You will want to have the breeding mix readily available to youngsters in the first few days after weaning, this is not yet the time to limit feed. Also a four week old youngster though almost at it’s mature size still has some developing and growing to do. As the young birds begin to fly around the loft remember never to feed before they are let out for exercise. As they complete their exercise and you call them in for feed (using whistle, feed can or other sound), put down some feed for them to find when they enter the trap. A good rule of thumb is to only feed the amount that can be consumed in 15minutes, dump any leftover feed. Exercised and fed mornings and evenings you will see this approach will give you the makings of a healthy, disciplined young bird team.

The young team basic ration is a commercial racing mix or one that runs approximately 14 crude protein. As the youngsters begin to leave the loft for extended periods when exercised, this would be a great time to consider adding supplemental barley to the mix. This "lighter" ration should contain roughly 20% barley. You will find that your birds will eat the barley last, or reluctantly, persevere by adjusting the total amount of feed fed as barley is an excellent ingredient.

During heavy training and racing you should reduce the amount of barley in the feed. Fat pigeons cannot perform well but remember that heavy work burns a ton of energy (calories). In order to perform at peak performance your birds must have adequate reserves to meet the demands of a 200 or 300 mile race. This doesn’t mean to put your birds on full feed but they should continue to feed twice a day and only what they can consume in 15 minutes. Road training is an excellent time to evaluate the body condition of your birds. PigeonElite.com, Your Guide To Pigeon Racing.