Clickable Contents Page

Transcription

1 1

2 Disclaimer All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. 2

3 Clickable Contents Page Introduction The Basics Caring for Pigeons Dietary Concerns Watering Detailed Daily Schedule Tracking Racing Old Bird Systems Widowhood Maintaining Performance Widowhood Variations Celibacy System Jealousy System The Natural System Young Bird Systems Darkening System 3

4 Introduction Being a successful pigeon fancier (one who races pigeons) requires a lot of knowledge about the birds, their diet, techniques, and handling problematic situations. This isn t any different than being a coach for a finely tuned athlete in most circumstances. Since we can t have any meaningful conversations with pigeons, we have to think of ways to get the pigeon to race: this is achieved through efficient non-verbal communication, such as motivation or environmental conditioning. In order to understand pigeon racing better, this book is separated into three major sections: The Basics, Old Bird Systems, and Young Bird Systems. The first section will include information regarding daily care and diet throughout the racing season with information for both short and long distances. It will also include information regarding health and potential warning signs. The easiest way to race pigeons is through various motivation tactics. These methods are called Old Bird Systems and the second section of this book will discuss all of the methods that involve invoking primal instinct to motivate a pigeon to race; included in these are the Old Bird Natural, Widowhood, Double Widowhood, Celibacy, and Jealousy Systems. 4

5 Newer methods involve raising and conditioning the pigeon from birth and depend on manipulating the biological clock in various ways to achieve the same results. These methods are called Young Bird Systems and the third section of this book will explain the Young Bird Natural, Darkening, and Lighting Systems. 5

6 The Basics Pigeon racing isn t some simple sport that you can walk into and be an overnight success; it takes planning and preparation just like any other competitive sport to be the best. Instead of you being conditioned into a prime athlete, you are a coach for a nest of birds. The first section will be for the overall care for your racing pigeon and the second section will talk about what you need to do specifically as part of the racing structure. There are several organizations for pigeon racers depending on where you live; these are the governing bodies for all race related activities. You must abide by their rules to be recognized. United states of america AU (preferred) or ARPU American Racing Pigeon Union United Kingdom RPRA Royal Pigeon Racing Association Canada CRPU Canadian Racing Pigeon Union 6

7 Caring for Pigeons You must make sure the racers are in the best shape possible; therefore you control their diets, physical activities, and emotional states. This is very similar to raising a pet; whereas we might be tempted to allow the pet to eat at odd intervals, a racing pigeon must adhere to a strict schedule with only minor deviations caused by unavoidable circumstances. Housing You will probably have to be building your own pigeon loft, and having the proper living area for your pigeons is essential for a happy life. When researching floor plans, keep the following points in mind: OUTER WALL CONSTRUCTION The outer walls need to be insulated and there needs to be no openings that can t be closed. Birds do not like drafts at all. ROOF CONSTRUCTION For best performance, you need a slanted roof. Pigeons like to perch, and you don t want them to get accustomed to perching on their loft. A pigeons racing goal is to get inside their loft. If they linger on the roof it would add to their time. 7

8 As an added feature, a lot of pigeon fanciers will add pigeon spikes to the roof to deter the pigeons from perching. SPACE Each room in the loft must have two cubic feet of space per bird expected to occupy that room as an absolute minimum. ROOMS You need to have separate rooms for the cocks, hens, chicks, and sick birds. Most racing models operate on the relationship between the cocks, hens, and chicks. Also, you don t want the healthy birds to get sick by not having a quarantine area. PERCHES One of the ways that a pigeon is social is by perching; it s also a way to establish dominance which is natural behavior for most animals. Make sure there are plenty of perches for every bird to have their own. VENTILATION As mentioned earlier, you don t want there to be any gaps or flaws in the outer wall construction so you can minimize drafts; but you do want to provide controlled ventilation to keep the loft dry. Not having enough ventilation will mean the loft stays wet and creates a moldy and unsanitary living area for the birds. 8

9 NESTING SUPPLIES You need to provide nesting boxes for the cocks and hens to perform mating activities comfortably and the nesting bowls need to be sterilized every time you remove eggs. SANITATION Everything should be completely dry and odor-free. Odors are an indication that something isn t clean enough for the pigeons. BATHING AREA Birds like to bathe themselves so make sure you provide a bathing area. You can t have the bathing area accessible all of the time but provide access to it at least once per week. FLOORS You can t have a dirt floor. You can use a litter based floor, grates, or a daily cleaned (scraped) floor. PEST CONTROL Any kind of pests can harm the birds so you must use proper pest control at all times. AVIARY Having a closed aviary is extremely important; you want your pigeons to exercise without risking them flying off for a while on their own. Yes, they ll return, but this will ensure they are present when you need them. The aviary must be open (mesh fencing) to allow adequate sunlight. 9

