2 cocks

[NeilA]

So would celibacy cocks be better than a widowhood cock if he claimed space
and would my concern about the total widowhood system cocks beating there hens home be a pointless concern

[Andy]

None of the other cocks are the slightest bit interested, it’s just the 2 nest mates. I’ll see what they are like once paired.

Are you totally certain both are cocks at present?

Yes I am. I left the Grizzle in with the widowhood’s and he has a nest box. The chequer I moved in with the late breds and he was cooing and strutting around all the young hens. But when put back in the widowhood section he and the Grizzle went made cooing at each other but both acting as cocks. As I said they have both got their own box and do only go in their own during the day and at night. The only time they are funny together is in the front of the loft or on the floor.

[Andy]

He was a strange pigeon Mike 3 times he won the fed he took 3 square foot in the corner nothing was allowed in that area when I made a little box that could fit a bowl 6 inch off the floor in his area he never once bothered going in it
Your right never once did he go Gay or have a cock flirt with him he acted constantly like a widowhood cock in that area
I lost him on an easy 156 mile race I had the cocks fall in 11 in 7 mins but I never saw him again
I bred two off him as I don’t take young from the cocks so I slipped 2 eggs one was was 4th combine 2023 and lots of fed cards .

Yea, territorial is the polar opposite of being gay.

I liked cocks that had their own little "quirks" and I actively encouraged it

"The Assassin" used to love the corn bin in the corridor of the wodowhood loft so I used to remove it - until Friday night

I always let him have a play on it before basketing.

He was better racing to that than his hen

That's why I maintain widowhood cocks aren't really about the hen - it's "home", "the box" that's the driver not what lies within it

I do agree that the cock is more for his box than his hen. That’s why I never feed my cocks when letting them in after exercise until 5 minutes after trapping as I want them trapping for their box and not for food. The trap is shut while out but they trap within seconds once opened. They are also all fed in their boxes.

[MIL]

So would celibacy cocks be better than a widowhood cock if he claimed space
and would my concern about the total widowhood system cocks beating there hens home be a pointless concern

I can only speak from personal experience, and I still always my liked my cocks to rear a baby

I even removed the hens from the box when the YB was 16-17 days to leave the cock to finish the baby

I didn't want the hens laying again, it was a waste of his energy, and I wanted him and him alone to have that final responsibility of finishing the YB off

[MIL]

I do agree that the cock is more for his box than his hen. That’s why I never feed my cocks when letting them in after exercise until 5 minutes after trapping as I want them trapping for their box and not for food. The trap is shut while out but they trap within seconds once opened. They are also all fed in their boxes.

I much preferred to feed cocks in the boxes than in a trough (time permitting)

There's so many reasons why this is better (in my opinion)

[PeteDerby]

I have a nest pair of yearling cocks that I have put in my widowhood team. They were both raced as youngsters. They have both taken over their own boxes but also like keeping on billing and cooing to each other. I did remove one for a few weeks and when I put him back in they started strutting around after each other like cocks do with hens. I am pairing up in a week or so and will be interesting how they react then.
Never had 2 cocks like this before. My question is does anyone think I can use this joint admiration to my advantage when racing them next season?

I’ve recently taken delivery of my first stock birds - 10 pairs, 2024 bred birds. Currently have them split cocks and hens, but there’s one of the ‘cocks’ that I’m not sure he knows whether he’s Arthur or Martha. ‘He’ looks to have paired with one of the cocks, when I took him out and put him with the hens he was driving them.

Anyone experienced this before?

[PeteDerby]

I have a nest pair of yearling cocks that I have put in my widowhood team. They were both raced as youngsters. They have both taken over their own boxes but also like keeping on billing and cooing to each other. I did remove one for a few weeks and when I put him back in they started strutting around after each other like cocks do with hens. I am pairing up in a week or so and will be interesting how they react then.
Never had 2 cocks like this before. My question is does anyone think I can use this joint admiration to my advantage when racing them next season?

I’ve recently taken delivery of my first stock birds - 10 pairs, 2024 bred birds. Currently have them split cocks and hens, but there’s one of the ‘cocks’ that I’m not sure he knows whether he’s Arthur or Martha. ‘He’ looks to have paired with one of the cocks, when I took him out and put him with the hens he was driving them.

Anyone experienced this before?

Apologies, I should have read all the replies before commenting!

[MIL]

Pete

Have you needle-tested "him"?

[Andy]

So would celibacy cocks be better than a widowhood cock if he claimed space
and would my concern about the total widowhood system cocks beating there hens home be a pointless concern

I can only speak from personal experience, and I still always my liked my cocks to rear a baby

I even removed the hens from the box when the YB was 16-17 days to leave the cock to finish the baby

I didn't want the hens laying again, it was a waste of his energy, and I wanted him and him alone to have that final responsibility of finishing the YB off

I do the same, which is why I pair a round Boxing Day. I let every pair rear either a single or pair of youngsters. I also remove the hens at around 15 days leaving the cocks to finish rearing the youngsters until around 21 days. Generally I will wean all the youngsters together if possible. Some may be 22 days, some maybe only 18 days but never need to be shown where the food or water is once weaned.
I also do this to make sure the hens don’t lay again as this would start the moult off if sitting a second round. I will repair them around a month before the first race and let them sit for 10 days. Because they had already been paired earlier in the year the hens generally all lay within a day of each other.

[Steve Howells]

I have a nest pair of yearling cocks that I have put in my widowhood team. They were both raced as youngsters. They have both taken over their own boxes but also like keeping on billing and cooing to each other. I did remove one for a few weeks and when I put him back in they started strutting around after each other like cocks do with hens. I am pairing up in a week or so and will be interesting how they react then.
Never had 2 cocks like this before. My question is does anyone think I can use this joint admiration to my advantage when racing them next season?

Until 2017 I’d never seen this. That year I had two gay yearlings even when hens were in the loft they weren’t interested, one of them raced well scoring nearly every channel race the other was no good so I kept him home. Had two more this year neither were much good I think one of them scored about 50thish Nrcc Perth but that was it. I remember Terry Macarthy from pigeon chat days saying gay cocks were some of his best.