You can read this article fron 1996 and then read the article for 2001 and see how things at the loft changed. Both articles will help you.

Time To Fight Fire With Fire!
By Paul Walsh

Interviewed
by Tom Harpe of the American Racing Pigeon News

Tell us a little about yourself.?

I am married to Shirley and we have a son Paul, age 19 who is away at college. They both give me a hand when I need it cleaning the loft or watching for birds even feeding when I may not be able to.

I am a Retired Captain on the Scranton Fire Department, a Lackawanna-Luzerne Combine Race Secretary, I.F.. 7th VP. l only fly in one club at present time, the Scranton Club. In 1996 we have 19 paid members in the club and 83 paid members in the concourse, it remains to be seen how many will fly

How did you get started ?

I got started as a youngster buying birds from an old flyer for 50 cents. My uncle Jack was a flyer at the time and I was the only relative that was interested .

He made me a small loft for about 10 birds to keep in the backyard. Soon my two buddies and I had birds all on the same block. We used to travel in a pack looking for birds from loft to loft.

Today you don't see lofts in every neighborhood like back then. I lost interest in the birds when I reached my early teens and didn't come back until 1979. 1 started with a few hand me down June birds and l flew a few young bird races not doing too well, but I was hooked. But I got every book I could find and read every word more than twice.

What qualities do you look for in a "good" pigeon ?

I like a pigeon that is quiet in the loft, not one that flies out in the aviary every time you open the door. I also like cocks and hens that tight for their Two feet of real estate in that loft and are not afraid of me. I like a bird that can fly 500 miles and look as if they never left the loft and when they get inside they carry on as if they never left.

How often do you clean your lofts ? Do you disinfect ?

I clean my lofts every day. The old bird team loft I clean twice a day I like a blow torch to disinfect the floor and the corners. Sometimes I even shop vacuum to get all the dust.

What preventative medicines or vaccines do you use ?

l am not big in medicines. I use PMV in June for every bird in the loft. And I look at Rotondo program but don't follow it to the letter.

What have you learned from your mistakes ?

I constantly try to learn and improve. I have learned to have the birds as your friends and not let them be scared of you. My neighbor's house is rather close to my loft, which is about 5 feet behind the loft. I use to toss a tennis ball at them when they landed on his roof. I would wonder why the birds were always scared of me. Now they rarely go to his roof and if they do I don't feed that bird that day. When I settle young birds I walk in front of the Loft and toss them some seed to get them to trust me. This they remember the rest of there life.

Any tips for fanciers not as successful as you ?

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.

Racing Pigeon Bulletin June 3,1996-9

But if a flyer is always late even if he has healthy birds and has them trained well, then changing and adapting will do no good because he doesn't have the quality of the birds to do the job.

How many lofts do you have and what size are they ?

My garage is my loft, it was a two car garage now it is only a one. The one side is my loft. I have it divided into four sections where I can open one up while I am breeding and make it a three section loft. The old bird section right now is 5 by 12.

The Young bird section is 6 by l2 and breeders are 6 by l2. In May of 1995 when the old bird races were on, I bought the house next door and had it demolished. That gave me double the size lot I had. The size of my lot went from 50 x 150 to 100 x 150. 1 kept the garage on the new lot and had it restored. I made a hen loft there in the one garage 4 by 12. l still park a car in there with the birds.

Do you let your birds bathe during the week ?

I like to let my birds bathe when ever they want to. I usually do it on Friday The day of shipping & the day after the race.

How do you recognize top form ?

When I think I have them in shape with the droppings the way l want, small and white capped. They have that sparkled colors around there neck and they look like they were painted with shellac then I know I am right on track. When they are alert and energize, and take to the air with no effort when they have no weight and a bird jocks big but does not feel big in the hand.

Do you feel as though drugs are a problem in our sport ?

From what I know I doubt if it is a problem and they are taking the precautions on the big races, as in the AU Convention Race.

What is the highlight of your Career ?

I will have to say winning the first grand champion five star loft award tram the Racing Pigeon Bulletin in 1991. And winning Grand All American in 1995. Being picked to place birds for the 1996 Olympiad Although I have had others including a couple of Ace pigeons, & Champion Loft Award from the thoroughbred magazine and the Presidents Cup, from the AU. A few All American Awards from the racing Pigeon Bulletin, Combine Champion Loft Old Birds 95.

Are real treasured awards for me. Also in 1991 I won average speed, in old & young birds, in the Combine. In 1992 I won Champion Loft and Average Speed old Birds. In 1993 I won Champion Loft young birds, Cornbine. In 1994 2nd Average Speed old birds and first average speed young birds, Combine. And again in 1995, 2nd Average Speed old and young birds.

Where did you get your present birds from ?

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’s 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.

Time To Fight Fire With Fire Part 1 /// Time To Fight Fire With Fire Part 2 ///

Time To Fight Fire With Fire Part 3