Hi Leon
Well, it can vary wildly
The 2 biggest organisations in the UK are the NIPA (Northern Ireland) and the UNC
In the NIPA you can win 1st club, 1st Section and 1st Open (up to about 20,000 birds in the Open).
The NIPA is made up of "about" 8,9,10 "Sections" and any Section could send up to 5,000 birds or so
In the UNC you can win 1st Club, 1st Fed, 1st Section, 1st Open (birdage used to be bigger than the NIPA on occasions but not so much now)
The UNC is made up of about 23 Federations - some of those Federations are quite small in size
In the UK these days a decent Federation sends 3,000 birds
Fed's sending more than that are doing pretty well - there are plenty of Federations sending below 1,000
Breeding season
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So a Federation is Like our RV basicslly a Collection of Clubs and a section is like regional for us it’s basically a lest say 60 mile Circle and all the federations in there count for the section?
Federation like RV yes
At National level a "Section" can cover a lot of area.
In Federation racing, some Fed's have "Sections" and some don't
There's no rhyme or reason to it really. It's just an opportunity for some to potentially say "1st Section" if they never made the Federation result
In the UK we can be very strong about the birds featuring in the Federation result
My Federation used to send 10,000 a week when I was Federation Champion - but you only made the result if you were in the top 30
Typically most Federations only quote the top 20 - after that we're not interested.
At National level a "Section" can cover a lot of area.
In Federation racing, some Fed's have "Sections" and some don't
There's no rhyme or reason to it really. It's just an opportunity for some to potentially say "1st Section" if they never made the Federation result
In the UK we can be very strong about the birds featuring in the Federation result
My Federation used to send 10,000 a week when I was Federation Champion - but you only made the result if you were in the top 30
Typically most Federations only quote the top 20 - after that we're not interested.
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Its definitely very different to our system. Ill try to make a post about a deep dive on how our system exactly works. Well atleast explain as good as i can in english i guess
Yes Leon.
It’s basically in most instances, club, members within in a club radius. Then these clubs can be members of a federation, a mixture of clubs within a set radius, and finally combines. These are usually when 2 or more federations join together for a race.
We also have classics and nationals. Some have a radius others are open to all UK members. These are usually split into sections within the race. For example South West, Central, South East, North West, North East.
It’s basically in most instances, club, members within in a club radius. Then these clubs can be members of a federation, a mixture of clubs within a set radius, and finally combines. These are usually when 2 or more federations join together for a race.
We also have classics and nationals. Some have a radius others are open to all UK members. These are usually split into sections within the race. For example South West, Central, South East, North West, North East.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
I will make that happen Leon, sorry only just picked up on your message.Spieker-Loft wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2024 4:58 pm I would really love the get a bird from UK Racing lines over here to germany maybe if george comes over some day with a car he can bring me 1 or 2
Just some information for other members, around the breeding season.
https://www.versele-laga.com/en/gb/for- ... ing-period
https://www.versele-laga.com/en/gb/for- ... ing-period
Just some thoughts for some members.
Every year in full moulting period we get the same problems in some lofts: a few pigeons become thin, waste away and then die. Some people breed another round of late youngsters from their top pigeons… and then suddenly it’s too late. It typically starts with a few nestlings that do not grow up or die, a few old pigeons that lose weight, let their wings hang, etc. When such problems occur in the loft, the first thing that comes to mind is, of course, salmonella or paratyphoid.
This disease is a bacterial infection caused by the salmonella typhimurium bacteria that is widespread among our pigeons.
If we think logically, this bacterium can only end up in a pigeon colony in 2 ways:
either by purchasing new pigeons from an infected colony
or during the season via a contamination from the travel basket
Every year in full moulting period we get the same problems in some lofts: a few pigeons become thin, waste away and then die. Some people breed another round of late youngsters from their top pigeons… and then suddenly it’s too late. It typically starts with a few nestlings that do not grow up or die, a few old pigeons that lose weight, let their wings hang, etc. When such problems occur in the loft, the first thing that comes to mind is, of course, salmonella or paratyphoid.
This disease is a bacterial infection caused by the salmonella typhimurium bacteria that is widespread among our pigeons.
If we think logically, this bacterium can only end up in a pigeon colony in 2 ways:
either by purchasing new pigeons from an infected colony
or during the season via a contamination from the travel basket
When we think of selection, we usually think first of quality. Nowadays, increasingly also of health. But in fact, you can select for almost anything.
Coloured pigeons, tame pigeons, large pigeons, deep pigeons, pigeons with yellow eyes, pigeons that can withstand rain, that can handle the distances and so on and so forth.
What else can you select for? 'Survivors.' So pigeons that are not easily lost. Because pay attention when you are browsing through your pigeon bookkeeping, you lose youngsters much more easily from certain pigeons/couples/types than from others.
For example, I once spoke to someone who was breeding from a couple for the third year. 'He had to, because he had lost everything from previous years and both pigeons came from a very good loft.'
Such a person does not understand much about it.
Pigeons that get sick when the rest of the loft are healthy, or breed pigeons that are weak and fail to thrive, they must go.
Coloured pigeons, tame pigeons, large pigeons, deep pigeons, pigeons with yellow eyes, pigeons that can withstand rain, that can handle the distances and so on and so forth.
What else can you select for? 'Survivors.' So pigeons that are not easily lost. Because pay attention when you are browsing through your pigeon bookkeeping, you lose youngsters much more easily from certain pigeons/couples/types than from others.
For example, I once spoke to someone who was breeding from a couple for the third year. 'He had to, because he had lost everything from previous years and both pigeons came from a very good loft.'
Such a person does not understand much about it.
Pigeons that get sick when the rest of the loft are healthy, or breed pigeons that are weak and fail to thrive, they must go.
Greetings from the land down under. 
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.

Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
That’s a very good point Murray. I never remove a sick pigeon from the loft to be treated and returned to the loft. They would be left in the loft with all the others and nothing treated. If after a few days the bird in question hadn’t recovered buy itself it is removed permanently. I had a late bred off colour last week. 3 days later he was fine. None of the others have shown any signs of sickness.Murray wrote: ↑Thu Oct 03, 2024 3:29 am When we think of selection, we usually think first of quality. Nowadays, increasingly also of health. But in fact, you can select for almost anything.
Coloured pigeons, tame pigeons, large pigeons, deep pigeons, pigeons with yellow eyes, pigeons that can withstand rain, that can handle the distances and so on and so forth.
What else can you select for? 'Survivors.' So pigeons that are not easily lost. Because pay attention when you are browsing through your pigeon bookkeeping, you lose youngsters much more easily from certain pigeons/couples/types than from others.
For example, I once spoke to someone who was breeding from a couple for the third year. 'He had to, because he had lost everything from previous years and both pigeons came from a very good loft.'
Such a person does not understand much about it.
Pigeons that get sick when the rest of the loft are healthy, or breed pigeons that are weak and fail to thrive, they must go.
No different than us having a sickness bug. I never take any medication if I’m not well apart from the odd paracetamol if feeling really bad. I have been working for 50 years and only had 2 days off sick in those 50 years. That was 2 days together when I had flu back in the 80s and couldn’t get out of bed.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.