Mclaughlin Lofts

[New2quail17]

Hey everyone I'm looking to start racing pigeons so I've been doing a little research and it seems that mclaughlin lofts is a reputable breeder. My question is has anyone every purchased birds from him? How was your experience? is there any other lofts I should be looking into? How much Should I be spending to get the right birds? Thanks a lot guys

-John

 

[sourland]

Hello, John. I'd recommend finding and joining a local club. I would then buy young birds from the successful fliers in that club. Good luck in establishing a competitive flock.

 

[backyard pigeons]

Hello, John. I'd recommend finding and joining a local club. I would then buy young birds from the successful fliers in that club. Good luck in establishing a competitive flock.

Very good advice.

 

[Qwerty3159]

If you're referring to the loft in Massachusetts I found one of their racers some years ago with a broken wing.
I gave them a call and spoke to someone I believe by the name of Frank. At that point I was already very interested in pigeons and he offered to let me keep it but I was geared towards being able to fly birds at that time. Nonetheless he paid to have a box sent to me to ship the pigeon back to him and he said that since it was one of his better cockbirds that he'd keep it as a breeder. He was extremely pleasant and told me many times not to hesitate to call them back if I ever got into the hobby and needed advice/birds. I would have ended up contacting them again years later had I not found a racer not more than 15 minutes from my own home

If they happen to be close to you I'd say go for it. If not, it should be easy to find a local club as well. I wouldn't personally buy any expensive breeders from them if I was just starting out. A local racer could give you some young birds for a very low price.

 

[New2quail17]

You dont think its worth it to start with proper birds? Like you said Frank seemed very pleasant and offered to help with learning how to properly feed and house them.

 

[Qwerty3159]

The decision is entirely yours. I don't race as I dont have the time, money, and definitely not the skill.
A local flier could probably hook you up with a nice team to start with for very cheap. I'm not sure how much birds from a pro like McLaughlin would set you back. Good bloodlines are important no doubt but if I was starting out I personally would probably get some cheap birds and test the waters. It's not a yes or no answer IMO and it falls down to your decision

 

[Qwerty3159]

This morning with a clear head I've figured out an analogy for my suggestion: learning to drive on a junky used car rather than a brand new model
Like I said though I don't think there's a right or wrong way to go about it.

 

[Old-clucker-55]

You dont think its worth it to start with proper birds? Like you said Frank seemed very pleasant and offered to help with learning how to properly feed and house them.

Joining a local club would have a lot of benefits.You would be able to go around to different lofts and handle their birds.Meet people with your same interest.You could always add birds to your breeding program down the road.Good luck!

 

[New2quail17]

I'm very grateful for the input guys. Seems i have some decisions to make.

 

[backyard pigeons]

You dont think its worth it to start with proper birds? Like you said Frank seemed very pleasant and offered to help with learning how to properly feed and house them.

How can one say a bird is proper? a local racer may give you a few young from racing lines, or you can go spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on birds from a big name loft. In my opinion, birds from a local racer are just as good of a start than some birds from a big name racer. After all, it takes a good fancier to win, not just a good bird.

This morning with a clear head I've figured out an analogy for my suggestion: learning to drive on a junky used car rather than a brand new model
Like I said though I don't think there's a right or wrong way to go about it.