Stress and The Racing Pigeon

'Stress' can bring on illness and death. Racing pigeons are not flying machines but thinking animals who are subject to mental upsets and reactions. They can fret over many things such as the loss of a mate, incarceration in the basket, irregular meals, the 'night out' when sitting eggs or squeakers, and so on. To fret is to worry and to worry unduly invariably leads to loss of appetite. You will have noticed that loss of appetite precedes most pigeon ailments and diseases.

Taken from The Ailments & Diseases of The Racing Pigeon

by Old Hand

Young Bird Hoppers

Hoppers are for pigs and maybe chickens, but not for pigeons. It's all right to feed your youngsters in hoppers to keep the grain off the floor and then remove the hopper as soon as they are fed, but to keep food in a hopper in front of them at all times is ridiculous. Racing pigeons must be conditioned (mentally and physically) for the races and kept under control.

Taken from Widowhood Flying

by Mark Gordon