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Quiet_Time_Loft — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:20:43 CST

Lehigh Mountain Combine

Welcome to the Lehigh Mountain Combine pigeon racing web page. Here we hope to expose you to our sport , our fine feathered friends the homing pigeon & their history . We Invite fellow fanciers & those new to pigeons as well, to come join us. Please stay as long as you like & enjoy.

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To all LMC members we will hold our first winter meeting on Sunday DEC 6 th at CR sandwich shop in Reading at 10:00 am. There will be food, heat, and restrooms available. For the members on the long end plan on car pooling and maybe stop for breakfast with some fellow flyers.
*****Breakfast will be available at the sandwich shop at 9:30 The Combine Special will be eggs, sausage, toast, and coffee for $2.90 *****

****Genemmys Bird Paradise will be carrying pigeon feed (purgrain feed for now) and supplies. (nest pads, snap bands, drugs, vitamins, ect) Custom feed mixes will be available as special order also. Think race season. :-) This store also handles exotics (Big birds). If you need it they can get it.Here is there website for directions: http://genemmysbirdparadise.com/ .
The photos on the website are only from store #1. There are 2 stores next to each other. Pigeon area being planed now. Bird supplys for now, but other pet supplies are availble as special order, AND will be available as stock soon also.
Pass this information to other bird lovers. The more intrest in the pigeon area the more that will be available as stock. This will be good for everyone.****

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2009 weekend Club pickup Schedule

Truck departs NPR Departs 5:40

Truck arrives at ERP 6:10 Departs 6:30

Truck arrives at MH 7:05 Departs 7:30

Truck arrives at BPA 8:20 Departs 8:45

Truck arrives at RPC 9:15 Departs 9:40

Truck arrives at LEB 10:10 Departs 10:30

On both 500 mile races all clubs meet with GWC truck at the RPC club
On the 400 and 600 mile races we drive and pickup at our clubs
along with a pickup at a GWC club.
Note: All weekday shipping is 1 hour later than times listed above.

The above times are estimates and are subject to
adjustments or changes as needed. All clubs must be ready
for pickup at their designated time. This is very important penalties
may apply.

Please note that the compartments will be distributed to each
club and each club will remain in that compartment for the entire
season. No Exceptions! Drivers that are flyers must have their
birds placed in the top compartments.
Below is the latest time the truck may depart last pickup for the
race station.

100 miles 3:00 AM
150 miles 2:00 AM
200 miles 1:00 AM
300 miles 11:45 PM
400 miles 6:00 AM
500/200 miles 1:00 AM
600/200 miles 1:00 AM

The 2009 schedule is very close to last years

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Website updated often, Please visit again soon.

http://www.ifpigeon.com/

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2009 YB race results

Quiet_Time_Loft — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:51:09 CST

races will be posted here soon
update: 11-2-09
I will be posting races soon. I just removed 2008 to make room for YB season results. (limited storage on this site) Check back soon. THANKS

2009 OB race results

Quiet_Time_Loft — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:51:15 CDT

Race results are in adobe format. (Combined results are excel)
Click on file below to open.

general overview

Quiet_Time_Loft — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:57:54 CDT

Homing pigeons have been domesticated for thousands of years. The predecessors of modern day homing "racing" pigeons were pigeons bred for their homing ability, primarily to carry messages." Pigeon Posts" have been establish all over the world and while mainly used in the military, some are still in service today.

In short, competing birds are taken from their lofts and must race home. The time taken and distance are recorded and the fastest bird (distance/time) is declared the winner. A pigeon could compete from about 6 months of age and still be in competition at over ten years of age.
To compete in a race, it must wear a permanent, unique numbered ring or band that is placed on its leg at about 5 days of age. For a race to be conducted, the competing pigeons must be entered into the race, usually at the organization's clubhouse, and taken away from their home to be released at a predetermined time and location. The distance between the bird's home loft and the place where the birds are released to start their flight home, is carefully measured by GPS and the time taken by the bird to return is measured using one of the two timing methods.

Traditional timing method

The traditional method of timing homing "racing" pigeons involves a rubber counter mark, a removable rubber ring with a unique serial number being placed on the birds leg before being sent to race. The serial number is recorded and the bird carries the ring home. When the first bird returns, its trainer removes the ring and places it in a specially designed clock. The time that the ring was placed in the clock and that is recorded as the official time that the competing bird arrived home.

Electronic timing method
The latest development and preferred method for timing racing pigeons is having the bird carry a electronic chip which instantly records the time when the pigeon arrives from the race.

