HC

 

 

 News and Updates
Apr-18-2021
UPDATE 17
We currently have 4 birds short of 2800 in the loft for the 2021 season.  Birds have been coming in steadily for several weeks now, and this past week the Post Office seemed to have done a better job at getting them to us in a more timely manner.  We have moved another group out of quarantine this week and they will begin to learn the traps and should begin showing up on the clocking.  There are also several other groups that are allowed out to fly everyday and all the birds are doing very well with this process.  They all respond very well to the whistle when it is time to come back in the loft.  The new perches in the loft were again a big improvement.  We are extremely happy with the health of the birds this year.  (Knock on wood) All of the birds are very healthy and are really showing how good the health is with the way they are flying, eating, trapping, etc.  We will continue to move groups from quarantine to the main loft over the next several weeks after they have done 2 weeks of quarantine and get their 2nd vaccine before going to the main loft. 

Our initial intake period was to end on May 1st with replacements until May 15th.  However with the cold weather in late January and February that seemed to effect most of the country including ourselves during the beginning of breeding season we will be extending the intake period through May. We have talked with many fanciers from the Midwest to the North East that had 1st rounds that either didn't lay or didn't hatch because of the cold.  This extension will give fanciers pretty much a month from today to get birds in for the 2021 season. 

Although the final race is still 6 months away, you are now able to book rooms at Blue Chip Hotel & Casino for the weekend of the final race.  There are several days before and after the race date that have a room block available for discounted room rates.  When booking it is probably best to call the hotel and book over the phone using the booking code "GSC1017"  The phone number to the hotel is 219-879-7711.  

This week we will work on getting some videos uploaded to Facebook & YouTube of the birds for everyone to see.  The past two weeks have been quite busy with incoming birds from the post office and being dropped off.  We had just over 70 boxes delivered this week through the post office and many fanciers delivered them to us directly for a total of over 450 birds arriving this week.  

We hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend and if you have any questions please feel free to call or email. 
 
Apr-13-2021
UPDATE 16
Quick update regarding Tuesday 4/12, birds will be kept in tomorrow so we can calm them down as well as myself.  We call the birds in at 2:00 pmeveryday and if you look at the training today you will see we had birds clocking after 6:00 pm today.  A cooper hawk had them flying their hearts out and me using every curse word known to man.  i am sure there are a couple of birds that stayed out .  We will work on getting them in first thing in the morning.  We will run the birds through the clock tomorrow to check the inventory.  With that said if you have not seen any of your birds clocking just yet that means they are most likely still in quarantine.  

Long day, we will update again tomorrow. 

Thanks,

Jim
Apr-08-2021
APRIL 8TH UPDATE
April is here and it has brought some wonderful weather to the Hoosier Classic.  For almost a week we have seen temperatures range from the 50's to the low 80's, and with it has brought plenty of sunshine.  The birds are loving the weather and the sun both in the main loft as well as in the quarantine.  Often we find the birds in quarantine laying in the aviaries, wings spread soaking up the sun.  The birds in the main loft are going out everyday weather permitting which for the past week has been basically every day.  We have had a few days where the wind picks up a bit in the afternoon but the birds seem to be handling it well.  The birds that are out flying really seem to enjoy being out and are definitely soaking up their surroundings.  Every week we have birds moving over to the main loft now and they immediately begin to start learning the traps.  After a few days of trap training they are then let out of the settling cages.  All birds are vaccinated upon arrival and then again when they come out of quarantine which is approximately 2 weeks after arrival. 
The overall health is great right now and the birds activity levels certainly prove that.  Again, the changes to both the main loft and the quarantine loft have proven to be beneficial for the birds.  We are extremely happy with the way the improvements to the loft have benefited the birds.  
Last week we saw major delays with the post office in the arrival of birds.  Kelly has spent a lot of time on the phone with fanciers and post office employees trying to track down boxes last week and we were informed this week that the delays are coming from FEDEX, as they move the USPS Express Packages around the country.  Last week we saw very few boxes during the week but by Friday got a call to pick up 44 in the morning.  Thankfully everyone that was missing a box had it show up by Friday.  This week we have seen much better movement with the birds, not to say the problem has been solved, however they are arriving much better with 17 boxes on Tuesday and 19 on Wednesday.   We expect more Thursday as well with calls we have received asking if birds arrived.  So even though there are some delayed we are hopeful the shipping delays are close to being over. 
We currently have over 2250 birds in the lofts and expect to see many more over the next few weeks.  Please continue to watch the clocking to see if you need to replace a bird missing during settling.  If you have questions regarding your birds or are unsure if they are in the main loft or quarantine please feel free to contact the office and we can try to help you.  We of course will not be able to find your bird in the lofts but we can try to calculate if the bird(s) may still be in quarantine. 
And finally we would like to remind everyone that when shipping birds to please send payments with the birds.  Perch fees are required to accompany the birds and there seems to be a trend of birds coming in but no perch fees.  Keeping track of unpaid birds is not an easy task and will result in your birds being put on hold in Wincompanion.  This is the easiest way for us to keep track of unpaid birds. 

