Are OLRs a good thing for the sport? There are arguments for and against.
For : --
1/ OLRs allow the comparison, through direct competition, of birds from different areas and indeed different countries. OLRs present fanciers with an opportunity to compare their birds with birds from many other lofts. The uniform method of general care, feeding , training and housing eliminates many of the variables that allow birds from certain lofts to outperform those from others making the genetics of the bird more significant.
2/ Many fanciers who may not be able to race their own birds through time, health or location restraints are able to do so.
3/ This type of racing where many birds come to one location potentially presents a spectacle that is available to publicize the sport. One loft races with big entries and significant prize money have a ‘wow’ factor that helps advertise the sport in a positive way, and indeed draws the sport to many people’s attention.
4/ The significant amount of prizemoney involved helps legitimise the sport, bringing it into more alignment with horse and greyhound racing rather than a hobby for amateurs. OLRs often generate a financial return that can be used to promote the sport, and also for other purposes. In many countries profits from one loft races are donated to charity. In America some fund educational scholarships to provide an opportunity for underprivileged youth. It is great to think that pigeon racing provides an education for some young people.
5/ One loft races are great events that bring the pigeon community together.


Most of the arguments against OLRs centre on animal welfare issues and problems with management.
Against :--
1/ Most fanciers racing individually to their own lofts race between 100 and 200 birds. It is usual for fanciers to know most of their birds as individuals. The smaller number enables closer individual management. In most OLRs there are many hundreds or even thousands of pigeons. OLRs are managed by experienced , caring fancies but the sheer numbers of birds involved make the same level of individual bird care and micromanagement not possible. For example , before each toss , because of the time it would take and the number of already basketed birds that would be kept waiting it is usual not to handle each bird but rather “run them in” to the tossing unit. Potentially “eggy” hens, out of condition birds, birds with growing end flights and birds with injuries not readily visible can be inadvertently tossed and potentially lost.
2/ The airspace around the loft is finite. Champion fancier Graham Davison told me that he felt that the ideal number of birds in a team exercising around a loft was about 100 to 150. This number is sufficient to give the flock a feeling of security against falcons, each bird can see the way ahead and there is enough space for each bird to exercise freely. Individual birds that might hold a team back can be identified and removed prior to the exercise period. Once there are several hundred or more birds flying around a loft the situation can mimic the initial moment of a race release where birds “fill the sky” . Rather than exercise freely as one, a large group may break into several flocks. Birds may have to spend time keeping out of each others way. Graham Davison explained how if birds circled it could be like comparing athletes on an oval. Birds on the inside are flying a shorter distance and may fly slower to maintain flock formation. Either way it is logical that not all birds will be able to exercise freely and the potential for exercise injuries is increased.
3/ Most Australian fancier race their teams with the sexes separated. Many OLRs, rather than exercise two teams daily, allow both sexes to remain together. Driving, fighting and egg laying can create management issues.
4/ Most OLR birds are tossed and raced by themselves. Although there may be hundreds of birds, the number of birds released is usually much lower than in a larger metropolitan federation race release. Conventional wisdom is that the larger the number of birds in a release then the less impact a falcon attack is likely to have. We see this consistently tossing into Melbourne. One of the reasons that fanciers like to toss together is to decrease the birds vulnerability to falcons.
4/ Fanciers can be hesitant to have their birds excluded from competing in a significant training toss or a build- up race or indeed the final race, even on veterinary recommendation. The policy can be “ all birds must go”. If I was basketing for a 350 mile race in my own loft it is extremely unlikely that I would regard every bird in the loft as being fit to go. Out of a team of 100 it would be standard to pick perhaps 30 or as many as 50. It may be that some birds waiting for release at a OLR event should just not be there.
5/ OLRs are usually conducted to make money either for individuals or organisations. Money should be a consideration but not the primary one when decisions are made. It is unavoidable that many OLR decisions are financially driven. Managers can either have smaller numbers of birds with larger entry fees or a cheaper entry fee which in turn is likely to attract higher entry numbers. Loft size, staffing and time availability all need to be considered. The number of birds that a loft can hold and be managed in a healthy and correct way needs to be determined and strictly adhered too as do cut off dates for the entry of birds. Fanciers are aware of the detrimental effects of overcrowding. Although larger number of birds coming in means that more money is available the primary consideration must be the welfare of the birds.
6/ The manager of a one loft race faces many challenges. One of the biggest issues for any OLR manager is the maintenance of health. It is imperative that a veterinarian be involved and that this vet not only be available for phone and email advice but also visit the loft regularly. Not having effective health management protocols in place sets the race up for disaster.
Introduced birds can bring with them any disease agent that is present in their home loft. The stress of transport, establishing themselves in the new loft, and their immaturity all increase the newly arrived pigeons’ vulnerability to disease.
The level of care and health management in the lofts that send birds in to compete will vary. Some birds will arrive in very healthy condition, others may come from lofts where the birds are not even wormed, while still others may come from lofts where herpes virus or paratyphoid are endemic. All pigeons that arrive for entry into a one loft race are young. Some have travelled a considerable distance and may not have been fed or watered for 24 hours. It is important that new birds on arrival are not simply put in a loft with the other birds that have already arrived. We have all seen with Covid how quarantine is used to limit the spread of disease. Common sense tells us that the combination of large numbers of young stressed pigeons, together with a potentially high exposure to disease, can be disastrous.
Managed well potential problems associated with OLRs can be avoided. Because of their benefits, well managed events should be encouraged.