# My homies did 5.5 miles in 20 minutes



## PapiZ28pigeons (Jan 17, 2013)

So i adopted 4 homies from a local animal shelter. I don't think they are pure breed racing pigeons or anything but i am enjoying the hobby. I have been doing short training tosses with them and haven't lost them yet  I've only owned them about 2 months. I don't know how old they are. i don't have any intention of actually doing any serious racing, but i did wonder what people thought as far as their performance. So...is 5.5 miles in 20 minutes, slow or fast?


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

Thats about 440 yards per minute. so it would be slow,however they came home and you just started training them and where u mentioned they might not be pure racing homers that isn't to bad, so thats good keep them hungry and keep them healthy and keep training they should come in quicker good luck


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## lynn g (Jan 8, 2014)

I agree its a little slow but they probably are not really coming straight home. I have followed my young birds home and they tend to "go sightseeing" at first if they are not with an older bird. Its just my opinion but i think sometimes they are just like human teenagers with the keys to the car. They are generally headed home but the joy of being on the road with a little freedom leads to some things that we may not approve of. My birds and my children both knew what time dinner was served. You better be there or its a long time to breakfast. Hunger (not starvation) is a usefull tool in the training toolkit. Remember, at this stage of life they are still kids, not olympic atheletes. They grow up pretty quick though.


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## PapiZ28pigeons (Jan 17, 2013)

Pollo70 said:


> Thats about 440 yards per minute. so it would be slow,however they came home and you just started training them and where u mentioned they might not be pure racing homers that isn't to bad, so thats good keep them hungry and keep them healthy and keep training they should come in quicker good luck


Thanks for the reply. I don't think i mentioned i wasn't sure of their age since i got them from the shelter. For all i know they could be ten lol. Still the excitement i get when i see them approach is great. My kids love it as well because sometimes we release the birds from her school. Her class mates and parents don't really get it. But we don't care.


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

PapiZ28pigeons said:


> Thanks for the reply. I don't think i mentioned i wasn't sure of their age since i got them from the shelter. For all i know they could be ten lol. Still the excitement i get when i see them approach is great. My kids love it as well because sometimes we release the birds from her school. Her class mates and parents don't really get it. But we don't care.


That is the reward if it all is seeing them come home  keep training, it's more rewarding once you start getting farther down the road and you release them and you also race home with out speeding  and you get home and their already there one thing I like is that you mentioned your kids thats cool! my youngest son is 8yrs old he loves the birds and the lofts always helping out, keeps them busy and their minds on positive and productive things.well good luck and keep'em flying. Pollo70 @ J-LOFT.


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## PapiZ28pigeons (Jan 17, 2013)

lynn g said:


> I agree its a little slow but they probably are not really coming straight home. I have followed my young birds home and they tend to "go sightseeing" at first if they are not with an older bird. Its just my opinion but i think sometimes they are just like human teenagers with the keys to the car. They are generally headed home but the joy of being on the road with a little freedom leads to some things that we may not approve of. My birds and my children both knew what time dinner was served. You better be there or its a long time to breakfast. Hunger (not starvation) is a usefull tool in the training toolkit. Remember, at this stage of life they are still kids, not olympic atheletes. They grow up pretty quick though.


 ok good to know what speed should i be looking for?. Perhaps im taking them to far to soon and they don't have the stamina to make a decent speed and time.


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## PapiZ28pigeons (Jan 17, 2013)

Pollo70 said:


> That is the reward if it all is seeing them come home  keep training, it's more rewarding once you start getting farther down the road and you release them and you also race home with out speeding  and you get home and their already there one thing I like is that you mentioned your kids thats cool! my youngest son is 8yrs old he loves the birds and the lofts always helping out, keeps them busy and their minds on positive and productive things.well good luck and keep'em flying. Pollo70 @ J-LOFT.


What kind of numbers should i be shooting for?
Do you count miles by the amount of miles driven or actual distance between point A and point B?


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

PapiZ28pigeons said:


> What kind of numbers should i be shooting for?
> Do you count miles by the amount of miles driven or actual distance between point A and point B?


get on the internet and and type in racing pigeon velocity calculator and you can calculate the speeds. they go by miles the time it took them to arrive and yards per minute. average speeds in a race range from 1000.00 to 1300.00 ypm. good speeds are 1500.00 and up that is fying dude! some birds have done 1800.00 ypm that is super fast smokin! the competition most pigeons fly about 55 to 65 miles per hour however the 1800.00 ypm they are flying about 80 miles per hour.


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## PapiZ28pigeons (Jan 17, 2013)

Pollo70 said:


> get on the internet and and type in racing pigeon velocity calculator and you can calculate the speeds. they go by mlies the time it took them to arrive and yards per minute. average speeds in a race range from 1000.00 to 1300.00 ypm. good speeds are 1500.00 and up that is fying dude! some birds have done 1800.00 ypm that is super fast smokin! the competition


Yes but do you calculate by miles driven from A to B? Or actual distance between A and B. Because the distance i drove is much further than the actual distance from point A to B due to winding roads. I have been using actual distance between A and B because of the winding roads


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

PapiZ28pigeons said:


> Yes but do you calculate by miles driven from A to B? Or actual distance between A and B. Because the distance i drove is much further than the actual distance from point A to B due to winding roads. I have been using actual distance between A and B because of the winding roads


