Once you have these ingredients, then it's a lot easier shaping future champion birds. Here are some other factors in order to come up with champs in your loft. Look for the finest bloodline of these birds. Systematic training of these winged creatures should come next and finally; Treat these birds as an 'athlete' by taking into account training strategies. However, if there are some reasons that stop you from doing so, you can always assign someone from your household to do the training. But, remember that the person must have enough patience. It will surely take time before the bird fully comprehends on your command. Thus, keep working on repetitions even when there are times you already feel frustrated. Most importantly, their homing instincts are too undeveloped to be able to spot the shortest route; these pigeons also tend to lose their way easily. As a result, short distance racers quit at the slightest provocation. Keeping the pigeons healthy is also very important and that is why physical conditioning should always be administered the moment a young pigeon learns to fly in order to develop strength, stamina and recovery time. The good habits that they acquire will be brought on until they become adults. Discourage any display of bad behavior and give rewards or treats for good behavior. The Role of Basket Training Sure enough, the birds will be flying around their loft. The next step is to basket train them. That means, taking them out of the loft and then releasing them to fly just outside the loft. Grains and grit are their primary foods but these will not boost their performance enough to win a race. Minerals and vitamins must be included in their diet which can be mixed with the water or with the food in the form of oil. It is highly important that the food should have low moisture content or else it will be susceptible to becoming a breeding ground for fungi, bacteria, and eventually become toxic for the bird. Pigeons need to be intimate with nature; a loft that allows them that luxury can make it easier for them to develop an attachment to their homes. 2. Dry Environment Too much moisture inside and outside the loft increases the chances of your pigeons to acquire diseases. As a pet owner, it is your sole responsibility to ensure that the loft stays dry.