Wow! Food for thought.
Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2024 12:50 am
From Ad's blog today.
BREEDING AND... (24-11-24)
"The Belgians will be putting their pigeons together again in a few days. Many Dutch people are still waiting.
Some put couples together based on pedigrees.
Pedigrees are interesting, but you have to put things into perspective.
Good breeding is mainly a matter of luck, but you can help with that. By paying particular attention to the age of the (fore)parents of a super pigeon.
INTERESTING
Then you will discover that many good pigeons come from couples where at least one parent is a yearling. Many good ones also come from imported pigeons.
You will also discover how few good ones are bred from couples where both partners are old. What many do is to pair their proven old breeders with yearlings.
WHY
As cocks get older, the sperm becomes less qualitative and weaker.
As hens get older, the contents of the eggs become less nutritious for the embryo in the egg.
So there are plenty of reasons not to pair old rascals with each other.
When Klak came to Orleans here to look after him, he kept hammering home to other 'letters' that the longer couples were together, the worse the youngsters.
That may be true but for a different reason than Jos intended. I think it has everything to do with getting older.
So a plea for younger breeders! Those champions who sell all their breeders 'older than' every few years know what they are doing.
CAUSE
That some people do not get any further is mainly because they breed like crazy. From EVERYTHING. Also from pigeons they know nothing about and from older pigeons that have not yet produced a single good youngster. Pigeons of four years or older do not belong in the breeding loft. Get rid of such. Rather breed one round more of your better pigeons."
I had many old stock pigeons in Bendigo. I gave some away and others decided not to stay. Now I have breeders between 1 and 4 years old. apart from one very old hen I want one daughter off.
I think you can breed stock birds off old pigeons, to keep the genes, but race birds, the parents should be young and vigorous.
BREEDING AND... (24-11-24)
"The Belgians will be putting their pigeons together again in a few days. Many Dutch people are still waiting.
Some put couples together based on pedigrees.
Pedigrees are interesting, but you have to put things into perspective.
Good breeding is mainly a matter of luck, but you can help with that. By paying particular attention to the age of the (fore)parents of a super pigeon.
INTERESTING
Then you will discover that many good pigeons come from couples where at least one parent is a yearling. Many good ones also come from imported pigeons.
You will also discover how few good ones are bred from couples where both partners are old. What many do is to pair their proven old breeders with yearlings.
WHY
As cocks get older, the sperm becomes less qualitative and weaker.
As hens get older, the contents of the eggs become less nutritious for the embryo in the egg.
So there are plenty of reasons not to pair old rascals with each other.
When Klak came to Orleans here to look after him, he kept hammering home to other 'letters' that the longer couples were together, the worse the youngsters.
That may be true but for a different reason than Jos intended. I think it has everything to do with getting older.
So a plea for younger breeders! Those champions who sell all their breeders 'older than' every few years know what they are doing.
CAUSE
That some people do not get any further is mainly because they breed like crazy. From EVERYTHING. Also from pigeons they know nothing about and from older pigeons that have not yet produced a single good youngster. Pigeons of four years or older do not belong in the breeding loft. Get rid of such. Rather breed one round more of your better pigeons."
I had many old stock pigeons in Bendigo. I gave some away and others decided not to stay. Now I have breeders between 1 and 4 years old. apart from one very old hen I want one daughter off.
I think you can breed stock birds off old pigeons, to keep the genes, but race birds, the parents should be young and vigorous.