I don't know... every country with its rings... your first suggestion can be the true one, becouse I don't think that a country like Germany is saving money with smaller rings, and the rings aren't heavy, even for a pigeon...
This is an homer from Romania. It is 23 years old, and, a few years ago the fancier who had that pigeon died... The pigeon lived only with water, corn and grain. There is the site:
http://www.porumbei.ro/mosneagul-40367-1986-rsr/
make your own loft... I maked my loft in 2 days... faster than a loft on the net... I must make now a new loft but that needs a lot of money and I am only 15 years old