Selecting Pigeons for Breeding - The Finer Details - continue from the previous page amount of controversy regarding the issue. World-famous fanciers such as Jos van Limpt (de Klak) of the Netherlands was fond of selling the parents of his super racers because he was of the opinion that they were not likely to repeat their successes. (Besides which the sale of champion birds netted him a fair amount of money).
at slower races as well as a few breeders for the faster races. Though it is not likely that you can cover for all situations, a spread of capabilities is necessary. There is a mysterious factor (hither-to unknown) that sometimes plays a role in racing, as hinted at in the previous paragraph. On the day, that one fancier wins a race in his club, the same happens to his friend in another club when he also wins, with the nest mate who had been gifted to him as a baby. How often has this not occurred and why does it happen? Easily glossed over with the glib statement “horses for courses”, it remains a puzzle. What factor in the conditions would it be that suit a bird so much that it wins, whilst the same factor suits a nest mate equally? Or would it be just co-incidence?
My own experience is that good stock birds regularly breed good racing pigeons but only every now and again – once in a lifetime perhaps – produce a champion. Because, make no mistake, a champion is an exception and very few of those ever see the light of day. Do Looks count? Finally, looks can do wonders. In mankind they give film stars a kick up the ladder, get you the girl of your choice (if you play your cards right), ease your way into a job and generally can make one’s life easier and more pleasurable. But in all, it is only a start. Acting ability, work ethic, human kindness and decency coupled to intelligence, hard work, perseverance and discipline, prevail in the end to decide one’s life and status. In pigeondom, it is no different.
Yearlings or Older Birds? Can one rate the parents on performances of yearlings? In my opinion that would be highly risky, particularly if one had success at long distance races in mind. When the going gets tough and the distance to be flown is far, the situation very often calls for pigeons with experience. Having travelled the road before, two-year old and older birds seem to be better able to handle adverse conditions. Better, at braving the conditions of cold, heat, headwind, rain and mist, they seem to have ‘learned’ about sleeping out at night. Certainly better than yearlings. Could it be that they have learned to ‘keep back’ something in reserve on the first day, which enables them to continue on the next morning? Having said that, I stand amazed at performances in races of up to 8/900km sometimes put up by younger birds. These pigeons are often just 6 or 7 months old and were bred in the same year in which they race. (In our area, these races usually take place during the second half of the season when it is early summer with warmer daytime temperatures. But the explanation for these results could be the subject of a completely new discussion; into which we will not delve at this stage).
Many stock birds are tried because of their good wing design, soft feathering, elastic muscles, and intelligent look and so on. But the proof is in the performance of their young. Not in how they look or feel in the hand, though that would add to their desirability, but how they perform in the races. And that, as we have seen, is largely dependent on their ‘intellect’, their drive, their will to persevere, all of which are totally invisible. And which, together with all the physical traits, depend in the main on the genetic formulation inherited from the parents. And that – on the parents, that is - is where the emphasis must be placed. Do Family Count? A family history is extremely valuable and should be cherished, both in humans and in pigeons. It can provide a futuristic vision of the results that could reasonably be expected from members of the family. There have been occasions in the past where complete outsiders, with no history of family achievements, have produced exceptional champions. But, and this is the crucial point, these are exceptions. One should never aim for exceptions nor place your confidence on the performance of exceptions. ‘Apples do not fall far from the tree’ and when given a choice of pigeons for breeding it is safer to choose a lesser looking one from a proven good family rather than the best one from a poor family. Never aim for the exception. In general, it is difficult to achieve success in life and to improve one’s chances of success; one should endeavour to arrange the odds in your favour.
With the modern emphasis on ORL’s it would seem that earliermaturing pigeons are becoming more and more sought after and that the stock whose youngsters perform only as adults, are being slowly phased out. Should one wish for these earlymaturing yearlings, the move is sound, as long as it is recognized as such and that pigeons who reach their peak at 2 years or later, are looked at differently and given the opportunity to develop to full maturity before their parents are rated. What makes a Champion? One question that is often debated, is, “When is champion a champion?” The answer depends for the greater part, on the owner. In the case of a fancier that wins only one or two races in a season in his Club, any pigeon that wins three races is a champion. But to the very good fancier that annually wins 20 races in his Club, a three-time winner would be good, but hardly champion material. For that, he would have to win three Union races. And the same for the stock birds that bred them. It is entirely relative to the fancier’s other breeding birds and his rating against the other fliers in his Club or Union.
Always choose the best breeders that you can afford; choosing the best from an established family is the quickest way of ensuring success. But keep in mind the important principles; as far as it is possible select from the family that has proven its success in the area that you live and has been subjected to the management style and distance races in which you are anticipating to compete.
How often does a champion stock bird produce winners of large races – national and international? There is a great
SA & World Pigeon News - March 2013
I wish you luck. When seeking good stock, you will need it. n
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SA & Wêreld Duiwe Nuus - Maart 2013