why do children not seem interested in our sport ?

[Guest]

IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE YOUR OPTIONS.

 

 

[andy]

ANYONE VOTING COULD PROBABLY VOTE ON ALL THE OPTIONS, HOW ABOUT A MORE PREVIOUS OPTION OF LOCAL PLANNING NOT ALLOWING PIGEON LOFTS IN MOST NEW HOUSING ESTATES...OR THE IGNORANCE OF "JOE PUBLIC" OBJECTING....

[Guest]

agree with you 100% Andy

[mealybar]

Ask yourself before you had any involvement with pigeons or pigeon racing; how did you get into the sport? Answer most usually, through someone you know. Then it begs the question, how many people know a pigeon fancier?

 

I dissagree that it is cost that puts new staters out of the sport; the cost compared to other hobbies, interests and sports, is not far different (unless you play tiddly winks ). Once a new fancier is in the sport, they need to be encouraged and have some reward from their persuit; I see many clubs cutting their result at 10 or 20th position, if the new start isnt on the list it is hugely demoralising. Not being on the result is no way an incouragement to do better, it is infact an incouragement to give up.

[Guest slugmonkey]

I dont think they get exposed to it enough kids like animals,raise some culls let your kids play with them and get to know them they will love them, invite the little deliquent up the street into your loft and let him make friends with a pigeon if he sticks around then name a racer after him who knows you might just make a new friend or discover the next Mike Ganus. Kids arent bad ADULTS MAKE THEM THAT WAY. I have never seen a child cull a bird !

just because we dont understand it dosent make it wrong.

[THE FIFER]

FOR A YOUNG NEW START TO COME IN

[Guest shadow]

Most kids to day do not want to be bothered looking animals if they get any kind of pets it ends up with mam or dad looking after them. they get their entertainment from music or coputers when they get bored, they can walk away and leave it requiers no comitment from them.Like my grandaugther said she would not want my pigeons because I have to work hard every day to look after them.

[MsPigeon]

Any one of your choices could be a reason for a kid not being interested in our hobby. But as a general rule kids DO love animals and it does not take long to attrack a crowd of kids if you take your pigeons to release at a school or somewhere where the kids are. They ask all kinds of questions and are truly interested. They would love to keep pigeons, but they can't do it alone. Someone has got to build them a loft, and help with training and even allow them to keep them. To most parents it's like their child asking for a kitten or a dog or a horse, they usually end up taking care of them after the newness has worn off. If you want to get kids interested you have to get their parents interested as well or it just won't happen. OR, here in the USA there has been a few dedicated fliers that have gotten a program into their local school. I know of two personally, one is a grade school and the other is a school for troubled teens. They learn a lot from the care and even race them. Imagine an at risk teen, all pierced and tatooed that usually hangs out with drugys gone all soft holding a baby pigeon and learning to care for it.

Carol

[Guest slugmonkey]

Its not that they are lazy its us

[mealybar]

Its not that they are lazy its us

 

Bang on... we cannot even think of thinking its their fault that they arn't interested, its a huge generalisation to put upon a generation that they all are not bothered.

Maybe if 'we' were bothered about the future of the pigeon sport, we would see many more new faces joining our ranks.

[Guest slugmonkey]

I think it is interesting that all the possible votes on here for this poll have to do with the choices that kids have and none are options we offer them I think this is a record of how a lot of people are so quick to condemm and not able to offer solutions if you have kids about and they dont handle birds its your failure not theirs I cant keep my nephews and nieces and girlfriends grandkids kids out of my lofts I have released birds at several of the kids birthday parties I always bring some pumpers for them to handle its amazing the reactions I get at first some of the adults are put off at my flying rats but most usally garner some form of respect if for no other reason than the sheer economic outlay I have and telling them that we have birds that go 600 miles in a day always brings some astonishment

[Silverdale Lofts]

Mealybar you say its not the cost can you imagine a kid coming home and saying to his parents can i start up with pigeons. loft £300 + clock £300 + baskets £50 + drinkers nest bowls feeding troughs £30 + pigeons 18 ybs from louella £300 + corn £20 Total = £1,000

[mealybar]

In reality does the new start have to go it alone in purchasing each of the mentioned items?

In the first place I counldnt imagine a kid coming home and saying to his parents that he wants to start up with pigeons. He most probably will have caught the bug from being at someones loft; and yes while he may want to start up, this outlay will not be a lump amount as you suggest. Start with a wee shed, and build your way up.

What is the need to buy a brand new clock? How many clocks go spare sat in club clock cupboards each week, even during racing... hundreds. Young stock, come on how many fanciers wouldnt breed a new start a team of babies between them?

[Mistifire]

Im 23 and I just started getting into pigeons reciently, I didnt have any exposure to pigeons at all until a neighbor had a loft but he was always grumpy to me and didnt like kids.

 

The only information on racing pigeons I have found on the internet, for example I am still unsure about "darkness and widowhood" and "eye sign" and the basic process of racing pigeons.

