Ping's Pigeons

     More than a month bago mag start yung training ng GWRPA nanakawan ako. I was hospitalize kasi sobrang sakit ng left side of my tummy which turned out I have gall stones. I was given a high dose of pain reliever that night and I felt OK kinabukasan na ng hapon. It turns out while I was in pain naiwan ko pala loft ko na bukas. Pag silip ko ng hapon halos nalimas ibon ko sa flyer ko. Naospital na ko nanakawan pa, double whammy.      Akala ko di ko na makikita ulit yung mga nanakaw na kalapati. After a month isa isa nakakabalik yung mga nawala. Mukang tinuturuan sila kasi maiikli yung pakpak nung bumalik. Ang dudungis nila, hawak yata araw araw. I kept wishing my white bar na young bird sa GWRPA sana makabalik. Tuwing umuuwi ako sa office sinisilip ko agad loft kung nakabalik na sya. Ayun nga isang araw nakita ko na lang nakabalik na nga sya, mukang pulubi, payat, maikli pakpak. Sabi ko me one month pa bago mag start derby pwede pa maka recover. ...

     I wasn't planning on joining this year medyo hectic ang schedule. Mas gusto ko sana magpahinga na lang sa bahay. It was gonna be held on Saturday, e Sunday me awarding ako dadaluhan sa Province din. But on the day of the show I decided what the heck, makasali na nga din. Nung umaga lang ako pumili ng ilalaban, Ayoko maglaban ng nanalo na sa show, gusto ko iba naman. I chose the Opal Bar first. Father nya yung nanalo last year Best in show din sa Off Color Category. Iniisip ko na kung makukuha din ba nya yung title. Kino-compare ko kasi sila mas gwapo pa din kasi yung tatay. Sa Barless naman I was choosing beteen the cock and the hen, I decided on the cock na lang. One more, gusto ko tatlo, yung young bird ko sa BFRC this year. Pero nagaalangan ako kasi loading ng gabi baka ma stress.      So to cut the long story short. My Opal Bar  won 1st Place Opal Bar Category and Best in Breed Off Color Racing Pigeon. Sobrang nakaka proud kasi na dupli...

     Can I just say, wala naman masama kung magturo ka. We have the power to discern. Di naman lahat ng ituturo sayo gagawin mo. Syempre piliin mo lang yung kaya mong gawin, yung hiyang ka. Although experience is still the best teacher. During my time nung nag uumpisa pa lang ako, wala namang available pa online na information about pigeons, walang google, youtube even facebook na isang type mo lang sa search lalabas na lahat about sa kalapati, Wala ka pa makikita, unlike today. Everything I learned mostly thru personal experience. Konti lang yung galing sa mentor kasi sa totoo lang mararamdaman mo naman na ayaw i share lahat. Everytime you lose, pag aralan mo bakit ka natalo. Very important na nililista mo kung ano ginagawa mo kasi believe me me makakalimutan kang details. Baka yung small details na yun yung answer sa hinahanap mo. I hope you get what I'm saying.       Let's say your racing ten pigeons, na cut off yung lima, that's the best time ...

     For five years i have been stuck with just a pair of barless, di ako makabuhay. Sobnrang selang nila. I've noticed na hangga't di nakakalagpas ng three month old mamamatay lang. What I did is everytime I produce squabs, I would put it in a separate cage malayo sa flying loft ko. Ayun, nabuhay na lahat. Now ang inaalam ko naman pano ko mailalaban sa race, should I put them sa flyer at around four months? para sure na buhay na. Di kaya too late na para turuan sa bagong kulungan?

     I admit I descriminate. Me mga breeders ako na di ginagamit kasi una pa lang wala na ko tiwala, di ko alam bakit ko sya na practice. Well I'm trying to change that. Sabi nga di mo malalaman yung capacity nung kalapati unless you race them. Sa hirap din naman ng race you tend to use your winning breeders over and over. Minsan parang nanghihinayang ka na gamitin yung iba. For fear of losing and waste of time. Sometimes I forego trying different pairs too para masubukan kung me i-improve pa. Although nawala na sa system ko yung katay katay pag di ko type. Although I miss doing that especially pag me nakikita akong kalapati na di ko type ichura, sometimes I ask myself bakit ko to binuhay. Its a little cruel pero I swear it works din. Yung piling pili lang bubuhayin saka ilalaban mo. Sa totoo lang ewan ko kung napapansin nyo din, yung mga nananalong kalapati maganda ichura di ba?

     Pano ba maiwasan ang fly away? Every year a number of my youngsters are lost because of this. Nakakahinayang yung panahon saka yung gastos, Yung cost nung rings, vitamins and feeds kasama na pagod at hirap tapos lilipad lang sa kawalan. I usually teach my new warriors very young, me balahibong pusa pa nilalabas ko na. Medyo daring yung youngsters ko in a few hours nag a-atempt na agad magligid. Kaya kadalasan nawawala yung iba. Right now I'm gonna try a new strategy. Pahinugin ko muna. Some of my friends actually teaches their pigeons medyo me edad na and they actually experience zero fly aways. 

      In the span of 14 years as a pigeon racer, i think i changed loft 3 times already. The loft I have now I thought would be my last loft. But for a while I'm thinking of changing again. The one I have now requires me to climb a ladder and right now I'm not getting any younger and I'm already having a hard time climbing, plus factor in a couple of  missteps/accidents I've experienced. Isa pa sa factor na  nire-reconsider ko is the height of my loft. Medyo mataas sya, kaya wala akong trapping. Ang hirap sumali sa pooling o funrace kasi di ko mapapasok yung kalapati. Kahit bugawin ko di ako pinapansin kasi alam nya mataas sya kaya deadma. (Picture is my breeding loft not my flyer's)     The second photo is what I'm actually dreaming of these days. Although it would require cleaning ng floor kasi my current loft bumabagsak lang sa sand yung poops, and ilang years ko na di ginagalaw ha ha. Feeling ko babagay sya sa breeding loft ko plus di ...