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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

BREEDING

BREEDING

The breeding of top quality racing pigeons is the key to being successful. A top fancier can make average pigeons perform better than others, but when handed good pigeons he will murder you in competition! To be successful in racing, the breeding of pigeons should always be at the back of your mind at all times through the racing season. You should also be thinking about things like possible birds to cull in your team, or why a certain pigeon is so good. All these types of thoughts will help you become a better fancier.
There is no better selector of pigeons that the basket, and EVERY fancier should tell you this. The next best selector is yourself, so don't always rely on the basket. Many fanciers have good pigeons in their loft but often don't realise the potential of a bird. This is because some flyers buy pigeons from 500 mile stock and expect them to win at 50 miles! When this doesn't happen, they continue racing them into the ground so that by the time a 500 mile race is lined up, they're too exhausted to compete well and show the fancier what they can actually do.

Assessment of Pigeons:

Assessing pigeons comes in many forms- eye, wing, tail and so on with most of these being theories so don't take them as gospel. However, certain elements of a pigeon can show through so that you look at the bird and say to yourself 'that will breed winners'! This sort of approach can only come with time and experience but I myself think I've reached the stage when I can assess a pigeon by just looking at it, simply because I know what the good pigeons look like in my particular family. If you have a good family of pigeons, within which there are many winners, then compare their qualities with the also-rans in the loft. To me, winners in my family can be spotted a mile off, but not in the eyes of any show judge, my eyes only. This is because I know what I'm looking for in a certain pigeon. Let me explain further.
Pigeons which are particularly inbred often look the same, usually say all blues but it is the smaller things which shine out on good pigeons. Here, I'm not taking about how deep the eye colour is or the wing length but a different type of quality. I tend to look for a quality which relates back to one specific pigeon, that being 'Silver Shadow' of Martyn Mitchell. This pigeon was a direct son of the Janssen's 'De Rode Zot 57' and bred so many winners it's untrue. Now, I have 2 direct daughters of this pigeon in my stock loft which don't look that alike to each other, but one hen called 'Lucille' does look like her father. Therefore I have paired her in the last two years to 2 cocks, one a Targa and the other a Janssen. Now, the youngsters from Lucille all race brilliantly but the other direct daughter called 'Kala' breeds a very specific type of pigeon when paired to the said Janssen cock alone. All her youngsters race equally as good as Lucille's so this pointed something out to me. The pigeons from Lucille are finer than her, as are the youngsters from Kala. They all have the same appearance even though from 2 different hens. This shows me that the line is carried through the hen to her sons, the only ones I raced at the time. Armed with this information, I've quickly found which hens in my family have the genes to reproduce top quality racing cocks when crossed with another line, used as a first cross.

X Chromosome Theory:

This theory is now proving to be a fact. I first read about it in Masters of Breeding & Racing and then it was just a theory. But, during 1994 I drew up many experiments to which I set about conducting in 1996 to the present day. All results to date show this so called theory is a fact. To me, any superior breeder cock who throws good racing hens and cocks out consistently in every nest HAS to have 2 brilliant X Chromosomes in his genes. Now, I also place greater value in the hens from superior breeding cocks simply because of this reason- all cocks pass 1 X Chromosome to their daughter who in turn passes it onto her sons only. This is where the theory bit comes in again. It is possibly why you often get top racing cocks in the second generation from daughters of top class pigeons. Now, the book I learnt the theory from stopped with it there but I carried on experimenting with another theory- the reproduction of top pigeons by line breeding.
This approach has been developed entirely by myself and has been tested and found to be possible in a few cases. Briefly, what we are trying to achieve is the reproduction of both the original X Chromosomes in a cock via the use of line breeding. I'll try and explain it now:
Say we have a champion pigeon such as 'Silver Shadow'. We know he has 2 excellent X Chromosomes but only 1 can be passed to his offspring. Now, we'll name these X1 & X2. In his first nest, he may pass X1 to a son and X2 to a daughter if the nest contains a cock and hen. But, he can also pass X1 to both, or pass X2 to both. We never know the result because we'd have to genetically test it out. Now, if the cock and hen do contain X1 & X2 then we are fortunate enough to be able to pair these together, in essence putting the X1 & X2 back together in 50% of the cocks they produce. I say 50% because the cocks carry 2 X Chromosomes and therefore one in the cock comes from his dam which is completely unrelated to Silver Shadow.
So, by experimenting with direct offspring we can feasibly get one nest pair, or a brother & sister who carry both X Chromosomes and these can be paired to create a cock which will carry both of the originals. In theory this sounds quite exciting but in practice it is very hard to achieve simply because you never know which chromosome it contains. We can relate this back to the Kala & Lucille example. I believe that because they look different, they are carrying different X Chromosomes from Silver Shadow. Therefore, I need to pair both back to their father and the offspring should be 50% copies of their father genetically. But, I think this is too close for breeding purposes so what I intend to do is use the offspring of these 2 hens which have been raced and pair them together at some point in the future. this also gives the other chromosomes a chance to break up differently and hopefully I won't end up with runty looking inbreds in my loft which don't perform. I must stress that the X Chromosome is the largest information carrying gene in the pigeon and that is why I place such significance upon it through my breeding evaluations. As soon as I get a good pigeon, I immediately retrace possible X Chromosome transfers through its pedigree to find the history of it. It mustn't be forgotten that the other genes may be responsible for other factors such as vitality and so on, so it makes sense to breed around one particular pigeon which is known to be a superior breeder, NOT A RACER!
If you wish to see another example, I urge you to read Steven van Breemen's website pages on selection. He has done a similar thing to what I'm trying to achieve but based his selection on different things which are also important factors. If you wish to try this method out, you have to think many years in advance and know what sort of pigeon wins for you. This system isn't possible is all your birds are crosses or from different families because you will never know what stage to start from. Basically you need to have a few offspring, preferably breeding winners which have come from a top breeder to try this out, and be prepared to see it through as a few bad pigeons may crop up. This system can also be done with aunts & nephews and uncles & nieces in your family.
Table
blue (b)
blue (b)
CHEQ (C)
Cb
bb
red (r)
br
br
The above table gives a typical representation of how some colours come about, this being the example of the famous Meulemans pairing. The sire on the left is a Chequer who carries the recessive chocolate (red) gene to his offspring. The hen is a blue barred who carries 2 blue genes. The principle is very similar to X-Chromosome theory but here we aren't dealing with mother to son, father to daughter genetics.
The table shows 4 possible offspring- a cheq who carries blue, a pure bred blue, and 2 pigeons who are blue but carry the recessive red colour (often these appear pencilled as the blue is masked over the red because neither colour is more dominant). By then pairing these last 2 pigeons together, one in four of their offspring will be chocolate (when both 'r' genes come together. Try it yourself on some of your pigeons after reading more on the subject. I find it very useful in determining the true offspring off a pigeon, e.g.- reds from chequers.

Selection:

Much has been written concerning selection of pigeons in recent years. The old chestnut eyesign always seems to come about every 5 years or so but never reveals anything new or outstanding. I pay no attention to half baked ideas like eyesign because you can go to the best racers around and see for yourself that pigeons only need 2 eyes and a brain to function. I'm not going to enter the discussion because I've no time for eyesign. What I do have time for is the selection system which I use. It is based on experience and has proved to me that it works in most cases. This is below:
Selecting Old Pigeons:
It must be bred from a top class hen who's father was a good breeder, and if possible the hen has won in big competition regularly.
It should have proved itself as a breeder, failing that performed well as a racer. I always prefer proven breeders to racers.
It must resemble the family type in some ways like head structure, wing length and colouration.
It should breathe slowly in the hand.
It should not be overweight. Many pigeons are deliberately fattened up to give the feel that it is a big pigeon when it's actually overweight.
If it's from a long distance strain, it's heart rate should be as slow as possible when timed.
The throat should not have been eaten away by canker, and be calm.
The pigeon should wriggle and shake when you pull its beak forward. Only the best ones ever do.
The pigeon should not feel like a door wedge. The best all distance birds appear slightly square in shape, tapering off very gently to the tail when in the hand.
The wing when viewed on edge should be arc shaped.
I only know how to select old birds because I never buy young birds from fanciers
I bet you think I'm literally talking all theory by now, but trust me on this. I happened to find a pigeon with ALL the above characteristics in 1998 at the Blackpool Show- the only one from the hundreds I examined. The sad thing was I never bought it. Why? Well, whilst I was performing my 10 point examination, a man was happily stood next to me, observing every action I took with the bird. I handed it to him when he requested a feel of it, and I was off to approach the vendor about negotiating a price. Whilst my back was turned, this git bought the pigeon by approaching a helper at the stall and then made a swift exit- and he knew I was intending to buy it because I told him so. If I see him again this year, I think I'll do the same to him!
It is important for pigeons to have a lot of character. My favourite birds are the ones who will go out of their way to attack you, even though you're not provoking them. Some of my best birds will leave their nest to come and have a fight with me. One such bird is pictured here, I call him BITER for obvious reasons.

