It's no surprise that the Belgians were the ones who first enjoyed the hobby of pigeon racing. The first long distance pigeon race was in Belgium in 1818. After 1875, the hobby of pigeon racing gained popularity in England. In the 19th century, the popularity of the hobby reached the United States. Today, the world continues to be enthralled with the speed, endurance and the intelligence of racing pigeons. So while in-breeding can magnify the good traits of your pigeons, the risk is that it can also equally magnify their weaknesses. You may even end up with a pigeon that has both the best and worst traits from its parents what a waste that will be! Also, while in-breeding does not have to spend that much money for bigger generation gaps (because the mating pigeons are IN the same generation), it may however end up becoming more financially-challenging because of the need to eliminate pigeons with non-ideal traits. Let your pet birds play inside with their toys. Avoid stressing the pigeons. Don't cause them any alarm. Don't overcrowd the cage or loft. Make sure the bird is able to enjoy enough space of its own. Racing pigeons' illnesses don't often come around with very visible symptoms. However, they can produce a grave impact on your pets' overall health. Consider as well the number of days spent in routing and ranging If you can, you also need to consider the quality of pigeons migrating The best time to train these pigeons is during a clear day. This means that you need to avoid rain, fog and strong winds. And speaking of time; Did you know that there is a perfect time to do the practice? Let's start with the basic needs: food and shelter. Food for pigeons need to be clean, fresh, and of high quality. Grains and grit are their primary foods but these will not boost their performance enough to win a race. Minerals and vitamins must be included in their diet which can be mixed with the water or with the food in the form of oil. This way, you can easily control and maintain each one of them, depending on their needs. 3. Buy pigeons from a friend or a reputable source It is always easier to trust someone whom you already know. If you have a friend who's also a racing pigeon fancier, then that's good for you. He can walk you through the ropes of finding and buying pigeons of the highest quality, but are not that expensive.