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3018 LA PLATA AVENUE HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CA 91745 Since the beginning of time, man's de­ In World War I homing pigeons were (213) 330-8700 sire to control his own destiny has been used when other forms of communication responsible for many ingenious methods were impossible to establish. The 77th of long distance communication. Division, famed 'Lost Battallion of Tireless runners, throbbing Argonne,' was saved from total de­ drums and intricate smoke signals indicate struction by Cher Ami, last of the sticken :/A the age-old desperate human desire for group's seven homers. The doomed men rapidly received news. The Pharaohs of were being unintentionally pounded to Sunshine Egypt relied on the swiftest of dependable pieces by their own artillery. In despera­ creatures, the , whose abil­ tion, Cher Ami was released into the i'ish and Rtr ity to unerringly fly hundreds of miles to metal-strewn sky. Although grieviously their homes, helped them build a highly wounded in flight, the valiant finally eompany cultured civilization. fluttered down to the roof of his home loft SPECIALIZING IN The earliest record of homing pigeons, at Rampont. German bullets had pierced EXOTIC BI RDS in a domesticated state, is found in a paint­ his wing and had nearly severed his leg AND FANCY KOI ing done in the fifth Egyptian dynasty. which supported the aluminum capsule. Thirty centures before the birth of Christ, He recovered to become famous as the Cockatoos the People of the Nile depicted pigeons savior of hundreds of men whose message Macaws being released to the North, South, East had read, "For God's sake, lift the fire." Cockatiels and West to apprise the far-flung populace Though still used as messengers in some Halfmoons of a new King's ascendancy to the throne. parts of the world, the modem homing Love These tidings were written on a tiny slip of pigeon is better known in the world of Custom Cages Also papyrus which was carried in a goose-quill sport. Pigeon grows more popular capsule tied to the bird's leg, Available each year as hundreds of Americans take The Caliph of Bagdad established the an active part in importing European birds. WE BUY SELL SHIP first real 'pigeon-post' in the year 1146 Pedigreed breeding has reached an all time BREEDER A.D. Regular schedules were maintained high, with blood lines as pure and ac­ INQUIRY INVITED as the birds brought news to the ruler and curately cataloged as those of pure-bred carried his commands back to his under­ race horses. lings. Even Baron Nathan de Rothchild Pigeon racing is the national sport of found homing pigeons invaluable as he Belgium and the 'Belgium racing-homer' laid the foundation for enormously stand for intelligent, fast and dependable wealthy House of Rothchild. By winged birds of a very special type, due to the messenger he received the facts which en­ meticulous care given during hundreds of abled him to out-think his ill-informed years of breeding and training. Most competitors. popular ofall strains today are the Belgium