 

The pets most people have here is basic dog cat parakeet ect,  until I got the internet  I didnt have anything to get my interest.  There is also the fact that most parents think pigeons are dirty and dont want to take the chance bringing their kids into it, and now the horse sickness named because it puffs the chest like a pigeon and the bird flu are making it even worse.

 

[Guest Silverwings]

misti , i have had pigeons since i was a kid and must admit they are infectious ? read an article recentley in a local paper from a council official .describing pigeons as deeseased ! the reply from a pigeon fancier said ,Show me a case anywhere that a human being as caught a desease from pigeons ,and he would give 100 pounds to a charity of his choice . he had no response ,so go for the pigeons misti need any advice give us lot a shout ......ray

[Peckedhen]

In my area there are a lot of allotments which are not being used.  Many of the plots have abandoned sheds on which could easily be made into a loft, the cost for one years rental is £20. If members of a racing club could make contact with some young people - possibly through a youth club and offer to help a group of kids set up a loft or two, maybe some would get 'the bug'. Cost needn't be an issue.

 

 

My neighbours wouldn't want pigeons being kept but, I have white 'doves' and so have no objections! ;D

[Guest]

Misti

 

Please contact me privately about The Help a Beginner Programme.  I also have friends in Southern Utah. Beaver City who would ony be too willing to help a New Starter out.

 

The first weekend in February there is a Futurity Race in Southern Utah, St. George, if you are interested perhaps you could drive down there and meet me and many other flyers from Utah, who I am sure will only be too willing to put you on the right track

[Mistifire]

I have gotten some great information from you all on this site and I would love to learn more about the sport.  

 

I will send you a private message Hyacinth and I apreciate the help, I had no idea how to get my foot in the door.  It would be great if I could go to the race in St. George I would like to see how it works.

 

Im near Salt Lake so it would be a bit of a drive, but I have some time before February to figure it out.

 

Thanks

[jimmy white]

i can only suggest to help any young fancier in any way, then if some of his pals see the enjoyment their getting ,they may want to start themselves.

but what NOT to do is belittle them , as i seen a young lad sending 1 bird to his first ever national, he was very shy and nervous, he didnt know that they wouldnt accept cash, and was told in no uncertain terms," you should read the bldy rules" in front of everybody, well some fancier paid his money by cheque for him, but that young lad never raced again after that. AND THE PERSON WHO SAID THAT WAS TOLD STRAIGHT

lucky most fanciers are the opposite, and would do their utmost to help.

[MsPigeon]

I agree, the kids need us if they are going to become involved in our sport. It takes very giving and generous people to help beginners. Thank You Hyacinth for all that you do and give in this area. I think that most of us are willing when it is convenient, like the kid next door or a grandkid, etc. But it is more difficult to lend a helping hand when we have to drive any distance or it is inconvenient for our schedule. I'm in the same boat, I would love to help a beginner, be a mentor, have someone to go training with me and hang around the loft, but I am reluctant to offer when they live in the next town and I have to furnish transportation. Not that I have had the option, but I wish there were kids close by interested. I tryed to get our local country school to look at pigeon programs that have worked in other schools, but it is a hard sale.

[Guest]

Carol,

 

Thanks for your kind words.

 

Maybe yu can speak with Deone Roberts at the Oklahoma Office, she is working with The Boy Scouts of America regarding The Pigeon Keeping Badge, maybe there is a Troop in the Area who would welcome a good mentor once the schedule has been set up

[Guest]

I'm not sure I can add anything positive to the debate.  :'(

 

Keeping pigeons is quite a commitment for any young person... they can take up a lot of time and can't be switched-off and forgotten about like a computer game. Looking after them can also interfere with teen social life, for example a simple thing like a harder than expected race on Saturday keeping you at the loft when you're supposed to be out breaking zillions of hearts.  

 

And we all know about puppies and Christmas. So I think the interest in keeping animals over the longer term has got to be there in the first place.  

 

 

 

[MsPigeon]

Thank You Hyacinth,

Where would I find contact info for Deone Roberts or Oklahoma office? I'll try the AU web site.

Carol

PS: I enjoyed Chad in the "Help a Beginner Program" but it just wasn't the same as having a REAL beginner, like a kid, and it isn't the same through correspondence.

[Guest]

aupromo@aol.com

 

Should go straight o Deone's puter

 

PS Please get Chad to send his young bird results into me please so I can enter them in the Competition at year end.

[MsPigeon]

Hyacinth.

I was sad to find that the Boy Scouts merit badge for pigeon keeping is just in the beginning stages of a long process to be reinstated, if we are lucky. I first called The Boy Scout office and they didn't know what I was talking about so I called the AU office and Karen explained the whole long complicated process and where things stand now. She took my name and # though and will keep me informed. Thanks for the suggestion. And I will prompt Chad to send his results.

Carol