Training

Homing pigeons are housed together in a specially designed loft. From about five weeks of age until the end of its racing career, the racing loft is the pigeons home and this is where it returns to on race day.

Young pigeons are trained progressively before being allowed to compete in a race event. A racing pigeon's initial training involves familiarizing it with the loft and its surroundings and training it to use the various features of its home (e.g. Entry points). It is also this critical time that the birds learn commands, such as entering the loft when the trainer whistles.

After a few weeks of initial training and 'homing in', the young birds are allowed outside for the first time. This is usually before they can fly strongly so as to prevent an overzealous pigeon from flying away before it can find its way back home. As the birds grow older, they become stronger and smarter and therefore they fly further and further away from their home loft. When a few trainers fly their pigeons in the same area, these loft flying kits (as flocks of pigeons are called) can number in the thousands. This 'loft flying' familiarizes the birds with their home area and builds fitness.. As confident flyers, the young homing pigeons are taken on progressively longer 'training tosses', driven a distance away from their home and released. This is like the format of a real race, however on a much smaller scale and it is usually not timed . This practice of loft flying and tossing continues throughout a pigeon's career.
Training methods are as varied as the pigeons themselves. Lots of fanciers believe their system is the best, everyone is willing to help and share their strategy and the details of their success. Conditioning is one of the key elements in race training

Breeding
Homing pigeons can breed at about six months of age. The hen lays two eggs 36 hours apart. The first egg is not incubated until the second egg is laid to ensure both eggs hatch at the same time. The incubation period is about 18 days. Pigeon breeders are careful in selecting birds to pair together so as to continue improving the breed and gain a competitive edge. It is this selective breeding that has given rise to the racing homing pigeons of today, capable of finding their way home from hundreds of miles away and flying at speeds in excess of 50mph..

Race Schedule 2009

Quiet_Time_Loft — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:45:08 CST

...............2009 Old Bird Race Schedule.................
Distance........... Ship Date.......... RaceDate..............RaceStation.......... Sta.No.
100 Mile.......... Sat. April 18 ......Sun. April 19 .......Westminster, MD ........949
100 Mile.......... Sat. April 25 ......Sun. April 26 .......Westminster, MD ........949
200 Mile ..........Sat. May 2 .........Sun.May 3 ..............Sperryville, VA ......NEW
* 300 Mile....... Fri. May 8 ..........Sat. May 9..............Lynchburg, VA ......NEW
** 400 Mile..... Thurs. May 14.... Sat. May 16......... Chilhowie, VA ..........2787
200 Mile ..........Fri. May 22 ........Sat. May 23 ..........Sperryville, VA........NEW
S500 Mile ........Fri. May 22........ Sun. May 24....... Baileyton, TN ..............6699
300 Mile ..........Sat. May 30 ........Sun. May 31 .......Lynchburg, VA..........NEW
200 Mile.......... Fri. June 5 ..........Sat. June 6 ............Sperryville, VA.........NEW
L500 Mile........ Fri. June 5 ..........Sun. June 7 .........Jefferson City, TN .......4626
*** 150 Mile ...Sat. June 13....... Sun. June 14....... Martinsville, WV ...........2851
200 Mile ..........Thurs. June 18.... Fri. June 19 ...........Sperryville, VA.. ..... NEW
600 Mile ..........Thurs. June 18 ....Sat. June 19 ........Sweetwater, TN ..........660

Early Hatch Auction Also LMC/LM Fri. April 17 @ 7:30 PM location NPR CLUB
* 50/50 Charity Race (any age $5.00 a bird) 1st 300
** LMC Yearling Race (2008 LMC banded yearlings ONLY, pool sheets will be available)
*** Fathers Day Derby 3 birds for $25.00 200 Miles Liberated with and as part of regular birds
LMC Young-bird Auction Also LM Sat. May16 @ 9:00 AM location NPR CLUB

Trainers, liberated at the 100 mile station the first two weeks of each season, after that at Hagerstown, Maryland. Trainers will go every week regardless of long or short race. There will also be a short release for trainers just east of the Susquenna River for any flyers for a shorter toss. Note due to Combining shipping with GWC there may not be room for trainers on the 400, 500 and 600 mile races.

