Evening star., 1936-04-11
GET MANY MILES
ON SKINNY FEED
Few Birds Lost in Flight,
and Some Return After
Years Absence.
BY ZACHARY TAYLOR.
Associated Fress Sports Writer.


W ANSAS CITY.-Here's a derby
u in which the owner gets beau
~ coup speed and mileage on
~ his oats and has no Jockey
and trainer to board
Fifty Kansas City business men
enjoy the racing of homing pigeons.
They have more than 1000 stream
lined birds trained for the airlanes-
same breed that won fame in war
time as dispatch carriers.
There's no pomp and ceremony at
the start of these keenly contested
flights Owners crate and ship 400
birds or more TO an express agent
so to 1000 miles away.
That express agent may be the
only witness Of the getaway, moving
about in the daWn'S early light, lift
ing open the doors of the crates, He
telegraphs the time of release TO the
race secretary here
Travel 40 to so Miles per Hour.
ITS then that the derby man can
retire close by the home roost and
chew his finger-naiS, scanning the
sky
Stout winged veterans clip of the
500 miles between Dallas. Tex. and
Kansas City at 40 to so miles per
hour, depending upon the wind, says
A. R. Whelan, dentist and one of
the leading fanciers.
Racing custom provides that each
bird flies against three competitors
in pools" which range from 25
cents TO S26 on each bird. Sometimes
bonnie blue plummets onto his
tavorite landing post with as much
as S103 on his beak-in addition TO
purse money. Whelan explains.
A special clock is used to time the
finish. In flight each bird wears n
stamped rubber leg.band. When 1t
arrives at the home base. the band is
removed with all speed and deposited
in the clock, which records the time
and locks the band inside. The rae
ing secretary, who supervises tho
synchroniZation of racing clocks, hold;
the master key. He removes the banc,'
to determine the time winners cn
the basis of elapsed time.
lost in flight" says Whelan Hawk
get a few. but some get lost or al.
Just cutters that join f1ocks of COM
mon pigeons I have known homer
to come in after a years absence"
Traffic in hcmerS is brisk. Thc
lobbyists continually are trading an
breeding new stock Sturdiness is tn
from $50 to SIS. The highest known
price for a single bird was $1,000, in
an English transaction.
Best When Hungry.
HOMERS are raced with an appe-
tite. Whelan says they do better
when taken of full feed, given a
light laxative and sent on their way.
They are inclined to drop for water
when racing on a full crop"
Training begins II weeks after
Matching. 1t isn't hunger or nostalgia
that brings the canny little squads
back home. WTlelan says it's just
the nature of the birds. They take
p and Smile hops to the home trap
nest at first. then jump up to 100
miles Yearlings are ready for the
500-mile flight from Dallas and per-
! haps the 1,0o0-mile trip from Browns
vile. Tex. They're at their best
between the ages of 3 to 5.
/ Nearly all the fanciers have "pris-
oner" birds for breeding purposes.
birds purchased away from their in
stinctive homes. They might stick
around a year to raise and educate
their young" says Whelan. Then,
some day, lingo, and they're back
| in their original homes"
| Two pigeon derby clubs are locate:
/ in Kansas City. The average loft
contains about 200 homers and mos
owners have other varieties Of fanc'
/ pigeons.
None of us eats SQUAD much.
says Whelan.