Uzhhorod hosts pigeons’ exhibit

Last weekend the residents and visitors of Uzhhorod could see a myriad of different breeds of pigeons brought together, as the members of the NGO “The Pigeon-Lovers Transcarpathian Club” presented their pets. Transcarpathian pigeon-lovers, as well as their colleagues from other regions of Ukraine came to see the birds.

According to the head of the club Stepan Zombor, this time 36 club members presented more than 300 of their pets. The youngest club member, 17-year-old Viacheslav Chobal from Uzhhorod oblast, can talk about pigeon-breeding for hours. The young man studies veterinary medicine and has been engaged in this sport for several years. His carrier pigeon, with a symbolic number seven, was chosen as the best one-year-old pigeon. Viacheslav remarks that pigeon-breeding is a very difficult hobby: “Hygiene is very important for pigeons. They have to be kept clean, which is why you have to spend a lot of time caring about the birds and cleaning them. Besides, it’s quite an expensive hobby. The food, vitamins and medicines require a lot of money. One doze of the salmonella vaccine costs 25 euros. It’s enough for 50 pigeons, but there are lots of similar expenses.”

Apart from the show birds, a whole range of record-holding carrier pigeons was presented. The most famous of them got home from Dnipropetrovsk within one day, having covered more than 1,600 kilometers. Still today, nobody knows how pigeons can find their homes at such distances.