These days, high-quality pigeons are so widely available that it’s unlikely your entire loft is filled with poor performers. Let’s take a look at how races usually work in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands. Say there’s a race with 1,000 birds and 250 prizes available—that’s about one prize for every four birds. If a fancier sends 16 pigeons and wins four prizes, that’s average—not bad, but not great either. Win eight prizes? Now you’re doing well. But for seasoned champions, even 50% isn’t good enough—they aim higher. That’s what separates elite pigeon fanciers from the rest.

So, if you’re consistently missing out on any prizes at all—not even one pigeon in the top 25%—you don’t have a quality issue. You’ve got a health issue. Birds that are constantly underperforming could be sick. And if that’s the case, it’s time to consult a vet, because no amount of training will fix that.

The Real Issue: Quality or Health?

This is a common dilemma in the sport: Is it poor genetics or poor condition? Here’s the truth—no one can spot a winner just by looking at a pigeon. You can’t judge a bird’s potential by its eyes or its bloodline alone. However, you can often tell when a bird is clearly not going to be a star. Birds with poor feather quality, weak bodies, or generally lacking vitality don’t belong in your loft.

One of the secrets of top racers is knowing what birds to remove. Smart racing pigeon selection is everything. Everyone makes mistakes when picking birds, but the best fanciers make fewer of them—and that’s the key. A strong selection process, especially one based on natural health, sets you up for success. If you have 40 pigeons and 38 look healthy, don’t waste time trying to fix the other two. Get rid of them. You wouldn’t treat an entire class of students with aspirin just because two have headaches, right?

A Champion’s Secret: Stop Relying on Medication

Top pigeon racers all have one thing in common—they don’t keep birds that need constant medication to stay healthy. Birds that depend on drugs to perform well may not be sick, but they’ll never reach peak condition either. Champions focus on breeding pigeons with natural resilience—strong immune systems that don’t crumble under pressure or get sick in the race basket.

If you’re sourcing new birds, steer clear of fanciers who rely heavily on medication. It’s better to buy from someone who knows little about pharmaceuticals and instead breeds birds that thrive naturally.

The goal isn’t to ask, “What can I give my birds to make them healthy?” Instead, ask, “How can I raise birds that are naturally strong and healthy?” The answer is simple: consistent, smart selection.

Pigeon Racing Selection Mistakes You Might Be Making

Here are a few common missteps in pigeon selection:

• Thinking an average bird is a good one—especially if it came from a top breeder.
• Keeping unproductive breeders just because they have a strong pedigree.
• Holding onto race birds that haven’t performed by their second year.
• Failing to wean young birds early and missing key selection opportunities.

Today’s top-performing birds are younger than ever. In most races, it’s yearlings or two-year-olds leading the pack. Long-distance races might be an exception, but generally, if a bird isn’t performing by two years old, it’s not likely to suddenly turn into a winner.

Start Early with Selection

Selection starts even before your birds hatch. Here’s what to look out for:

• Crusty, porous eggshells often produce weak chicks.
• Thin-legged babies usually don’t grow into strong birds.
• Nestlings that constantly squeak could have health issues.
• Wet nestlings or chicks lying in their own droppings signal problems with the parents’ health or feeding habits.
• Slow feather growth on shoulders often indicates low vitality.
• Begging behavior after weaning is a red flag for weakness.
• Weak beaks and poor bone structure suggest underlying problems.
• Overly large, heavy birds are typically less agile and not ideal for longer races.

Don’t get fooled by size—strong pigeons today tend to be smaller and more compact, not bulky.

Learn from Past Mistakes

Many fanciers hold onto weak birds just because of their lineage. But pedigree means nothing if the bird itself isn’t healthy. Always assess the bird first, then check its parentage—not the other way around. If you reverse that order, your judgment gets clouded.

What Makes a Promising Young Racing Pigeon?

Beyond health, look for young birds that show early attachment to their perch. Birds that consistently return to the same spot and defend their territory tend to be better performers. Pigeons that roam aimlessly or don’t bond with their space usually don’t make the cut.

Final Thoughts: Focus on What Matters Most

A racing pigeon can look perfect—great eyes, silky feathers, an impressive pedigree—and still not be a winner. The most important qualities, like orientation, drive, intelligence, and character, can’t be seen. That’s why even the best fanciers still make selection mistakes. But if you base your choices on natural health, you’ll make fewer of them—and you’ll never eliminate a winner by accident.

Remember, medication won’t turn you into a champion. Smart racing pigeon selection will.

The post Why Your Racing Pigeons Aren’t Performing and What to Do About It appeared first on Pro Pigeon Racing.

First and foremost, a good racing pigeon should feel firm and muscular in the hand. When you pick up a healthy bird, you should feel its strong breastbone and well-defined muscles around the wings and thighs. A bird that feels flimsy or weak may be suffering from malnutrition or illness, which can hinder its performance in races.

In addition to its physical strength, a good racing pigeon should have sleek, unblemished feathers that are well-groomed and smooth to the touch. Feathers that are rough or disheveled can indicate poor health, stress, or disease. A well-groomed bird with a smooth coat is more likely to be able to fly at maximum speed and maintain its endurance over long distances.