10 Health Concernes Pigeons are naturally susceptible to a variety of illnesses and there are things you can do every day for your birds in order to maintain their health. LIVING AREA I mentioned this in the housing section, but it is worth repeating: everything the pigeon is exposed to must be cleaned properly and free of dampness. Free of Waste The birds will be eating a lot and along with that they will produce a lot of waste which you must remove. Sometimes, cleaning the loft floors (scraping) once per day will be enough but you should always aim for twice per day. Remove all Feed Seeds and grains are magnets for rodents, insects, and other pests. Because of this, it is absolutely necessary to remove all of the feed after feeding the pigeons. Don t leave any on the loft floors and make sure the feed that you have stored is located in airtight containers. The other essential items such as the grit and minerals should always be available. Clean Water Their drinking water has to be clean all of the time, so if you checked the water and it doesn t look pure you should change it. 10

11 No Moisture If the loft is damp it means you don t have enough ventilation and you should re-evaluate your airflow. OTHER BIRDS New birds potentially mean new illnesses and you risk your entire loft. Don t introduce any new birds (as you should be breeding your own) because different pigeon fanciers have different standards. VISITORS Along with not introducing new birds, you shouldn t allow people to visit your loft and expose themselves. While humans can t (for the most part) be infected with what can make birds ill, we can be carriers for the viruses and other infections. You should follow the same principles as a chicken farmer; they keep their facilities secure so they don t put their flock at risk of contamination. MEDICAL TREATMENTS Before you bring your first pigeon home to its loft, get all of the necessary medication and keep it in a safe place. You don t want to be in the middle of an emergency and not have the medication you need. Also, be mindful of the dosage and the type of medication given to your birds. SIMULTANEOUS THERAPY It is vitally important to treat all of your birds at the same time with the same medications. 11

12 You don t want to risk a reinfection and keeping up with multiple treatment regimens can become too resource intensive. ADVERSE EFFECTS Some medications can be taxing on the liver because the liver metabolizes the drug and then it is used in the body. Medicating too much will cause undue stress on the liver and will drastically reduce performance. NOTICE TO QUARANTINE YOU MUST QUARANTINE ANY SICK BIRD AS SOON AS YOU KNOW THE BIRD IS SICK. This will minimize exposure, contamination, and potential loss of time. Common Illnesses You may not know it, but all birds have a number of parasites living inside them. The problem is when the population of these parasites exceeds normality; they can cause severe health issues. Treating your pigeons regularly for certain parasites can reduce their population and keep your pigeon healthy and ready to race. 12

13 Super Drugs There are super drugs out there that will drastically decrease the parasitic infection; the problem is that the drugs work so well that the pigeons build a high tolerance to the drug and then you ll have to use more expensive medication or risk losing your pigeon. Using low grade and low dose medication and the drugs will continue working. Tolerance The best practice is to have about 3 different drugs for each illness on hand so you can switch them out regularly. For example, use ornidazole for canker the first week and metronidazole the following week. Treatment Facts Your first inclination may be to grab up all of the possible medications that you would need and giving them a daily dose to keep everything under control. This is where most people would fail. ALL LIVING BEINGS HAVE PARASITIC INFECTIONS One parasite that you have had in your body since about three days after birth is E. Coli. This came from water you drank or while you were breastfed. Most E. Coli is harmless, however, certain strains can be toxic and/or fatal to humans if their population gets out of control. 13

14 PARASITE POPULATIONS CAN T BE ERADICATED In order to eliminate a parasite, complete tissue death must occur for all infected areas; even then the parasite may survive without the areas achieving a state of conflagration. PARASITE POPULATIONS CAN BE REDUCED A parasitic outbreak can happen for many reasons, and for most birds the signs will be noticeable. This is the best time to administer most medications. CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO A DRUG BUILDS A RESISTANCE TO IT Parasites are examples of evolution that we can see. They can adapt to situations to preserve their population. When you treat a parasite with antibiotics, you are creating a potentially dangerous situation where the parasites will become immune to it and can overtake the host and kill it. For this reason, you need to use the minimum amount of medication possible and switch as often as possible. The typical treatment duration is no longer than two days per week if the pigeon gets better. Obviously, it will be longer if the outbreak is severe. 14

15 Parasitic Infections Canker This is a condition known better as trichomoniasis that results from an overgrowth of a parasite known as Trichomonas gallinae. The most common infected area is the throat. Symptoms Inflammation and swelling in the throat; mucous; potentially asymptomatic. Treatment The drug of choice used to treat T. gallinae is known as Ridzol or Ronidazole. The drug s official International Nonproprietary Name (INN or generic name) is ornidazole. Others like it are also used, such as metronidazole. The drug is usually dissolved in the pigeon s water at scheduled intervals. Adverse Interactions It is okay to mix with respiratory medications. Decreases fertility; wait 1 week after treatment for breeding. Brands Flagyl, Metryl, Emtryl, Protostat, Ridzol, Risdol, Ronidazole. 15

