Homing pigeons using the natural system

Homing pigeons using the Natural System are popular with many fanciers. The Natural System harnesses a bird’s natural instinct to mate, nest, and raise young. What is needed to use the Natural System is knowledge and observation.

Since pigeons are bred during different times of the breeding cycle, it is important to keep up-to-date and accurate records. A keen observation is necessary at the fancier’s point to discover when his birds are in the best condition. What is a good moment for one will not be for another. The pigeons must be observed from an individualistic point of view, and each pigeon must be examined in search of its best physical and mental condition.

The driving period is when the rooster becomes impatient and starts chasing the hen to lay eggs, usually about a week after a pair has mated. Cock racing during this time has been widely accepted as a good strategy. However, it is not recommended to compete with the hen at this time.

Also, when a pair has been laying eggs for around ten to fourteen days, it is acceptable to breed males or females. There are mixed reviews about racing pigeons during the next stage, “chipped eggs” when the youngsters begin to hatch from the eggs. Some people believe that if they are put in a race during this time, the type of milk that the parents produce during this period may go sour before reaching the young.

Many fanciers will use various tricks during the different stages to increase motivation. If a pair has been sitting on the eggs for more than two weeks, with no signs of hatching, one egg can be removed, hollowed out, and a live cricket placed inside it, sealing it back of course. This can artificially produce the ‘chipped eggs’ stage. Also, during the chipping stage, you can “borrow” a baby from somewhere else in the loft if you have a bird that is preparing to race. These are just a few of the many tricks that fanciers can use, refine and develop to get the best shape for their racing pigeons using the Natural System.

Using the Natural System when racing pigeons allows fanciers to play with different variables to see what makes each individual bird race better. Treating each bird as an individual and keen observation are the two great factors of the Natural System. A fancier who spends time with the birds, finding out when they are at their best, will do better on race day.