Over the years, we've been asked a lot of questions about racing,
breeding, and maintaining pigeons. On this page, we will try to
provide answers to common questions. Do you have a question you
would like answered? Email Horst at HHackemer@aol.com
or fill out the form at the bottom of the page. The most recent
answers appear at the top of the list.
#50 - Maintaining Feather Quality
Q: Do you feel that there is any
difference in the feather quality between a light colored bird
and a dark colored bird? If so is it ever enough to affect
the bird's race performance?
#49 - Front Runner Pigeons
Q: What do you mean when you call
a pigeon a "front runner"?
#48 - Florida: The Level Playing
Field
Horst responds to those who took
issue with #47.
#47 - Living in Florida
Q: Why should anyone consider moving
to Florida?
#46 - Extended Light
Q: I am currently preparing to
pair up my breeders for next years young birds. I have some lights
on them to help as the days are short Nov 25. I will have the
lights going about enough to make 14 hour days. My question is
when do I quit using the lights. I got to thinking and I dont
want to have my old birds moulting during the race season nor
do I want to delay young bird moulting to mess up their season.
#45 - Aflatoxins Research (see also
#27)
Q: I'm trying to find evidence,
other than anecdotal, that aflatoxins do in fact harm birds.
Are you aware of any such figures or research?
#44 - Training Old Birds Just for
Futurities
Q: Every year I buy local futurity
bands to support their races. I only fly old birds--if I wanted
to fly these birds in the futurities, how far do I need to take
these birds to get them ready? And do you think without them
being in any races they would stand a chance against the more
experienced birds?
#43 - Sending Young Birds to Races
Q: What is a rule of thumb to use
in sending young birds to the races? Should I send all the healthy
young birds to every race or should I divide the young birds
into teams sending them only every other week. We race young
birds up to 300 miles. For example: Should I send them to a 250
mile race and then a week later send the same birds to a 300
mile race?
#42 - Sexing Young Birds
Q: How do you sex young birds?
And, is there an instrument that can be puchased to do that with?
#41 - Young Birds that Mature Later
Q: I've seen untrained young birds
turn into stars at two years old. I also watch the futurities
and the continual training of young birds each and every day.
While the "cream" may rise to the top, how about the
"sickening factor" on those that may otherwise develop
at a later date but are lost before they ever get the chance
to prove themselves. Aren't we as fanciers throwing many away?
What strain would you recommend that can withstand this YB punishment?
#40 - Lice and Mites
Q: What do you use to treat for
lice on pigeons? Can you ever get completely rid of them? What
is the difference between lice and mites?
#39 - Youngster With a Deformed Leg
Q: Lately I've had several people
ask me in different ways about youngsters growing one or both
deformed legs out to the side. The latest person asking me this
question stated that his best pair of pigeons raised a youngster
with the leg out to the side last year and then again this year.
Is there something genetically wrong with his pair of pigeons?
#38 - Pair Feeds Only One Youngster
Q: Why didn't my pair of birds
feed their two young birds at the same time? They only fed one
and the other is dying. It's happened two times. What can I do?
Please help me!!
#37 - One Cock and Two Hens
Q: How do I mate one cock with
2 hens?
#36 - Foundation Breeders
Selecting and Acquiring Foundation
Breeders
#35 - Winter Feeding
Q: What do you suggest for a winter
feeding program?
#34 - 1999 Old Birds System of Flying
Q: Looking at your 1999 old bird
race results I see that your hens greatly outnumber your cocks.
Were the cocks flown? Saved for later races? In short what system
did you fly for the '99 old bird system?
#33 - Minimizing Fighting Between
Cocks
Q: I always have a tremendous amount
of fighting when I put my young cock birds into the old bird
loft. Can you tell me a way of minimizing that?
#32 - Keeping Youngsters Warm
Q: Regarding early breeding, what
do you do to insure that the youngsters aren't chilled during
the cold winter months? Do you use supplemental heat, or just
proper nesting materials and no drafts?
#31 - Hours of Light for Breeders
Q: I am currently preparing to
pair up my breeders for next year's young birds. I have some
lights on them to help as the days are short. I will have the
lights going about enough to make 14 hour days. My question is,
when do I quit using the lights? I got to thinking and I don't
want to have my old birds moulting during the race season nor
do I want to delay young bird moulting to mess up their season.
#30 - Varieties of Peas
Q: Is any one pea (Canadian, Maple,
etc.) better then the other for breeding youngsters? Also is
there a differance in protein content in the various peas used
for pigeon feed?
