There are many schools of thoughts that are propagated right now on how to carefully select the best breed. Though the suggestions are varied, it all boils down to the birds' ability, the feather and its conformation. In bird selection, you can never go wrong with the ones that have a lineage- racing pigeons that come from that illustrious family of race winners. Setting up an aviary also gives the pigeons the luxury to enjoy the fresh air at their own leisure. Pigeons need to be intimate with nature; a loft that allows them that luxury can make it easier for them to develop an attachment to their homes. 2. Dry Environment Too much moisture inside and outside the loft increases the chances of your pigeons to acquire diseases. And it all starts with breeding up until racing. If you are starting with newly-hatched pigeons, you are expected to note about the commonalities between these young pigeons. Remember that these pigeons can be weaned at equal ages. These birds can be vaccinated at the same age and these birds can be ranged and routed as well at the same age. Placing treats inside the pigeon trap will also encourage the pigeons to always return to it. This should make training much easier. 5. As with the pigeon trap, treats can be used in training the pigeons to enter the release basket. This basket is where the pigeons are placed and released at the start of a racing competition. Prior to the race, the distance between the starting point and the home has already been measured. The time that the pigeon takes to fly home is converted into yards flown per minute. That is then noted as the bird's speed. Several years ago before any of the special clocks being utilized now have been invented, the pigeon was taken to the central meeting point to time in. Dead Time For extremely long races, a dead time may be called for. Usually, the dead time is used to close the race during the night. This dead time begins 30 minutes before the official sunset and resumes 30 minutes before the official sunrise in the area where the race is being held. During this time, the clocks are stopped.