Theories:

Ok, lets look at some of the theories in pigeon racing and try to dispel some of the nonsense which is currently doing the rounds. Many things are being talked about at the moment so lets take each and see if there's any substance to it.
Eyesign
I've never believed in this theory from day one but there are so called 'eyesign experts' out there who would gladly like to prove me wrong. My opinion is that an eye is only good if you can see accurately through it. It doesn't matter about the colour- that comes from the genetics side of breeding. However, I wouldn't listen to the experts because if you notice, most of them don't fly well at all. If they're so good at selecting through eyesign alone, they would have a loft full of top racers & breeders wouldn't they? The only thing I think is relevant in terms of the eye is what Steven van Breemen says when he states intelligent pigeons look like owls face on, that is to say the eyes look directly forward. This has to be a good sign, rather than having the eyes directing outward slightly. Colouration is irrelevant as there are only 2 types of colour- white and yellow. All the so called violets, pearls etc are slight variations on the white eye, depending on the pigment concentration. It doesn't mean it's a top breeder!
Wing
Many theories have been put forward concerning the wing, it's structure, size and shape over the years. There only appears to be something relevant in the wing theory in terms of the shape. Many good pigeons have defective flights, just as some have 11 flights in both wings instead of 10. Regarding the shape, I think it's important to have the arc shape when the wing is viewed on edge. This helps the bird gain height and helps it stop quicker. Another important factor is the wing shape in terms of the flight feathers. My opinion is that good long distance pigeons possess slightly longer flight feathers which are quite well spaced, especially the last 3 which power the bird. The last 3 flights should also be fairly similar in size.
Tail
This one is a classic! I remember reading that a fancier once went round to another fancier's loft and condemned most of his birds because the top tail feather wasn't dead centre. If it was slightly left or right of centre, then the bird was seen to be no good. Have you ever heard anything so stupid?
Feet
The theories get even more idiotic! This one is concerned with the placing and colouration of the pigeon's nails. If it had a white nail on one foot, it was a good breeder etc. Total nonsense! This is only down to the keratin in the nail and the melanin content.
Wingpit Feathering
This one I do believe has some relevance. The wingpit (armpit in humans) has a collection of about 5 feathers which are of different sizes. They appear either long or short but with one distinct difference- their cut. This cut is seen at the tip of the feather and it makes the whole thing look like someone has trimmed it with a pair of scissors at 90 degree angles (square appearance overall). Now, go into your loft and handle your best breeders, cocks & hens. Open their wings and look at their feathers- nearly all of the best breeders have square shaped wingpit feathers that I've seen. This could be a genetic trait but the racers often don't have this feature, their's being a more pointed structure. However, some of my best racers who do have a square cut feather are good breeders as well.
Melanin Content
Have you ever noticed some pigeons have very dark bands of black on their tail and flight tips when compared with others? This is due to the melanin content in the feather. The darker the feather, the greater the content. The relevence here is that melanin makes a feather stronger in structure, a bit like keratin makes our hair and nails strong. With pigeons therefore, a darker feather colour may mean the birds flights could withstand a longer duration of flight when compared to an average pigeon. Not many have the very dark feathering though, but I think it would be beneficial to have more melanin in feathers for Long Distance racers - this is my theory anyway, due to the extended flying times they are put under.

BASIC PIGEON INFORMATION

BASIC PIGEON INFORMATION
by Frank Mosca

PURPOSE OF THIS PAGE
I don't intend to get too technical in any of these articles, but I'd like to make sure we're all starting from some sort of common ground. If any of this is too basic for you, skip it and forgive me. It may not be so basic for someone else.
The bird we're discussing is the domestic pigeon, (Columba livia), which has been bred for various purposes for three thousand years or more. It's descended from a cliff dwelling Eurasian species (the rock dove or rock pigeon) with many close relatives, the closest of which is likely the stock dove (Columba oenas).Various forms of the domestic pigeon exist. Some are bred for their flying abilities. These include tumbling or rolling (somersaulting in the air), diving (coming down from extreme heights at high rates of speed and this diving may or may not be combined with aerobatic maneuvers); and homing (returning at sustained speeds of 45-50 mph to the home loft from distances up to 600 miles). Others are bred for their voice (Trumpeters and Laughers), their great beauty, their feather ornaments or uniqueness. The Fantail, Jacobin, Wing Pigeons and Swallows, as well as the various Color Pigeons stand not only as testaments to the breeder's art, but also as full-fledged contributions to humanity's love of beauty. (Check your local library for: The Encyclopedia of Pigeon Breeds by Wendell Levi or Fancy Pigeons by Erich Muller & Ludvig Schrag to see hundreds of these breeds in color.) You can also check out my links page and look for the links to Color Pigeon clubs both here and abroad. American contributions to the pigeon world include the King - both show and utility, the Domestic Flight and the Texan.
While all domestic pigeons are edible, most of today's show forms are seldom bred for food. However, pigeons are still bred for the table and such birds (Squabbing Pigeons) are normally much bigger than most show or flying breeds. These birds are bred for rapidity of production and size of dressed squab. The largest domestic breed, the Runt or Roman pigeon may reach weights of up to 3-5 lb. (1.5-2.25 kg) and have a three foot (1 meter) wing span. In the U.S., though, it is seldom bred in its pure state for squabbing purposes. It has become more a show bird. The most common squabbing breeds are the Texan, an auto-sexed breed,( i.e., a breed in which sex can be determined at hatched because of the different colors of the cock and hen as a result of the action of Faded, an allele of Almond.) the Utility King and the Utility Carneau (car-no). Anyone interested in further information on utility breeds may want to check out Wendell Levi's books, The Pigeon and Making Pigeons Pay.

Basic pigments/Colors
The basic pattern of Columba livia in its wild type and domestic form is "blue bar". This is a subtle intermix of the pigment, melanin, which produces dove gray and black. A green/purple iridescence caused by the structure of the feather, itself, is seen on the neck and chest front. Males tend to show more of this iridescence than females, but the difference is sometimes subtle. The blue bar pattern gets its name from two black bars which cross the wing toward the back. There is also a sub-terminal tail bar about a quarter inch (6 mm) from the end of the tail. Personally, I find the blue bar pigeon so attractive that I'm sure if pigeons weren't so ubiquitous that birders would count themselves lucky to catch a glimpse of such a beautiful creature.
Another very common pattern is checker (chequer, check). This is similar to the blue bar pattern but also has many little black marks across the entire wing shield. Checker exists in a few different alleles (alternatives) and may range from light to T-Patter (a very dark check which almost totally covers the light blue of the shield.) Barless, a pattern with no black bars or checks across the wingshield, is rare and found mainly in breeds of Central European ancestry. Each of these three patterns may also be found in the other two pigment series which the domestic pigeon has. The other series are Ash-red and brown. Birds are normally designated by both their color and pattern, e.g., a red bar; brown check, dark blue check, etc. Because the history of the pigeon encompasses many lands and even more centuries, breed traditions sometimes dictate a difference in color/pattern names. A red bar pigeon with some white on its head is often called a silver (or mealy) pied by a racing homer breeder but the same colored bird would be known as a silver badge by a Birmingham roller breeder. Because of this, in these articles, I will be using the genetic designations of color, pigment and pattern and explaining their usage as I go.
Other common colors include white, black, recessive red, pied, splash, grizzle, as well as fantastic and subtle colorations produced by many modifying mutations. These mutations, coupled with the selection of three millennia of breeders worldwide, have produced birds which in pattern, color, feather ornaments, body type and behavior could easily be mistaken for wild species. Some types are so unique that most people don't even realize they're looking at pigeons when they first see them. Some of the links I've provided on the index page will take you to picture of these. So will a trip to your library to find the Levi or Muller book mentioned in the section above.
ADDENDUM - 04/98
A few of you have noted that I forgot to include some very basic stuff, like how to tell males from females. You're right. When I remember back to my first month or so with the birds, it was very confusing (sometimes, it still is.) Anyway, below is an answer I wrote to one gentleman who asked that question. Hope it helps.
Question: How do I tell males from females? Answer: It's a harder question than you know. Trouble is, it's fairly easy to spot sex differences in homer or roller type birds and a lot harder in some of the fancy show breeds - Basic differences are size; cocks are usually a bit larger and more robust; hens a bit finer, especially in the head. Best differences are behavioral or, occasionally, color, e.g., an ash-red (brick red) bird with any black flecking in the ashy color of the wings or tail is invariably a male. Birds without such black flecking may be either, but about 70% will be female just because of the breeding practices of most guys. Behavioral differences are easy to note once you've gotten to know your birds. Cocks strut, coo and spread their tail into a full half moon shape and often turn a full circle when they do; females will swell their crops with some air but usually stand at a more upright angle (45 degrees or so) when they do it, as opposed to the cock who almost bows to the floor. In a mated pair, cocks sit on the nest from about 10 am to 5 pm; hens the rest of the time. Cocks drink by sticking their beak in the water almost up to their eyes and gulping; hens - except when desperately thirsty ususally tend to drink by sticking on the first half of their beak in the water and almost sip it, as opposed to the cock's gulp. Hope this helps.

Breeding & Incubation

The domestic pigeon normally reaches sexual maturity at about five to six months of age. Depending on the local temperatures and food supply, they may breed all year round. Many fanciers, however, prevent them from breeding continuously -- either by separating the sexes, or by letting mated pairs sit on wooden (dummy) eggs.
Once mated, the male (cock) will begin to hunt for a suitable place to make a nest and rear young. Domestic pigeons do not nest in trees as do many other doves. They are descendants of a cliff dwelling species and prefer their nest to be on a solid surface. Most fanciers (breeders) also provide a nest bowl and some nesting materials (pine needles, tobacco stems, etc.) for the birds to use. The nest bowl helps to ensure that the eggs do not roll out from under the pair and chill.
Both male and female take part in the incubation and rearing of the young. Females lay their first egg about 10 days after mating, usually in the late afternoon or early evening. A second egg is laid about 44 hours later. Two eggs is the normal clutch size. Incubation commences with the laying of the second egg. The male (cock) bird usually broods from about 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., the female (hen) the rest of the time. Hatching normally occurs 18 days from start of incubation. Youngsters are fed by both parents -- and here is where pigeons/doves are unique. The parents need not even leave the nest to hunt down insects, etc., as do many other genera or species. Instead, they feed their young on a glandular crop secretion called "pigeon milk". It is not actually milk, and there is no lactose in it, but its production is stimulated by prolactin, the same hormone which stimulates milk production in mammals. Pigeon milk looks more like a cream-colored cottage cheese and is a high protein food which is fed to the youngsters from hatching till about ten days old when regurgitated grain and grit replace it as the major food source. Domestic pigeons usually have a seamless aluminum identity band placed on their leg at about ten days of age. This band is coded with year of hatch, club identification and a number. Youngsters fledge at about 35 days. However, when the young are about eighteen days old, the parents will often commence to renest. It is not uncommon for one round of youngsters to be fledging at the same time that next are hatching.