We hope everyone has a great rest of the week and as always feel free to contact us with any questions.  If Jim or Kelly are not available to talk we will either call you back within a few hrs or Maureen can help you.  We currently spend a lot of time between lofts with settling, vaccinating, and intaking birds.   
Apr-01-2021
UPDATE #14

 

The competition is heating up at the Hoosier Classic for the 2021 Season with many top fanciers entering birds.  We currently have birds arriving daily from either the post office or fanciers delivering their birds to the loft.  There is currently over 1850 birds in the loft and many weeks to go before the deadline.  The quality of the birds is exceptional and fanciers are definitely sending their very best to compete in the Biggest Race in North America with the Biggest Prize Payout!!  $1,555,000 in Prizes for 2021! 

We have had some warmer temperatures over the weekend which the birds enjoyed.  Today and tomorrow we are experiencing some chillier temperatures and have had a few days of high winds.  We have managed to get several groups of birds out settling in between those windy days.  Today we had 2 groups out that really seemed to enjoy being out in the yard.  All the birds seem to be doing well and we know that the best thing we did for the birds in the off season was change the quarantine and raise the floors and change perches in the main loft.  Our investment into the lofts is proving to be beneficial for all fanciers that have entered.  This coming weekend we are expected to have temperatures into the 70's and the birds will definitely enjoy warming up and some sunshine. 

Since Monday we have received 87 birds from 26 lofts including:
Tarek Patros
Shane Phitides
GT Family Loft
Amer Loft
Hossano Loft
La Morita Loft
APC-Thone
Lonestar Loft
S & S Loft
Drop Zone/Heavens Angels
Villarama Family Loft
Miguel Socorro
Pety Loft
Milo's Loft
DMV Family Loft
Paco's Loft
Baczynski Loft
REK Loft
Schnell Family Loft
Flugencio Loft
Bodzianowski Loft
Ming Liang You
Kelly Loft
Callejas Loft
Ed Minvielle/Phil Robertson
Baptista Loft 

Thank you to these fanciers and all who have sent birds already!  The support of fanciers for the Hoosier Classic is what makes it the Biggest Race in North America!  
The Competition is outstanding!
Don't Miss Your Chance to Beat The Best Names In The Country! 
Mar-24-2021
Spring seems to have sprung here at the Hoosier Classic!  We have had some really great weather the last 2 weeks with temperatures in the 50's & 60's with lots of sunshine.  The birds are definitely enjoying the warm weather and the sun.  The new quarantine loft seems to be working out very well.  The birds definitely enjoy the open air aviaries that provide all the sunshine they can soak up.   We really do believe that we are seeing a difference in the raised floors in both the quarantine and the main loft.  There are several groups of birds that have moved over to the main loft and have already learned the trapping system.  With the great weather this past week we have got the clocking system installed and will begin to clock the birds that are in the main loft within the coming days.  

Yesterday the Governor of Indiana announced that the mask mandate should be lifted on April 6th.  We know that most establishments will still require masks however it means that we are on the right track and that we should not encounter any issues come the fall for the final race.  Blue Chip Hotel & Casino has provided us with a "Booking Code" for the room block the weekend of the final race.  If you plan to attend the final race and would like to stay at the Casino please use booking code "GSC1017" when making your reservation.  There are reduced rates from October 13th thru October 18th, and rates are available on both the Standard Room and a Spa Room.  

Remember there is $1,555,000 in GUARANTEED Prizes for the 2021 season!!   Don't miss your chance to be part of the biggest prize payout in North America. 
- 250 Paid Prizes
- Knockout Competition with $15,000 in Prizes
- Ladies Competition with an additional $5000 in Prizes 
 
Mar-15-2021
Hoosier Update # 12

As of today we have over 900 birds in the loft with over 3250 signed up for the 2021 season.  This past week we had several hundred birds ship in though the post office and be delivered to the loft.  The first group to arrive has now been moved from quarantine and are in the new loft enjoying the new perches that have been installed.  We have a video link to YouTube to view the new floors and perches in the loft if you have not seen it already.  
Our weather has been great this past week, especially for this time of the year.  Tomorrow looks to be the only day that would be considered normal with temperatures in the 30's and rain.  After that we go back into the 50's with some 60's over the weekend and only 1 or 2 days of rain IF the meteorologist's are correct (which seems to be never).  
We removed the clocking system over the winter and we will begin installing that back into the loft on Tuesday since there is no rain in the forecast that day.  Once we get that installed we will begin to start showing inventories for the birds in the main loft and we should have the 1st group of birds out by the end of the week for settling.  
The overall health of the birds has been good and we really see a difference with the extended time in quarantine along with raised floors in both the quarantine and the main loft.  