16 Coccidiosis Another parasitic infection named after the offender s scientific subclass of Coccidia. These parasites are typically transferred through contact with feces. If one bird has it, then the whole loft is probably infected. The most common infected area is the intestines. Symptoms Diarrhea Treatment Known as Amperol or Amprol, the drug s official name is amprolium and is used to treat the overgrowth of coccidian parasites. Other generics are dinitolmide and monensin. Brands Amprolium: Amperol; Dinitolmide: Zoalene, Coccidine A, Coccidot, Zoamix; Monensin: 3 Nitro, Bacitracin MD, Chlormax; Toltrazuril: Baycox. Medicating During the Racing Season Just about any type of drug can make pigeons and humans have certain side-effects, such as lethargy or nausea. For this reason, you can t have a continuous treatment plan for racing pigeons. During the season, don t medicate unless you absolutely have to; also, some conditions can t be prevented with any amount of drugs so the preventative medical approach is moot. There are only two conditions that need constant management: canker and respiratory infections. 16

17 Dietary Concerns A racing pigeon s diet is very strict and what they eat is mapped out in detail. Remember, you are raising a conditioned and trained athlete instead of just a regular pet. Feeding The racing pigeon s diet consists of a mix of seeds specifically to provide controlled amounts of the nutrients needed to be a top-notch racer. Instead of stomachs, pigeons (like all birds) have gizzards. Grit While similar to the stomach, the gizzard doesn t have acid to break down foods. Because of this, birds will swallow small bits of stone to help grind up the feed for digestion. You re going to make it easy for the pigeons by providing the material to help digest their food in the form of grit. The best grit contains crushed oyster shells which is a good source of calcium for the pigeon. You may have heard of chicken grit, but you shouldn t use anything other than pigeon grit because others may be too large to help in the digestion process. If the grit is too large the pigeon won t eat it, and if the grit is too small it will simply dissolve. 17

18 Feed If you spoke to 100 different pigeon fanciers, you d get just as many recipes for pigeon feed. The feed requires some components to be present but there is a tolerance to the formula the percentages can be varied from time to time and there would be no adverse reactions. Feed can attract rodents and insects; accumulated feed can rot, mold, and become an unhealthy environment for the birds. Protect the feed by covering it in an airtight container wherever it s stored. Requirements Since you re raising racing pigeons, you can t expect to pick up just any feed from a pet store and expect to be set. If you want your pigeons to stay healthy and in prime racing condition, you will want to have certain standards. NUTRIENTS There are three main nutritional elements that you need to look out for when buying feed for your pigeon: carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. Having a good mix of each of these is important to your pigeon s health. Carbohydrates For any athlete, carbohydrates are going to be the main source of fuel and energy for the event. But carbohydrates can leave anyone feeling empty if not supplemented with other important nutrients. 18

19 Protein Protein also provides energy but their main purpose is to help build muscle but can cause the athlete to have a feeling of heaviness. The number of calories that a protein has is significantly greater than an equal portion of carbohydrates. Fat While you may think adding fat to a pigeon s diet is harmful, this nutrient can help in the energy department. When added as the fatty portion of protein, this can help the protein satisfy the pigeon s hunger better. Fiber Fiber is mainly used to help the pigeon cleanse itself after a race. For this to be effective, you will have to add fiber and decrease the protein content. Overall Requirements All pigeon feed will satisfy the carbohydrate requirements, but you will need two different mixtures to care for your pigeon on different days of the week. The first mix we ll call your basic mix and the second mix is a cleansing mix. The following table shows the percentages required for each source: INGREDIENT BASIC CLEANSING PROTEIN 15% 15% FAT 5% 10% FIBER 8% 12% 19

20 Seeds and Grains Most pigeon fanciers will want to mix their own feed because the pigeons will need different levels of feed at different times, such as right before or after a race and in the recuperation period. So far, you have your two basic feeds, the standard and the cleansing blends. There are different seeds and grains that will do the same thing as others but you want to have a good mixture to provide the pigeon with variety and keep it interested. You will also need to purchase the following items and leave them separate: Barley This is a grain that is high in carbohydrates but is also low in fat. It is used as an extra energy boost. Safflower This seed is high in protein and fat which can help with keeping feathers shiny. Hemp This grain will help with weight and energy for the birds but can cause constipation if too much is given; it s low in protein and high in carbohydrates and fat. 20

21 Flaxseed This seed is also high in protein and fat like safflower and serves the same purpose. SUPPLEMENTS (DRY) The pigeon is going to need extra supplements beyond the feed to maintain its health. This is expected because of the additional strains put on its body for racing. You should try looking for supplements made for pigeons, but if you can t find it then you can use just about any bird supplement. Vitamins And Minerals If you re using a supplement not designed for pigeons, it s preferable to get water-soluble supplements. Make sure the supplement is sufficiently crushed and sprinkle the crushed mixture over the feed or just allow it to dissolve in their water if it s water-soluble. 21

22 Brewers Yeast Besides being a source for vitamins B and E, this also helps in fertility. This is added to the feed at a rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 pound of mixed feed with a tablespoon of flaxseed oil used to help bind the powder. Whey Protein Bodybuilders use this to bulk up and build muscle, and pigeons can use it for the same thing. Once again, a tablespoon to a pound of feed will do well. You can get this as unflavored or vanilla flavored. Avoid chocolate since it is toxic to animals. Iodized Salt Iodine is a necessary nutrient for just about all living things and you can add 1 teaspoon per pound of feed. 22

