Now homing pigeons are mainly used in racing competitions, so the training of homing pigeons is a very important part. No matter how good the homing pigeons are, no matter how well they are raised and managed, it is impossible to succeed in the racing competition without good training. Some people think that as long as the variety is good and you don't train at ordinary times, you can get good results in the competition. This understanding is unscientific. The reason is very simple, just like a long-distance runner, if he doesn't take part in training for a long time, it is absolutely impossible to achieve excellent results in the competition. Only by persisting in training, even if it is hard and compulsory training, can we win in the competition. This is scientific. Training is a complex and arduous task, and it is difficult to stick to it without determination. Here are some general training methods for your reference.

(1) basic training

Include affinity training, homing training, opening training and familiar signal training.

① Affinity training. Affinity training is to make homing pigeons "friendly" and "friendly" with their breeders, cultivate "feelings" and improve the obedience of pigeons. The method is not to eat enough when feeding, but to cultivate "affinity" and establish "feelings" by using pigeon's appetite until it walks around you and can touch it without running, which is considered as "affinity" training success.

② homing training. When pigeons are familiar with the environment inside and outside the house, they should undergo homing training. The method is to take the young pigeons to a place not far from the pigeon house and fly them repeatedly in many directions, gradually increasing the distance.

③ Open shed training. Open shed training, at least once a day, each time 1 hour or more (for closed shed breeding animals). Because you open the shed at that time every day, pigeons also form a conditioned reflex. When you open the door of the shed, they will scramble to fly out into the sky. Over time, it becomes a habit.

④ Familiar with signal training. You can set some signals for pigeons to recognize, and your signals will be remembered for a long time. According to your prescribed signal, train it to obey well and let it act according to your intention.

(2) Flight training

① Training around. At first, on the basis of nested training, we should train and release from 3 km, 5 km, 10 km, 20 km and 50 km station by station, put one direction, then put it in the other direction and put it around. When releasing, release them individually, then collectively, then individually, and then release them directionally according to the competition route stipulated by the pigeon club. It is best to train in rain or shine, and exercise pigeons to dare to return to their nests in bad weather conditions.

② All-night training. Some pigeons have no experience of staying out for the night, especially young pigeons. The training method is to choose the right weather, take the pigeons to the wild far away from the pigeon house, gently open the cage door in the grass or crop field at dark, let the pigeons come out by themselves, then gently take the cage away (don't scare them away), leave here and let the pigeons spend the night in the wild. Training it several times in this way can cultivate its adaptability to fly out for the night in the future.

(3) Time and age of flight.

If pigeons are trained by four-week training within five months, they can be increased to 80 km, 100 km, 200 km and 400 km on the basis of four-week training for more than five or six months, depending on the pigeon's physique, and the maximum is not more than 500 km. The training time shall not exceed 3 months. 1 ~ 2 years old can be increased to 800 ~ 1000 km. 2 ~ 3 years old, can participate in long-distance and ultra-long-distance flights.

(4) Training for "natural enemies"

The "natural enemies" of pigeons are both in the sky and on the ground. There are eagles, harriers, falcons and other birds of prey in the sky. There are foxes, wild cats, weasels, snakes and mice on the ground. Here we only talk about the "enemies" flying in the sky-birds of prey such as eagles. These birds of prey belong to the order Hawkiformes, and there are more than 300 species in the world. There are more than 50 species in China. Here is a brief introduction to the raptor that poses the greatest threat to pigeons.

Kites (commonly known as "eagle" and "hungry eagle", etc. This is a large bird of prey with a beak like a steel hook, long and sharp claws, sharp eyes and fast flight speed. It is an expert in catching birds and animals.

② Harrier (also known as "sparrow hawk" and "red-bellied hawk"). This is a medium-sized raptor in the eagle class, slightly smaller than the eagle, with hooked mouth and claws, which is powerful. The upper body is bluish gray or bluish black, the lower body is light gray, the tail feather is long, there are very obvious dark brown horizontal spots or several thin horizontal bands, and they often look at their prey like thieves, and their posture is fierce.

③ Falcon. Falcon is a small bird of prey in eagle, slightly larger than pigeon, with brown or reddish-brown back, blue-gray head and tail, and a black belt at the tail. The kestrel is a kind of red eagle. It looks docile and kind, but it is actually fierce. It can reach a speed of 360 kilometers per hour in the moment of catching prey (birds). Attacking prey at such a speed is unbearable for ordinary birds, and so is pigeons.

These birds of prey, such as eagles, can not only fly very fast, but also glide or hang motionless in the sky for a long time, searching for prey. Their eyesight is extremely keen, and they can see prey (birds and mice) on the ground at an altitude of1000 ~ 2000m. Therefore, when training homing pigeons, we should guard against the sudden attack of these raptors.

Falcons are particularly fierce when they are hungry, so we should pay more attention, especially in the morning when it rains for a long time in Chuqing. The best way is to stay away from the areas frequented by Raptors during training and release. If you find a raptor, don't open the cage in a hurry. If you have opened the cage, you can signal that the group is flying high. In this case, you must never let a person fly. A single one is most beneficial to the falcon's attack. The flock of pigeons will dazzle it and eventually give up because it can't catch the target. At this time, homing pigeons released at home should also postpone the opening of the shed, or signal, or shake the food jar to call the pigeons into the shed. When short-distance training and flying, the flight route should be as far away from the mountains as possible. When it is really unavoidable, you should open the cage later, that is, wait until the falcon finds other prey to satisfy its hunger, which is safer.

(5) Methods to improve homing speed

(1) widowed method. Male pigeons and female pigeons that don't brood are kept in sheds, and couples are not allowed to meet until a few hours before the competition, and the sheds are allowed to be closed for more than ten minutes, at most half an hour. At this time, the "husband and wife" met and had a particularly good relationship, making out, kissing, stepping on eggs and preparing to "have children." At this time, the race will start and the homing speed will be very fast.

(2) Thinking coupling method. Let the couple pigeons who live comfortably and quietly participate in the single event, and the other one stays. "Husband and wife" will miss their spouses if they don't meet. The pigeon misses me so much that if it is released, it will be eager to return to its nest. It is up to the pigeon owner to decide whether to release the male or female. However, George Huapuli, a famous pigeon racing expert in Belgium, adopted the widowed method and only released the mother pigeons, which was successful.

③ Nest-occupying method. For confirmed pigeons, the method of stimulating their nesting should be taken in the first 10 day. When the night is unclear, another pigeon will be secretly placed in the nest room of the pigeon house that has been confirmed to participate. At dawn, the "master" will find that "uninvited guests" have occupied its nest room and will be desperate to drive it away. After doing this several times in a row, it feels afraid that other pigeons will seize its nest. Therefore, I have been afraid to stay away. In this mood, if it is sent to the competition, it will fly home regardless.

④ Hungry food method. Only suitable for pigeons who usually train and can go home that day. If you let it out, don't feed it. Let it starve. Because it is eager to eat, it will speed up its journey and go home to "eat". This method cannot be used in competitions over 500 kilometers.