UkPigeonRacing

NeilA wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2025 9:58 am

I do that Andy I move on every pigeon that hasn’t arrived in the top 2-3 per cent of the fed 3 times in old birds 10/11 races although this year I gave a lot away that had fed cards etc as I was going to change route this year but my fed are still going north with a extra club joining , by then 2 fed winners were gifted and a few good old breeders I only have 3 old cocks and my yearlings team now

So judging on results is simple for me but putting birds away for stock for the future not so easy I just put winners away but I know top fanciers are gifted at selection as d find breeders I believe Mike picked a pigeon off Lee Painter by looks he didn’t even handle it and it was a top breeder for him . If I did that 9 times out of 10 I would be moving it on in 2 years
That’s what I mean by a stockman compared to my way which is just results and method based

MIL wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2025 5:05 pm Sorry for the delay in replying

Thanks for taking the time to explain Andy

We're all pigeon men and there's no one set way to race a successful pigeon.

I agree with Goose. Anbody can breed a pigeon. You just put open a door between cocks and hens and they'll breed. It's not rocket science. Breeding a pigeon that can win is nice - breeding a pigeon that can win multiple times is even nicer. Breeding them that can win Awards and Titles at Regional and National level of the RPRA is even nicer still. I know because I've done it.

I've won with pigeons that have been gifted to me.

I've won with pigeons that I've purchased

I've won with pigeons that I've bred myself and pigeons that I've bred have gone onto become the backbone of many a good loft.

To me, there's no difference between them. Every winner is treasured and makes you feel 10 feet tall on a Saturday. I don't dwell on who bred it. It was me that conditioned it. Me that got it right and healthy and motivated to race. It's my pigeon and I don't give a monkey's chuff where it originated from.

You see if I was offered a choice between being 2nd with a home bred pigeon or 1st with a pigeon that had been gifted me or purchased in I'd take the winner every time. Winning is all that mattered to me and that is what spurred me on. I don't enjoy losing and of course it happens to us all much more than we'd like. But when it happens you can rest assured I'll be sore all week until I get chance to put things right. There's no "gimme's" where I'm concerned

As for the distance part of your post Gavin, I totally agree. I was fortunate to watch my Dad - one of the best 500 mile racers in the West Midlands develop a family that were superb every time they were asked the question. Birds like that are few and far between

Andy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2025 9:32 am I agree with Goose too that anyone can breed pigeons. It’s not hard or rocket science. That being said why then do some many people buy pigeons in every year? Because just breeding pigeons is different to breeding pigeons that are an improvement on what you have already, and breeding an ever improving family is even harder. Why would, or should, youngsters brought in be better than what you can breed yourself? The biggest trouble is people want instant success at any cost and aren’t prepared to be patient. So many buy in teams of youngsters, usually of the latest craze, get a few decent results that very quickly deteriorates over the next couple of generations. So out the lot and start again with the then latest craze. Seen this no end of times over the years. Some can only keep winning by regularly buying in.

Andy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2025 9:32 am I agree with Goose too that anyone can breed pigeons. It’s not hard or rocket science. That being said why then do some many people buy pigeons in every year? Because just breeding pigeons is different to breeding pigeons that are an improvement on what you have already, and breeding an ever improving family is even harder. Why would, or should, youngsters brought in be better than what you can breed yourself? The biggest trouble is people want instant success at any cost and aren’t prepared to be patient. So many buy in teams of youngsters, usually of the latest craze, get a few decent results that very quickly deteriorates over the next couple of generations. So out the lot and start again with the then latest craze. Seen this no end of times over the years. Some can only keep winning by regularly buying in.

Andy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2025 9:32 am I agree with Goose too that anyone can breed pigeons. It’s not hard or rocket science. That being said why then do some many people buy pigeons in every year? Because just breeding pigeons is different to breeding pigeons that are an improvement on what you have already, and breeding an ever improving family is even harder. Why would, or should, youngsters brought in be better than what you can breed yourself? The biggest trouble is people want instant success at any cost and aren’t prepared to be patient. So many buy in teams of youngsters, usually of the latest craze, get a few decent results that very quickly deteriorates over the next couple of generations. So out the lot and start again with the then latest craze. Seen this no end of times over the years. Some can only keep winning by regularly buying in.

NeilA wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2025 9:58 am

Andy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2025 9:32 am I agree with Goose too that anyone can breed pigeons. It’s not hard or rocket science. That being said why then do some many people buy pigeons in every year? Because just breeding pigeons is different to breeding pigeons that are an improvement on what you have already, and breeding an ever improving family is even harder. Why would, or should, youngsters brought in be better than what you can breed yourself? The biggest trouble is people want instant success at any cost and aren’t prepared to be patient. So many buy in teams of youngsters, usually of the latest craze, get a few decent results that very quickly deteriorates over the next couple of generations. So out the lot and start again with the then latest craze. Seen this no end of times over the years. Some can only keep winning by regularly buying in.

I add every year to see if I can find better birds than I have
I kind of want to win weekly if I’m honest rather than wait years to win a few cards
If I was a distance flier I wouldn’t but sprinting you get instant results pretty much by the end of the yearling stage you know if it’s starting to work out

goose1 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 11, 2025 10:07 pm Anyone can breed a family of pigeons that is easy, but very few can breed a family of winning pigeons. I'm not sure a family is all that important for sprint racing as the top lads change pigeons regularly for various reasons and win. Let's use Neil or Mike on here, two top sprint fanciers (who would no doubt win from further if they were that way inclined) you could give them well bred pigeons from any family or line and I would bet good money they would win with them. However when you get to 500 mile plus and possibly even a little less given the difficulties in racing now I feel a family of proven performers at the distance are golden. But there are very very few genuine family's of distance pigeons about now. I think when Brian Denney was at his peak, lets say from around 2005 through to 2011 that was as good as you could get a family of pigeons to perform. 730 ish miles, team performances at racing velocities. 40 plus years of breeding and working on a family, to me pigeon racing doesn't get any better than that. The one who springs to mind today who has a genuine family of winning distance pigeons is Mark Bulled. I've turned this into a distance post just because if you aren't into distance racing I definitely wouldn't get too hung up on creating a family I would be more concerned with refining my methods and management to gain every yard I could.
But like everything in this sport if the fancier is happy doing what he's doing then that's all that matters.