#29 - Selecting Young Birds for the
Old Birds Team
Q: How do I decide which young
birds to move to the old bird team at the end of the season?
#28 - Separated Hens Laying Eggs
Q: When I separate my hens after
the breeding season some of them continue to lay eggs like chickens.
Is this harmful to them? Is there any reasonable way to reduce
their tendency to lay eggs?
#27 - Aflatoxins (see also #45)
Q: Is there anything you can tell
me about birds being poisoned by feed?
#26 - Chemical Poisoning
Q: The breast skin of my birds
is a dark maroon or grayish color and the birds will not take
a bath. My losses are high and my performance is terrible in
the races.
#25 - Birds Landing in Grassy Field
Q: I have a small team (4) of young
birds I'm racing this fall. It is a small team because I've sold
my house and will be moving after YB season. These birds are
entered in special races. I noticed a week ago, while the birds
are loft flying, they will land about a quarter of a mile away
in a recently mowed grass field. They will stay there for 2 to
20 minutes before taking off and flying around my yard. If I
spook them up from one site they merely fly farther and land
again at a greater distance than before. It will be difficult
to continue to chase them up as it is a great distance from home
and the landowner will likely be peturbed if I trespass on his
property. I have salt, mineral and grit in the loft. Any suggestions
how I can break these birds from this habit? Is it something
I should be concerned with for training/flying purposes? Thank
you!
#24 - PMV (see also #11)
Q: How and when do you vaccinate
for PMV?
#23 - Giving Birds a Bath
Q. My birds do not want to take
a bath. Is there something I can add to the water so they will
take a bath?
#22 - Resettling Young Bird Team
Q: I have to resettle my youngbird
team about 4 miles north of my present location.They've been
to 10 miles before I poxed them and shut them up for about three
weeks. The first race is 9/18 and I can't move them to the new
location until 8/15 or so. What would be the best way to get
them use to the new location in time to fly the first races or
should I wait and fly them later in the series?
#21 - Hawk Bait
Q: What makes some birds "hawk
bait"?
#20 - Pox Vaccine Reaction
Q: I vaccinated 1 week ago for
pox - I used the brush on method. I am afraid I vaccinated too
close to race day. We will be starting on August 7th. Prior to
the pox vaccine my birds were training great - 1 mi. a min..
Now I have experienced some losses and my birds have slowed down.
Respiratory and canker are in check, I know that the vaccine
took - could this have slowed them down and be responsible for
some losses? I have them out about 30mi. If so, how long do I
wait to continue training? Please advise -
#19 - Pro-Biotics
Q: What exactly is a pro-biotic?
Can this be obtained on its own to use as an additive to personal
vitamin or mineral mixes?
#18 - Chicks Dying in the Shell
Q: My chicks are dying in the shell.
What can I do?
#17 - Power Lines
Q: I am having horrendous problems
with my birds hitting the power lines behind my home out over
the pasture. I have lost 17 birds to the wires this year. I have
had many more injured, torn breasts, broke legs, etc. I can't
think of anything I might do short of quitting pigeons.
#16 - Moths in Feed
Q: I have an African Grey Parrot
and lately I've noticed a moth problem. I keep its seed supply
in a tupperware container in a cabinet so I can only assume they
are feeding on the seed in his cage. What can I do to get rid
of these pests? I've tried everything but they always come back
and I don't want to use spray or something that could harm the
bird. Help!
#15 - Birds with a Dark Skin Color
Q: My birds' skin is a dark color.
What can I do about that?
#14 - Damaged or Broken Flights
Q: How can I fix damaged or broken
flights?
#13 - Wild Cats
Q: How do you deal with wild cats?
#12 - Flying Old Birds with a Small
Team
Q: Can you give me some tips for
effectively flying Old Birds with a small racing team?
#11 - PMV (see also #24)
Q: How often do you vaccinate for
PMV?
#10 - Medicating Race Birds
Q: What is your philosophy when
it comes to medicating race birds?
#9 - Bonte Cock
Q: Who was the Bonte Cock that
I see so often in your pedigrees?
#8 - Feeding in General
Q: What can you tell me about feeding
in general?
#7 - Losing Race Birds
Q: Why am I losing so many race
birds?
#6 - Mating Procedure
Q: What is your mating procedure?
#5 - Pellets
Q: What do you think about feeding
pellets?
#4 - Breed Early Youngsters
Q: How do you breed early youngsters?
#3 - Breed Recessives
Q: How do you breed recessive pigeons?
#2 - Feeding Breeders and Flyers
Q: How do you feed your breeders and flyers?
#1 - Young Bird Training
Q: What advice can you give on
young bird training?