of short- and medium-distance racing pigeons has generally improved. To fly out speed and achieve results, daily home flying twice in the morning and evening must be no less than 2 hours; moreover, in the ten days before the race, there must be no fewer than four 100-km sessions. Its principle is "short distance in four directions, long distance in a straight direction." After such hard training, it is best to conduct one training and release session with the actual number of kilometers one week before the race, to observe whether the racing pigeon can participate in the official race.

3. The issue of the reliability coefficient of homing. 

The number of homing pigeons is a parameter for examining the success or failure of racing. Without a stable homing rate, there is no hope of winning the championship. Good bloodlines possess excellent hereditary characteristics, plus a healthy physique, strict management, and scientific training, and better rankings can be achieved. Therefore, in short- and medium-distance races, racing pigeons must be particular about strain. In terms of pigeon age, one year to three years is appropriate. Through the usual accurate training records and training-release rankings and distances, select fast pigeons that fly lightly to participate, and only then can one be sure of victory.

4. If you lose one move at chess, the pieces are still there. 

If the results are not ideal, one must not lose confidence; there must be problems with training and release and conditioning. This situation may fail because of our lack of careful observation, and because training and release and conditioning cannot be "docked," so that before the official race flight the racing pigeon has not recovered from muscle fatigue, mental fatigue, and various other causes that already existed during training and release. 

5. Strategy for using troops. 

As a successful racer, one should at all times, through selection and pairing, feeding, and the training process, resolutely eliminate "perfect" racing pigeons from the loft, and work hard to train those racing pigeons with potential. The art of war says it well: "Troops are valued not for quantity but for quality." Use elite troops and then apply the best strategy, namely: "There must be reserve racing pigeons in hand. The guarantee of physical fitness must first be achieved, and then there is the degree of familiarity with the entire terrain of the race route from the actual release point to the pigeon loft; before applying it, the many trainings of "short distance in four directions, long distance in a straight direction" mentioned above, so that after release the racing pigeons can, with good physical fitness and guaranteed speed, choose shortcuts to return home.