Remember there is an additional $5000 in the Ladies League Prizes for 2021.  Several ladies have already signed up and have birds here.  Ladies can nominate 3 birds for the 2021 season. 
Reminders

- Do Not Over Crowd Boxes ..You Only hurt YOUR birds by doing this
- Send youngsters 45 days or older
- Vaccinate for PMV at 24 days old
- Do Not Ship Past Wednesday...The post office isn't that reliable
- Include Perch Fees when shipping unless prepaid via Credit Card or PayPal
 
Loft Video of the new perches & floors
Remember there is an additional $5000 in the Ladies League Prizes for 2021.  Several ladies have already signed up and have birds here.  Ladies can nominate 3 birds for the 2021 season. 
 
 
Mar-09-2021
UPDATE #11
As of today Monday 3/08 the Post Office has no restrictions on shipping live animals.  The weather here in the Midwest has been great for this time of year.  Today we were over 60 degrees and tomorrow we are supposed to be close to 70.  The birds that are here really enjoyed some warm temperatures and lots of sun the last 2 days.  We have gotten several calls and emails today with fanciers letting us know that birds have been shipped out so we expect it to be a very busy week.  We currently have almost 3100 birds signed up for the 2021 season.  

Remember this is the year to fly with a 1st Place Guaranteed Prize of $500,000!!

Please Review The Shipping Tips Below To Help Prepare Birds going to a
One Loft Race
 
 
Feb-26-2021
Update # 10 for 2021 Season

The Shipping Ban on Live Animals through the post office ended today 2/26.  Beginning Monday 3/01 you will now be able to ship Live Animals through the post office again which means birds can start moving throughout the country to OLR again.  We know this has been an inconvenience for many fanciers that have youngster ready to ship, however we look at it as the post office doing you a favor.  We would much rather hold onto them for 2 extra weeks than the birds get stuck in the USPS system and be delayed.
 
We have had many fanciers deliver birds directly to us over the last 2 weeks while the shipping ban was in place and those birds are in quarantine.  The birds that are here got to enjoy a warm day yesterday as our temperatures were in the 40's and we should see 50 over the weekend which will hopefully will melt most of the snow we have left on the ground because we are ready for spring.

With all the changes we have made for this upcoming season we are expecting a great season.  Every change we have made including changing out perches, remodeling quarantine, the change in the race course, and the intake process have all been with the birds best interest in mind.  
Being in the Midwest we begin to see the changes of the season by early to mid October making it harder for us to have a final race into November or December.  
This year by ending the intake period in May, we will aim to begin training earlier to get more trainers in which is something fanciers have asked for.  

Remember there is 
$1,555,000 in 
Guaranteed Prizes!!
 
 
Feb-18-2021
UPDATE #9 FOR 2021

Update #9

Well the post office let one box of birds through this week and we had several birds dropped off from local fanciers.  Temperatures are rising and we will be back in the 30-40's next week.

If you haven't signed up for this season there is still time!  This is the year to fly with $1,555,000 Guaranteed in prizes.  $500,000 for First Place.  No where else will you fly for these prizes!

 

 
Feb-16-2021
NOW ACCEPTING BIRDS
The doors are open for the 2021 Season, with $500,000 Guaranteed for 1st place and $1,555,000 Guaranteed in total prizes.  This will undoubtedly be the biggest year for the Hoosier Classic Race and all fanciers involved.  When starting the Million Dollar Race in 2018 our goal was always to be the Biggest 1st Place Prize.  2021 is that year!  Come and be part of pigeon racing history!

When birds arrive they will:
- Be allowed to east and drink immediately
- Vaccinated for PMV
- Treated for external parasites
- Assigned a chip ring
- Entered into Wincompanion

They then will be placed in quarantine.  While in quarantine they will be treated for worms, canker, coccidiosis, vaccinated for paratyphoid.  After two weeks birds will be placed into the main loft.  After 3 weeks all birds will be given a booster for PMV.

Again, we have made many changes to the quarantine loft and the main loft, all benefiting the health of the birds.  
It is very cold here in the Midwest so please but a thicker bedding in the shipping boxes (not shavings).  And please, do not ship birds straight out of the nest.  Make sure youngsters are at a minimum 45 days old (55 days is ideal) and please vaccinate before shipping.  By providing a vaccine approximately 2 weeks before you ship will allow the birds to start to build an immune system.  They will still receive 2 vaccines at the Hoosier, but giving them 1 before you ship them gives them the start they need.  
And don't forget...Perch fees need to accompany the birds if not prepaid. 

If anyone has any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us via email or phone 219-733-0011.  
 
 
[1]2 Next »