People have been involved with pigeon racing since 220 A.D. Since then pigeon racing has become a rewarding sport for many bird enthusiasts. Racing pigeons are pigeons that are reared to be swift and perform exceptionally well in the pigeon racing sport. Some people consider pigeon racing a business opportunity, while others consider it a hobby.
In pigeon racing, the pigeons are let out to travel a specific distance. The pigeon that reach the appointed destination before other pigeons is acknowledged as pigeon with the fastest speed and win the race. The average distance covered by the racing pigeons vary from 100 km to 1000 km.
Even though the race is won by the pigeon that finished first, there are some rules you need to know about. These rules are set to make sure that there is no cheating and the race is won by the speediest pigeon fair and square.
The rules according to the American Pigeon Racing Union mainly embody rules concerning how to race, how to calculate dead time, and how to time the race.
How to Race:
- The race needs to begin at the same location at the same time.
- Each racing pigeon must be wearing a racing band and should be of good health.
- Owner of each racing pigeon must possess proof of ownership.
- To be qualified, each pigeon must return to its loft at the end of the race.
- The shortest distance covered should be at least 75 miles.
How to time the race:
- The clocks used must be set at the same time and must be working properly.
- You time the race by removing the racing band (uniquely bar-coded band) attached to the legs of the pigeons and then putting it on a special clock to record the exact time of arrival.
- The time that the racing pigeon takes to fly back to the loft is converted into yards flown per minute. This is recorded as the bird’s speed.
- Bird’s speed is the basis for determining the winner.
How to calculate dead time:
- If the race is very long, there might be a request for dead time which is used to close the race during the night. Dead time is when the clocks are stopped. It usually begins 30 minutes before official sunset and ends 30 minutes before official sunrise in the area of the race. Many organizations do not use dead time and carry on the race even during night time.
Essential Things to keep in mind to help you become a good racing pigeon aficionado:
- Make sure the your racing pigeons are of good health. Unhealthy pigeons are not fit for the race.
- It’s better to have a handful of great performing racing pigeons than a large group of mediocre ones.
- Make sure not to over train the youngsters. They need time to mature.
- Racing pigeons should not be in an overcrowded space. This can foster the spread of diseases.
- Choose pigeons that have easier time finding their lofts.
- Training must be done on a schedule to familiarize the racing pigeons to the regimen.
- It’s best to train these pigeons on a clear day.
Pigeon racing are viewed by many of the bird aficionados as a sport that is gratifying. Many find it to be a profitable business while others regard it as a pleasurable pastime. Whatever your intention, you need to keep in mind that you should know some basic information about pigeon racing in order for you to enroll your pigeons in to the race and guarantee their performance.
