why do children not seem interested in our sport ?

[jimmy white]

kids can be encouraged, even if they are not able to keep them now, the seed can be sown . in my experience, once they are taught to handle a pigeon, they seem to want them after that

[Guest]

Do you think Kids most into Fancy birds than racing pigeons or not?

 

[westy]

i think they would be because i was ontil i met pepole who raced pigeons then i got into keeping racers a now next year i am racing.

[Guest]

Primary school would be lot of interested to look at the racing pigeons and fancy birds if fanciers bring birds in the school and dicussions more, that may get kids to interest in the future time.    what do ya think ?

[Guest]

i think they would be because i was ontil i met pepole who raced pigeons then i got into keeping racers a now next year i am racing.

 

Good luck for your club, Westy........on your own or race with your dad. ? ;D

[THE FIFER]

all the best Westy,going by ur forum entries u should do well.

[Pompey Mick]

I am in agreement with MsPigeon's ideas about offering assistance to budding fanciers and I am sure that Schools would pick this idea up if it was promoted correctly. First and foremost no School will allow their pupils to become involved with adults unless they have undergone a police records check. This does not come free.

It will be up to our governing body to sponsor willing participants to give them proper accreditation to allow a scheme of Foster Fanciers to prosper.

My idea would be for a Foster Fancier to adopt an interested youngster who wishes to participate in Racing Pigeons without an initial commitment. The Foster Fancier will retain all rights to the pigeons which will remain registered in his name. The adopted youngster will get to see his name on the result sheet as a partner to the Foster Fancier. He will be able to enjoy racing pigeons without having any liabilities.

The fostering can cease at any time whereby the Foster Fancier will revert to his normal racing name as the fostering would be considered a temporary affiliation with no permanent rights attached. This will give youngsters an insight into our Sport which may result in a growth of membership.

[snowy]

dont want to sound like an old fart, but when i was ten, there was not digital tv, internet, play stations, ipods,mp3 players, . it was just school, homework, bit of telly,  & when i was introduced to pigeons.    WOW it was like somthing that took over my life at the time, pigeons, pigeons pigeons! as my mom used to say, every spare minite i was with them,

now, theres just too many other things kids can do, & it doesnt involve pigeon poo & its easier!

but with the slow introduction to these beautifull birds, & a bit of responsability, they soon become MY PIGEONS! MY LOFT! & WHAT IM GOING TO WIN! (westy lol)

now young westy, is nearly in full control & putting in 100% effort, with the odd bit of guidence from dad .

he is down the pigeon club now, for the presentation & he aint a member yet, (joining in march.

well done son! ;D

[Guest]

im a young flyer and about the cost..... it was no problem with me i got my first loft, clock, boxes e.t.c for christmas and birthday and the odd treat.

[maverick]

Around eight or nine years ago a nother fancier and i took birds to a school along with all the stuff to show the kids what happened when the birds went to a race we set the clocks rubbered the birds then two kids went with us to our lofts the teacher and the rest of the kids then let the birds goon timing the birds in we then went back to the school the kids were amazed at how quick the birds got home . we then showed them how to work out the velocity most of the kids thought this was great . SOME WERE EVEN MORE INTRESTED AS I FOUND OUT TO MY COST THE LITTLE B,.,.,.;' BROKE IN TO MY LOFT AND STOLE MY STOCK BIRDS Wewent back to the school and soon found out were the birds where but before we got to them they had let them go as i had only got these birds most of them where lost .SO MUCH FOR TRYING TO GET KIDS INTO THE SPORT.

[westy]

 

Good luck for your club, Westy........on your own or race with your dad. ? ;D

in partnership with my dad

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Do you think kids into fancy birds not racing pigeons? Any reason          

[westy]

Do you think kids into fancy birds not racing pigeons? Any reason          

yeah they would be into fancy pigeons because you dont see many feral fancy pigeons you mainy see feral pigeons the coulour of racers and they would think they were boaring.

 

 

[Guest]

From America and Canada fanciers,

 

Do you have many kid's or few kid's to race in your clubs ?

 

[Guest]

would kids get into pigeons if your doing the realise "pure whites" ?

[MsPigeon]

dont want to sound like an old fart, but when i was ten, there was not digital tv, internet, play stations, ipods,mp3 players, . it was just school, homework, bit of telly,  & when i was introduced to pigeons.    WOW it was like somthing that took over my life at the time, pigeons, pigeons pigeons! as my mom used to say, every spare minite i was with them,

now, theres just too many other things kids can do, & it doesnt involve pigeon poo & its easier!

 

I agree to some extent Snowy, pigeons aren't for every kid but there is still a few kids out there who would rather be involved with pigeons than technology and all they need is to be introduced to them as you were and then it's pigeons, pigeons, pigeons for them too.

Spieght there are not many jr members here in the USA, our club has four and that is unusual. Out of those 4 I would say for at least 2 of them that there life revolves around their pigeons, both show fancy and racing types as well as their show chickens. The third is in it more to compete with her brother I think. And the fourth is very young yet and is involved because her mother flys, but I do believe pigeons have taken a hold in her life too.

