THE RACING PIGEON.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 215, 11 September 1928, Page 16

THE RACING PIGEON.

LINE-BREEDING. TOPICAI, JOTTINGS. A correspondent asks how he can found a strain from the smallest number of birds, and mentions that he only has three birds—one cock and two hens —all descended from a common ancestor four generations back, and yet individually off different pairs. The position is ideal for the establishment of a new strain, and the fact that there are two hens offers an opportunity to line breed for several generations without recourse to a fresh infusion of blood. The subject is of distinct interest to all fanciers, because here is an example which could be ably followed to advantage by any breeder with a scientific inclination. , Provided three birds as. mentioned -above are all soundly bred off proved stock, the cock bird should be mated to

one hen and two pairs of young, bred, after which the mating should be broken and the same process adopted with the second hen. This would entail breeding well into next year, but for stock purposes the progeny would be quite satisfactory, more especially if extra care is taken to provide a well-balanced grain ration, plus plenty of green feed, such as milk thistle, lettuce, or silver beet.

I The same mating would be adopted next season, with the exception that the half-brothers and sisters would also be mated together to provide progeny for the third season, which would then be selected with care, well trained and then mated back to the grandsire and to the grandam.

At this stage the progeny mated back to grandsire or grandam would only contain one-sixteenth of the blood of the grandam and one-eighth of the grandsire, because his blood is contained in all the progeny.

In the third season's breeding there would be sufficient stock to commence really hard racing to eliminate those individual birds which are present in every loft_ and show a lesser degree of speed and intelligence, and selected specimens can then be mated ■ with care to' those birds showing the least degree of relationship.

The old trio would still be present to produce a season's progeny as first explained in this article, thus providing fresh matings for distribution in the next season.

The safety valve of line-breeding -with racing pigeons lies in the training and | racing baskets, which ensures the survival of the fittest, thus eliminating the fear of breeding a mediocre line of birds. Though there exists certain strains for which the successful breeders claim descent from a few selected birds, the writer is not an advocate of intense linebreeding for more than five years, at which stage an infusion of slightly related blood should be introduced by medium of- a proved hen. , Breeding with a hen can be checked with every degree of certainty, but the male is apt to be polygamous, and linebreeding requires skill and close observation, perhaps more so than the mjtre frequently practiseed system of cross-breed-ing. Fixity of type and colour are more easily controlled when linf-breeding, and, provided the racing stage! are flown, the physical side will cause no concern.

Topical Votes. , Mr. P. Hiddlestone, of Sydney, advises that a fortnightly issue of the Australian pigeon paper will shortly commence, to take the place of the "AJEVK.," recently discontinued. -JMr. J. A. Pickering, .secretary of the Whangarei. Club, reports the loss of WNFC27/71. The club is arranging for affiliation with the N.Z. Homing Pigeon Federation. The winners of their first Auckland race were: J. Noton 1, j R. Timewell 2, J. Pickering 3. Second! Auckland race: J.. Pickering 1; R. Timewell 2, Master Smeal 3. In the Mercer race Mr. Timewell scored, with Mr. J. Noton 2, Mr. J. Pickering 3.