23 LIQUID SUPPLEMENTS SPECIAL BLENDS Now that you have all of the required ingredients for your pigeons, it s time to make the feed for the different times of the week. For the following list, the amounts refer to what share of the mix goes to each ingredient. As long as you keep the ratios constant, you should always have the same quality feed every time. Special Seed Mix 1 Safflower 1 Hemp 1 Flaxseed This low fiber special seed blend is given in small quantities for a power boost twice per week, as noted by the schedule. Depurative Mix 23

24 1 Cleansing You re going to give this mix to the pigeons for four days per week; you re feeding them enough carbohydrates, fat, and fiber to make sure they continuously rid their bodies of excess waste. Depurative Mix Plus 1 Cleansing ** Flaxseed Oil Racing Prep 1 Basic 3 Cleansing This mix is the bridge between the power mix that follows and the depurative mix you feed them most of the time. It cuts back on the fiber (only 75% of the total mix) so they won t go as much. Power Boost 24

25 7 Basic 2 Barley 1 Special Seed Blend You don t want the birds weighed down too much, so you give them a lot of barley and the special seed blend to provide energy and also cleanse their system to get ready for the big race. Replenishing 1 Basic 1 Cleansing You give this to the pigeon after it returns. It s lighter on the fiber so the pigeon can retain the benefits of the feeding longer. Extra Light 1 Basic 25

26 This isn t really a special blend, but a special amount. Instead of the normal 1¼ oz. portion, you give only ¾ oz. on the morning of the race because you don t want them weighed down. AMOUNTS On every day unless otherwise noted, you will want to provide no more than 1¼ oz. of feed per bird per feeding. Leave the feed in the nest for about 20 minutes then take all of it out. You don t want the pigeons to be full but you don t want them to be starving. If the pigeons are slightly hungry, they will listen better and perform better. 26

27 TIMES Except for the shipping day, pigeons are fed twice per day, once in the mornings and once in the evenings. On shipping day, they are fed in the mornings and no later than 1pm in the afternoon. SPECIAL ADDITIONS On Tuesdays and Thursdays during the racing season, add 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil per pound of feed mixture to the evening feedings. 27

28 Watering Racing can take a lot out of a pigeon; for us we understand it as drinking some Gatorade or similar drink. Pigeons are no different and often require a special mix to restore balance to their systems. On the day of return for the pigeon, you will need to add to a gallon of pure water the following ingredients: 1 tbsp. Glucose ¼ tsp. Electrolyte blend ¼ tsp. Iodized salt As an alternative, you can find an electrolytic blend from a pet store as just about any blend will work. It s generally not a good idea to give the birds a constant diet of the electrolytic blend; however, just as human athletes grab the Gatorade or similar sports drink, we can give the birds a blend of the above ingredients added to two gallons of water after their evening exercises. 28

29 Detailed Daily Schedule The following section combines the information for both the feeding and exercise for the pigeons. These are merely guidelines but it s a good place to start. In the Health Concerns section, I told you about the various illnesses and some various drugs (both generic names and trade names). Once again, make sure you have a variety of these on hand because you don t want to use the same drug too many times in a row because the pigeons will become tolerant to the medication. SUNDAY MEDICATION SUNDAY MORNING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Depurative Mix Pure Rest Canker & RI This is the day after the pigeons return from the race. As you ll see later in the schedule, the pigeons were fed all they wanted of the replenishing mix. Now it s time to cleanse their bodies and keep them healthy. 29

30 They had no extremely strenuous activity recently, so make sure you give them fresh and clean water. Unlike the feed, the water can stay in the loft with the pigeons but it needs to be refreshed as often as possible. SUNDAY EVENING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Depurative Mix Reduced Electrolytes Optional None The birds have had all day to rest, so now is the time to make sure they don t lose their form. Get them to exercise before you feed and replenish their water. Since this is the first day of medication in the cycle, allow the birds to rest this evening. You can let them exercise, but if they seem uninterested then leave them out anyway for a little free time. MONDAY MEDICATION MONDAY MORNING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Depurative Mix Pure None Canker & RI This is the second day of the routine maintenance 30

31 medication therapy. You don t want to do more than 2 doses per week for either canker or respiratory infections so you can minimize potentially harmful side effects. MONDAY EVENING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Depurative Mix Reduced Electrolytes 1 Hour None Monday should be a fairly uneventful day. As with all days from Sunday through Wednesday, you will treat for a specific disease in the evening after the exercising is done. TUESDAY TUESDAY MORNING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Depurative Mix Pure None None The lethargy or other side effects of the medications give earlier should be disappearing now. TUESDAY EVENING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Depurative Mix Reduced Electrolytes 1 Hour None 31

32 The feed should have an added tablespoon of flaxseed oil along with a tablespoon of the vitamins, minerals, and salt mix per gallon of feed mix. WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY MORNING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Depurative Mix Pure None None Double check your pigeons for any signs of illness or infection. WEDNESDAY EVENING FOOD WATER EXERCISE MEDICATION Depurative Mix Reduced Electrolytes 1 Hour None THURSDAY THE DAY BEFORE SHIPPING THURSDAY MORNING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Racing Prep Pure 1 Hour None 32

