If there is a noticeable amount of food left, cut down on the amount that you give the bird. Make certain that the bird's cage or loft is kept clean. Don't allow any sort of lead items inside. Be careful with the use of cages manufactured from foreign countries as they tend to have high lead content. That is why, it matters that you consult a vet. The stores also make available a blend of seeds that generally satisfy the birds and provide them with a significant amount of nutrition. A common bird food is the suet, that which is composed of animal fat. During the warmer months, feeding the bird with suet is advised. If you want to raise quality racing pigeons, then you have to provide them with food that are fresh, clean and of the highest quality. Grains that are dirty will gradually affect the performance of the pigeons while they are racing, as toxins and poisons present in unclean grains will bring forth illnesses that would lead to the pigeon's poor racing performance. You can use either of these three depending on the match you think will produce quality stock. The quality of the breeding bird can be assessed by the racing performance of its offspring. To increase the probability of producing championship caliber chicks, more than one test pairing should be administered. The time that the pigeon takes to fly home is converted into yards flown per minute. That is then noted as the bird's speed. Several years ago before any of the special clocks being utilized now have been invented, the pigeon was taken to the central meeting point to time in. Because of the evolution of the sport, the competing birds are now timed in through the use of the electronic clocks and the uniquely bar coded bands. Once inside the bigger loft, the pigeon is trained to become familiar with its surroundings such as the location of food, water, and the entire look of the loft. Only after the pigeon's 6th and 7th week can it be made to fly higher and farther for practice. By this time, it is understood that the pigeon has developed already some capabilities to recall signs that it can utilize to get back to its owner or loft.