16 Vicenl Odierna holds "My Good Red", the trans-oceanic traveler. photo by Bob Stoddard

17 Odierna checks for 'fret marks' which show as discolorations about one inch long on the tips of the wing .

Bastins, Belgium Stassards and a French each month in her pine-needle nest. After a First training flights are of short dura­ homer developed by the Sion Family. nineteen day incubation period the fertile tion and are usually limited to the imme­ Blood lines of these great fliers can be hatch and at the age of nine days the diate loft area. Distances are increased traced to champions of past centuries. squab is provided with a seamless regularly until the bird is homing from as Pedigreed pigeons may be purchased aluminum leg band which bears its own far as five to fifty miles. At the discretion from reliable dealers fo( as little as fifty exclusive number and the initials of the of the trainer, as he judges physical condi­ dollrs per pair, but in many cases prices club to which the owner belongs. Numbers tion and homing ability, the bird is entered have been known to soar as high as twelve are never duplicated, nor are they re­ in distance races ranging from 1()() to hundred dollars. Outstanding among issued after death. When three weeks old, 1,000 miles. racing pigeons in the United States are the the youngster is isolated in the loft and Odierna, formerly of Connecticut, descendants of those imported from weaned while it gains enough weight and where his birds raced regularly, explained Belgium in the early 1920's by Louis F. strength to begin preliminary flight the actual race procedure. Since homing­ Curtis who spared no expense in training. Odierna allows the young bird its racers will return only to their own loft, it developing the breed and is considered to freedom as it first tries its wings. The is necessary that the distance from the be the father of the sport in this country. maiden flight from loft to limb or roof-top release point to each breeder's loft be One of America's most devoted en­ is naturally a shakey one. Only for a calculated carefully in exact miles and thusiasts is Vincent Odierna of Azusa, moment is the fledgling permitted to rest. yards. For instance, the distance from a California, whose thirty-two years of Odierna carefully forces it from its perch certain release point in Wilmington, pigeon-racing experience makes him a by tossng a tennis ball near-by until the Delaware to Odierna's former loft in fount of information. The pigeon breeder, bird is convinced that the only place it can Stamford, Connecticut is precisely 141.13 he explains, finds the mated pair quite alight unannoyed is at the platform of the miles. Owners assemble at club head­ prolific, with the hen producing two eggs loft. quarters and tum their entries over to 18 racing officials who provided each bird winds will, of course, make for slower When scores ofbirds are released simul­ with a numbered rubber leg-band. Next, returns than a day of dry weather and taneously, they tend to travel in a flock, a each owner submits his unique and ex­ helpful tail winds. On a calm day the birds fact which makes them easy prey for fast pensive time clock for inspection and seal­ will average 40 to 60 miles per hour. diving hawks who can hardly miss a kill as ing. These clocks, imported from Belgium Oddly enough, these skillful navigators, they smash through the group at 120 miles and Germany, range near eighty dollars in who seldom fly at a height of more than per hour. In straight-away flight the retail price and are peculiar to the sport of 300 feet, do not believe that the shortest pigeon can out-distance his fierce enemy. pigeon racing. distance between two points is a straight High tension lines, television antennas and Special trucks, equipped with fast­ line. They follow the topography of the similar hazards kill and injure many birds, release cages are used to transport the birds earth, seeming to prefer canyons and especially on windy days when they are to the pre-determined release point. All valleys to more direct routes over the apt to be blown into these danger areas. entries are released at the same instant to mountains. During extremely long races, Odierna, who donated many of his insure a fair start. Back at the home loft, the birds come to roost as twilight homers to the Signal corps during World the owners scan the skies as they await the approaches, giving themselves a chance to War II, notes that birds, when imported to arrival of their birds. As the tired com­ forage for food and water. This enforced the United States or moved to a strange petitor swoops into the loft, the owner night away from home seems to worry climate, fail to show winning style until rapidly retrieves the rubber leg-band, them as is evidenced by the 'fret marks' they have had time to familiarize them­ places it in a capsule, and inserts it into the which are always found near the tips ofthe selves with the countryside. Usually, sec­ time-clock which accurately notes the time feathers of all over-night racers. Seldom ond generation offspring prove to be better to the second. Later, club officials open do they fly at night unless badly frightened racers then their forcefully migrated par­ the sealed clocks and the winner is de­ or specially trained for nocturnal duty. ents. termined by comparing the time consumed Pathfinder, a homer racing for the Char­ Just how closely attached the homer can against the distance flown. leston, South Carolina Racing Club, won a become to his birth-loft is demonstrated by Every state in the Union is represented competitive night race on August 6, 1944 the fact that one of Odierna's birds re­ by several well organized clubs. Cali­ by covering 187 miles in 6 hours, 23 turned to home after a ten year absence. To fornia alone claims 13,000 club members, minutes at the world's record speed of cure his homesickness, Odierna held the however the sport is more extensively es­ 813.81 yards per minute. Other successful bird's head under water for several sec­ tablished in the Eastern United States. night flights have been demonstrated by onds thereby convincing him that he was According to Odierna, distance, hu­ birds of the American armed forces. Since no longer welcome. midity, wind and heat all have a direct many homers are lost to predatory night During three decades of racing compe­ bearing on the speed made by the racing birds and unseen physical obstructions, tition, Odierna has recorded many unique homer. A day of high humidity and head night flying is very costly and impractical. experiences, the most unusual of which

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19 concerned one of his outstanding homers, Later, he detennined that as My Good My Good Red, a descendant of the great Red crossed the Hudson River near the Breeders of Cockatiels, Belgium Stassart champion, Baladin. Washington Bridge, he must have been Lovebirds, and Zebra Finches My Good Red was one of several birds chased out to sea by hawks which are competing in a training flight from Rah­ known to nest in the bridge'supper way, ew Jersey to Stamford, Connec­ reaches. Safe again at home. the trans­ ticut. He finally wound up in Italy! oceanic traveler lived to sire many winners Odierna had considered the bird lost or for his owner. killed until Luigi Spira, Captain of the The remarkable homing ability of these Italian steamship Satumia, arrived in ew spectacular birds has never been satisfac­ York City with a strange story. torily explained despite exhaustive tests by As Captain Spira related the facts, he breeder and elaborate theories from sci­ told Odiema that My Good Red, ex­ entists. hausted and hungry, had alighted on the Clouding the issue even more is the au­ deck of the Italian vessel when the ship thenticated report from the fonner Presi­ was two days and 600 miles out of the port dent of the American Racing Pigeon of ew York.The sailors had cared for him Union, who found that one of his birds, and through the ever-present identification totally blind, returned to his loft after a leg-band, had traced him to Odiema on deliberate release some miles away during their return to the United States. The an experiment designed to test homing in­ • WE SHIP BIRDS • valiant little 14 ounce flier had flown a stinct. The blind pigeon circled above his Send stamped, self-addressed total of thirty continuous hours, fighting home loft and capped his remarkable dem­ envelope for prices. fatigue, hunger and wind in order to reach onstration by faithfully coming to the loft Hours: the only haven he could see, the ship's platfonn, guided only by Dr. Priewe's 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. lights. continuous whistling. Closed Mon. "In two years of flying he never made a Strange? Mystifying? Unbelievable? mistake," said Odiema. HI can't under­ True? (714)443-8315 stand it. He's my best bird. " YES! But who can explain it? 1'2995 Old Baro.na Road Lakeside, California 92040 I Ill'Jf San DH.."go) One ofOdierna s younger birds just returned from a practice race.

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photo by Bob Stoddard 20