These birds can be vaccinated at the same age and these birds can be ranged and routed as well at the same age. These birds at their tender age are often grouped together in a specialized housing called the loft, and this will serve as their home up until their racing days. 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 winning bird is the one that returns with the highest speed. The History of Pigeon Racing This racing sport instigated in Belgium in the middle of 19th century. The racing pigeons are considered to be the oldest among the domesticated birds. Their predecessors were the ones that were once bred due to their homing ability and capability to carry messages. After all, the fascination with pigeons is in its truest form in the eyes of a child. Their minds are not subjected to corruption by the lure of money that comes with the sport, nor would they care much about a pigeon's type of pedigree. They only care about the pigeon's majestic appearance, the beauty it emanates through its stark shades of aquamarine, and most of all, the grace displayed as it streaks through the sky. The mother pigeons also generate crop milk. Surprisingly, the fathers also produce crop milk for their young ones. Both parents take care of the nourishment of their young ones. The Pigeons' Diet The principal diet constituents of pigeons include the seeds and fruits. Actually, the family is divided into the granivourous species or those that are known as the seed-eating members, and the frugivorous species or those that feed on fruits. First off, a healthy bowel is required of the pigeon. If bowel diseases are present, the nutrients that are found in quality grains will be decreased, and not all of the energy and protein present will be maximized fully by the racing pigeon. A healthy mix of quality grains must also be prepared. Use at least eight different grains to achieve a good balance of protein. So while in-breeding can magnify the good traits of your pigeons, the risk is that it can also equally magnify their weaknesses. You may even end up with a pigeon that has both the best and worst traits from its parents what a waste that will be! Also, while in-breeding does not have to spend that much money for bigger generation gaps (because the mating pigeons are IN the same generation), it may however end up becoming more financially-challenging because of the need to eliminate pigeons with non-ideal traits.