Pigeon Studs

[Guest maricelbill]

Notice there's a plethora on studs of various levels of sophistication. Some are one or two men operations others are "high end" with commercial managers etc. The Suits. I'm very curious who (apart from other smaller farms) is buying these birds at up to £500 per YB. Many will be sold overseas. There's a huge and growing market in Asia. But, is anyone here, anyone I'd like to have a beer with, the guy in the street, finding birds from these well polished studs/farms are delivering value for money? There seems to be a huge market of buying big from Belgium, selling on the progeny and on and on it goes selling generation after generation. I've been out of the game a long time but I'm now coming to the conclusion that for every race bird left at the end of the season there's at least 20 in the stock loft. What's going on? B'

[Guest Owen]

I can not believe that buying birds from Studs is going to help you all that much. For a start many of the Pigeon Sellers try to kid you that there are breeds of pigeons when it must be obvious that it can not be true. Then they will try to tell you that if you breed from several generations of pigeons that have never proven themselves on the road that they will actually breed you winners in yet another generation. I think that it is a good job that these claims can not be true because if they were the people with the biggest pockets would buy up all the best birds and those of us without the big pockets would not be able to compete.

To me there are basically only two things that matter. The first is to breed from tried and tested birds and continue to test the progeny selecting as you go. The second and definitely the most difficult is all about stock management. I think we have all met the people who buy the best birds they can and still fail to get results and conversely we all know people who seem to be able to win with any bird they race with. I reckon that the first type of person can go to Studs all they like without doing any good while the second type of person with really good stock management skills will still win out of turn.

In this day and age selling is all about marketing. Surely nobody believes the adverts for the products offered or the labels on the bags of corn or even the claims made about strains of pigeons that can beat every thing in sight every week. I think the work to describe all this is, "Gullible".

[Guest maricelbill]

I can not believe that buying birds from Studs is going to help you all that much. For a start many of the Pigeon Sellers try to kid you that there are breeds of pigeons when it must be obvious that it can not be true. Then they will try to tell you that if you breed from several generations of pigeons that have never proven themselves on the road that they will actually breed you winners in yet another generation. I think that it is a good job that these claims can not be true because if they were the people with the biggest pockets would buy up all the best birds and those of us without the big pockets would not be able to compete.

To me there are basically only two things that matter. The first is to breed from tried and tested birds and continue to test the progeny selecting as you go. The second and definitely the most difficult is all about stock management. I think we have all met the people who buy the best birds they can and still fail to get results and conversely we all know people who seem to be able to win with any bird they race with. I reckon that the first type of person can go to Studs all they like without doing any good while the second type of person with really good stock management skills will still win out of turn.

In this day and age selling is all about marketing. Surely nobody believes the adverts for the products offered or the labels on the bags of corn or even the claims made about strains of pigeons that can beat every thing in sight every week. I think the work to describe all this is, "Gullible".

 

People are gullible, and often desperate, that's why marketing pays so well. It's all about "spin". Have no doubt pigeons are about Time Transport and Money. For me the real enjoyment is breeding. Trying to think 2 and 3 generations ahead. But you must have the right stock. Yes of course good stockmanship is essential. Good birds in bad hands will do a turn now and again. Good fanciers with good birds can always compete with the big boys and view it as a challenge. They relish it. Other pack it in, go someplace else on kneel in adoration.

 

That's pigeons.

 

B'

[john@formula 1 lofts]

As a very small stud i do not think in this day and age people can get away with spin with out any substance in the pigeon game, once these types of pigeon forum's started the truth always seems to come out.......

 

we pride ourself on being a racing loft first and foremost and the selling side is secondary our main aim is to get better pigeons for us to race to do this we sell birds and reinvest the money into new birds to replace the ones which did not make the grade. we have got rid of many birds which we have paid £1,000's for which have not made the grade (to the big loft in the sky)last winter was the first time we have sold old birds which we have bred from and these were old stock birds which we just did not have room from after breeding birds from them and also buying in new stock, we will be doing the same again this winter some of these have bred national winners.

 

However i agree time is a factor in people success but having worked 12 - 14 hour days 5 days a week and having to go away for work at short notice with very little help (until this year) i still held my own. i think the most importnat thing is health without health the rest does not matter you will not ,once you have health you need good pigeons (BTW good pigeons normally have good health)then time, money and general pigeon sense comes into play.

 

But i honestly think if you have health and good pigeons you have a decent chance to win races.

[Wiley]

Why buy off studs? I'd only buy off people who put there neck on the line, week in week out, at doing what I expect the progeny to do which is race.

[john@formula 1 lofts]

I agree Wiley that is why we do race both inland and across the water and even a small team on the north rd for y/bs 2012

[Wiley]

I agree Wiley that is why we do race both inland and across the water and even a small team on the north rd for y/bs 2012

 

John, your pigeons race well for yourself, and for other people. I know Gordon Thorpe of East London is having very good success the last two season with young birds purchased from you directly

[john@formula 1 lofts]

Thanks Wiley our birds have raced very well this year in y/bs alone we have won 4 x 1st club, 4 x 1st open (fed) on the south rd plus lots of 2nd 3rd etc also Prov 14th & 15th open L&secc from Vire and 9th open Bicc National from Gurnsey

 

On the north we only started with 7 y/bs for the north still have 6 left after 5 races they have won 1 x 1st 1 x 2nd 2 x 4th 2 x 5th etc

 

thanks

 

John