MAILBAG
The great pigeon/dove release debate
S
ir ~ I run a professional
white dove release
company in Kempton
Park. I only have specialised
white racing/homing pigeons
for my business. My pigeons
are all very healthy and well
looked after and I am very
strict with all releases
according to the weather and
area.
There is a public misconception with regard to the
releasing of any kind of white
doves for functions.
Unfortunately these are the
white ringneck doves you will
often find in pet stores and
private bird farms and sold
purely for financial gain.
Not only can they not find
their way home, they cannot
really fly more than a few
feet.
Any bird other than a racing
pigeon will die when released
into the wild, including white
ringneck doves purchased
from bird farms.
Members of the public release
these white ringneck doves,
not giving them any thought
of where they are going to go
and how they will survive.
Well, they won't survive …
they will die.
This is why it is so important
that the only type of bird that
should be used for white dove
releases are only well-trained
white racing/homing pigeons.
There are people in my area
who breed the “common
someone reduced him to
white ringneck dove” and sell
Pellet.
And then there are twins: our them to the public for release
at various functions as well as
daughter was at school with
Continued on page 6
What’s in a name? A lot, it seems
S
ir ~ We so enjoyed
Blommetjie’s back page
column about the names
people saddle their children
with.
I once met a young man
whose given name was
Spinach, on account of his
mother ate a great deal of that
vegetable while pregnant with
him.
I can understand a nickname
~ remember Ertjies
Bezuidenhout, the cyclist? But
not your name on your birth
certificate!
Talking of nicknames, we
knew a young man who was
known as Bullet, until
Continued on page 8
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