Racing Pigeon Qualities | Best Racing Pigeons

Racing Pigeon Qualities

Pigeons have been tamed and used for a variety of purposes for many years, including racing, which has become a popular sport all over the world. If you are new to the world of pigeons, you might be unsure of what to look for in a good quality racing pigeon. Just like any other competition animal, there are important physical traits that make a pigeon idea for racing, including:

• Eyes. Although there is no particular eye color that has been proven to be better than others, good eyesight is vital to the success of a racing pigeon. The color should be clear and bright, and the outer eye should be clean overall. 
• Throat. To ensure that the pigeon has a healthy wind pipe, check the top of the throat for a slit. This slit should be open at all times, indicating that the pigeon can breathe without any complications.
• Neck. The base of the neck should be thick and have a gradual curve as it reaches the head. The ensures the pigeons windpipe is clear and capable of taking in larger amounts of air when racing.
• Head. The head of the pigeon should be very round and in proportion with the rest of its body to give the pigeon proper balance. As a general rule of thumb, when you look at the top of the head, you should be able to see the blacks of both pupils. If you cannot see the pupils, the pigeons eyes may not be aligned, which can cause difficulty racing.
• Wings. The wings of the pigeon should be in proportion to the rest of its body. If they appear to be too large or too small, the pigeon may experience difficulty flying. Their wings should be large enough to support their body weight, but should not be so large that the pigeon will overexert itself.
• Feathers. The pigeon’s feathers should not feel dry or brittle. When you place the pigeon in your hand, it should feel a bit greasy and somewhat silky. These oily feathers are more waterproof compared to dry feathers, which makes them more flexible.
• Muscles. When you place the pigeon in your hand and stroke the breastbone, you should be able to feel the muscles when the bird inhales and exhales.
• Balance. A well-balanced pigeon should be able to sit flat on your hand, and not topple from side to side.

All of these qualities work together to allow a racing pigeon to succeed. Keep an eye out for these characteristics to help you choose a champion racing pigeon.

 

The Diet of a Racing Pigeon

Like any competitive animal, a racing pigeon's diet should consist of a balance of nutrients to enhance their competitive performance. Consuming a balanced diet also enables a racing pigeon to produce healthier offspring.

Traditional bird seed is an important dietary component. Seeds and pellets provide a racing pigeon with healthy proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Unfortunately, seeds lack a number of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids a racing pigeon needs to stay healthy and provide a peak performance.
Below are some important vitamins a racing pigeon needs to be happy and healthy, as well as the ways in which you can supplement these nutrients into your racing pigeon’s diet:

• Serve up some salt.  Racing pigeons crave salty supplements, which can be found in pick stones. Birds enjoy pecking at these blocks of hard and soft grits, which contain supplements that aide them in digestion and release minerals into the body.
• Look for a feed with peas. Peas are an excellent source of Vitamins A and E, which is useful in forming red blood cells. It also helps a pigeon use the Vitamin K in their digestive system to better break down their food. Calcium is another nutrient peas provide, and is an extremely important dietary supplement for breeding racing pigeons.
• Opt for seed containing some kind of wheat. Many wheat products contain yeast, an important part of a racing pigeon’s diet. This provides a racing pigeon with vitamins and nutrients like B12 and other micronutrients like Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, and Selenium, as well as amino acids like lysine, methionine and trytophane. Hard western wheat and wheat germ oil also contains these components.
• Provide your pigeon with protein.  Without proper levels of protein, a racing pigeon can have trouble healing or abnormal growths in their muscles, bones, and feathers. On the other hand, too much protein can cause kidney problems, which can be fatal. In general, a racing pigeons diet should consist of 12% protein and 4% fats. Dry corn and millet are excellent sources of protein for racing pigeons when used in moderation.
• Supplement with leafy greens.  A weekly feeding of greens, like spinach, and other vegetables like carrots are an important part of a racing pigeon's diet. If your pigeon isn't crazy about the solid forms of these vegetables, try juicing them and giving your bird diluted juice. When you're looking for supplements, keep in mind that is should be easy for the bird to consume and digest.
• Maintain their health with multivitamins. Like humans, birds need multivitamins, too. Provide your racing pigeon with a multivitamin once a week in their drinking water.

No matter what, your bird should enjoy eating the supplements you are giving them! Keep your racing pigeon happy and healthy with these dietary tips.