33 They re going to have a race tomorrow so you start preparing their bodies to take in the power boost by offering this gradual step between the depurative mix and the Power Mix to be given later. THE DAY BEFORE SHIPPING THURSDAY EVENING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Depurative Mix Pure 1 Hour None You want to give them all they want of this particular mix for 30 minutes and then completely remove all of it. You want them to eat as much as they need but you don t want them to become too fat and lazy to be able to race. Also, you will want to give them the same additives to their feed mixture that you did on Tuesday. FRIDAY THE DAY OF SHIPPING FRIDAY MORNING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Extra Light Pure 1 Hour None 33

34 This is an important day; you don t want to weigh down your birds so you give them extra light feed. Also, you don t want them too tired so you let them rest today. DO NOT FEED AFTER 1PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION ¼ oz. Special Seed Mix Pure Rest None Normally, you d feed your pigeons in the evening. Since they are being shipped off later, you need to feed them early so they can eat and have enough time for their bodies to process the extra energy. SATURDAY THE DAY OF RETURN SATURDAY MORNING AND EVENING FOOD WATER EXCERCISE MEDICATION Replenishing Mix Electrolytes Rest None Whenever your pigeons return, you want to make sure you give them all they want of the food and water and remove it after they re done. They ve just had a hard race so make sure to also provide clean water with electrolytes added. 34

35 Upon return, check your birds for possible infections by examining their throats for inflammation, watery or discolored stool, or other abnormalities in behavior and treat appropriately. Weekly Schedule at a Glance The following table shows a typical feeding schedule for a week, assuming that Friday is shipping day. Remember, you don t want to stuff your pigeons; you want to feed them just enough to where they re not going crazy for food. DAY FEED WATER MEDICATION MORNING EVENING ELECTROLYTES SUNDAY DEPURATIVE DEPURATIVE NO YES MONDAY DEPURATIVE DEPURATIVE NO YES TUESDAY DEPURATIVE DEPURATIVE NO NO WEDNESDAY DEPURATIVE DEPURATIVE NO NO THURSDAY RACING PREP POWER BOOST NO NO FRIDAY EXTRA LIGHT SPECIAL SEED BLEND NO NO SATURDAY REPLENISHING REPLENISHING YES NO 35

36 Tracking Before you do anything else with your birds, you need to start tracking them. This was done usually by banding the pigeons, but can include a whole variety of ways to track the birds. The most economical method is by using simple bands that you can buy from most Pigeon Unions at around $0.50 per band. While the pigeons are babies, you simply slip the band on the right leg making sure the band would be readable by the pigeon if it were literate. Reading a Tracking Band Every band should have a series of digits on in: ENTITY ID-SERIAL NUMBER-CLUB ID-BIRTH YEAR AU-1111-YOURCLUB-11 BANDING ENTITY ID SERIAL NUMBER CLUB ID BIRTH YEAR AU 1111 YOURCLUB 11 36

37 ENTITY ID This is a unique identifier that tells you which union was responsible for banding the bird. Some entity IDs are: ID AU CU IF NPA IPB NBRC ADA NAME American Racing Pigeon Union Canadian Racing Pigeon Union International Federation National Pigeon Association Independent Pigeon Breeders National Birmingham Roller Club American Dove Association SERIAL NUMBER This is a unique identifier for the bird that was banded. CLUB ID This is the identifier of the club that the fancier was a member of, sanctioned by the union identified in the first set. BIRTH YEAR This is the year the pigeon was born. 37

38 Racing There are two main divisions of pigeon racing: short and long. A short race will usually be less than 400 miles. Your weekly duties will be different depending on which race you are expecting the pigeons to run. TRAINING Racing a pigeon is nothing more than utilizing the bird s natural instincts to find home ; it s what a homing pigeon does every day. But to make sure your birds are consistent and can easily pick up on the routine, you have to be consistent yourself. It starts with road training. Beginning Road Training Road training is taking your birds and going down the road a little bit and let them fly home. The next day, have them go out a little further and expand it slightly each day to condition the birds to find home repeatedly. 38

39 Establishing a Direction If you join a club, most of them will have an established direction for you to take your birds and release them for flight. If you re on your own, then pick a direction and stay with it. Introducing Distances The first couple of days, you ll want to start your birds off at 2 miles. After they have found their way home easily, increase it to 5 miles for about 4 days in a row. Then you ll want to increase it to 10 miles and increase it by 10 miles every 3 or 4 days. Training Difficulties While training, the birds may suddenly space out and get lost or confused; this phenomenon is called getting smashed. The next day, take your bird out to the previous distance so they can be around familiar surroundings so it ll put them at ease. 39

40 Weekly Preparation Activities Allow the cocks and hens to get together before crating the cocks for shipment. For the first two races, you should allow around a half hour for them to meet with each other. After that, you can give them just 15 minutes time together since you just need to remind them they still exist. It is absolutely important that no other distractions exist for the pair; remove all other cocks from the area as you don t want accidental mating. Remember the power meal to be the day before crating. Let the cocks eat however much they want to eat for the race. As they get accustomed to racing, they ll instinctively 40