Summer Combine Meeting, Sunday Aug. 2nd @10:00 am, Northampton Clubhouse, then we will hold the LMC Late Hatch Auction at aprox.11:30 followed By the Summer PICNIC

****LMC Young-Bird Auction Race: must buy at Early Hatch or May 16th Young-Bird Auction
*****Y.B.300 mile Derby $10.00 each no limit will be shipped with the LMC Futurity Race. (2 CLOCKS) Electronic may be used but races must be entered as 2 separate races.

1st Winter meeting Sunday Dec.6 th 10:00 location to be announced. Also: Old bird auction To be announced.

...................2009 Young Bird Race Schedule.................
Distance .............Ship Date........... Race Date ..............Race Station .............Sta. No.
100 Mile ............Sat. Aug.29....... Sun. Aug. 30 ...........Westminster, MD .............949
100 Mile ............Sat. Sept.5 ........Sun. Sept.6 ..............Westminster, MD .............949
150 Mile ............Sat. Sept. 12 .....Sun. Sept. 13 ...........Martinsburg, WV .............2851
150 Mile ............Sat. Sept. 19......Sun. Sept. 20 ...........Martinsburg, WV .............2851
200 Mile ............Sat. Sept. 26 .....Sun. Sept. 27 ..............Sperryville, VA .............NEW
200 Mile ............Sat..Oct. 3 .........Sun. Oct. 4 ................Sperryville, VA .............NEW
**** 300 Mile ...Sat. Oct. 10....... Sun. Oct. 11.................Lynchburg, VA..............NEW
300 Mile ............Sat. Oct. 17 .......Sun. Oct. 18 ...............Lynchburg, VA..............NEW
150 Mile ..........Sat..Oct. 17 ......Sun. Oct.18. ..........Martinsburg, WV .............2851

***** 300 Mile Fut. Fri, Oct. 23.. Sat. Oct. 24...............Lynchburg, VA.............NEW

how to help a lost pigeon

Quiet_Time_Loft — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:46:23 CST

Did you find a pigeon?
Information on how contact and care for the lost or tired bird is below.

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Understanding how to read a pigeon band
The Racing pigeons wear a registered band that has have a specific identification format. Once you understand how to read the band number, you will find it easy to locate the club that issued the band on our Band List page. Make sure to read below on How to Care for a Lost Pigeon. Band numbers are in a series of letters & numbers as shown below.
EXAMPLE= the band may read-->AU 99 ABC 1234
(1) - AU - is the national organization that has registered the bird, in this case the American Racing Pigeon Union, Inc. The band can also have IF, CU, ATB, NBRC, or IPB in this position.
(2) - 99 - is the year the bird was hatched and banded/registered.
(3) - ABC - is a letters representing the pigeon club the band is registered to (no two clubs have the same registration letters - and they have one, two or three letters).
(4) - 1234 - A one-up number unique to each pigeon based on the club letters. Now that you understand how to read the band, you can go back to our band list to find the club that the bird you found belongs to.
NOTE: (PERSONALIZED BANDS) Sometimes the band may just have the owners name, phone and/or address on it that you may call or write them.

To help make finding the owner of a lost pigeon easier please use the following example.

Example Band Code: AU 2003 AVI 3234534

AU = American Racing Pigeon Union
2003 = Year The Bird Was Banded
AVI = Club Code
3234534 = Individual Bird (Serial #)

So to do a Search for this lost bird's owner you would either put in AVI in the Search Box or Click on the "A" to show you all Clubs with that letter in its code.

If the band has different letters than AU, it may be another organization.
If the band has the letters CU. you can find their band list at http://www.canadianracingpigeonunion.com/
If the band has the letters IF. you can find their band list at http://www.ifpigeon.com/
If the band has the letters NPA. you can contact them at http://www.npausa.com/
If the band has the letters IPB. you can contact them at foyspigeon@zoominternet.net , or their store at 877-355-7727
NBRC - www.nbrconline.com
If the band has the letters ADA, please contact the American Dove Association (ADA secretary, Denny Stapp) at secretary@doveline.com

If the band does not have an AU , or one of the above mentioned organization letters on it, send moderator an email .I will do my best to help you find the owner of the bird. If the bird has no band at all, It is a wild pigeon..... Contact your Local Human Society.
911 Lost and Found Pigeon Group
Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/911PigeonAlert/
Contact Form: http://www.teranetsystems.com/911PAContact/
Thank you for taking the time to care for lost pigeons.

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Care of Found Pigeons ...
Not really sure how to take care of the pigeon you found?
A Few Things People That Find Pigeons Need To Know!