 You can go to racing pigeon velocity calculator on the internet and it will give u your birds time and speed. they go by how long it took them to get home and the distance timed by yards per minute. average racing speeds are about 1000.00 YPM and up 1500.00 and 1800.00 are good thats about 55 to 65 miles per hour some of the best speeds recorded have been from 2500.00 and up that is super good thats about 80miles per hour I seen a clock time on a pigeon the owner was Ed Jalowiec time was 2892.370 that is about 90 miles per hour


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

Pollo70 said:


> You can go to racing pigeon velocity calculator on the internet and it will give u your birds time and speed. they go by how long it took them to get home and the distance timed by yards per minute. average racing speeds are about 1000.00 YPM and up 1500.00 and 1800.00 are good thats about 55 to 65 miles per hour some of the best speeds recorded have been from 2500.00 and up that is super good thats about 80miles per hour I seen a clock time on a pigeon the owner was Ed Jalowiec time was 2892.370 that is about 90 miles per hour


Great info, with perspective!


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

Pollo70 said:


> You can go to racing pigeon velocity calculator on the internet and it will give u your birds time and speed. they go by how long it took them to get home and the distance timed by yards per minute. average racing speeds are about 1000.00 YPM and up 1500.00 and 1800.00 are good thats about 55 to 65 miles per hour some of the best speeds recorded have been from 2500.00 and up that is super good thats about 80miles per hour I seen a clock time on a pigeon the owner was Ed Jalowiec time was 2892.370 that is about 90 miles per hour


 Thats a tuff one to answer you have to remember you are training so yes your mile distance from each liberation point is going to change due to the fact that they are winding roads but yes you enter the miles from point A to b the straighter the flyway the pigeons are taking the more accurate your times will be.i release my birds from the north they fly directly south to the loft that is the same flyway are club uses for all races so its more easier to calculate their time and speed when racing you always want to train from the same direction your birds will be racing from. when your training from shorter distance your birds should be beating you home or arriving right behind you. that is a good sign that they are healty and in homing mode they all should arrive together you will have some stragglers eventually they should get in form and come in with the rest of the flock. good luck


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## PapiZ28pigeons (Jan 17, 2013)

When i release the birds they circle for a long time before actually heading in the right direction. I feel that this is where i lose a majority of time. The moment that they leave the release point to when they arrive is very quick. 
Is there a way to train them to circle less?


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

PapiZ28pigeons said:


> When i release the birds they circle for a long time before actually heading in the right direction. I feel that this is where i lose a majority of time. The moment that they leave the release point to when they arrive is very quick.
> Is there a way to train them to circle less?


Now, I'm a newbie myself... and you are actually ahead of me as we have babies that are less than 2 mo old... (they've been in my loft less than a week at this point as well, so we aren't going anywhere just yet).

From what I have read here, if you start your birds closer to the loft and let them find their way back they will do best. I also read (sorry wish I could remember who posted all this), that if you work your way around counter clockwise to where you dropped them off last, they will fly clockwise -therefore overlapping what territory they do know, thus getting a grip on where they are faster/better. This can help them to 'circle' less and take off for home.

Another thing I have read, if you leave a bird or two home, the others will be looking to return to them faster. This may have more to do with mates, and chicks, but I would think all buddies would prefer to be together.

Keep in mind, the more birds you have flying at once, is also a better protection system for them from hawks. 

Good luck, I sure can't wait to start doing a little training with mine!


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## PapiZ28pigeons (Jan 17, 2013)

Silver Wings said:


> Now, I'm a newbie myself... and you are actually ahead of me as we have babies that are less than 2 mo old... (they've been in my loft less than a week at this point as well, so we aren't going anywhere just yet).
> 
> From what I have read here, if you start your birds closer to the loft and let them find their way back they will do best. I also read (sorry wish I could remember who posted all this), that if you work your way around counter clockwise to where you dropped them off last, they will fly clockwise -therefore overlapping what territory they do know, thus getting a grip on where they are faster/better. This can help them to 'circle' less and take off for home.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply. I've started them very close from home , just a block away at the beginning. I've worked them up to 10 miles now.


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

PapiZ28pigeons said:


> Thanks for the reply. I've started them very close from home , just a block away at the beginning. I've worked them up to 10 miles now.


Great job! The only other thing I can think of then would be having them a bit hungrier to return.  I agree, sounds a lot like kids with newly earned car keys  Keep up the great work!


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

Silver Wings said:


> Great job! The only other thing I can think of then would be having them a bit hungrier to return.  I agree, sounds a lot like kids with newly earned car keys  Keep up the great work!


Correct, never feed before a toss.keep them on the hungry side the birds will circle every time when you release them they are collecting their bearings that is natural behavior. some circle less then others no control over that.any kind of motivation you give the birds to return to the loft quicker is good and will increase their speed. just keep taking them down the road they will improve once their homing instinct kicks in it all gets better from there cool:


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

PapiZ28pigeons said:


> When i release the birds they circle for a long time before actually heading in the right direction. I feel that this is where i lose a majority of time. The moment that they leave the release point to when they arrive is very quick.
> Is there a way to train them to circle less?


Try splitting up your team release one group then wait once the first group has left then release the next group that will teach them to break away from the group and be leaders not followers it takes extra time but I know some people that will release the team in groups of 4 so the bigger the team the longer the wait however it pays off I tried it, but didn't have the patience so If I have a team of 30 birds I will release 10 birds at a time still takes a bit longer but not as long cool:


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