Go (02-06-26)
For four years, I believe, D has been racing pigeons. It's going reasonably well, but he's still fairly insecure.
His question: Whether you can already select pigeons, based on performances, now end of May after 7 races.
As far as I'm concerned, a long time earlier. I am not playing this year, 2026, for the first time, but I still know what I am talking about.
SELF
Continuing to race at the end of May with pigeons that have not brought anything so far is pointless as far as I'm concerned. Those will never be any good, with a few exceptions for specific long distance pigeons.
I never let it get to the end of May.
The deadline here was usually after the 5th flight. Then not even three prizes? Go !
Beginners can have a little more patience and take 2 prizes from 5 races as a minimum.
NOW WHAT?
Once those pigeons that were found to be too light after the 5th race had to go. I don't just mean away from the loft, but really away.
Their boxes were closed and empty boxes could later serve as motivation.
Responding to the urge to preserve one's own territory or expanding the territory sometimes works wonders, not only with pigeons and not only with animals. In 2006 I started racing 'total widowhood', also in Belgium. So I raced both hens and cocks from then on.
Also with this system pigeons that did not meet the requirements were stopped fairly quickly, but... just stopped. I did not get rid of them. They had to welcome pigeons from the race. Letting racing pigeons come in to an empty loft is a perfect way to discourage them and turn good pigeons into average birds or less.
Why especially 'good ones?' These are often the first and therefore most often end up in an empty loft.
DIFFERENT
In Belgium we worked differently and that was also fine. So good in fact that I still have an app from Carl van de Brande in which he writes 'how wonderful it must be to be able to race like you do with a loft that consists for more than half of Ace pigeons. Loft manager Roger was also happy with my method of strict selection and we acted as follows:
Before the young pigeon season, I took them one by one in my hands and what I didn't like could leave. This way we could start every season with pigeons without major defects, although that is not 1005 safe of course.
There the bar was higher for old pigeons:
A pigeon that missed twice in a row stayed home for a week, the race afterwards he got another chance. If it wasn't in time again, go !!
This method also explains the enormous prize percentages and the annual positive comments in the ZAV Champions Booklet. Only the last year was different, but that had its reasons. Come back to that.
YOUNG
Selection with young should mainly be based on basic health. A common mistake is to cure an entire loft to cure one or two pigeons. Get rid of that one or two.
Is the majority of your babies get out of good shape? Then you have no choice. You have to reach for the medicine pot.