Food/Housing

Pigeons are grain eaters. Most feed stores stock an adequate mix for them. Depending upon the time of year and whether breeding youngsters or not, the birds usually get a mix which ranges between 12% and 17% protein. Protein percentages higher than that for long periods of time often lead to gout or other problems for the birds. Pigeons also need a mineral grit mixture (chicken grit is not suitable for pigeons). This grit mixture, too, can be purchased at most feed stores. Pigeons also need clean water daily. All three items are usually fed separately. Pigeons appreciate green food: romaine lettuce, etc., but this is not necessary and millions of birds have been reared without it. It is essential that every effort is made to keep the water, feed and grit clean with no contamination allowed. If this is done, pigeons are extremely hardy animals. If not, the breeder is leaving his stock open to various bacteriological and parasitic infections. But then, this is just common sense. Unless you're a dung beetle larva, the idea of fecal pellets for breakfast is not particularly appealing.
The most important requirement as to pigeon housing is that the interior always be kept dry. Dampness brings disease. Pigeons are not ducks. Accommodations for pigeons range from luxurious racing lofts which costs upwards of a half million dollars to converted tool sheds. So long as feed is kept clean and the interior dry, each houses the birds just fine. The Levi books mentioned above, as well as others available from pigeon supply companies, show many ideas for loft construction.

Clubs/Organizations

Most breeds of pigeon have their own specialty club which promulgates a show or sporting standard of perfection. Breeders strive to raise birds to this standard. There are also groups for sporting breeds such as the Tippler (a pigeon known for endurance flying -- world record is in excess of twenty-three hours), the Birmingham Roller (an acrobatic flyer which performs rapid backward somersaults), and the Racing Homer (a bird which can return rapidly from distances in excess of five hundred miles [700 kilometers]). The major U.S. racing organizations are the
American Racing Pigeon Union (A.U.)
and the
International Federation of Homing Pigeon Fanciers (I.F.);

in Canada, the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union is the group to contact.

In the United States, many show/fancy pigeon groups are affiliated with National Pigeon Asso.

PARAMYXOVIRUS (PMV)

PARAMYXOVIRUS (PMV) of Pigeon is closely related to the vrus of typical fowl pest (Newcastle Disease)

** The virus spreads by direct contact from bird to bird or indirectly through pathogen bearing dust.. This dust is also spread by insects (Flies, Mosquitoes)


SYMPTOMS:

1) Increased water intake
2) Show central Nervous disorders (like paralysis, torsion of the neck and typical twisting movements of the body, walking backwards, disturbed feed intake, unphysiological posture (ang ulo paside kung kumain), Spastic Posture (Ang ulo nasa ilalim) and they jerk the head sideways.

VACCINES:

1) CHEVIVAC
2) NEW CAVAC
3) COLOMBOVAC

**to be injected only under the skin of the neck.
** Dosage is 0.2 cc per pigeon.

TREATMENT:

1) cleaning of the loft
2) Desinfectant
3) Insecticide treatments
4) more vit. b-complex
5) electrolytes

MEDICATING FEEDING AND TRAINING FOR RACING

MEDICATING FEEDING AND TRAINING FOR RACING.
By Jack Barkel
This article was first produced in 2002.

There are many roads that lead to success in this particular subject, and although they all have some measure of success, there are methods that cause the pigeons to be virtually useless as racers or breeders after their first or second year. I will endeavor in a series of articles to give advice on tried and proved methods by some of the Champions worldwide. Most keenness starts with the time just before the racing season when even those who tend to neglect their pigeons in the off season are aroused into trying to get their birds into condition for the forth coming races.
I will therefore commence my article, six weeks before the racing commences. About six weeks before the first race, (if you reside in South Africa) should be near to the middle of April and all birds should if they have been treated correctly be nearing completion of the moult ready for the winter which is right upon us. Because of the inactivity during the moulting season, and due to feeding high protein fats for this occasion, the birds have put on extra weight. To rectify this one needs to feed dehusked sunflower in the mornings and a feed of Barley only in the evenings. The birds will soon begin to exercise for long periods on this diet, and only then must a person start basket training. To force birds onto the road that are not fit is wrong, wrong, wrong, and must not be attempted at any cost, this sort of method does not make champions. It is also at this time 15th April necessary to medicate against: - Coccidiosis, Mycoplasmosis, Canker and to clear the air sacks.

Mix one teaspoon of Tylan, one teaspoon of Emptryl, six teaspoons of Terravit (not Terramycine, it must have the vitamins), you put one teaspoon of these mixed powders onto one litre of drinking water. You then add one dessertspoon of Sulfamethazine to this same litre of water and administer for Five days. These illnesses keep occurring as often as the common cold, so for one day every four to six weeks you must treat the birds with this mixture. This should keep these unwanted invaders at bay without building up an immunity to the medication, which is a big problem throughout the world. The biggest secret about conditioning a pigeon for a race is not how to make him peak, but on the contrary how to prevent him from peaking before the Saturdays race. We are now at the Wednesday morning before the first race; we have been feeding dehusked sunflower mornings and Barley in the evenings. The birds are still full bodied but as light as a feather, and are ready for a good feed with at least 60% Maize.
Wednesday is the day, back onto the good racing mix for Wed & Thurs, morning and evening and Friday morning a light feed of dehusked sunflower seed and clean water.This if followed correctly will make the bird peak on Saturday Morning, ready for the journey home.It is now Saturday and we are waiting for the return of the birds, always have warm water waiting for them, laced with electrolytes and honey or boiled sugar water.For Saturday and Sunday feeding, because of the exorbitant price of depurative in South Africa, I make the following mixture.Take a five-litre plastic bucket filled with Barley plus the same amounts of wheat, and mix together. Take a small soup bowl and put in twelve-heaped desert spoons of Torula or Brewers Yeast. To this you add one glass of FRESH Lemon Juice, this will take about six medium sized lemons. Pour the juice over the Yeast and stir until it looks like gravy, you then pour this over the wheat and barley and mix well in. Within two hours, there is no trace ofthe yeast and lemon juice; it has all been absorbed in the food.
The reason for this is simple, I do not believe in purging but purifying, therefore Epsom salts and Dicestal is old fashioned and has a detrimental effect on the pigeon. The modern scientific method is to purify the blood and get rid of the toxins, which build up in a birds system. All racers if not on a depurative of some sorts will become sluggish and cease to operate at peak performance.
We have now dealt with Saturday and Sunday, Monday and Tuesday Morning, dehusked sunflower again and evenings Barley. A normal ration per meal is one cup per ten pigeons, do not let them make you feel sorry for them, because if you exceed this ration, you can feel sorry for them when they have to fly home on Saturday, and sorry for yourself when your more strict competitor beats you once again.
When I raced in England, I used to give Mycosan T in the water every Monday, because our birds do come into contact with birds from unhealthy lofts. Mycosan T gives moulting problems in our climate so I had to change to Two teaspoons of Furasol and Two teaspoons of Oxyvital on five litres of water. I understand that these two African products are off the market for some mysterious reason, but that there are Substitutes. They were recognized as two of the best products in the world by there overseas competitors by the way ( Makes you think doesn't it ) One day per week of Garlic is also good for the pigeon, but I feel I must make you aware of one other very important factor.Pigeons that have regular medication in the water are known to decrease their water intake, any racing pigeon that has a reduction of 10% water over a period of a week will have a reduction in performance of about 40%. This can also knock you out of the prizes, so what I am saying is this, where we can put medication or treatments on the food, please do it this way and leave the water as clean as we possibly can.
In South Africa we fly approximately twenty-one weeks old birds, this program will be good for the first seven weeks with slight variations as the season gets warmer and longer. Depending on the interested reaction to this method, we can carry on through the whole season, with many scientific reasons for losses etc. Just to mention in closing, I feel that a bird should have as many sixty kilometre tosses per week as possible, and those who do not race any particular weekend must get at least a 150 kilometre toss to keep it up to scratch.
I also believe that static is more to blame for losses than illness. If the bakkie or car or truck that you use for training is not earthed for to dissipate static electricity and you do not degauss you pigeons, then you are up the creek without a paddle. This could be the first of many articles depending on whether it draws a reaction, for no person likes to compile articles without the acknowledgement that they are getting through to people in a favourable manner. I must state that for some this will shed a new light on the sport for them, whilst others will already either be using this or at least know all about it. I do this for the new starters in the sport, for we must be prepared to enlighten our new members into the hidden mysteries of the nature and science of our great sport and hobby.
Jack Barkel

