Probably the biggest tip for a new flyer is to be quiet and just listen. Don't be a know it all and just be patient. Learn how to become a handler first. 100% of all flyers want to start at the top in reality 99.9% of all flyers start at the bottom. Great pigeons will not fly if the handler is bad. Then become an observer of your loft and every loft you go to. If some one has mastered that and is not being successful, I think he should see what his immediate competition is doing and adapt. What I am trying to say here is, if some one is on widowhood or flying the dark system and they are cleaning your clock week in and week out then you better meet you challenge and adapt. Try out a different health program, there are many of them out there from every supplier. Train harder or get a honest opinion from someone, what could be the problem and work It out, two heads are better than one. Try to be honest with yourself no matter the outcome.

My family of birds originated from a champion flyer and breeder from Bristol Pa, the Philadelphia area. He then moved to Scranton, Patsey Depietro. I trained with Depietro for a number of years and was his student for all of them. Many a winner I had was a result of Depietro blood. Patsey introduced me to Fats Schofield where I acquired from him some of my breeders. I also introduced some birds from Frank Gable who was a champion in our area and was getting out. This is the basis for my family and they can win from 100 to 500. These birds I have developed into my own strain that is as good as anyone's best and I have the wins and the diploma's to prove it. I will take in a bird or two but will fly it out as I have no room in the breeding loft for beginners. I guess I am proof that if a fellow goes to the top flyers and pays attention to his advice arid gets some of his good ones he will get to the top of the race sheet.

It depends on the situation If l am going to breed for stock or flying. I like to inbreed for stock and cross for flying. Or just putting two birds I like together. In the past I used to put the birds together Valentine’s Day, as here in the North East, Jan. is very cold and Feb is also cold but by the time the eggs come it’s the end of the month. It seems I trained with Depietro for a number of years and was his student for all of them. Many a winner I had was a result of Depietro blood. Patsey introduced me to Fats Schofield where I acquired from him some of my breeders. I also introduced some birds from Frank Gable who was a champion in our area and was getting out. This is the basis for my family and they can win from 100 to 500. These birds I have developed into my own strain that is as good as anyone's best and I have the wins and the diploma's to prove it. I will take in a bird or two but will fly it out as I have no room in the breeding loft for beginners. I guess I am proof that if a fellow goes to the top flyers and pays attention to his advice arid gets some of his good ones he will get to the top of the race sheet.

It depends on the situation If l am going to breed for stock or flying. I like to inbreed for stock and cross for flying. Or just putting two birds I like together. In the past I used to put the birds together Valentine’s Day, as here in the North East, Jan. is very cold and Feb is also cold but by the time the eggs come it’s the end of the month. It seems to get nice out. One thing that I do is I put the young birds on the loft floor in the breeders compartment when they are from 12-14 days old on. This way the cock who is driving the hen isn't paying much attention to the youngsters, another cock or hen will pump them up. The added benefit is I get the breeders to go down early on the second set at eggs. Also I don't have to spend the time to clean each and every nest bowl daily, as I just put saw dust on the floor and the young birds lay on this and this is easy to change. At night time I leave a night light on in the loft and I have seen young birds getting fed at 5 am. I have no problem with young birds getting scalped or beaten up and I am able to take a couple of young birds from my flyers and throw them on the floor and the breeders pump them up just the same. At night time just before dark it is a sight to see six or seven cocks going to each and every young bird to see if it wants to be fed, So far for me it has worked excellent. My young birds are eating by themselves when they are real young and are flapping their wings on the loft floor getting muscle while every one else’s young birds are still sitting in the nest.