41 know they need to fuel up before the big event. When providing water, make sure it s fresh and pure. Give the cock a bath. About an hour after the afternoon feeding, give the cock a warm bath unless you re expecting rain. The bath will relax them and allow them to be stress-free for the race. Reward the cock after returning by allowing the pair to get together. On the day of return, let the pair spend a couple of hours together. 41

42 Old Bird Systems As stated before, the core of Old Bird Systems rely on using some aspect of life and stability in order to provoke the bird. This is a direct provocation as the goal is to make the bird be exposed to a stressful situation which would make them want to hurry home faster, i.e., race faster. Motivators If you think about what is involved in your daily life, you can clearly see that would you hurry home to check on it if some aspect of your life was altered resulting in an uncertainty regarding your home. Examples of this for you would be if you heard that: Your children are missing. The first instinct of a parent would be to investigate the home since children feel the safest at home. 42

43 An unknown house in your neighborhood was on fire. Since it could be any house in your neighborhood, there is a chance that it could be yours. Your spouse was cheating on you in your home. Most people would probably confront their spouse immediately. Your spouse has been apart from you for a long time and may be at home. Unless it was just impossible, you would probably race home to see the spouse. Using any Old Bird System means you re going to play one pigeon against the other; pitting males (cocks) against the females (hens). The only system that favors the cocks is the Widowhood; every other subsystem favors the hens. 43

44 For pigeons, the standard list of motivators is very short: The hens To the cock, to see the hens implies a mating experience. This is the ultimate motivator as sex works well in all species. The nest The desire to get back to the comforts of home is the theory behind this motivator. The chicks The parental tie to their young is what makes this an important motivator. Under most methods, the cock isn t participating in the rearing but still forms an emotional bond. Also, the most traditional effective method is the widowhood system. The double widowhood system is less effective because the hens do not perform as well as the cocks. The celibacy and jealousy systems are next followed by the natural system which is the worst method of all. 44

45 The natural system involves taking a step back and not interfering in the pigeons daily lives other than racing them at certain times; since you are not actively programming the pigeons behavior this relies a lot of what can currently motivate the pigeons. 45

46 Widowhood Widowhood is the oldest method of racing pigeons as it has been around for nearly a century. This system involves racing and providing a mate for the cocks only in terms of a reward or motivator. The System Widowhood is based on separating the cocks from the hens; when the cock is released they will race home to see the hen and enjoy the familiarity of their own nest. In order to implement this system, you must make sure the following conditions exist: SEPARATE LIVING AREAS In order to make the cocks effective, they have to have been sufficiently deprived of the company of their chosen hens. This means you can t allow them to be together for any reason other than a reward or reminder. 46

47 SEPARATE ACTIVITY AREAS It s not enough for them to just live separately; they have to exercise separately also. Any contact could destroy any advantage you have built by keep them away from each other. CONSISTENCY You can t let the birds mate just because you may feel sorry for the bird. Mating is a direct reward for performing in a race; if the cock is late then you should make him spend overnight alone. Then, when you re about to ship the cock, make sure you let them see each other briefly so they know what s waiting for them at the end of the race. 47

48 ALWAYS HAVE UNMATED HENS AVAILABLE One of the rewards for returning from a race is getting together with a hen to mate. If you expose a cock to a recently mated hen, then hen will express disinterest and this experience will demoralize the cock and can have the opposite effect. For this reason, it is better to have twice the number of hens available to the cocks to ensure there is always a hen that is ready. THE PIGEONS MUST REST UNDISTURBED Any sort of movement or work around the birds during their resting periods will make them nervous and unable to enjoy their time off. Anything you need to do to the loft should be done while the birds are not present, such as during exercising or racing. 48

49 LEARN YOUR PIGEONS MOODS The best condition for a male to be in right before a race is soon after mating; the females do better when they re in the mood to mate. There is an old saying: Ship the cocks cool and the females hot. For just about every situation, this will hold true. Of course, you ll run into the variance, but you ll understand your birds psychologies after working with them for a while. ADVANTAGES You only have to train the cocks. Your training pool will be small compared to your bird population which means you can give more personal attention to your birds and can easily identify areas of weaknesses that a particular pigeon may need to improve. Also, a smaller amount of birds to train means fewer details are missed regarding their health and well-being. 49

50 That s not saying that a large group of birds is a setting for inattention, but that sick birds (or birds that are not in prime condition) are easier to spot in smaller groups. The hens and the nest are the best motivators. Since you re using the hens as bait, they are a very powerful motivator for the cocks. Proper reinforcement of relationship ties will allow you to almost instantly motivate any racing birds. A lost mate doesn t handicap other birds. When you lose one of the mated pair, it doesn t adversely affect the overall performance since the cock or the hen can be re-paired with others. A cock s attention is not divided. When using this method, the cock doesn t get involved the familial duties by caring for and rearing their young; it s all left to the hens. This means the cocks can concentrate solely on racing. 50