NISH WHITE-TAIL HIGHFLYER

NISH WHITE-TAIL HIGHFLYER

Nish is the city with long tradition in pigeon breeding, which is understandable consider it’s geografical location. This town stands as a crossroad to many nations, armies and merchandisers for many centuries. Nish has notable historical heritage. In middle ages, Byzantines and templars afterward, took part in some sort of sport, connected with pigeon breeding. Pigeons were especially trained to fly rapid, high in the sky were they were easy targets to, also dressed, falcons. It was the way of creating a new quality race of domestic highflyers. Pigeons were also fainced as ornamental birds, in mediaval castles and turkish harems. That was the begining of breeding ornamental pigeons. After liberating from Otoman Empire, local pigeon fanciers managed to create a new race of highflyers, suitable to their taste. They didn’t like the way of flying of turkish pigeons, who often tumbled in the process, which implied continuously short and low flight. Predecessors of domestic highflyers, also had unintensive colours.
The race was founded at the start of 19th century. Their predecessors were local pigeons. About 1890 Nish fanciers mixed the race with flyers from Greece and North Africa, in order to improve pigeons anatomy and morphology, and also to achieve longer continuous flight. But the results were not satisfying in improving the wings work, and pigeons flight was still rapid and sharp. Further selection, with interjection of oriental tumblers, renounced these undesirable characteristics.
At the beginning of 20th century, development of pigeons breeding goes in two different directions: first, in order to breed pigeon, who will fly continuously long and high, calm and circular, with no tumbling; and second, to breed pigeon with intensive colours, beautiful beak and eyes. Afterwards, these two directions joined in one, hard to manage, demanding pigeon highflyer with beautiful exterior characteristics. First satisfying results were achieved in long continuous flight which lasts 4-6 hours. In the twenties of 20th century, fanciers manage to breed exemplars with intensive colours and with the other characteristics of modern Nish pigeon race.
Basic characteristic of recent Nish highflyer is group, circular, calm and high flight, which lasts 4-10 hours. Also, important attributes are improved exterior characteristics with magnificent subtleness of head, eyes, beak and variety of intensive colours. Important characteristic is intelligence“; pigeons can return in their loft, even after the longest flight. Considering this value, local fanciers often say: „We own them, both in ground and sky“.
First competition of Nish highflyers took place at Nish in 1928. First race description was announced in local paper „Odgajivač“ (Fancier) in 1954. National Yugoslavian Fancier Association registered competition rules and standards for this race in 1975. respectively.
According to bylaw competition swarm must count 5-7 flyers, and the result of best five flyers is considered. Swarms start at strictly defined time, and five flyers must rise in next 15 minutes, otherwise swarm is disqualified. After 12 hours from start, swarm need to reach determined height. Proper height is one, where you can’t see their wings, or even pigeon themselves. Swarm must reach the proper height for minimum 2/3 of overall flight duration. After 30 minutes, swarm is ordered to return at the reported spot, which is mostly 50 meters away of their loft. First hour, and last 30 minutes are considered, only if the pigeons fly on the proper height. Swarm need to achieve minimum four hours of flying.

STANDARDS

Origin location: Nish, about 1800. At the and of 19th century mixed with Arab and Greek pigeons.
Generalizes: Middle stature, well build, elegant figure, fast reflexes, rich feather and crest.
Head: Round, oblong, wide and slightly convex brow. From the upper perspective head has a rhombic look. Crest is outspread from both ears, fanced with two sided estetic, flower shaped, details.
Eyes: Large and dark. Frames are doubled and smooth, standard colour is white.
Beak: Middle longness, pudgy and wide, from the upper side slightly wried to the top, colour is white. Beak can be dark upside at the black-white pigeons.
Neck: Middle longness. Ascend vertically above chests, then slightly narrows, up to the head, traversing to the chin in arrow shape.
Chest: Wide, slightly con-vexed and rounded.
Back: Wide, slightly rounded, sloping to the tail
Wings: Quite long, strong, well compacted, attached to the body, lie on tail, shorter then tail.
Tail: Long, with 12-16 wide feathers, spreading into the fan during flight.
Legs: Middle longness, strong, unfeathered, red coloured. Colour of nails is correlated with beak colour.
Feather: Shiny, hard, well attached.
Colours and patterns: Whitetail pigeons are breeded in all colours. White coloured are: Head, front part of crest, bib, forward feathers, down part of back, tail, and sometimes loin. Colours are intensive, with metallic patterns on neck and chests.

STUMBLES

Low and linear flight, getting out of sight, tumbling, dissociation from swarm, unsatisfied flight longness. Dissented figure. Too high and short neck, too big, or small, leveled and too long head. Recessed and narrow brow, anomalous crest (white, attached, cubic, tumbled), yellow and red eyes (narrow frames, wrinkled and red), slim and long or too short or massive beak. Pied, long and slim neck, narrow and slouched chests. Flabby and slouched wings. Mealy, fanned tail, render feather, long and feathered legs, motley nails, unintensive colours and irregular pattern.



EVALUATION

General impression – body attitude – head – brow – crest – eyes – beak – beak colour – wings and tail – neck – legs – colours and pattern.

PIGEON DISEASE

Salmonellosis (Paratyphoid)

Salmonellosis (Paratyphoid, Leg Paralysis, Wing Paralysis ) is a bacterial
disease. It has different symptoms depending on what organs are affected. It
causes high mortality in the very young pigeons, birds that survive the infection
frequently become carriers as they harbor the pathogen in their bodies and
excrete them without showing any visible symptoms of the disease. Carriers
endanger the entire flock, especially the young birds.

The salmonellae bacteria settles in the intestine, they posses one flagella
which enables movement in a moist environment. The pathogens are excreted
via the droppings, crop milk, saliva and with infected eggs. Salmonellae can
enter the pigeons body through contaminated feed or drinking water, also
through billing or feeding of the squabs. The pathogen can even enter the pigeon by breathing dust containing it.

The disease is imported into the loft by the introducing of a new infected
pigeon to the flock, either by purchasing an infective bird or an infected common pigeon that has strayed into the loft.

There are four different forms of the disease:

• Intestinal Form: This form causes diarrhea with slimy/aqueous brownish
to greenish droppings, the droppings will be surrounded by fluid and may
contain pulpy undigested feed. The intestines are inflamed, feed cannot
be broken down for its nutrients. Since the pigeon can no longer absorb
the nutrients its starts using its blood sugar, when that is depleted, it uses
its fat reserves and then finally its protein i.e. muscle tissue. Soon the
pigeon is emaciated (starving) and the dies.
• Articular Form: Salmonellae can quickly multiply in the digested feed.
Through damaged intestinal walls they pass easily into the blood stream.
From there the blood will carry the disease throughout the whole body.
The pathogens may settle in the pigeons joints where they cause painful
inflammation. The pigeons body reacts by the increased formation of fluid
to these joints, therefore the swelling. The inflammation manifests itself by
the pigeon letting a wing droop or holding its leg up to ease the pressure
put upon the joints and alleviate the pain.
• Organ Involvement: The disease can also multiply in the different
organs of the pigeon especially the liver, kidneys, spleen, heart and
pancreas. Tumor like yellowish gray nodes are formed. The changes in
the organs are not characterized by any typical external symptoms except
listlessness, difficulty in breathing and rapidly progressing debility.
• Nervous Disorder: Salmonellae can enter the brain and the bone
marrow and cause inflammation there. As a result of the inflammation
there is increased pressure exerted on the nerve cells causing an
impaired sense of balance and finally paralysis.

The medication of choice is: Baytril 10% (also good for e-coli and ornithosis):
Bacterial injection and drug sensitivity is the first choice in determining which
drug your pigeon should be treated with, in lieu of that, Baytril is the drug of
choice because it works in most cases against bacterial infections. Baytril can be purchased in tablets for individual birds or in liquid form for flock treatment.

• Tablets: 1 tablet for 14 days for an individual bird
• Liquid: 4cc per gallon for 10 days for flock treatment.
• Liquid: 3 or 4 drops down the birds throat for 14 days. (individual
treatment).

Most of all, isolate any new pigeons you acquire and observe them for at least
30 days before you introduce them into the loft. And make your loft intruder proof for stray common pigeons and for rodents. Rats and mice also carry paratyphoid and will soil the grain that your pigeons eat.

Coccidiosis

Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease which is widely distributed among all
pigeons. Nearly all pigeons are coccidia carriers and excrete oocysts (the
permanent stages of the pathogen) in their droppings without suffering from the disease. Coccidiosis is an insidious condition which is more like a stress factor than an actual disease. Since coccidiosis opens the door to other diseases like paratyphoid, canker or paramyxovirus, appropriate treatment should be carried out within reasonable limits.

Coccidia are monocellular organisms (protozoa) which live as parasites in the
intestine. They invade the cells of the intestine where they multiply and destroy
the intestinal wall. The result is an inflammation of the bowels with diarrhea.

The pathogens form permanent stages (oocysts) which become infective after
maturing in the environment. Their resistant shell makes the oocysts relatively
intensive to environmental factors. Adult pigeons are coccidia carriers without
visible being affected, and constantly excrete oocysts. As a result of the profuse
multiplication of the coccidia in the cells of the small intestine, a large part of the cells of the intestinal wall are destroyed. This causes severe digestive disorder which manifests itself in diarrhea with the acute form of the disease. The destroyed intestinal wall enables bacteria to spread very easily. Coccidiosis, like paratyphoid, thus opens the door to other bacterial infections.

There are two forms of coccidiosis:

• Subclinical Or Asymptomatic Form: This form is seen in almost all
pigeons. They do not show any symptoms of the disease. Through the
regular ingestion of oocysts, the defenses of the pigeon body are
continually stimulated, thus gradually producing immunity to infection. In
this situation the pigeon lives in some kind of equilibrium with the
pathogens. It serves little purpose to treat birds with such low grade
infestation, since the balance in favor of the pigeons body is temporarily
disturbed and natural immunity to infection is reduced for a while.
• Actual Coccidiosis Taking An Acute Course: This form of the disease
very rarely occurs in young susceptible birds from the third week of life,
which have not yet been able to build up immunity to infection. Stress
factors like the change over from crop milk to grain feed reduce the natural
résistance of young pigeons and allow the rapid spread of coccidia, even if
only few oocysts are taken up. Symptoms of severe intestinal disease
appear, such as digestive disorders with muco-aqueous and, in some
cases bloody diarrhea. Emaciation, listlessness and debility are also
observed. As a result, such pigeons die either of weakness or of
secondary infections. If affected birds are treated in time, the prospects of
a cure are favorable, since the damaged intestinal wall recovers
comparatively quickly.
The medications of choice is: Corid (Amprolium) The drug of choice by many
against coccidiosis, it is highly effective and can be mixed with other drugs.
• 1 Teaspoon per gallon of water for 3 to 5 daysays.