Edited BY Paul 7-25-10 Today with the World Wide Web, it is easy to find a Champion loft from coast to coast. We are able to view this Champion lofts racing performance and look at his birds online.  I recommend that this is the best way to acquire new stock , from a Champion Loft, from the web. Buy the best you can afford. It is also advisable to look at high dollar one loft races and study the winning birds, but you be sure they are consistent, birds in the one loft series of races.  You are not interested in winners of a single race, at this one loft race only birds clock on top of the sheet in the whole series of races.  Before the web, we would go and see the best loft in the neighboring combine.  A loft that was doing all the winning and always in the top diplomas. This loft, you would not have to compete against with there birds when you bred and raced the birds. It is now a good chance a champion fancier will more than likely; sell you brothers or sisters to his winning birds. In some cases even the winners them self’s! Some times for the right price you will be able to buy the breeders of these winners. From this super loft you may get lucky and get much needed and valuable advice on how to care for and train your birds. This how to care & train birds information, can benefit you for a life time.  It is wise to secure Pigeons from lofts like this, a Champion loft, a real racing loft, not just lofts that market pigeons for sale, and have an endless supply of birds to sell. Most fanciers start off with gift pigeons from some of there new club mates. Lets face it, are the new club mates giving you the best from there loft? Some times they are, but I feel that most of the time they give you just birds and that is a So-So birds. Once the birds breed or they race, and if it breeds well or races on top of the sheet then, these gift givers are as excited as you. In reality it is because they did not know in the first place, the bird would of done so good, or it would still be at there loft breeding and racing. Remember there is always an exception to every thing in life, and you might be in the right place, at the right time, and the great pigeon master will shower you with champion birds. Good Luck! Today there are lots of pigeon dealers selling birds.  From the merchants of pigeons you will see most of there for sale birds, are out of, and there so called good ones. The birds bred out of a bird whose grand sire was a champ. What they do not tell you is they send out to the big futurity races great numbers of birds, and when one scores in a big race they flood the advertising channels with there story of this winning bird. You never hear about the many birds they sent that did not score or even make it to the race. We also see the fellow who only started racing two or three years ago and won a race or two he believes he earned the right to market and sell his stock. A lot of these web auctions rarely auction off the winners themselves, but back in the pedigree there was a great champion year ago. Remember the pedigree is only as good as the guy who makes it out...  A person has to make his own decisions and get what is pleasing to him, and then have trust in his breeder. I personally think the pigeon internet auction clearing houses is not the way to go, to start with birds to enter into this world of pigeon racing. These auction sites are filled with pigeons from wantabe's champions. Most birds at auction are birds bought by fanciers, some times for high dollars, and now that they have bred them once or twice, now they want to resell them to get a portion of there investment back. Most of the times these fanciers  bred these auction birds and fly the youngsters,  if the young birds do well then the birds are kept for stock , if they do not breed well then back on the auction block for you or some one else to try and repeat the process. Do not bring in birds, like this. A lot of these auctions rarely auction off the race winners, but back in the pedigree there was a pigeon with great market ability, Name brand birds, birds whose names are pasted over and over in the magazine with many people selling birds bred out of these old champion breeds these pigeon become, house hold names in the sport. These types of pigeon were marketed and sold like Christmas toys to kids. I also know you should consider your self lucky if you get a bird after paying for it from some of these people who sell there birds at auction, I personally have heard of many cases where some one would pay for the bird or birds at auction, and the birds would not ever get shipped, the seller does not return your calls, but he cashes your check. and takes  your money back from your pay pal,   when this happens  you lose, because these snakes who call them self breeders wait the 30 or 60 days and pay pal will not issue there money back, your check is cashed and cleared and the ass does not respond to any of your contact tries. .  Be Careful!!! You think you are going to save a few bucks by going the cheaper route but it will cost you more in the end, these snakes can not advise you how to win because they can not win themselves.  Remember, I like a performance pedigree with lots of winners in the pedigree or birds that bred winners. I have no room in the breeding loft for beginners. I guess I am proof that if a fellow goes to the top flyers and pays attention to his advice arid gets some of his good ones he will get to the top of the race sheet.

When l am training young birds to trap, I feed canary mix along with 14% protein. The canary mix is small and it takes a long time for them to eat it, so the ones who are a little late coming in don't get left out at meal time. When it is racing time I give the 16% protein I use a settling cage and I put the birds out very young to get use to their surroundings.

I am going with the dark system. But I do not think these system’s should be legal. They outlawed dark in some of NY and NJ areas, as I feel they should have. I don't think it should be flown as some of the fellows don't have the room to fly dark or light systems. This put some of the flyers at a disadvantage right off the bat. You are messing with nature. I feel with widowhood, you are just depriving them sex. I known the systems work that's why I am on the dark system right now.

If the expense of flying forced you to be partners with someone who would that be?

1995 IF HALL OF FAME HONORABLE MENTION OB IF-92-SCR-1717