During the weeks of training prior to the 2010 young bird series and during the first several weeks of the race series, Miss Fenomenale generally acted in a way that we refer to as "femaleny;" but she refused to couple with a male.  The "femaleny" distinction refers to females that generally display or act coyly towards male pigeons as well as towards their fanciers; but are unmated and seem to have a difficult time choosing and/or accepting a mate. There are "femaleny" females like Miss Fenomenale that - although they seem interested in the opposite sex - they refuse to mate or couple with any male under any circumstances prior to the race series in September. Instead, they often fight their suitors when they are introduced to them.

This is a different type of behavior from young pigeons that are celibate and do not act like males or females in any way so that they cannot be coupled in order to race them on widowhood or natural systems of motivation during the young bird race season. It seems like every year there are a few immature - seven to 10 month old young birds - that do not act typically of either sex so that it is difficult to determine their sex for racing purposes unless their physiques more clearly define them as males or females. Most of the time, these young birds have to be raced to a perch only.

Miss Fenomenale was not celibate and although she was "femaleny," we could not couple her in order to teach her the fundamentals of the widowhood system of motivation. It was only during the third week of racing when Miss Fenomenale finally accepted a mate. Although she raced for three weeks to the box perch, she was raced the final five weeks to her nest box, a nest bowl and a caring mate. She raced well the entire eight week race series; but she entered the airspace around the loft on a more direct line to the loft and she trapped much more quickly after she coupled with her mate and realized that her mate was waiting for her inside the loft. During the races when she trapped poorly after she was coupled, there were several hawks that grabbed her attention when she landed on the loft causing her to leave the loft and make a number of laps around the loft before giving the landing board another try.

Jeff was elated each week when Miss Fenomenale arrived home in competitive times. However, trapping quickly easily cost her the 1^st Ace pigeon award in the Federation - although there is nothing wrong with a 2^nd place award out of approximately 650 pigeons. On several races during the young bird race series my "A" bird, Totally Awesome, arrived home several minutes after Miss Fenomenale; but beat her in the trap and on the race sheet stealing vital points away from Miss Fenomenale‘s overall point total. It is hard to explain the incredible experience that Jeff and I shared by only racing one pigeon in the "A" race series. Each week was a "match" race between two supers.  The 2010 "A" race series was one of the more enjoyable race series in which I have participated in my entire racing career.

Jeff and I formed very close relationships with our "A" birds. Both females became very gentle, easy to handle, responsive, and clearly understood the intricacies of our motivational system. We enjoyed taking care of them and training them. They were often single-tossed and learned to return home quickly by themselves. By frequently single tossing them around the Tulsa metropolitan area, they did not wait for other pigeons on the race team to help them orient and head home. We took them with us when we went to eat, went to the feed store, and ran many other errands. They learned to return home at any time of the day and in most types of weather from any direction. Despite the recent article in the Digest, we believe that directional training is extremely important for old and young birds in training. Before long, we will respond to the Digest article in our blog.

I whole-heartedly recommend that every fancier try racing very small teams of pigeons just once. Like I indicated before - even just one pigeon. I guarantee that it will change the way you play the game forever. Even if you race more pigeons than just a few - racing a few pigeons will change the way you relate to your racing pigeons in general.

In order to successfully engage in this type of pigeon racing - especially in young birds, it is crucial to select only the very best racing prospects from the pool of available pigeons. Jeff and I each pre-selected our best young bird to race in the "A" races before the race series began. Besides Miss Fenomenale, however, Jeff’s 2785 and 81045 were his best young birds. Besides Totally Awesome, my best pigeons were 81076, and nest mates 81015 and 81016. Although we both enjoyed other young birds on the team that raced very well - these few young birds were exceptional.

I noticed another article in a recent Digest written by a fancier’s wife who had surveyed other wives of pigeon fanciers about their attitudes towards their husbands and their pigeons. The wives surveyed indicated that "time" - the amount of time their husbands spent with their pigeons was the primary problem between them with the sport. Assuming that husbands are not spending time with their pigeons to get away from their wives, racing only a few pigeons takes far less time than any other type of racing and may represent a nice compromise between fanciers and their wives concerning "time problems." It only took a few minutes of high-quality time a day to properly care for Miss Fenomenale and Totally Awesome in order to consistently race them at the top of the sheet. It only required a few minutes each day to thoroughly clean their nest boxes. It only required a few minutes twice a day to feed them by hand in their nest box. It only required a few minutes to thoroughly clean their water fountain each day. They were handled each day and frequently road trained short distances around the metropolitan area in addition to daily loft training. They were carefully medicated and properly bathed each week. Their mates received the exact same treatment minus the loft and road training. Because of our intense effort and concern for just one racing pigeon, both females became very tame and highly responsive so that they would acknowledge us with a head bob, a display, or a friendly coo every time we walked into their lofts. For Jeff and me, this is the golden part of the pigeon racing game - the relationship that we enjoy with our best racers and breeders.