Ornithosis

Ornithosis is an infectious disease caused by chlamydia and can be
transmitted from animals to man. Ornithosis is particularly frequent from May to July and from October to December. It is only in young birds that the disease
causes substantial losses. If adult pigeons are infected, they usually do not show any, or only very slight symptoms.

Chlamydia are excreted in the droppings, lachrymal fluid, beak and throat
mucus and the crop milk. Birds visibly suffering from ornithosis and those who
are carriers may excrete the pathogen. The pigeons contract the infection by
breathing in dust containing the pathogen, by ingesting infected feed or water
and by billing or feeding their young.

Ornithosis manifests itself in impaired general condition. The pigeon will show
listlessness, reduced feed intake, increased water intake, reduced performance
and high losses in rearing. In some birds conjunctivitis (sticking together of the
eye lids) is observed. The pigeon may show sensitivity to bright light and shut
their eyes. The result of the inflammation causes the tear duct to become
narrower and the production of lachrymal fluid increases. As it cannot sufficiently flow out through the tear duct, it is secreted via the eye lid. At first the discharge is aqueous but then turns to mucus, the eye lids stick together and begin to bulge with the accumulated fluid. If the inflammation persists for a long period, corneal opacity can occur, leading to blindness.

Once the first case has been observed, several of the pigeons will
successively show the same inflammation of the conjunctiva. Only a few birds
will contract the infection at the same time. It may therefore take 3 or 4 weeks
before all the pigeons in the loft are infected.

The disease may spread to the upper respiratory tract. Nasal catarrh occurs, a
milky yellow fluid may discharge from the nostrils and then dry and obstruct
them. The pigeon will have to breath through the half opened beak. The
inflammation causes pain and itching, which the pigeon will try to scratch. The
pigeon may also try to clear his nostrils by sneezing and jerking its head about.
Adequate treatment of ornithosis is very important for the following reasons;
There is a danger that the infection is transmitted to man. With chronic ornithosis the entire offspring of the pigeons is at risk (losses up to 80%). Latent ornithosis opens the door to further diseases. Untreated ornithosis causes lasting damage.

The medication of choice is: Baytril 10% (also good for paratyphoid and e-coli):
Bacterial injection and drug sensitivity is the first choice in determining which
drug your pigeon should be treated with, in lieu of that, Baytril is the drug of
choice because it works in most cases against bacterial infections. Baytril can be purchased in tablets for individual birds or in liquid form for flock treatment.

• Tablets: 1 tablet for 14 days for an individual bird.
• Liquid: 4cc per gallon for 10 days for flock treatment.
• Liquid: 3 or 4 drops down the birds throat for 14 days. (individual
treatment).

Paramyxovirus

This virus disease was first found to take an epidemic course in pigeons in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1982. Following a large international fancy pigeon show the disease occurred in pedigreed pigeons in the winter of 1982/1983 After the start of the racing season in the summer of 1983, numerous cases occurred also in racing pigeons with substantial losses. The Paramyxovirus of pigeons is closely related to the virus of atypical fowl pest (Newcastle Disease).

The virus spreads by direct contact from bird to bird or indirectly through the pathogen bearing dust. This dust is also spread by insects (flies, mosquitoes), mammals, (rats, mice) and humans. The first sign of the disease is increased water intake and watery droppings, soon some of the birds show central nervous disorders like paralysis, torsion of the neck, increased timidity and
typical twisting movements of the body. To detect the infection at an early stage these nervous disorders can be provoked if there is reason to suspect the disease. A pigeon suspected of Paramyxovirus is put into an unaccustomed position, for example it is placed on its side, or is frightened by the clapping of one's hands. Pigeons suffering from Paramyxovirus are no longer able to control the takeoff reflex in such situations of fright. They either fly against a wall or
overturn in flight. The infected pigeons show typical behavior when trying to eat their grain. They try to pick the grain, but just before reaching the grain they jerk their head sideways' thus missing the grain. This condition will worsen until the bird will not be able to pick up any seeds at all. Of the visibly affected pigeons, some will die quickly, but the majority live on and develop poorly.
• General Measures If The Disease Is Suspected: If Paramyxovirus is suspected,
precautionary measures should be taken which slow down or prevent the spread of the infection, until the position has been clarified.
• The most important action that should be taken immediately is to establish the cause of the disease. For this purpose laboratory tests described have to be carried out.
• All diseases found in addition to paramyxovirus during the investigation and especially the laboratory test, must be treated at once. The progress of the virus infection is mitigated by the elimination of concomitant diseases.
• Pigeons with visible signs of the disease (diarrhea, central nervous disorders) should be separated from the rest of the loft and treated.
• Affected birds should be offered water in vessels with a large surface, since pigeons with nervous disorders are often unable to take up water from normal drinking vessels.
• Pigeons showing pronounced central nervous disorders should be fed individually. In the loft they would not be able to feed at all, since the healthy pigeons would quickly eat up all the feed.

• FREE FLIGHT SHOULD BE STOPPED ALTOGETHER
• Outsiders should not be allowed to enter the loft.
• To stabilize the intestinal environment, give the pigeons beneficial bacteria.
• Measures To Be Taken If Paramyxovirus Is Present: The virus infection cannot be treated by giving drugs that contain antibiotics. With this type of pathogen, only vaccination can prevent the spread of the infection. According to present findings, the immunity conferred by the vaccine lasts only 6 months.
• All pigeons with severe central nervous disorders should be culled, since the prospects of a cure are very poor.
• I the fancier does not wish to eliminate valuable pigeons, they should be separated from the rest of the loft. Vaccination of diseased birds is not possible.
• Emergency vaccination which can prevent the spread of the virus infection, should be carried out in all pigeons that still appear to be healthy. After the emergency vaccination it will still take 2 or 3 weeks until sufficient antibodies have been formed. During this time further cases of the disease may appear. At the time of vaccination, such pigeons were in the incubation phase, i.e. they were already infected by the virus, but did not show any sign of the disease.
• All pigeons in lofts in the vicinity of the affected loft and having contact with it, should be vaccinated, even if no cases of the disease have been observed.
• Hygienic measures and disinfection should be carried out to support vaccination: droppings, remnants of feed and litter should be removed daily when cleaning the loft. Cleaned surfaces should be disinfected.
• Supportive Measures: Administration of vitamins, particularly of the B complex, and of body salts in the form of electrolytes in the drinking water.
• Beneficial bacteria for the intestinal flora.
• Secondary infections should be treated.

The medication of choice is: Colombovac pmv/pox. For the prevention of paramyxovirus and pox in pigeons, all in one injection. Should be injected under the skin on the upper rear part of the neck, below the head area. Dosage is 0.2cc per pigeon. Do not vaccinate pigeons under 6 weeks of age. Keep vaccine refrigerated until use, use all of the vaccine after opening, dispose of the unused portions and syringes properly.

Trichomoniasis (Canker)

Canker is a widely distributed infectious disease. Approximately 80% of all
pigeons are infested with trichomonas. Adult pigeons rarely show symptoms of
the disease, but in young birds the infection is often severe and fatal.
Trichomonas is a protozoan, it is also a flagellate which can propel itself in
fluids. In many pigeons small pinhead sized yellow spots are observed in the
throat or gullet. These are often accumulations of the canker which look like
small yellow buttons. In adult pigeons canker does not usually produce any
significant damage to health, and there is some kind of equilibrium between the
canker and the defense mechanisms of the pigeons body. It is only when the
defenses of the pigeon are weakened by stress that the canker can multiply
profusely, and a slight insignificant canker infection then turns into a serious
problem. The stress can be caused by excessive demands in breeding, weakening of the bird by infestation with internal parasites, paratyphoid, respiratory tract infection or the first molting of the squabs. The physical condition of the pigeons has a bearing on the course of the disease. Weak birds or young birds usually contract the rapidly spreading canker to which they may succumb after a short period due to a lack of defense mechanisms.

There are three forms of the disease:

• Pharyngeal Form: With this form of the disease, caseous yellow
deposits are observed in the throat when the beak is opened. The
"buttons" which may reach the size of a bean, inhibit the intake of feed
and water as well as breathing.
• Umbilical Form: With this form of the disease the canker passes from
the infected nest box to the naval of the nestlings (which has not
completely closed) into the body. A tumor forms below the skin. An
incision shows the caseous and crumbly canker. In many cases the
infection is confined to this area only.
• Organ Form: If the infection is not confined to the naval or throat, the
canker may attack various internal organs and cause considerable
changes. It is particularly in the liver that coarse yellowish canker are
formed and which are deeply embedded in the organ. Only general signs
like listlessness, apathy, and ruffled plumage as well as diarrhea,
emaciation, and debility may be observed.
The medication of choice is: Ronidazole (Ridzol) This is the product of choice
in Europe for the treatment of canker. Available in powder or tablets (not harmful to young birds).

• Tablets: 1 Tablet a day for 3 days, may repeat. Individual Treatment.
• Powder: 1 Tsp. per gallon of water for 5 days. Flock Treatment.

Pox

Pigeon pox is virus disease which is found most often in racing pigeons, and
less commonly in fancy pigeons. The typical scabby deposits on the outer skin
(pox) have given the disease its name. If these deposits occur on the beak and in the throat area, they are described as the mucosal form of pox. Young birds are more susceptible to the infection than adult pigeons where pox is rarely seen.

Pox viruses are excreted by saliva, nasal and the lachrymal fluid. The fluids
drip onto the loft floor and dry up. The pathogen containing dust is whirled up by the movement of the pigeons. For the pox infection to take, minute lesions or
injuries need to be present (from pigeons pecking each other or the bite of a
mosquito) into which the pathogen bearing dust can penetrate. There they cause locally confined but pronounced deposits. The scabby pox will occur especially in skin areas not covered by feathers, such as the orbital margins, the skin on the edge of the beak, the legs and feet. However the pathogens can also settle in the nasal cavity and the pharynx, the windpipe and the gullet may become obstructed by the yellowish deposits which are difficult to detach. The birds will suffocate of succumb from starvation.

