Northwest Florida resident trains pigeons for sport
While most livestock are raised for food or fertilizer, some people in Santa Rosa County are raising animals to race. No, these aren’t horses. They’re pigeons. Renee Neugent, of East Milton, has been involved in the sport on and off again for around a decade. In her backyard, there are around 40 pigeons in a caged enclosure, known as a loft. Approaching the enclosure, you can hear wings flapping, birds cooing and the mad dash toward food when Neugent brings in bird feed. Neugent first got involved in pigeon racing through a friend at church. She didn’t know much about pigeons at the time but began to acquire pigeons and started raising them. Long before her days as a pigeon racer, Neugent earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science production. She said her degree has helped with raising and caring for her flock.
