Fly baby, fly!

Working with these delightful athletes is a joy. A racing pigeon is the supreme navigator; it can cover hundreds of miles before it returns to it's loft. The pitfalls along the way are many. Predators, exhaustion, inclement weather, tall glass buildings and cars are all merciless adversaries of our flying athletes. A lost racing  pigeon needs protection from cats and other predators - put it in a box, a shed or some other secure place.A bowl of clear water is most important. Feed it with any type of grain - raw "pop-corn", rice, lentils, raw porridge, wild bird seed - all of these are excellent for a lost racing pigeon. After a few days of rest a racing pigeon will usually return to its loft. If kept for several days it would be best to liberate it several miles away if possible - this would "encourage" it to respond to its homing instinct.

Additionally, I can advise on the vaccination requirements of all racing birds as mandated by the Department of Agriculture and the Irish Homing Union.