The skin and mucosal forms of pox can be easily recognized by the scabby
deposits. Pox can be confused with canker, but canker usually never develops
on the bare skin only in mucus areas. The medication of choice is: Pox Vaccine (Main Labs) Used by many fanciers, and almost a must in the South. This is the brush on type. One will remove (pluck) a few feathers from an area of the leg of their pigeon and expose the skin from where the feathers were removed, brush on the vaccine onto this area.

• All Birds Without Symptoms: Emergency vaccination: The spread of
the infection can be accelerated by vaccinating all of the pigeons in the loft
that still appear to be healthy. The vaccination is carried out using a live
vaccine containing attenuated pigeon pox virus.
• All Birds In The Loft: Follow up treatment subsequent to the actual
treatment of all the pigeons in the loft has proved of value.
• Disinfection: As a result of the infection, there will be an accumulation of
pathogens in the pigeon environment. Therefore disinfection needs to be
carried out using an agent that destroys the viruses. After thorough
cleaning, the loft and the aviary are disinfected twice at an interval of one
week. Birds that survive a pox infection possess lifelong immunity.

Worms

Roundworms and hairworms are frequently involved in the worm infestation of
the pigeons. Other types of worms play a lesser role. Roundworms and
hairworms live as parasites in the intestine of the pigeons. They damage a
pigeons body by extracting important nutritive substances from the digested food (roundworms), by the toxic effect of their excretion products and by destruction of the intestinal wall (hairworms).

The hairworms occurring in pigeons also attack other domestic and wild birds.
Almost every other pigeon is infested with hairworms. Hairworm infestation is in fact the most common worm disease in pigeons. Roundworms occur only in
pigeons. Every 5th pigeon is likely to be infested with roundworms. In many
cases both types of worms appear at the same time. Young pigeons show
increased susceptibility, whereas adult pigeons seem to develop some kind of
immunity to these parasites. Although they may harbor isolated worms,
symptoms of the disease are rarely observed. These pigeons are permanent
carriers and are a constant source of infection for the rest of the loft, particularly the young pigeons. Worms consist mainly of protein. They are protected against the digestive juices of the host by layers of keratin or chitin. In the intestine the worms adhere to the intestinal wall with suction cups (roundworms) or burrow into the mucosa (hairworms). For this reason, they are not washed away with the digested food (although their eggs are) and excreted in the droppings. Roundworms measure 2 to 6 cm in length and approximately 1 mm in diameter. They are visible to the unaided eye. By contrast, hairworms are considerably smaller and as fine as a hair. They are 26 mm long and only 0.08 mm in diameter.

Propagation is by the direct or indirect route. Worms with direct development
do not need an intermediate host. The eggs excreted in the droppings go through a maturation stage in the environment and are taken up "directly" by the pigeon through the feed or water. With indirect development the egg first has to enter an intermediate host (earthworm) in which maturation occurs. A larva develops in the egg. When the pigeon eats the infected earthworm, the mature eggs get into the intestine where the egg is dissolved. The larva is released and develops into a sexually mature worm in the intestine of the pigeon. The pigeons can only become infected by the ingestion of mature (infective) eggs. Here the danger of infection is greater with worms propagating "directly" than those which multiply by indirect development, since the pigeons can re-infect themselves continually from their own droppings. It always takes some time (at least one week) before eggs become infective. Regular removal of the droppings is therefore the best preventive method against worm infestation.

Deworming must be carried out as as individual treatment, for the following reasons:

• Only in this way can the anthelmintic (worm medicine) be dosed
accurately.
• As a result of the high concentration over a short period, a strong effect is
achieved with a small quantity of active substance. In this way undesirable
side effects are reduced or eliminated.
• Experience has shown that with treatment thru the drinking water, some
pigeons will refuse to drink the water for up to 3 or 4 days, even if the
deworming agent only slightly modifies the taste of the water. Such birds
receive too little of the anthelmintic or none at all and remain worm
infested and re-infect the rest of the loft again.
The medicine of choice is: Ivomec Cattle Wormer Injectable. Best on the
market today. Effective against all worms, except tapeworms. For individual
treatment. 3 drops down the throat, 2 or 3 times a year. Even helps against
external parasites.

"Choosing Stock Birds" by Gerhard Schlepphorst

"Choosing Stock Birds" by Gerhard Schlepphorst

It's not the name, it's the successful ancestors that count. I read the following title in a Belgian pigeon magazine sometime ago, Racing is Silver - Breeding is Gold! You can ask the famous question which came first, the chicken or the egg? So, what do we want to breed? Pigeons that we don't lose and preferably win 1st place every Saturday. However, let us keep our feet on the ground and look at the facts!
1) In Germany approximately 5 million rings are fitted yearly.
2) We have approximately 640 racing associations.
3) We asked 10% of all racing associations in all parts of Germany: how many pigeons in your club have won 10 and more prizes this year?
4) In 62 racing associations there were 440 pigeons that were able to fulfil these stipulations and, out of 8 age groups, the 2y to 4y olds were in the majority.
That is an average of 7 pigeons per association; 640 associations, that is 4,480 pigeons. This number must now be divided by 8, because these birds originate from 8 different age groups, so we now have a total of 560 birds. That is 0.011% of those carrying rings, an unbelievable number. Let us assume that all 4,480 pigeons were out of one breeding year, then we have a calculation that is also only about 0.089%. The fact is therefore, that after this calculation more than 99% don't meet our breeding target! Now you can count all the possible objections to correct this result but don't forget they must be several thousand just to remove the decimal point one place.
I think that is enough food for thought and with regard to these figures special attention is necessary when choosing breeding stock. Now, I am sure that many pigeons don't stand a chance of winning because of improper housing. These facts are quite clear, when you consider that very often only two or three fanciers within a racing association have entered all the pigeons winning more than 10 prizes. I have also established that only certain families within these fanciers' stock are capable of maintaining such a performance.
At this juncture I wish to discuss the choice of breeding stock. I don't mean the selection of birds with high breeding qualities or those which would be excluded from breeding. Up to now I have not met anyone who was able to predict breeding quality with certainty. I bought several of my best breeding birds simply by chance, as they were declared as not being suitable for breeding by well-known experts. My activities as a photographer have enabled me, during the last 20 years, to handle the majority of well-known stock pigeons in Germany, Holland and Belgium and the greater the number of birds one has handled, the more difficult it is to say, 'That's how they should look!' There were large and small, very noticeable and totally inconspicuous birds amongst them. You would never have thought the majority could have such hidden qualities.
This experience is verified by the judgement of an old friend, one of the most successful breeders in Belgium during the past 40 years. 'If a young pigeon is worth keeping over the winter period, then you must breed off this bird, otherwise you will find it very difficult to find a good breeding pair', was his comment to me several years ago, and he showed me a book in which all the young birds were noted which he intended to use for stock as yearlings. His list dated back over 30 years. The stock consisted, in general, of not more than 12 breeding pairs and 24 racing birds. His notes related to two factors: * Which young bird would breed the best following generations?
* Which young bird would be the most successful racer?
The result of his notations were astonishing. In many instances he had predicted the best racing bird, but in all of those 30 years he hadn't been able to predict the most successful breeding pigeon. These were the ones about which he said, 'It was always those in which I had no faith'. I must say he was extremely observant and he impressed many top Belgian and German lofts with his pigeons. It is worth noting, his successes were due to the fact that he had bred from every pigeon in his stock. I can give you a personal example of breeding with young birds. One year I gave the complete first round from my widowers to 5 different fanciers and approximately 15 eggs from the second round to another fancier. All six fanciers raced these birds in the same year and they were either completely or to a larger extent responsible for winning 1st and 2nd young bird averages in clubs and federations. From the reports, I was able to establish that the young birds from the 1st round out of the '271' were mainly responsible for winning 1st federation averages and that both young birds out of the eggs were 1st and 2nd best young birds in a different federation. Now, I didn't consider the young birds' successes to be of great value and kept '271' in the racing loft. The following year I ascertained that all 4 yearlings had won prizes in every race up to the 6th race. The sire, however, was retired immediately. He himself scored 4 times out of 8 races as a yearling, and in this particular year, he only scored twice from 6 races - not a noteworthy performance. Under normal conditions this bird would not be used for breeding purposes! Today, there are other descendants (sons) with 10 or more prizes, in different lofts! Of course, I could refer to other examples out of my stock but the fact is that the majority of top class pigeons descend from pairs where one of the partners was a yearling!
I can count several Belgian top lofts where you cannot acquire the first round out of the yearling daughters of successful stock pairs - it is the result of years of experience. Of course, to breed successful pigeons does not mean to use just any yearling. In this connection I always remember the words of the Belgian senior champion Robert De Meurichy. 'The size of a tub cannot alter the quality of the contents - from a water-barrel you can only draw water'. He wanted to clarify that it is not possible to breed top quality pigeons with mediocre stock. 'It is difficult enough, even with good ancestors, to breed really special birds'. I can verify his words, because in many instances breeders confuse 'quality' with 'quantity'. There are no guarantees but there are ways of achieving success as stated in the following examples. It is absolutely useless to buy just one pigeon from a successful fancier. The same applies to strain and over-rated names. I have stated several examples of a very successful fancier for whom I photographed 17 pigeons, who had won simply every prize that was possible in Germany, from 1st club champion to 1st German champion and all medals, trophies and many 1st placings in the concourse. Since I have always been interested in the pedigrees of successful pigeons, I asked this fancier if it was possible to look at his. At this point I should state that my client had several breeding aviaries housing different strains that he, of course, retained for pure breeding. In his comments about his most successful pigeons he referred to these different strains and so I had the impression that he had a great stock of good breeding pigeons.
Having studied his pedigrees, I was amazed to find from the 17 photographed pigeons the following connections: One original hen from Belgium with 12 prizes from 12 races. Three daughters and two sons from this hen and furthermore, 10 grandchildren which had all been born in the widowers' loft, the reason being the widowers always raise one youngster before the racing season starts. The bought Belgian hen was considered unsuitable for breeding by her owner because of her poor back and other faults. For this reason she was allowed to fly out with the other pigeons. However, her Belgian ring prevented her ending up in a good pigeon soup! Now I ask a question of all those who refer to the successful fancier in the pigeon magazines: 'What use is a pigeon from this successful loft, when it doesn't descend from that particular hen?' Absolutely no use! From approximately 300 pigeons out of different aviaries only one pigeon was successfully represented. The pigeon previously mentioned was represented by 16 offspring. From at least 90% of all champions that I photographed, five champions were closely related to each other. Very often there were two or three brothers with uncles or aunts, or the father, son and grandchildren. I could fill a book with such examples, but the fact is names and strains don't say anything; the successful ancestry, or family, is everything.
Another example concerns a Belgian racing specialist at distances between 300 and 700km and from these races he outclassed all the Belgian elite. His world-famous breeding bird was Lichte and his offspring had tremendous performances worldwide. The aim of my visit was to gather information about a certain strain, on which this fancier based his success. Of course, a prolonged visit to his loft was inevitable and the first bird he showed me was Lichte. During our conversation I noticed a pigeon that was sitting calmly on her youngsters, but she registered every single movement in the loft. She was almost the prototype of the breed I was interested in. I asked him if I could see this pigeon more closely and he removed her very carefully from her nest. He said: 'She is the best stock hen that I have had in the whole of my life', and then followed the most important sentence. 'This hen together with Lichte has produced a tremendous number of winners', and he pointed in the left hand corner. 'With that cock she produces birds like that one and that one'. And so followed a whole series of cocks with similar outstanding qualities which, when paired with her, produced first-class racers and breeders. From what I could see, in the short time I was there, 70% of his stock originated from this single pigeon.
After this discovery I didn't hesitate to ask him about the whereabouts of the young birds that descended from her. The answer was prompt: 'No, I haven't sold one single bird from this pigeon in the last seven years.' Now it was clear to me why many of my acquaintances weren't having success with descendants out of Lichte. The name Lichte had become a trademark and nobody had bothered to ask about the hen with whom he had been paired. So you see how important it is to ask about both parents when buying pigeons. I know of three fanciers, who have had, in their stock lofts for many years, either a son or daughter of the Lichte, and to this day not one of them has managed satisfactory breeding results.
I hope, that I have made it clear how important the correct choice of your primary bird is for breeding. But it also proves that you don't always get good stock pigeons from the best birds. The determining factor for a successful start in pigeon breeding is and always will be the particular ancestry that provides generation after generation of superb pigeons. The proof lies in the successful following generations. For example, the '459' from Cattrysse. He belongs without doubt to the best stock pigeons that were ever bred in Belgium and is the essential founder of this world-famous breed. Out of one son we have Prins from Hector Desmet, who not only carries the fame of this loft on his shoulders, but also of many other lofts too such as Van Loon or Desmet Mathijs. The world-famous Geeloger from Charles van der Espt was a brother of Prins, also a grandchild of '45' and progenitor of this world-famous breed. So we must always remember that names and strains don't mean a thing, successful ancestors and progeny do.