A small bowl (coffee cup size) of water will suffice.
The Pigeon will eat any type of bird seed or corn.
A (temporary) 2'sqaure wire cage will work fine.
Don't be afraid to handle the found pigeon.
The Worst you can do is ruffle feathers.
By the way, Pigeons don't bite -

Care of Found Pigeons:
Not really sure how to take care of the pigeon you found?
What to do if you find a lost pigeon?
Water:
Most lost birds are hungry and thirsty. Water is necessary before all else. Since pigeons drink by suction, any water container should be at least 1 in. (2.5 cm) deep. An open container, i.e., a dish, an old margarine container tub, etc., is best. While a thirsty bird may drink immediately, it also may not. A bird, which has gone without water for a while, is sometimes a bit less than itself. It may be so exhausted; it doesn't even realize that water is in front of it, especially if the water container you use is different from what it is familiar with. A trick I've often used is to trickle a few drops of water from on high into the container to make a splashing sound. When they hear that, most birds will invariably head to drink. If a bird looks really exhausted, Gatorade or other proprietary sports drink may be added to the water. A teaspoon or two per cup (250 ml) of water will help replenish electrolytes.
Food:
Pigeons are grain eaters. While park pigeons will eat bread, most domestic birds have been raised on a multi-grain mixture and have never seen a slice of it. In fact, they would likely ignore it as possible food. Instead of bread, you might try feeding them something else from around the house. Popcorn (maize), rice, split peas, barley, buckwheat (kasha), canary seed, etc., are all good first options to feed a lost bird with. THESE GRAINS SHOULD NOT BE COOKED OR POPPED BUT FED RAW. Water should also be provided since pigeons normally drink immediately after eating.
What Should I Keep It In?
Any container that a dog or cat can't get into will be fine. An old bird cage will hold the pigeon for a day or so with no problem, as will a cardboard box - a screen on top of such a box is better than simply closing the flaps since there will then be enough light for the bird to see to eat and drink.

Finding the bird's owner. If the bird has a band on its leg, the owner can sometimes be traced through one of the national pigeon organizations. READ this information above. However, this is often not even necessary. After twenty-four to forty-eight hours rest with food and water, most homing pigeons are more than capable of finding their way home on their own. Simply release the bird in an area free of wires or other obstacles and it will usually head home immediately. NEVER try to attach a note to the owner by rubber banding it to he bird's leg. This merely cuts off the leg's blood circulation and often leads to gangrene and amputation of the limb.

Once you understand how to read the band then it will be easy to find the correct club in the United States where the lost bird may have come from.. . Please...only contact The Club Sec. only if you have the bird physically in your hands and not just flying around the property. . If you are out with your metal detector and find a band, you may be able to track where the band is from on this web page. I have no access to any other listings then what you see on the web site.
Thank You for reading this information.

photo page 4

Quiet_Time_Loft — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:04:06 CDT

24 days old We are just standing in aviary looking at the raindrops.	25 days old OK, you got a good photo now feed us please.
26 days old Now we are eating from the adult feeder	Day 27 Thanks for the cool water it's hot outside today.
We are ready to join race team.	We are on landing board learning to enter loft.
We are entering the loft for the first time from the outside.	Thank you for watching us grow.

photos

Quiet_Time_Loft — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:15:33 CDT

Enjoy looking at LMC 3320 and ERP 1150 grow from eggs into Young Racers.	2 eggs under cock	Hen and babies Just Hatched
cock and just hatched babies	cock and 2 day old babies.	3 days old growing quickly
4 days old resting after dinner	5 days old with cock	6 days old ready to band see next page for more growing up photos

photo page 3

Quiet_Time_Loft — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:11:10 CDT

Day 15 our yellow fuzz is disappearing	Day 16	Day 17 compare how feathers look from day 12
Day 18 ERP 1150 standing up LMC 3320 resting in nest	Day 19 family photo at feeding time - cock is drinking hen waiting for turn to feed	Day 20 We are getting leg feathers now
Day 21 more room here outside the nest bowl	Day 22 We now jump to floor and aviary to see outside	Day 23 Waiting for dinner see page 4 for more

photo page 2

Quiet_Time_Loft — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:04:50 CDT

We are now LMC 3320 and ERP 1150	7 days old We are starting to show some more color.	8 days hen and cock doing great
9 days old hen still guarding nest	day 10 feathers developing more every day.	day 11 showing more color
day 12 feathers starting to fill in.	day 13 growing fast	day 14 continue watching us grow on photo page 3