RACING PIGEON NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21879, 16 November 1934, Page 2

RACING PIGEON NOTES

[By Homer.]

I Unni of interest to fancier* ire invited for insertion in this column, and should reach “ Homer,” care of this office, not later than Tuesday of each week. All correspondence must bear the writer's name and address, not necessarily for publication, but M a guarantee of good faith. THE REAL TEST. You cannot value a pigeon for its one simple performance. Yon must have others to back it up. A bird that flies to Christchurch on a nasty day is a <rood pigeon, but a bird thta flies it twice is more valuable, and proves its

worth. But what we all want is tho champion that comes up again and again, and leaves the rank and t file on good days and bad days. -is the good individual pigeon that counts, the' bird that stands out and wins in good, had, or indifferent weather. To get these good pigeons the fancier has to make many sacrifices, face many losses, hfit what of that, for it often follows that the consistent and brave racer is the consistent and good stock getter. But here, again, when faced with the question of stock getting, pedigree counts. It is better to have one champion for stock that has a good pedigree behind it than two or three other champions that have no pedigree, but are simply “sports” so far as breeding is concerned. But what counts in pedigree, and should only be taken into account in connection with the value of a bird for stock; is the work done for generations past by the ascendants. A single performance by a bird may be a fluke. It may have come home with others and not had a mind of its own. But wc can give a bird two flukes ami give it the benefit of the doubt. The writer once congratulated a fancier on a; good win from ■Wellington with a bird; Ins reply was: “Wait until he has done it af'ain!” And this is the test we should really put our birds to—wail until they have done it again. Many a fancier simply worships a bird because it has got home in one race. He sets it aside for stock, and puts great confidence in tho young from it. Hns is often building on a fool’s paradise. Hut here, again, the one performance may ho of value in a bird for stock, if it is hacked bv a good pedigree of the performer, 'and its parents were tried racers. . , ~ , When you put up a good performance with a bird put a few searching questions to yourself. Ask if you feel that the race has been one in winch the birds could home on form, or was it an erratic race in which simply numbers counted, and the man who 'Sent the greatest number of birds stood the best chance of getting home a winner. Many a man loses his best yearlings year altei year in his. anxiety to score. He sendthem on to the far end. Because a yearling won a race some years hack lie sends on his best yearlings with the hope of scoring. This may prove*sxpensive. The best yearling, properly caied for mav prove the best third season pigeon. ‘ It is because of the large number of yearlings sent that when the result comes out they often seem to win out of their turn. If chihs passed a rule that no yearlings should he permitted to compete in rnecs over 300 miles, would it be better for the sport. STRAY FEATHERS. Training, however thorough, does not entirely account for the homing instinct. One theory is that, when a bird is taken from its loft, a kind ot invisible elastic or magnetic influence is set up, which draw£ the racer irresistibly back from wherever it is released. Pigeons of the second generation, bred in the same loft, appear to have this power more highly developed than others. The most expert fanciers are at a loss to explain a recent wellauthenticated case, where a brood oi pigeons, hatched , out in trance Irom eggs originally laid in an JiiUghsh lent, flew straight back to that left, having never previously set eyes on Britain. A bird should be so rung that when it is held in the ordinary position m the right hand, with its head towards one and when its right leg and loot

arc extended backwards by the thumb, and forefinger of one’s left hand, the letters and figures on the ring should then appear right side up and so be capable of being easily distinguished. In weeding out a loft one should not lay undue stress upon some trivial fault in the moult, but should take under review the bird’s entire history from the egg shell down to dale. Dull plumage. greasv wattles, lack of energy and initiative, and a score of other indications will enable anyone to pick out a bird of grossly defective constitution. . , , Where what may be termed borderline pigeons are concerned, the basket is the acid tost, and will frequently reveal that beauty may be only skin deep, and that a stout heart may sometimes a rather shabby waistcoat. v Pigeons need half an hour s exercise at least twice per day after they reach the 100-mile stage. Training is simple, and pigeon racing is simple if you “o the job regularly, but there must not be any irregularity. Don’t change a system in the middle of a season, borne landers feed from a hopper, some by hand. The hopper is preferred because If you feed by hand yon want to be at home regularly to do it; the feeding cannot be trusted to others, Mhen the hopper is always before the birds they will not eat more than if fed by hand, hut they take it when they want it. Of course, it goes without saying that to get good results in the Inpß races you must have a good long-dis-tance strain.