FEEDING

FEEDING

Food Quality

First and foremost, the food must be of the best quality.
Good quality grain is a clean grain with low moisture content. Grains with high moisture and/or are dirty, dusty and uncleaned are more susceptible to fungus and bacterial germs and poisons than dry clean grain. The truth is that germs on and in the grains will affect the performance of your birds during breeding, moulting, showing and racing. The food used for racing pigeons must be fresh, clean and the highest quality.
The simple fact is that cheap food is never the best food.
The farmer receives more for the graded feed than for the weather affected (water, heat, hail etc) grain sold primarily as stock food. Some produce merchants buy this food for the pigeon fanciers to keep their prices down, but fail to understand that ungraded feed is susceptible to moulds and mould toxins that destroy the nutritional content of the feed. These moulds are a major health hazard, predisposing the race team to many illnesses. The poor quality grain simply fails to provide the required energy and nutrient needs of the competing bird. The result is poor performance and flock illness.
Nowadays, the grain merchants make a big effort to provide clean food, free of fungus, bacteria and toxins.
Most fanciers now understand that the quality of the feed does have a substantial effect on performance and they purchase "farm fresh" feed guaranteed free of moulds and mould toxins. Castle Grains of Queensland and Fernando’s of Melbourne have set the standard for all other grain merchants in Australia. Culture testing is the best method of checking the grain. Even if the food tested is not perfect then it can still be helped, by mixing mould inhibitors (PEP) with it. Many fanciers use mould inhibitors routinely in order to protect their mixes from the effects of moisture during storage.
The pigeon eats more poor quality food but less of the dry clean food. This in itself makes unclean food more expensive.
The feed must be stored correctly and protected from moisture and rodents.
The correct storage of your grain after purchase is necessary if you are to preserve its culture-free status. If you allow moisture to infiltrate your feed then mould and bacterial contamination will most likely ensue, thereby nullifying all of your best efforts to provide your birds with the very best food. If your grain is very dry and culture tests clear then it must be stored in an airtight drum and elevated off the ground. This will protect your grain from absorbing moisture from the surrounding air during times of high humidity (e.g. rain periods and with night time high humidity). Grain high in moisture is best mixed with a mould inhibitor (PEP). Then it is stored with an open lid to allow it to dry out in times of low humidity and sealed in times of high humidity. The fungal spores resident on moist grain is more likely to become activated when stored in the dark and without air circulation to help dry it out.