Much less time and much better care equaled more consistent performances at the top of the race sheet. These are the components of the classical racing system that I learned not only from Mike Ganus and Antoine Jacops; but also from the Janssen Brothers, Joseph Van Limpt "De Klak," Flor Engels, Van Rijhn Kloeck, Jan Grondelaars and many other legendary Belgian and Dutch fanciers. And now Jeff is also putting this formula for success into practice and I enjoy his enthusiasm, his energy, his decision-making and his success every single day.  Jeff enjoys his pigeons the same way I do.  For us, the game is not about beating other fanciers.  It is about the relationships we develop with our best pigeons.  This fact is at the core of the Belgian version of the racing game.  I have always enjoyed the pride and respect with which champion Belgian fanciers spoke of their prize pigeons.

POSSIBILTY THINKING – making it more possible or less possible

There are times of the year when our management systems make competing at the top of the race sheet more possible or less possible. Each November is one of those times. The month of November marks the beginning of the calendar year for the racing pigeon game worldwide. This fact is based upon the fact that rings or bands are issued on about January 1 of each year. Working backwards from this date, winter breeding - time that the earliest young birds can be bred - means that breeders should be coupled on or about December 1 of each year. If breeders are coupled with old mates or if they are pre-mated during the month of November, then they can be coupled on December 1 with every expectation that there will be week-old youngsters to ring about January 1. If breeders are coupled with new mates, it is best to couple breeders during the final week of November - about a week earlier then December 1. Coupling during the last week of November allows breeders to take a little extra time to successfully couple with new mates and still have week-old youngsters by January 1^st.

In order to prepare breeders for coupling during the final week of November or by December 1, they should be thoroughly medicated during the final weeks of October and the first several weeks of November. Breeders should be medicated for coccidiosis, canker, respiratory and worms. They should also be vaccinated for paramixo and possibly paratyphoid. This medication regiment should be followed with a regiment of some type of probiotics or a livestock feed containing animal-source protein like chicken grower crumbles. Breeders should be perfectly healthy before they are coupled and before they begin to raise youngsters during the new year.

Also, breeders should be placed on extended lights during the month of November during which the lights in the breeding loft only are on a timer and create 16 to 17 hours of extended daylight. There is some confusion as to the type of lights (fluorescent or incandescent) produce the best results stimulating sexual activity in pigeons. My experience leads me to suggest that any light source can be used effectively as long as the breeders are able to act in a normal manner. Sexual activity is stimulated by the effects of light upon the pituitary gland. That is why during springtime - when the animal kingdom begins the process of breeding – the number of daylight hours increase and reach a threshold of about 16 to 17 hours of daylight during the month of June for most parts of the USA. After several weeks or a month of extended lightening, breeder’s sexual activity will increase such that females will successfully lay fertile eggs and successfully hatch two youngsters by January 1. A lack of adequate daylight during winter breeding often results in infertile eggs. Next month, if your first round contains nests in which only one egg hatches, a possible reason may be that your breeders may not have been exposed to enough daylight.

Breeders should always consume adequate vitamins and minerals during the year. However, they should definitely consume a healthy source of vitamins and minerals during the entire moult and prior to the onset of winter breeding. We like to use Red Cell throughout the year; but we consistently administer Red Cell on the grains during the moult and in November prior to winter breeding. Breeders should glisten and shine prior to winter breeding. Much of the quality and vitality of young birds raised during winter breeding depends upon the health and vitality of the breeders when they are coupled.

By following the steps previously discussed concerning medication, lights, vitamins and minerals, and winter breeding, the possibility that your young birds will perform at the top of the race sheet will be dramatically increased. In other words, racing at the top of the sheet during the 2011 young bird race series begins in late October and early November of this year. The possibility that your young birds will perform at the top of the race sheet during the 2011 race series will be dramatically increased or decreased by the management system that fanciers follow in November of each year. Increase the possibility that your young birds will perform at the top of the race sheet next year. Manage your breeders such that they are healthy and robust on December 1^st. Raise early youngsters and ring them on January 1^st so that most of them will be sexually mature prior to the beginning of the young bird race series. Race your young birds on a motivational system other the food or the perch. In my opinion, racing young birds to the perch requires very little skill on the part of the young birds or fanciers.

