How to buy racing pigeons online in South Africa

Buying racing pigeons online has become the normal way for South African fanciers to bring new blood into the loft. You see birds from lofts all over the country, you bid from your phone, and you do not have to travel to an auction hall. This guide walks you through it, from choosing a bird to having it in your loft.

1. Decide what you are buying for

Before you look at a single lot, be clear about the job the bird has to do. It changes what you should look for.

• Breeding (stock loft): look at the pedigree and at what the parents and siblings have achieved. A stock bird earns its price through its youngsters.
• Racing: look at the bird's own results, its age and whether it suits the distances you race.
• One loft races: look for young birds from lofts with a track record in one loft racing, and check the race's own rules for entry ages.

2. Study the lot properly

A good lot page gives you everything you need to judge a bird from a distance. On LoftHunter every lot shows:

• the ring number, year, sex and colour
• the strain or bloodlines
• clear photos of the bird and a close-up of the eye
• the seller's highlights: results, famous relatives, what the bird has bred
• the pedigree, for signed-in members, and the original pedigree document where the seller supplied one

Read the pedigree from the bird outwards: parents first, then grandparents. Results close to the bird count for more than famous names five generations back. Our guide on choosing a racing pigeon at auction goes deeper.

3. Set your budget before the bidding starts

Decide the most you will pay for the bird, and remember the costs on top of the winning bid. On LoftHunter that is a fixed buyer's fee of R150 per bird, plus collection or courier. Then enter that amount as your maximum bid. You do not have to sit and watch: the site bids for you, one step at a time, only as far as needed to keep you in front.

4. Follow the closing

Lots close one after the other, a few minutes apart. If someone outbids you, you get an email straight away. Because of the soft close, a bid in the final minutes adds extra time to that lot, so you always get a fair chance to answer. Add birds to your watchlist so you can find them quickly on closing day.

5. Pay and fetch your bird

When you win, your invoice is ready immediately, in My account and by email. Pay by EFT within 48 hours using the reference on the invoice. Once the payment clears, the bird is collected or couriered to you, as arranged with us.

6. Settle the new bird in

Give a new bird time to settle: keep it apart from your own birds for a while, watch its droppings and condition, and speak to your vet about the vaccinations and treatments you use in your loft.

Ready to look?

See the racing pigeons for sale right now, or browse birds by strain. New to online bidding? Read how online pigeon auctions work.