51 A pigeon is no different from other animals in this respect. Just as you would be concerned for a child or spouse of yours, so would a cock if they had been made to accept responsibility for family life. DISADVANTAGES You have a lot of non-racing birds. You can t have just one hen per cock; the reward is mating and a bird that has mated will be spoiled to a potential cock so you must have a supply of unmated hens for your cocks. A separate space is required for the hens. The visitation that the pair will get will be very limited so you will need to have a separate living area for just the hens. In other systems where the hens are used, the living areas are combined because they all race at the same time. This system relies on the intentional separation to create a desire for reunification. 51

52 Another separate space is required for breeding hens. If you want to breed you ll want higher quality hens, but those hens may not hit it off with their intended higher quality cock. The main idea behind the racing cocks is they will come home to their spouse, which may or may not be a high quality hen. 52

53 Maintaining Performance You might notice performance dropping off; this is because the pigeons are falling into a rut. They are too complacent in their daily lives. When this happens, you need to light the fire back under them so they can perform optimally again. Motivators LIMIT THEIR SELECTIONS A cock may form a pair with several different hens. If they feel their selection is limited to a hen they haven t been exposed to before, then this can increase their motivation to return quickly. ADD A STRANGE COCK TO THEIR NEST Let the cock see another cock in their nest. This will create jealousy and a territorial response. 53

54 CUT OFF THEIR EXPECTED EXPOSURE If you normally let them spend all night together, then remove the hens after only a couple of hours so they won t know to expect. This works best when they have recently been allowed to spend all night with the hens despite not performing very well for a race. This also makes them value their time together instead of taking it for granted. 54

55 Process You shouldn t need to use the methods throughout the whole season; it should only be used when there is a noticeable decline in the performance of your birds. FIRST WEEK Put in only one good hen. SECOND WEEK Crate and ship the pigeon as normal. THIRD WEEK Introduce the strange cock. FOURTH WEEK End their visitation early. BEYOND THE FOURTH WEEK Go back to the normal routine; there should be a performance increase. 55

56 Widowhood Variations Having the basic widowhood system down means you can now explore other ways to use the widowhood system to your advantage. Here are the variants used by many fanciers. Double Widowhood Since you understand the Widowhood system by now, you already know the double widowhood system. This is identical to the widowhood system except the hens are also used in races. ADVANTAGES More birds available to race. Since you are using the hens as well as the cocks, you have a lot larger racing pool. That essentially means more chances to win races. 56

57 The cocks are also motivators. The hens are just as eager to see the cocks so they will hurry home in much the same way the cocks do. Birds keep their racing form longer than the natural system. The natural system (discussed later) has a very limited window for birds being in their peak racing condition throughout the season. DISADVANTAGES Requires a lot more time and training. 57

58 Celibacy Some fanciers believe that pigeons race better if they are kept celibate. In this system, the birds are not allowed to mate at all. Jealousy You can make the original cock jealous by introducing a strange cock as mentioned before. You can also take it a step further by having the new cock watch the old cock move back into the nest and get together with the hen. Both cocks will fight each other for the hen s attention. 58

59 Celibacy System The celibacy system is the opposite end of the spectrum to the natural system because you do not let your birds mate. The simples way to do this is to keep the cocks and hens in different lofts and make sure that they exercise separately. A great trick to use when you are practicing a celibacy system is to chase your hens along the passage about ten or fifteen minutes before you basket to give some incentive for a quick return (and vice versa for any racing hens). If you have searched before you should know that it is quite difficult to find information about a true celibacy system. Looking at systems like widowhood, dual widowhood or the natural system you learn that these are using mating as a motivator in some sense either by utilizing the urge or suppressing it. For it to be a true celibacy system the hens and cocks must be flown separately, trained separately and raced separately. Unlike widowhood or dual widowhood, no specific mate is used to motivate any specific bird. These birds are not allowed to raise a round of youngsters. The last point is one that stands out from a widowhood system. With a widowhood system it is acceptable to raise a round of young before the system, but this would not fit the definition of a true celibacy system. 59

60 This system takes action much earlier then normal widowhood ones. You should separate your birds about six weeks before the race system and have them in different sections where they cannot see each other. When your cocks are being loft flown, the hens need to be inside their compartment and not allowed out into fly pens. If so, the cocks tend to try to get into the fly pens and do not loft fly as desired. The same goes for when the hens are loft flying. For the best training, it s best to take one sex on a training toss and after the birds have returned, call them in and let the other sex loft fly. When shipping races, cocks and hens must not be sent to the same race. If your club has distance and short races together, it s best to send one sex to the short races and the other to the long distance races. If you have only one race, it s best to ship only one sex. Now lets just take a closer look at the motivation. In widowhood systems the cocks and hens are allowed to have physical contact to get them excited and in the right frame of mind. This is not allowed for a celibate system. The cocks can be placed in a section with or without nest boxes. In extreme celibacy, the cocks are also denied nest boxes and are in a section with perches. The nest boxes can then be used also as another motivator by being denied nest boxes as well as mates. 60

