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| SCOPE |
| The following is a code of practice for the keeping and
racing of pigeons, initiated by the Queensland Racing Pigeon Federation
Incorporated, for the guidance of its members and as a basis to help the
community and governments, at all levels better understand the needs of
those who participate in the sport.
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| INTRODUCTION |
| We live in a time of increasing government regulation,
forced upon us by a basic intolerance of neighbours to accept each other’s
differences. Almost anything these days can be considered to be a
nuisance, kids, pets, swimming pools, trees, washing the car, mowing the
lawn, and noise in its many forms can cause conflict between neighbours.
Government bodies are often called in to settle these differences by
regulating various activities. It is hoped the following will offer
guidance to those who race pigeons, and provide a basis to help Government
bodies introduce rules that are fair to all parties, and in particular not
to discriminate against those who keep Racing Pigeons. |
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| PIGEON KEEPING AND RACING |
| The principals of this code are to ensure the welfare
of the racing pigeon is the prime consideration in all activities
associated with the sport. |
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GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS FOR RACING |
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| OBLIGATIONS FOR THE KEEPING OF
RACING PIGEONS |
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Members of the Federation (Queensland Racing Pigeon
Federation) are responsible for the well-being and care of their pigeons.
It is their fundamental duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure the
welfare of pigeons under their care.
It is an
offence under this code for members to ill-treat Racing Pigeons which are
under their care.
Ill-treatment is defined as deliberate wounding,
mutilating, physical abuse of any kind, withholding feed or water which
causes emaciation or dehydration, and any action which causes unnecessary
pain or suffering to the pigeons under their care.
Members not abiding by this code may be required to show
cause under the guides of the Federation’s Constitution as to why their
membership should not be cancelled.
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PIGEON
HUSBANDRY |
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GENERAL |
Racing Pigeons need to be housed, fed, exercised
and trained correctly in order to reach peak fitness and maintain good
health. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure the well-being
of pigeons under their control. |
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LOFTS |
Racing Pigeons are housed in lofts, the
construction plans for racing pigeon lofts are to take into account
local council by-laws regarding building and health regulations.
Whilst it is not necessary to house Racing Pigeons in palatial
buildings, lofts should be constructed to good building practices,
painted and maintained so as to enhance the image of the sport and not
become an eye-sore to the general community.
Lofts are to be well ventilated and kept clean and free
from vermin and unwanted odour.
Loft design can be varied to suit the individual
fancier’s taste and ideas but must conform to certain size limitations and
specifications as follows:
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FLOORING |
Flooring can be either concrete or
timber. A separate steel mesh floor with a concrete sub-floor below is
permissible. Bare earth floors are not permitted. |
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VENTILATION |
Ventilation is to be provided to
maintain adequate flow of fresh air inside the lofts. Draughts are to
be avoided. |
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INSULATION |
Insulation is recommended particularly
below the roof to prevent condensation and to maintain an even
temperature |
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LOFT CLEANING |
Lofts, including floors are to be cleaned at least
once per week. So called deep litter on loft floors is permitted
provided it is dry, a maximum of 50mm in depth and raked over once per
week. Wet droppings are to be removed. |
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RACING
LOFT |
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SIZE AND CAPACITY |
It needs to
be taken into consideration birds housed in a race loft will gain
their freedom on a regular basis to exercise, therefore a race loft
can be smaller than a stock loft. Stock birds are generally kept as
prisoners due to their increased value and the consequences of losing
the bird or it suffering an injury through liberation is too great.
The minimum height for a race loft is to be 165cm from floor to
ceiling. The minimum space per pigeon is 116,000 cubic
centimetres. Example: A race loft 180cm x
180cm x 180cm equals 5,832,000 cubic centimetres; divide this by
116,000 cubic centimetres per bird equals 50. Therefore 50 race
pigeons could be kept in a loft this size. |
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PERCHES |
Perches can be of various styles to suit the
fancier but there must be at least 10% more perches than the number of
birds housed in the loft. Example: 180cm x
180cm x 180cm loft, housing 50 pigeons would need a minimum of 55
perches. |
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STOCK
LOFTS |
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SIZE AND CAPACITY |
Stock birds or breeding birds (confined at all
times) require more room in their loft than do race birds.
Minimum height of the stock loft is to be 165cm from floor to ceiling.
Minimum space required per bird is to be twice that required for the
race loft i.e. 116,000cm x 2 per bird. Example:
A stock loft 180cm x 180cm x 180cm equals 5,832,000 cubic centimetres;
divide this by 16,000cm x 2 per bird equals 25. Therefore 25 stock
pigeons could be kept in a loft this size. |
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PERCHES AND BREEDING BOXES |
Perches can be various styles to suit the fancier
but there must be 10% more perches than pigeons. Breeding
boxes or nest boxes must be of sufficient size to accommodate a
breeding pair. Minimum size is 450 x 450 x 300mm |
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FEEDING |
Grains (maize, wheat, peas, etc) form the basis of
the pigeon’s diet. Feed type and feeding methods may be varied to suit
the individual fancier’s needs, but must be of adequate quality and
quantity to ensure the continued health and condition of the birds.
Starvation diets in any form are an offence against this code. Feed
must be clean and not contaminated, it needs to be stored in clean,
dry, and vermin proof containers. |
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WATER |
Clean, cool water is to be provided to the pigeons
at all times. Water must be changed at least once per day and be
provided in clean vessels. Stainless steel or glass drinking vessels
are recommended. |
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PIGEON
RACING AND TRAINING |
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EXERCISE AND TRAINING |
Racing Pigeons need to be exercised and trained
prior to competition. The birds need to be exercised (released from
the loft) at least once per day and a maximum of twice per day. Other
than these designated exercise periods the birds are to be confined to
their home loft. Exercise periods are permissible from dawn until 9am
and from 3pm until dark. It is an offence to have
unsupervised pigeons out during the day, and for pigeons to sit on
house roofs etc. |
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INSPECTION OF PIGEONS FOR COMPETITIONS |
All pigeons entered in competitions are to be
inspected by the handlers prior to being placed in racing crates.
Pigeons are only to be accepted for competition on the grounds they
are of sound health and physically fit to complete the journey set for
the event. A pigeon will be refused entry in a race, if in the
opinion of the committee, it is suffering from neglect, lack of
training, sickness or physical injury, including damaged feathers,
which may impair or limit its ability to return to its home loft. |
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THE CARRIAGE AND CONVEYANCE OF PIGEONS |
The carriage of
Racing Pigeons for both racing and training is to be within a recognised
crate or pannier, allowing adequate ventilation and sufficient room for
the comfort of the pigeons.
The minium
internal height of transport crates is to be 21 centimetres and is
exclusive of wire or false flooring. The space allowance for
each pigeon in a transport crate will depend on the time the pigeon is
expected to be contained in that crate. Overnight confinement
for liberation the following morning an allowance of 270 square
centimetres per bird is required. Example: Race
crate 900mm x 900mm = 8100mm divided by 270 = 30 pigeons maximum
Confinement for longer periods, which require the birds to be fed and
watered in the crates, an allowance of 320 square centimetres is to be
made. Example: Race crate 900mm x 900mm = 25
pigeons maximum |
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