THE RACING PIGEON.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 173, 24 July 1928, Page 14

THE RACING PIGEON.

TRAINING OLD BIRDS.

AUCKLAND PIGEON SHOW ENTRIES

LOCAL CLUB JOTTINGS

It is not usual in New Zealand to commence the training of old birds until the first round of youngsters are well feathered, and, despite the innovation of early training being adopted locally, the writer is of the opinion that there are several factors which would suggest the lnadvisability of subjecting breeding stock to the strain of unseasonable training.

As custom brought into vogue the issuing of rings on August 1, in Auckland, the majority of breeders have birds with eggs due to hatch within two or three days. It is a fact that undue interference with the birds in cold and variable weather suppresses the secretion of the milky fluid so necessary to the health of the delicate nestlings during the first seven days of their life.

The first round of youngsters hatched actually out of season already have a handicap due to low temperature, without having parent birds using up energy both physical and nervous, in training baskets.

The writer is quite opposed to early training on the grounds that a racing pigeon has a definite racing period, in which the peak of condition and speed is comparatively brief, and therefore it is necessary to reach the long distance race-points within approximately three months, at the time when weather conditions are favourable to high velocites. Skilled fanciers in England prefer to give the old one or two short tosses immediately prior to racing, and very often use the first few short races as a means of conditioning them for the longer races of greater importance. Auckland Show Entries. Despite the late date of the Auckland Show, to be held on Thursday and Friday next at the Scots Hall, Symonds Street, the entries have closed with very satisfactory totals in all classes, as follows: — Game 43, fancy fowls 73, bantams 105, fancy ducks 26, utility fowls 134, utility ducks 35, fancy pigeons 110, racing pigeons 152, Angora rabbits 2; total entries 678. Mr. W. Moore, the energetic secretary of the Auckland Poultry Club, states that entries have been received from as far south as Hastings. Palmerston North, Gisborne, Wellington, and New Plymouth, including many champion birds. 1% will be an education to poultry and pigeon lovers to visit this exhibition of pedigreed birds.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. PERPLEXED (Newton). —Variation in colour in the youngsters does not indicate that the parents are crossbred, especially in the tumbler varieties, where colour is very often a secondary consideration. Performance is the main essential. No! You have not "had." C.D. (City).—Sorry! This column is intended for notes of general interest, and not scientific debates. Crossing the racing pigeon with other varieties is simply stepping back say 100 years, and repeating the process of evolution of a racing pigeon. BEGINNER (Point Chevalier).—Pedigree counts if backed by performance, otherwise of little value. If the seller insists that it is a pure Grooter, then do not buy it. There are no pure Grooters in Auckland.