61 The wall between the hens and the cocks needs to be solid, although there s hardly anything that can be done to stop the cocks and hens from hearing each other unless one puts them in separate buildings which is not practical for most people. As we mentioned before, on the day of shipping you will want to let the cocks see the hens to give them some motivation to get back quickly. The cocks should start calling for the hens who should take some time to strut back and forth for them. The main thing to remember is that the birds cannot have any physical contact for this system. After approximately 30 minutes, coop up the birds that are to be shipped and then place the remaining birds back in their original sections. When your cocks return you can have them in their regular section and then move the hens in the young bird section. Let the cocks see the hens for a short while when they get back before putting them in their own section. A problem can arise when you are going to be absent when the birds return from the race. If this happens the birds may be together for some time so it could be wise to only ship one sex if this is likely the case. If the birds return and end up mating because of this then your system is broken and not celibate. 61

62 If worse comes to worse and this does happen, see what the results are if you continue the celibacy system and if they stay positive then you can carry on. ADVANTAGES Less Stress One of the great advantages to this system is that it leaves your birds with very little stress and little fighting which is great for getting the most out of them. DISADVANTAGES Difficulty This system can work very well but it is also a very difficult option to use. You have to put a lot of effort into removing any physical contact across genders between your birds. 62

63 Jealousy System In this chapter we are just going to cover the jealousy system in a nutshell. Essentially it involves making one of your cocks jealous of another by introducing a stranger into a mating pair. The general idea you use with this system is that two of your cocks will fight if one finds that another has been courting his hen. To implement the system you need to have your new cock in a basket with the original cocks mate. Place the original cock in a basket that can see the two of them together. The point of this is that the original cock becomes annoyed with the new stranger courting his hen and wants to race back even faster so they the other cock does not get another chance to do it again. Prior to taking the bird for racing or training, release the two cocks in with each other and leave them to fight briefly. This is a great way to give your birds that mental push to rush back to fight for their partner. This system is very effective because it is simple and can easily be combined with other systems to great effect. 63

64 ADVANTAGES Motivation This system works as a great motivation to get your birds home quickly. Combination Another advantage is that it can easily be used with lots of other systems to improve on them. Stress DISADVANTAGES This can put some stress on your bird having their mate moved on by another. You have to find which of your birds it stresses and which of your birds it motivates so you don't give some birds a disadvantage. 64

65 The Natural System This next system uses cocks and hens racing from a natural nest position. You only need one section for this system as your cocks and hens do not need to be separated. This is a very varied system, you can allow breeding and it is wise for each pair to raise at least one round of youngsters. If you alter the positions of various pairs you will find that different pairs come into form at different times and so will fly from different nest positions. Flying mated pigeons is certainly the oldest known method of racing. Each fancier making use of this system has, by experience, developed their own system using a number of tricks to motivate their pigeons and create the desired anxiety which will, they hope to push them to make a special effort to reach home in the shortest possible time. Some pigeons are very keen on the nest with fresh eggs. It is up to the fancier to discover this fact and to apply the knowledge to certain pigeons that it benefits. I have often found a hen sitting on hatching eggs is very keen, so that by giving her more eggs to sit on, one can increase her anxiety. By removing the cock the evening before basketing day and allowing the hen to sit all day one can also help to bring her into the desired mental condition. 65

66 If she is to be sent to a short race, it helps to take her off the eggs a few times during the day, and then either to chase her out for a flip around the loft or to take her on a short toss of one or two kilometers. She will race back to the loft like a bullet and, if experienced enough and in top physical condition on race day, will do the same. These tricks bring about a degree of anxiety in the pigeons and create a particular mental condition. I must, however, warn that, if this anxiety is driven too far, it will have an adverse effect, since one stands a chance even of losing an over keen pigeon. I usually give all my attention to the pigeon's physical condition during the first few days of the week and, depending on the basketing day, only concentrate on the mental condition during the last two days before basketing. This it the time to decide what tricks one should use, if necessary, to create the correct mental condition. Tricks are only played on pigeons which are not in the favored nest condition. As we know, birds are motivated more strongly to some conditions than others. Lets think about other systems, such as widowhood, the opposite sex and the desire to mate are used as the motivator. In the natural system it is the nest box, the mate, the eggs, the young and some other motivators that are used. 66

67 As we mentioned at the start, in the natural system breeding is allowed. Cocks and hens are allowed to mate to lay and brood eggs. A double edged sword is the fact that laying eggs can take a tole on your hens so it might be wise to let your breeders lay the eggs and then have the racers hatch and raise the youngsters. Starting a natural system should be done around the middle of February to allow your birds time to pick a mate and fight for nest boxes etc. This will allow them to go into a natural breeding cycle. It is wise to put your breeders together in late autumn to pre-mate them if you want the racers to foster so that they will take quickly come February. When pigeons have been mated together for approximately one week the cock bird starts to become impatient and starts chasing the hen to the nest in the hopes that she will lay eggs. This as most of us know is called the DRIVING PERIOD, and many races have been won with a driving cock. However to send the hen to a race at this time is very bad practice as she is about to lay has been deprived of food and water up to a point and can be lost or damaged in the process. Driving cocks can also be flown successfully if they receive the necessary training beforehand. 67