11.30.2010 - Tuesday

According to the latest ARPU National Database, Jeff is 6th Champion Loft for the 2010 Young Bird Race Series. Jeff has decided to sell a few high quality birds on the World of Wings website. Jeff wants to help the World of Wings continue to build and expand their physical plant by selling a few high- quality pigeons on the WOW site. I previously sold pigeons on another auction site. However, I am not going to sell any more pigeons. I am proud of Jeff for supporting the World of Wings. I probably should have followed his footsteps years ago.

Steve King, Fast Lane Loft, plays the game in our club and primarily races our pigeons – especially the Antoine Jacops’ pigeons. His AU Champion and super racer, 1459, is a grandson of Antoine Jacops DIAMOND ACE, a 1^st Ace Long Distance in the Antwerp Union, Belgium in 1992. Steve is currently  11th ARPU Champion Loft. He has consistently placed in the top ten or 20 Champion Lofts during the past 3 or 4 young bird and old bird racing seasons. We are very proud of his accomplishments.

BACK TO THE BREEDING SEASON

It is very important to provide breeders with frequent opportunities to bathe. Our primary breeders and "extra" breeders have the opportunity to take bathes every day of the year – except when the temperature is less than about 35 degrees Fahrenheit. We make clean or treated water (bath salts) available to them in large bath pans every day. Bathing is important for their physical well-being, their mental well-being, and for the breeding season. when breeders sit on a clutch of eggs after frequent bathing, the water on the bottom and sides of their feathers will gradually dampen and soften the egg shells so that youngsters can pip out easier. Most pigeons prefer to be clean. Most pigeons will bathe frequently if they have the opportunity to do so. And they really enjoy bathing. Bathing usually relaxes pigeons and contributes to their sense of well-being and love of the loft - important aspects of achieving an intense motivation to return home that will be available for future racing.

During the past three or four weeks, we have been studying the pedigrees of our breeders. We are constantly looking for new ways to couple our breeders. Breeding excellent racers and breeders is a balance between the following two extremes:

PREPOTENCY versus HYBRID VIGOR. 

We will discuss breeding youngsters on a continuum between these two extremes.

PREPOTENCY

Prepotency refers to the degree of genetic similarity, i.e., line-breeding or in-breeding in a pigeon’s pedigree. The more that similar genes are prevalent from or "clustered" around the same pigeon or pigeons in a pedigree, the greater the prepotency of a pigeon’s breeding ability. Line-breeding is coupling first or second cousins, aunts-nephews or uncles-nieces. In-breeding is coupling, mothers-sons, fathers-daughters or grandparents-grandchildren. Prepotent pigeons tend to make the best breeders.

HYBRID VIGOR

Hybrid vigor refers to the degree of genetic diversity in a pigeon's pedigree. The more that the genes of a pair of breeders are unrelated or diverse, the greater the hybrid vigor of their offspring. Hybrid vigor generally comes from out-crossing or coupling two breeders that are both line-bred to unrelated families or that are totally unrelated. Pigeons with strong hybrid vigor tend to make the best racers.

WHICH IS BEST?

In Belgium, the pedigrees of 1^st Ace pigeons are often full of unrelated pigeons. While some of these pigeons are great breeders, many of them are average or poor breeders. when the genes in the pedigrees of Ace pigeons are totally unrelated, their genetic prepotency is reduced and great breeders are more a result of "luck" than planned breeding.  While Ace pigeons are sometimes great racers, their racing prowess doesn’t necessarily mean that they will make great breeders.

The breeding program of Antoine Jacops is based upon a formula that blends the characteristics of prepotency and hybrid vigor. Antoine prefers prepotent breeders and racers that have very strong hybrid vigor. If one studies the pedigrees of Antoine’s champions, they are great racers because of their hybrid vigor and great breeders because of the prepotency. Antoine’s formula is 70% "old family" or line-breeding and 30% unrelated pigeons out-crossing.

Many fanciers prefer to simply couple unrelated pigeons and hope that they strike gold via random luck. On occasion, this system works. Other fanciers prefer to study the pedigrees of their pigeons and couple breeders based upon a scientific evaluation of genetics rather than relying upon the unpredictability of random luck. We prefer the latter scenario. For starters it’s more fun. We study the pedigrees of our breeders and try to breed racing pigeons with hybrid vigor and prepotency. I often lean too much toward prepotency and line-bred breed great breeders that race well – but not superbly. I have a really hard time out-crossing our racers. However, in 2011 we are going to outcross our breeders during the first and second rounds and then recouple our pigeons and line-breed the third and fourth rounds. There is a point at which line-bred youngsters quit racing at the top of the sheet. At that point, line-bred youngsters need to be out-crossed to a "complementary" but unrelated family of pigeons in order to breed great racers.

