Pigeon fanciers home in on prize birds
Auction of thoroughbred baby birds brings in R84k for Kowie racing club
Pigeon fanciers came out in numbers to attend an auction of more than a 100 thoroughbred birds, hosted by the Kowie Pigeon Racing Club at the Port Alfred Country Club on Saturday October 21.
The pedigrees of more than 100 five-week-old baby birds were aired at the auction, attended by fanciers from Ndlambe, Makhanda, Gqeberha and East London that realised just over R84,000.
Kowie Pigeon Racing Club chair Ray Schenk said some of the pigeons were couriered from the Western Cape and Gauteng to be auctioned on behalf of owners.
Schenk said the birds, once sold, would be taken to One Loft, based at Fish River, where they would be homed before participating in a special race.
“They will be taken to release points to fly over various distances up to the point of the final or main race over a distance of 600km [from Western Cape] to participate in a race back to One Loft.
“Part of the proceeds of this auction will be divided into five prizes for that race and the rest of the money collected from the auction will go towards our club’s administration.”
Schenk said it was difficult to explain the intricacies behind a bird ’ s natural homing instinct except to say “all migratory birds have this instinct”.
“No one knows exactly how it works [homing] but we believe it could be something in the eye and brain and the magnetic fields around the pigeons when it comes to the subject of homing. At One Loft we keep them in the loft over a period of time … and we let them out and let them walk around the loft for a period of time. The pigeons know where they are going to get food and they fly back in to the loft and get used to that particular area.
“So when they are used to the environment we take them 10km out from One Loft and they fly back. So systematically you extend the distances until they are fully homed,” he said.
Not every pigeon fancier will get his bird back successfully from a race, Schenk said. “Unfortunately there are a lot of predators along the way. Hawks can get a hold of them, cats or wild animals. And sometimes they go off course, get tired and land on somebody’s roof and they get caught.
“As a club, we are doing very well;
we fly in a competition with East London and Komani clubs during the racing season from June to September.
“Once the birds are transported, they fly from Kokstad which is about 400km and Vryheid which is 700km away. In July, we go to Riviersonderend about 700km away. “
Schenk admits pigeon racing is an expensive sport when it comes to transport costs and fanciers have to
keep the birds healthy for racing.
Eastern Cape Board for pigeon racing president Brad Bowen, said his controlling body always attended the auctions, “to support the local fanciers and to ensure that the sport in these areas are maintaining the standards set out by the national body.
“We also assist members and motivate them and to maintain husbandry standards.
“Within our province, our pigeon racing is covered along all demographic lines and here we include the richest of the rich and poorest of the poor.
“It’s a sport that once you fall in love with it, it holds you, the bond that keeps the relationship between human and animal alive.
“The barriers to entry included the fact that many people are living in smaller properties while pigeon fanciers need big coops to prepare birds for racing.
“The costs involved in training birds is another barrier but we do have initiatives like today, where proceeds from the auction will assist the local club with transport fees as the cost of fuel is a problem,” he added.
List of highest prices received for birds auctioned:
Bird donated by Charles Ben from East London sold for R1,100 (lot 1).
Bird donated by Paul Webber sold for R1,300 (lot 45).
Bird donated by Nizaam Jappie from Gqeberha sold for R1,100 (lot 54).
Bird donated by Gys Louw from Gauteng sold for R2,400 (lot 75).
Bird donated by Marc Killian from Gqeberha sold for R1,250 (lot 66).
Bird donated by Dr Gavin Rous from the Northern Cape sold for R1,300 (lot 82).
Two birds donated by Mr C Gouws from Gqeberha sold for R2,000 each.