ever wonder what "colombophile" means? it simply refers to people who are very much into breeding and raring pigeons. herein the philippines, the more established colombophiles belong to the fil-chinese community as they have the means to keep and bet on their beloved feathered pets. dare ask me why? the answer is simple. keeping pets entails a lot of responsibility and requires money and pigeon racing is big business. a bet can range anywhere from a few pesos to millions. imagine this, a race tag or ring/leg band can cost a fancier a minimum of 500 pesos for a set of 4 or 5. and this is just the beginning. you also need to shoulder fees for the training of your birds prior to a race and of course the all too important bets and side bets.
just last year i tried my hand in this hobby. over a period of about 5-6 months i acquired a flock of 50 birds from various breeders and club members. my very best prized pigeons i got from reputable breeders in kalookan and particularly from a breeder in bulacan who believe it or not owns 10,000 heads of pigeons. yes you read me right 10,000! i tell you when i was inside this fellow's loft i felt like i was right beside a helicopter because of the constant cooing of the birds. man the experience itself was a delight indeed.
Prior to acquiring my pigeons, i of course had to look for a place where i can take care of them. I was fortunate enough to have access to a completely enclosed basketball court situated on a roofdeck. this is very ideal fro a loft area. All i had to do was provide and enclosure that would serve as a bird room that would protect the birds from draft and rain and serve as nest area as well. I also needed to install water lines, lighting fixtures and set up feeding vessels as well as perches. When everything is in place, i took my birds home.
a year has passed I still have not decided to join major races yet. maybe i just dont have the heart or most probably dont have the money that i'd be comfortable to bet with. in any case, each morning that i see my birds make their morning flights, I'm always reminded of the enjoyment that i get just keeping these birds. i find it fulfilling enough that i take care of them but of course, the extra income i receive from sales of their offsprings never fail to keep the smile glued on my face. another hobby turned into business
10,000 heads! wow what a number. how many staff does he have to maintain all his birds! are you thinking to venture into racing still? where are the usual locations for races?
ReplyDeleteyes indeed! if you could just imagine just his flight cages alone are the size of a 40-foot container van and he has three of them!
ReplyDeleteanyway, most of the 10,000 heads are the giant variety. the kind that ends in chinese restaurants.