UkPigeonRacing

The toes definitely are a good guide I used to ring all my cocks with an even number ring before I wanted to race hens a little bit and like Goose mentioned it is 8/10 and some years spot on

Hi Gavin

Interesting one, I've not come across the toe one before, but certainly take your findings on board

Back in the early 1990's there was a bit of scare-mongering going on that birds raced on darkness as YB were no good as OB (especially as yearlings). As I only raced cocks as OB this was potentially devastating to me; so to begin with I had a couple of years where I tried, at the point of weaning to only put the hens on the darkness and race the cocks "natural".

All in all it was pretty successful, the big majority of pigeons I "needled" at the point of weaning got the sex accurately - but not all

It was one of these "rogue" pigeons that changed my entire approach about darkness

The one hen was raced as a YB but later showed itself as a cock in October (He was the "YB of the Year") so he made the widowhood team and was one of the very best racers as a yearling (and 2 year old). As this cock had raced really well as a YB, yearling and 2 year old I decided then that the scare-mongering was bullsh!t and decided from then on in to race everything as YB on the darkness.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and we won all sorts with those cocks that were raced on darkness as YB - right out to Bergerac at 557 miles.

Having raced darkness v natural at my own loft (often nestmates against one another) this is how I know that once you get past say race 3 the natural YB are toast. The darkness pigeons (if managed properly) have every advantage going over their non-darkness competitors and have got every right to beat them. They can compete for the first few weeks - especially on races 1500ypm and above - but the further into the season you go and the more the distance increases, the more the advantage becomes apparent