Nutrition, vitamins and minerals
There’s more to feeding than just grain and grit.
Nowadays, pigeon fanciers know that there’s more to feeding than just grain and grit. Certainly, grains are an excellent source of energy, protein, and fibre, but they are very low in the minerals, trace elements and vitamins required for the exertions of top racing and breeding robust youngsters.
For a long time, fanciers have used grit to provide the minerals in the diet of the racing and breeding pigeon, but only recently have they realised that shell grit does not contain all of the minerals and trace elements required for sustained racing and breeding success. Vitamins must also be added to the diet of the pigeon. The old timers understood this vitamin need from seeing the benefits of giving spinach and carrots to their birds. Today, most fanciers give vitamin supplements in the water or on the food.
The theory of nutrition for the pigeon is really quite easy to understand.
The fancier must give:
Grain for energy, protein and fibre.
Minerals grits, powdered minerals and trace elements.
Vitamins are usually given with trace elements in the water.
Extra energy, vitamins and protein can be given in the form of special oils on the food during the high energy times of racing and when the adults are feeding young.
Pigeons can survive on grain and grit alone, but they cannot reach the level of health required to withstand the pressures of racing or breeding. Eventually their health will fail under these extreme physical pressures. Good feeding will control most illnesses of pigeons. For example, there is a major increase in the minerals and trace elements required when the adult pigeons are feeding babies, but grit alone does not provide all of the necessary minerals and trace elements for continuing good health. Without mineral additives the end result is often egg laying problems, canker outbreaks and other illnesses. During racing there are increased needs for energy, protein and vitamins, as well as trace elements and minerals. The race team tires easy and is more susceptible to fatigue related respiratory and wet canker illnesses when extra vitamins and minerals are not provided.
The feed (grain) mixes do not provide enough vitamins and minerals for top performance. The fancier must select a feed mix that provides the energy and protein balance needed for the particular stage of the pigeon calendar. Breeding and moulting birds require a grain mix which is higher in protein, has a different essential amino acid balance than the pigeon in full training during the racing season. The feed mix requires at least six different grain types in the mix in order to get the best protein level and quality (i.e. balance of essential amino acids). The best quality of protein is seldom met and lysine (a very important amino acid for the pigeon) deficiencies are common in grain mixes with fewer than 4 grains. The protein quality of the grain mix can be improved by adding protein/amino acid supplements prior to feeding.
All grains are low in calcium (0.01- 0.20%) and sodium (20-600ppm). Phosphorous, copper, zinc, manganese, and selenium are also low in some grains. The vitamin concentrations in seeds are highly variable. Seeds do not contain vitamin A (corn provides carotenoids), or vitamin D. Vitamin E and vitamin K levels are low to undetectable. Among the B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid are often low and vitamin B12 is not present. This means that the vitamins, minerals and trace elements lacking in the grain must given to the pigeons in some form or other. Many fanciers use spinach and shell grit, but this is still not enough to balance the nutritional requirements of the athletic pigeon. Nowadays most fanciers add vitamin and trace elements to the water once or twice a week and provide the minerals in powdered or block form ad lib.
Feeding to Win
During the racing season, the main function of food is to provide the fuel for flying. Our common aim is to provide the racing pigeon with the best fuel for race day. To do this consistently we must have a good understanding of the food itself. The following paragraphs will introduce you to the science (or theory) of feeding, but for racing success you must also become expert at the practice (or art) of feeding. Only practice and observation can teach you the art of feeding, but hopefully the methods of feeding described here can help you find the pathway to feeding success.
We can only begin the art of good feeding when both the quality of the food is guaranteed and the flock is healthy. A healthy bowel is required before we can test our feeding systems, because an unhealthy bowel fails to deliver the fuel of good grain to the pigeon’s body. Bowel diseases such as E. coli, coccidiosis, worms and wet canker all decrease the amount of nutrients entering the body.
By using the best quality grains and with a healthy race team, the fancier can now think about a racing mix appropriate for his particular family of birds and training methods. The mix chosen must provide a good balance of protein (amino acids) and for this to be achieved at least 8 different grains must be used. After this balance is achieved, the energy content of the mix becomes the most important part of successful feeding.
The feed system provides the race team with the correct energy levels for training and racing. The goal of feeding is to provide the training and racing pigeon with exactly enough (not too much and not too little) fuel (energy in the food) for sustained flight (loft exercise or racing). Of course, the fuel requirements of the training pigeon vary enormously from day to day. It is the constantly changing energy requirements of the competition pigeon that makes feeding such a challenge to even the best fanciers. The competition pigeon will not perform to its fitness level when the "energy balance" is incorrect. The "energy balance" must be assessed short term (daily) and long term (weekly) with fit flocks during the race season, because the fitness level will drop both when too much and too little energy is supplied. During young bird training special attention must be made to prevent depletion of the energy reserves in the liver and muscle.
Overfeeding relative to workload (positive energy balance) renders the race team less competitive because of excess baggage ("leady"). Excess energy is stored as fat with subsequent loss of buoyancy and fitness. It is well to remember that the excess energy of mixes which are too high in protein (legumes) relative to the work load will be stored as fat.
Underfeeding relative to workload (negative energy balance) renders the race team less competitive because of "depowering". Feed systems low in energy relative to the workload of the race team will result in the depletion of the energy reserves in the liver, fat and muscle.
The fancier can recognise a race team that is in a negative energy balance by the following signs:
No wing flapping in the early morning or after feeding.
Disinterest in leaving loft or toss basket, lower lid laziness etc.
The race team in negative energy balance (inadequate energy intake relative to the workload) is susceptible to illness, especially "respiratory" diseases.
Buoyancy
Most fanciers understand the importance of buoyancy for success, but few understand the best way to achieve this in their race teams. Buoyancy is best achieved by supplying the flock with enough feed (a positive energy balance) to promote vigorous loft flying (or tossing) in order to maximise lean body mass (i.e. muscle) and minimise body fat. Instead many fanciers believe that the best path to buoyancy is to restrict caloric (energy) intake (feed less) in order to lose excess weight and thereby produce the buoyancy that we see with top form. However, buoyancy is not only weightlessness, but also power, and the buoyancy of fitness only comes when lean body mass is maximised. The restriction of calories in an effort to produce buoyancy in fact lowers the fitness level of the flock and renders it susceptible to illness. Severe caloric restriction will cause a loss of not only body fat but also lean body mass (muscle) with the accompanying loss of fitness and power.
Food Recipes
Standard Mix
This is the basic mix that may be fed to any type of pigeon.
Maple or dunn peas
20 parts
Hard wheat
20 parts
Corn (maize)
10 parts
Milo
20 parts
Barley
10 parts
Safflower
5 parts
Millet*
3 parts
Linseed*
2 parts
* Optional
Young Bird Recipe
Use only the best quality seed mix and additives. The best food and additives are a must for the developing youngster. This food must include a clean, organic and nutritionally balanced "Young bird mix" with the additional nutritional supplementation (Bloomford, Turbobooster and F-Vite). A good quality dry grit or F-vite mustbe provided at all times. The "Young bird Mix" provides the young bird with the required energy, protein and amino acid balance necessary for optimal body development and renewal of quality flight feathers.
The following recipe is an example of a good European "Young bird Mix", which is ration fed and because of its high energy levels requires regular loft flying to prevent internal fat formation.
Maple or dunn peas
20 parts
Groats
6 parts
Lupin*
2 parts
Hard wheat
15 parts
Safflower
5 parts
Millet*
2 parts
Corn (maize)
15 parts
Canary*
2 parts
Pellets*
2 parts
Milo
15 parts
Chinese sprouts*
2 parts
Rape*
2 parts
Barley
10 parts
Linseed*
2 parts
Vetch*
2 parts
* Optional
Moulting Recipe
The best food and additives are essential for a quick moult and the regrowth of quality new feathers. A quick moult indicates a healthy flock and a superior quality of feather reflects the correct feeding system. The best recipes provide the essential level and balance of amino acids needed for the formation of new feathers. Turbobooster, Bloomford and Energy supplement provide the high levels and balance of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals required for a fast and successful moult.
The following is a successful recipe of a "Moulting Mix" which is given ad lib. During the moult.
Maple or dunn peas
16 parts
Groats
2 parts
Lupin*
2 parts
Hard wheat
15 parts
Safflower
5 parts
Millet*
1 part
Popcorn
35 parts
Canary*
0 parts
Pellets*
0 parts
Milo
5 parts
Chinese sprouts*
3 parts
Rape*
1 part
Barley
10 parts
Linseed*
2 parts
Vetch*
3 parts
* Optional
Sprint Recipe
Maple or dunn peas
5 parts
Groats
20 parts
Lupin*
1 parts
Hard wheat
15 parts
Safflower
5 parts
Millet*
2 parts
Popcorn
15 parts
Canary*
2 parts
Pellets*
1 parts
Milo
10 parts
Chinese sprouts*
1 parts
Rape*
1 parts
Barley
20 parts
Linseed*
1 parts
Vetch*
1 parts
* Optional
Distance Recipe
With races longer than 5 hours the feeding system must change from a light "Sprint Mix" to a heavier "Distance Mix". Loft flying is not restricted as in the sprint season. The following is a good example of a distance mix, remembering that both the exercise and mix determine the buoyancy of the race bird. Turbobooster and Energy supplement are added to the distance mix each day to stimulate loft flying and to accelerate recovery from more hours on the wing during this training.
Maple or dunn peas
15 parts
Groats
10 parts
Lupin*
2 parts
Hard wheat
15 parts
Safflower
10 parts
Millet*
2 parts
Popcorn
15 parts
Canary*
2 parts
Pellets*
1 parts
Milo
15 parts
Chinese sprouts*
2 parts
Rape*
1 part
Barley
7 parts
Linseed*
1 parts
Vetch*
2 parts
* Optional
Breeding Recipe
The "Breeding Mix" plus the additives provides the growing baby with every nutrient need for optimal body development and disease resistance. The following recipe is an example of an excellent "Breeding Mix", which is hopper fed.
Maple or dunn peas
29 parts
Groats
5 parts
Lupin*
4 parts
Hard wheat
15 parts
Safflower
5 parts
Millet*
2 parts
Popcorn
10 parts
Canary*
2 parts
Pellets*
1 parts
Milo
5 parts
Chinese sprouts*
10 parts
Rape*
1 parts
Barley
0 parts
Linseed*
1 parts
Vetch*
10 parts
* Optional
Copyright © 2004 Rob Marshall, All Rights Reserved.

KINDS OF BREEDING

KINDS OF BREEDING

Pag sinabi nating CROSSBREEDING ang ibig sabihin nun is breeding together of two breeds of the same species.Ex. fantail x racing pigeon , tippler x oriental frills...& so on..mas appropriate na tawagin natin na OUTCROSSING if we are referring of mating both racing pigeons.

OUTCROSSING - mating of unrelated cock & hen of the same breed.
Ginawa ito to produce Hybrid Vigor ( Heterosis ) birds,ang ibig sabihin nun yung offspring will exceed both sire & dam,assuming na maraming good qualities yung both parents.Ang isang disadvantage ng outcrossed birds ay malaki ang gene pool nila,meaning yung character ( both good & bad ) ay nag increase dahil nag contribute ng bagong character yung sire w/c is differerent from the hen.Ang magandang example nito ay kung tumataya tayo sa " lotto ",mas maraming combination of nos. involve....mas maliit ang chance natin na manalo.Kaya nga most of the time ,kung meron tayong " Champion Bird " tapos try nating i-breed,karaniwan hindi maduplicate ng offspring yung good character ng champion bird dahil sa dami ng combination ng genes na pwedeng ipasa from the said bird.

.INBREEDING - mating of birds more closely related to each other.Other says that if you see the same ancestor in the pedigree of both sire & dam ,you can consider the bird as inbred.Ex. double grandson or double grandaughter. ..
Ginagawa ang inbreeding para paliitin ang gene pool ng K,ang ibig sabihin ...kung related ang K na i pair natin,dahil magkamaganak sila..halos pareho ang character nila ( both good & bad ) kaya halos magkakamukha sila.Kung inbred ang K,makikita natin ang good & bad genes nila.Kaya pwede nating cull yung K w/ bad genes & breed only from the ones w/ good genes.Ang isang disadvantage ng inbreeding ay matagal makapag produce ng quality birds dahil it will take time to cull & select.And another disadvantage, is that if you dont know what you're doing mas malamang na magproduce ka ng family of birds with lots of bad genes na maipapasa sa offspring nila.But we should remember that great strains ( Janssen, Aarden..etc. ) are produce thru continous inbreeding & lots of cullings...

LINEBREEDING - is a form of inbreeding where the relationship of sire & dam is further apart.Ex. sire x gr.dau., auntie to nephew, cousins...etc. Most fancier use this bec. it's much safer than inbreeding.

In my opinion , It's better to outcross two inbred family to produce hybrid vigor birds . Ganito yung ginawa ko sa entry ko sa Empire One Loft Race.Out of 800 entries the bird placed 24th at 350 mile race and he placed 32nd out of 138 entries at 420 mile race.The bird's standing is not that impressive pero considering he flew against the top fancier from Canada & also some from US, I can say that the bird did a great job !.Pero there's a lot space for improvement, kaya hopefully makapag breed pa ng K mas maganda ang performance. ....
Hopefully naka tulong ito....



Assuming that i have 3 pairs as my foundation, cock a, b & c and hens a, b & c. Cock a and hen a are related, cock b and hen b are related, cock c and hen c are related.

I prefer linebreeding because this is what works well with my line.
Cross, feeling ko parang tsambahan ang pairing ko. Kung inbred
naman nagiging oversize ang mga ibon ko or minsan naman lumiliit.

I think, the only prerequisite for Line Breeding is that you are
already satisfied with how your line performs. You need to have the
best foundation you can get and they perform to your loft as well.