[linnmarr lofts]

Hi all

 

This is my first post... I live in the USA. Michigan "cold country" I work for my local school system, as a paraprofessional (teacher's aid) for the agricultural dept. 2 years ago I had a student come to me and say he wanted to get into pigeons. To raise as a FFA project... [Our school has a rather large FFA program] Anyways, He had found some plans on the internet for a small loft, and I helped him get the materials needed from a local lumber dealer (donated free) and we built the loft behind the school. We were given some Rollers from a local fancier and got started with them. Before long we had about 6 or 7 others students wanting to have birds, and some of them wanted to have homers and race. So were found a local club and joined. One of the members of the club (whose wife also works as a teacher for our school) helped the Boys built a new BIG loft for the racing birds... All of the older fanciers in the club gave the boys birds to get started, and things seem to go pretty good... we raised about 30 young birds, and started training for the young bird races... That�s when the problems begin... the old guys could not agree on how the Birds they had GIVEN the kids should be trained (I never having had pigeons before didn�t really know what was right) Things just went down hill from there. OUR birds did not do very well in the races (which made the old fanciers upset, because they had GIVEN the boys GOOD stock etc. etc.) I don't think I need to go on, I am sure you all know what effect this had on the students. The one bright spot in all of this, was the Kids did Show their birds at the local county fair and won, won... many Grand and reserve Grand champions (our fair has a show of about 100 birds each year) The kids Loved it. This year we are only breeding show birds... I won't put the kids thru all of the fighting and BS that took place last year again. I my self have built a loft at home and I am planning on racing again this year. (I can deal with the BS better then the Kids did.) That�s why I am here, reading, and trying to learn as much as I can. Maybe once I am better prepared to help the kids myself... we will try racing at school again... in conclusion, I have to say... I have found that our youth, love pigeons, are good about taking care of them, love the raising of  babies, and really love watching them fly, and come home. But they hate the politics that seems to go along with the sport... I for one, don't know how you will ever change that.

 

Thanks for letting me have my say...

 

Gary:

 

Linnmarr lofts in Michigan USA ;D 8)

[Guest jason]

when i was 11 and at junior school a mate of mine said we needed to get messages to each other and 4 of us agreed that pigeons were the answer (message in the ring like during the war) so three of us started keeping pigeons, we had our own lofts and our own birds then after about 12 months we joined our local club (Todmorden h.s.) and started racing and now the 3 of us are thirty and still going strong. thats how we got started as kids.

 

jason

[westy]

when i was 11 and at junior school a mate of mine said we needed to get messages to each other and 4 of us agreed that pigeons were the answer (message in the ring like during the war) so three of us started keeping pigeons, we had our own lofts and our own birds then after about 12 months we joined our local club (Todmorden h.s.) and started racing and now the 3 of us are thirty and still going strong. thats how we got started as kids.

 

jason

 

YES THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET KIDS INTERESTED IT WOULD BE MORE FUN THAN A EMAIL,PHONECALL ECT.

 

 

[MsPigeon]

Thank you for sharing your story with us Gary,

Believe me, the politics of pigeon racing never goes away, even in the smallest and friendliest of clubs. But perhaps if they had made special Jr awards the kids would have only been cometeing against each other and ould have done better and not gotton so discouraged. Do you belong to the AU? If so they have a beginner program that would help you and the kids out. Linda/Hyacinth, on this forum, is in charge of this program, you should contact her. In fact I am a mentor for the program and I have a beginner in Daggett, MI and yes, it has been cold, too cold for me to send him some birds. I tried a week ago and they sent them back, never even left WA. Glad to hear you have joined the sport, best of luck to you. I think you will find the members here are always willing to help.

Yours in the sport.

Carol

[MsPigeon]

 

YES THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET KIDS INTERESTED IT WOULD BE MORE FUN THAN A EMAIL,PHONECALL ECT.

 

 

It IS fun Westy. I don't know if you can still get them, but I bought some army surplus message holders many years ago. They snap on the leg and have a capsule for the message. The way it works is you have to exchange birds with your friends. Release the bird belonging to the friend you want to send the message too. I would imagine it to be good single toss training as well. Tell your friends and maybe the sport will have some new members.

[westy]

 

It IS fun Westy. I don't know if you can still get them, but I bought some army surplus message holders many years ago. They snap on the leg and have a capsule for the message. The way it works is you have to exchange birds with your friends. Release the bird belonging to the friend you want to send the message too. I would imagine it to be good single toss training as well. Tell your friends and maybe the sport will have some new members.

 

never saw them before a good way of comunication and fun.

[MsPigeon]

[Guest]

It is increasingly distressing to me that "The Good Ole Boys" are ruining the sport in the USA, only yesterday I was talking to a flyer who was on the help a Beginner last year and he told me that some flyers have been boundried out of the Combine and some of these guys are on the Programme this year and that is no encouragement whatsoever.

 

If these guys put as much work in with the birds that they do bitching and backstabbing, it would be a different ball game, but poeple are not willing to accept a change for the better

 

Gary if you need any help whatsoever, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at linda@redroselofts.com

[Beanz]

Once went to a friend of mine when he was cleaning out, it was pouring down and freezing cold, his first words to me were what kid in his right mind would come out in this and get filthy cleaning out and freeze when they can sit in front of a computer in a nice warm house, kind of answers the question really I think. Kids just don't want to know.