This ability of the pigeon to return to its nesting places despite great distances is what is taken advantage of by the pigeon racing enthusiasts. Training a Young Bird The basic training of a youngster must be done by the handler himself. It is about familiarizing the bird with its handler. Later on, as the handler executes the commands, the bird learns to obey. 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? Wild pigeons eat breadcrumbs and food scraps, but they are a no-no to racing pigeons. 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. In the United States, there is the Lou McElroy Futurity which was incepted in the year 2000. This race places the pigeons into various lofts and come under different handlers. What is basically great about futurity racing is that anybody who has hoped to join such event can enter his pigeons. Even when the birds don't have much training, it is still alright. 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. It's also important to keep in mind that a pigeon being a champion doesn't mean that it's a good breeder. I can feel pigeon racing professionals laugh in jest at this genuflection, but let's not forget that most of us have been led to the sport because of these same reasons. As someone who spent much of his childhood racing pigeons, I have learned invaluable lessons that I still find useful as an adult. The sense of responsibility that one acquires in raising these magnificent birds is something that I'll always treasure.