# What is the minimum size loft and number of birds to race?



## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

Is it realistic to think about racing out of a small loft with only about a dozen or so racers?


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## Thunderbird Racing (Jul 24, 2010)

It's all in what you want or like. Quality over quantity is best in my opinion. I have raced all season with a 6x8 yb loft. I started race season with 27 birds. So far I have collected 8 diplomas in my first season. So I would say you can go small if you like.

How big is your loft?


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

Granny Smith said:


> Is it realistic to think about racing out of a small loft with only about a dozen or so racers?


Not going to touch that one lol, but, I would ask around to see what the others are raising in your area to fly, I would think that you will need at least 50 young birds to end up with a team of 20 or so to fly?


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

a person in the local club here allways just race about 6 youngbirds and about 8 old birds And has done so for years. A small trained tem is better then a large team. Raise more then you want to race then select hard for your team get rid of the rest.


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## Lovelace (Jan 10, 2008)

I have 7 pairs of breeders, raised 25 young birds to race I love small teams.


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## Thunderbird Racing (Jul 24, 2010)

I know for me, the smaller my team got the better they performed. Weather it was more attention, or better quality of life, I don't know.


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

i raced with only six birds this year.
i was at a bit of a disadvantage because everyone else raced 20 birds the combine limit. and if they had birds that did not look good they would replace them with other birds. i did ok with my birds considering it was my first time racing but i did not win anything.next year i would like to start racing with a team of 25 to 30 birds.
i do not have the space for a very large team. and also you have to remember what will you do with your birds after racing. you will only keep the very best for breeders.


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## Thunderbird Racing (Jul 24, 2010)

check this out.

http://www.pigeonracingpigeon.com/2011/05/23/tiny-loft-fascinating-pigeon-racing-method/


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## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

*Cool Article*



Thunderbird Racing said:


> check this out.
> 
> http://www.pigeonracingpigeon.com/2011/05/23/tiny-loft-fascinating-pigeon-racing-method/


Thanks, this is a great article. I currently have a 4' x 8' loft. I am going to enlarge it by a few feet and divide it in half. I would like to race during the yb season next year. I know that I will have to do it with a small team, and hope to have some birds left by the end.


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

I wouldn't go smaller then starting out with a team of 25. Its not impossible to not loose birds you just need to be SMART. If theirs any precipitation don't train them, if its a head wind go 5 miles less then you planned on, if theirs fog up ahead don't keep driving stop turn around and release them a little shorter so they don't need to fly in fog. Don't pull over on the road and start tossing birds out, find a nice open space, wait 10 minutes and release them, another thing I like to do is release them in two groups "develops more leaders". I suggest you toss in the morning only, I tossed about an hour after sunrise. I might get mocked and ridiculed for saying all this but I tell you what I lost 1 bird in training this year.


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

First To Hatch said:


> I wouldn't go smaller then starting out with a team of 25. Its not impossible to not loose birds you just need to be SMART. If theirs any precipitation don't train them, if its a head wind go 5 miles less then you planned on, if theirs fog up ahead don't keep driving stop turn around and release them a little shorter so they don't need to fly in fog. Don't pull over on the road and start tossing birds out, find a nice open space, wait 10 minutes and release them, another thing I like to do is release them in two groups "develops more leaders". I suggest you toss in the morning only, I tossed about an hour after sunrise. I might get mocked and ridiculed for saying all this but I tell you what *I lost 1 bird in training this year*.


How many did you lose once the races started? Not trying to be a smart butt here, but the ones you kept from losing by babying during training probably were lost during the races. If they are gonna get lost they will get lost. I would rather take the training wheels off and find out what they can really do before spending my money on flying fees, more feed etc etc. But thats just me.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

You have to train in the rain only 20 or 25 mi, sooner or later they will have to fly in the rain. We flew our 400 2 yrs ago the weather should have been clear all the way home. At 150 mi out a freak storm came in and a lot of birds got lost, I trained in rain and only lost 2 of the 27 birds I sent. It helps to be ready for Murphy law.
Dave


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## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

I lost several birds through the settleing process and then a few more while training but only lost 2 during the races. I don't plan to do anything differn't next year. I wanted to end the season with 20 birds and still have 24. When I started everyone told me to expect to lose half.....I managed to keep it below that number.


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## italianbird101 (Sep 12, 2007)

raftree3 said:


> I lost several birds through the settleing process and then a few more while training but only lost 2 during the races. I don't plan to do anything differn't next year. I wanted to end the season with 20 birds and still have 24. When I started everyone told me to expect to lose half.....I managed to keep it below that number.


raftree3, what is your training routine? since im new to racing and training and lost all durring training and first couple of races?


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

My birds went on 8 tosses under 25 miles, 4 tosses at 25 miles, 3 50 mile tosses, 1 65 mile toss, and 14 at 35 miles. I lost 9 birds in the races. Two of those were diploma birds, once race I lost 4 birds that I was expecting to be my first birds. Their is a flyer in my club that has never brought in strays and always has large drops and I truly believe that a lot of strays end up in his loft and he kills them. But training and races combined I lost 10 birds. Which is the best in my club, some didn't have any birds come home out of the 25 they would send.


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## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

I just took all the advice I could find and adjusted it to fit my time and ability. The one thing I did do that I may continue is I raised some real early birds and had a few more given to me that I kept seperate from the later ones and trained them early working my way out to 40 miles, this was during the clubs OB season since I didn't have any of those to race I could concentrate on these. Then I just loft flew them and still kept them seperate. The younger ones I trained the same way at the same distances until I got them to 40 then just started tossing them all together until I got a 70 mile toss in the weekend before our races started.


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