Pigeons whose pedigrees contain 70% of the genes of the same family are generally prepotent and whose pedigrees contain 30% of the genes of unrelated pigeons are generally vigorous.

In conclusion, pedigrees can run the gambit between pedigrees that contain no genetic similarity and pedigrees with total genetic similarity. Pigeons with no genetic similarity often make poor breeders while pigeons with total genetic similarity often make very poor racers. Jacops has found that the best answer to the unpredictability of random luck is to create genetic pedigrees that contain both related and unrelated pigeons. Again, Jacops formula is a ratio of 70/30. I am not sure that ratios of 60/40 or 50/50 aren’t just as effective in terms of breeding great racers that are also great breeders. But for whatever reason, Jacops has settled on a genetic breeding ratio of 70/30. I have found over the years that many of my racers have a genetic ratio of 90/10 or 80/30. when racers are line-bred to this degree, they seem to race very consistently within the top 10% or 20% of the pigeons on the race sheet; but not at the very top of the race sheet. In other words, these racers seem to have lost enough of their hybrid vigor that they are not able to race at the top of the sheet. These pigeons usually make excellent breeders, however. They should not be discarded or eliminated. Their offspring simply need to be infused with a degree of hybrid vigor by out-crossing them to an unrelated family.

The best breeders are not necessarily the best racers and the best racers are not necessarily the best breeders. Racers should be evaluated by their pedigrees. If great racers are genetically prepotent, then they will usually make great breeders. If great racers are genetically diverse, then their breeding ability will be more a function of random luck than genetic prepotency. There are racers that consistently place in the top 20% of the race sheet. If their pedigrees are genetically prepotent, then they will almost always make very good breeders. If their pedigrees are genetically diverse, then they may simply be good but not great breeders. These are the hardest pigeons to cull. They perform just well enough to offer hope that with a little more age, they will develop into racers that perform at the top of the race sheet. Pigeons that are genetically prepotent and race at the top of the sheet usually make the best breeders. If pigeons are consistent and score just a little off of the top of the race sheet, then check their pedigrees. If their pedigrees are highly line-bred or in-bred, then place them in the breeding loft. They will often make excellent breeders. For those pigeons that perform fairly well and have a genetically diverse pedigree, it is probably best to cull these pigeons. They may be good homers but not great homers. If the breeding loft is full of good homers rather than great homers, future racers will usually perform at the same position on the race sheet as their parents - or worse. It is best to breed only from the very best pigeons each year. The only way racers can be adequately evaluated is by analyzing their race record against the genetic composition of their pedigrees. The best breeders may not be the best racers.

We enjoy this time of the calendar year very much – the beginning of the year when the genetic compositions of 2011 young birds are created on paper well before their parents are coupled. We spend hours and hours studying our breeder’s pedigrees and matching them with complementary pedigrees in order to find an effective genetic ratio between prepotency and hybrid vigor. We use a computer program that allows Jeff and me to generate what we call "test" pedigrees of hypothetical young birds. Jeff and I are visual people. We need to see something in order to more thoroughly understand it. By generating hypothetical pedigrees, we can contrast and compare diverse pairings. The results of the 2011 young bird race season are not only a function of healthy breeders as I discussed last week, but also a function of the hybrid vigor of the young birds that are bred in 2011. However, it is not enough to simply race youngsters with hybrid vigor. A fundamental reason for racing young birds and old birds is to replenish the breeding loft with young stock birds – hopefully better stock birds. Consequently, young birds must be prepotent as well as robust and vigorous. The best way to breed prepotent young birds is to create pedigrees based upon a careful and tedious scientific analysis of many and diverse hypothetical pairings. It is our firm belief that consistent success at the top of the race sheet in the racing pigeon game is not based upon random luck. We believe that success at the top of the race sheet is based upon science, logic, reason, hard work and a dose of good luck from time to time.

In 2010, both professional and college football games are won because of excellent and thoughtful "game plans." The same is true in the racing pigeon game. Success at the top of the race sheet in the 2011 young bird race season will require an excellent game plan. This game plan begins with hypothetical pedigrees based upon careful and thoughtful analysis of the prepotency and hybrid vigor of the young birds that will be bred over the next several months.