Their predecessors were the ones that were once bred due to their homing ability and capability to carry messages. You may have heard of the so called "Pigeon Posts" which were of course established across the globe mainly for military purposes. Some are still in service today though. A Quick Look at Pigeon Racing In this sport race, there is a single starting gate where the birds bred specifically for this are to start off. That means, taking them out of the loft and then releasing them to fly just outside the loft. Be sure to start it off in groups. Release them all at the same time. The younger ones often get scared at first and panic when they are no longer in one group. Give them the idea that they train so they will be fed. If your budget is more than okay, it is best as well to get vitamins and supplements for the birds. Ask the neighborhood vet for the right vitamins for racing birds. Corollary to this, don't just randomly select vitamins which you think are best but are not. And did you know that a piece of garlic can do wonders for the health of your birds? Doing this can increase the motivation of your pigeons to fly home as quickly as possible and as a result improve your chances of winning the competitions. 3. Set up a training loft and always keep it open during training sessions. Also ensure that there's sufficient space for the pigeons to enhance their flight skills. What to expect in the first 28 days Once these young birds have stayed for around 28 days on their nest, they are supposed to be transferred to a much larger loft. The first few days in their loft are often spent learning where they can source their food and how to eat. This is also the right time for these birds to be allowed outside and to wander so that they will be familiar with their surroundings. To set the record straight, the futurity race is a kind of event that is being sponsored or held by loft managers or the pigeon clubs. The entire purpose for which is to bring together all the top trainers from different countries who will then compete against each other for a stipulated prize. South Africa holds one of the hugest futurity races.