The eyes of a racing pigeon are also an important indicator of its health. A healthy bird should have clear, bright eyes that are free from any discharge or swelling. The eyes of a racing pigeon are essential for its navigational skills, so any problems with vision can greatly hinder its performance.

Furthermore, the feet of a racing pigeon should be clean and unblemished. Healthy feet are necessary for a bird to grip onto perches, navigate rough terrain, and take off for flights. Any signs of injury, such as cuts, bruises, or swelling, can indicate poor health and may affect the bird’s performance.

Lastly, a good racing pigeon should feel alert and energetic in the hand. A bird that is sluggish or unresponsive may be suffering from a health issue or lack of nutrition, which can significantly impact its performance in races.

In conclusion, when looking for a healthy homing pigeon, it is essential to pay attention to its physical appearance, behavior, and overall health. A good racing pigeon should have strong, well-defined muscles, sleek and well-groomed feathers, clear and bright eyes, clean and unblemished feet, and should feel alert and energetic in the hand. By selecting healthy, well-bred birds, you can ensure that your racing pigeons are capable of achieving their full potential and competing at the highest levels.

To assist you with the hand selection process, we put together a free pigeon evaluation report that you can use when hand selecting and assessing your birds. You can download it now for free by clicking here.

The post Racing Pigeons: What to Look for in a Healthy Bird appeared first on Pro Pigeon Racing.

Surprisingly many fanciers do not deploy these methods and use them to their advantage. However, this is fortunate for you because it will allow you to take a more scientific approach when assembling your race teams and allow you to edge out those fanciers who decide to take the “short-cut” and simply wing it.

Racing pigeons is no different than any other sport…

Do you think thoroughbred horse trainers pick any horse to send to the derby?

Do professional sports coaches choose any player to be on the starting squad?

Would a performance racing team use any ol’ driver for the Daytona or Indy 500?

The answer is a hard NO!

All of these examples rely heavily on performance data to make the best picks possible and fanciers should and need to look at their birds in the same way if they want to increase their odds of winning races and staying competitive.

So, what are these three key indicators that we are talking about…

Key Indicator #1: Hand Bird Selection

This indicator will allow you to assess a bird’s physical attributes and body characteristics. 

Key Indicator #2: The Basket

This indicator will allow you to assess a bird’s performance.

Key Indicator #3: Record Keeping

This indicator will allow you to collect data from the first two indicators and pinpoint your best birds with laser precision.

When used together, these indicators will massively increase your success rate for picking winning racing pigeons and developing a winning racing loft. And they will help you pinpoint and increase the speed at which you can effectively build your team.

For the sake of information overload, we will be focusing on Key Indicator #1: Hand Bird Selection in this particular article series.

Many fanciers believe that the physical attributes and body characteristics do not matter as long as you listen to the basket, however listening to the basket alone will only give you half the picture.

Here are a few examples to illustrate why hand selection is so important to picking winning racing pigeons.

What’s the difference between a Honda civic and a Lamborghini? They both share the same basic function of taking you from point A to B but the Lamborghini is built for speed while the Civic is not. The differences between the two are within their physical attributes and characteristics. Racing pigeons are no different, you may have two racing pigeons that are seemingly the same however when you look at the details you may find that one shares better racing attributes over the other. 

Looking at the basket alone will only tell you which of your birds are best within that certain group. In the basket there will always be a stand out however, that standout may not necessarily be the best in your loft. 

For instance, going back to our previous example, if you put five Civics together, yes there will be a Civic that is a standout over the others but in the end that standout is still a Civic. On the other hand, when you hand select first you have a better chance of picking the Lamborghini’s of your loft over the Civics. Remember, the worst Lamborghini in your group is still better than other fancier best Civics.

The key to being successful in this sport is being able to consistently identify the best birds.

This is why some of the most prolific and decorated fanciers in our sport are masters at hand selection. 

Hand selection is also a great skill to master as sometimes it may be the only tool you have at your disposal when buying new stock. For instance when buying stock at an auction, you won’t have the basket or records to rely on when making your buying decision. In these cases, hand selection is your only tool to help pick the best stock possible.

So, what attributes would one look for when hand selecting pigeons?

It all comes down to three main categories, the skeleton, the muscles and the feathers.

To break it down further, within the three main categories there are 8 key areas of focus when hand selecting, those areas of focus being…

1. The Tail
2. The Rump
3. The Skeleton
4. The Muscles
5. The Feathers
6. The Feet
7. The Neck and Head
8. The Eyes

To assist you with the hand selection process, we put together a free pigeon evaluation report that you can use when hand selecting and assessing your birds. You can download it now for free by clicking here.

In the end, when you perfect hand selection, keep your eye on the basket and record great data you will become an expert at picking winning racing pigeons and will easily propel yourself to the top 5% of flyers in the sport. Practice this method of hand selection as often as possible on as many birds as possible. 

Diversity and large numbers of birds are the best way to perfect this technique and when you do you will see the caliber of birds in your loft and your results in the sport soar!

Enjoyed this article? post your comments below and share your best strategy for selecting stock.

The post Picking Winning Racing Pigeons – Key Indicators to Pinpoint Champions. appeared first on Pro Pigeon Racing.