Jaime Lim (ADVANCED HOBBYIST LOFT) By: Jimmy Ibanez
Jaime Lim (ADVANCED HOBBYIST LOFT)
By: Jimmy Ibanez
One of the most awaited faces in the pigeon sport is Mr.Jaime Lim. Having countless wins, would surely tell us that he already has more knowledge in keeping racing pigeons. We decided to have him as our cover story not just to know him and his pigeons but if we can convince him to reveal his secrets of success. Will he?
March 23,2003, I would says,was not a very good day for fanciers who’ve been waiting for their birds to arrive from Maasin,Leyte. For me it was a wonderful day. It was the schedule for me to visit Mr.Jaime Lim. Together with Gary Murtz and some other friends we headed to the ADVANCED HOBBYIST LOFT personally owned by Mr.Jaime Lim. He greeted us with smile and accompanied us to his office. There we met Mr. Tommy So and Ramon Ong. After some introduction we went through his loft. Like Netherland and Belgian racers, his loft lies inside the house. We were amazed of what we have seen. For me it was very nice. He has 5 sets of cages for breeders which are adjacent so that the breeders would go out anytime they wanted. They also have shower rooms, where the birds can take a bath. It’s just like shower room for everybody.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN:
Mr. Jaime Lim’s story begins in 1960.It was during his college days that he became passionately interested in pigeons. He started keeping some fancy pigeons in his loft, but he was not active in racing at that time.
In 9182, he and his cousin Jeffrey Yang was about to get some Jacobins fancy pigeons from his uncle Mr.Victor Lim, but he had no fancy birds because he was into pigeon racing already. His uncle convinced him to get into racing sport. According to him (Mr.Victor Lim) it was more thrilling exciting and more challenging. Victor Lim gave him 20 birds to start with. He also recommend him to PHA wherein Mr. Victor Lim was the treasurer of the club.
FIRST RACE
It was his first year in racing, when he luckily won Naga Race in 1983. At first he thought that pigeon racing was so easy, but on the succeeding years he never won any champion again.
IDOLS
“Number one is my uncle Mr.Victor Lim, other idols includes Rey So, Peter See, Victor Ocampo Tan. Mr. Vicente Ngo, Cham Tian Seng and Cham Teng Hui.
HOW ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE STRAINS or LINE? OR DO YOU REALLY STICK INTO THE BREEDS OF YOUR MENTOR. ( VICTOR LIM)
“ Yes, his line is crossed between Ko Nipus, Stichelbault and Van den Broucke. The first time I joined PHA, Mr. Victor Lim gave me 20 birds, and reminded me that 2 out 20 birds which ring number ended 51 and 52 should closely monitored because these birds would bring me success. When I entered 51 in Basco, unfortunately the bird was lost. So I kept 52, that’s why my foundation line now is 52. I named it “CRACK 52” my top foundation cock.
FLYING MACHINE
It has the same line of “CRACK 52” which won champion in the Tacloban Race, way back I think year 1984.
WHO BREED FLYING MACHINE?
“I was the one who bred that, and the bloodline is from 52 lines of course, crossed to Bricoux line.”
RACING AND BREEDING PROGRAM
How do you select and pair up your birds?
What qualities are you very particular with?
“I’m very much particular in bloodline, to be frank I don’t know how to examine a bird by just its body, muscle or looking at the eye sign. Before I breed , it took 2 months every night studying the pedigree before the actual pairing. I LINE BREED a lot, as you can see on my pedigrees, my purpose is to fix the genetic characteristics of each bird, because when I cross it should be of the same characteristic and size.
Medication program you give to your breeders and racers?
“Actually, I use vitamins but not much”.
FEEDING SYSTEM
How about your feeding system for the cocks and hens in the north and south races does it have any difference?
“For cocks and hens it’s the same .I give more corn in the south race because it has longer distance compared to the north. The whole week before basketing they are given racing mixture by adding some more corn into it as the race goes on.
TRAINING SYSTEM
How do you train your flyer?
“Normally they flew 1 ½ hours in the morning and 1 ½ hours in the afternoon without forcing them. Then I kept them out the whole day. I train my pigeon a lot because I believe the bird exercising in the loft and training are different.
MOTIVATION
Do you use any racing system like widowhood, darkening or natural systems?
“No just fly to the perch”
Celibacy?
“ Yes, I separate the cocks from the hens”
Do you let your widowers get to see their hens before basketing, which some others do?
”I don’t do that, because I feel that the cock would get stressed the same thing with the hen.”
TIPS for the BEGINNERS
What are your secrets in success?
“I would give this recipe: 1/3 bloodline, 1/3 loft management, and lastly 1/3 for luck.”
Purchasing of birds:
Mr.Jaime Lim says to be successful in pigeon racing you must start with a very good bloodline. With regards to purchasing of birds he advises us to purchase local strains than acquiring imported ones, because he believes that local birds are more adaptable in the type of racing pigeon here in the Philippines. Through his experience of importing he noticed that is very hard to find the type of bird that would suit the weather condition here. We have to consider some factors such as mountain ranges , seas to cross eagles that would test our bird’s homing capabilities. Unlike in Europe all you have to consider is the winter season. We have some good racer here whose line came from an imported strain but according to Mr.Jaime Lim they already established their winning strain therefore they just line breed it.
Disciplined is also very important. You have to care for your birds everyday and if you have no more time for them see to it that you have a caretaker or loft manager to look after them. He tells us not to rely on just luck because according to him even if you have a winning strain but if the birds are not well managed then its useless.
